Mavs' Mark Cuban Push: NBA Major Rule Shift? 'Nothing Has Changed'
After Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ja Morant both suffered game-ending injuries after falling hard on a drive after a defender tried to take a charge, there is increased conversation about the need for the NBA to adjust the rules for player safety.
In the Sports Illustrated analysis calling the NBA's current rule for what constitutes a charge is outdated, stating that at a minimum, there should be adjustments made to how the sequence is called.
"The timing of the maladies called into question whether the NBA’s charge/block rules make sense anymore in a league where speed and athleticism are greater than they’ve ever been," Chris Herring wrote. "The reality is they don’t; at least not as they are written for the moment."
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban responded to the promo tweet of the article not only stating his support for changing the NBA's charge rules, but he even shared an attempt he made to get it adjusted. He wants the charge circle moved one foot further from the basket.
"Move the circle further away from the basket. Taking it an extra foot away from the hoop would reduce to take charges on drives dramatically," Cuban tweeted. "I’ve asked. Obviously nothing has changed."
Part of what seems to be lost in this debate is that many of the stars that are relying on their athleticism could avoid these dangerous sequences if they were to play with more controlled pace and utilize short-range counters. Allowing elite athletes to pick the ball up against a stunt far from the rim to explode to the basket without risking a charge would make playing defense impossible.
On the other side of the problem, there are limited defenders that are rewarded by prioritizing getting in the path of a drive as opposed to contesting a shot attempt. Kevin Love is a prime example, who took multiple charges in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
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