In terms of notoriety and success, this is the most prosperous era the NBA has ever endured. But that doesn’t seem to matter to many fans and players who continue to criticize the state of the league. Paul Pierce has been one of the figures most vocal about his distaste for the direction the NBA is heading. If he were to become the commissioner, he would implement some unique rules to improve the on-court product.
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It isn’t a secret that the NBA has prioritized offense rather than defense. The league’s pace of play is the highest since the 1970s. Teams have emphasized a higher frequency of three-point attempts. Despite the intention to win games, many believe the viewing experience has drastically taken a hit because of it.
After giving this some thought, Pierce has been seemingly concerned about the number of threes per game. In fact, during an appearance on Paul George’s Podcast P, he even proposed his solutions.
“I would just implement that threes can only be shot at a certain point of the game,” Pierce said. George and his co-hosts looked confused before Pierce elaborated. “Make the three LED. Turn that s**t off and then turn it on later.”
Of course, Pierce’s idea isn’t the most plausible or realistic. An intermittent LED three-point line would be a huge distraction for players. That said, the possibility of an LED court isn’t out of the realm of possibility since the NBA has used one during the 2024 and 2025 All-Star Weekend.
In all seriousness, Pierce believes the league should adopt more of the FIBA rules, considering that is the way the rest of the world plays. That would include eliminating goaltending and offensive interference, along with allowing more physicality on defense.
But Dallas Rutherford doesn’t believe that rule would work well in the NBA for one reason. “The goaltending rule would be crazy just because of the athletes in today’s league,” Rutherford said.
Consequently, Pierce offered a simple rebuttal. “Adjust to the athlete, adjust to the skill. Move the three-point line back. They can shoot way better now,” he proclaimed.
Extending the three-point line isn’t necessarily a bad idea. Stephen Curry isn’t the only player who can shoot from deep range. A number of players can shoot from 35 feet and beyond on any given possession.
Much like how the league adjusted to the skill level in 1979 by adding the three-point line, Pierce believes they should become more adaptable to today’s era.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, notably, has been quite proactive in his efforts to improve the league, which means Pierce’s belief may not be too far off from an eventual reality. However, it will require significant consideration.
