No more trapezoidal lane in 2012 Olympics

[East_Coast]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/26/sports/olympics/26hoops.html?_r=1&ref=basketball&oref=slogin

..in two years, the trapezoid will be dead, the arc will be a little deeper and the international game will be a bit closer in style to the N.B.A.’s. The lane will become a rectangle, emulating the United States model. The arc will move to 6.75 meters (22.1 feet) — closer to the N.B.A. standard of 22 feet 9 inches — from 6.25 meters (20.5 feet).

Looks like 'the powers that be' want to make it easier for a Gold repeat the next time. The demise of the trapezoid will be huge for bigs who will be able to post up as they usually in the lane.

[dockingsched]

Looks like 'the powers that be' want to make it easier for a Gold repeat the next time. The demise of the trapezoid will be huge for bigs who will be able to post up as they usually in the lane.

this rule change, along with the new 3 pt line, has been known LONG before the olympics began.

[Benedict_Boozer]

Int'l teams will still camp a man in the lane because there is no defensive 3 seconds.

That is the only rule change that will REALLY make a difference. Most of the Int'l guards on the better teams have NBA 3pt range anyways.

Of course if FIBA removes defensive 3 secs, and Int'l teams have to defend man to man....let's just say the US won't be losing anytime soon.

[M.Balla]

It's good news, because a recatangular lane and a further arc gives more value to post game, FIBA Basketball is usually too much outside chucking (40% of the shots are 3's according to the article!!!) , and I like to see teams with inside/outside balance.

[East_Coast]

this rule change, along with the new 3 pt line, has been known LONG before the olympics began.

The changes might have been rumored for a long time, but were actually adopted by FIBA in April of this year, according to the NYT article. That doesn't count as a "long" time in my book.

[CircleCitysportsfan]

What about traveling? All these changes mean nothing if FIBA starts calling traveling the right way. It's obvious from all the vids I've seen, if team USA is called the right way Spain wins by 34 points. No contest. I don't even think we deserve the gold medal.

[East_Coast]

What about traveling? All these changes mean nothing if FIBA starts calling traveling the right way. It's obvious from all the vids I've seen, if team USA is called the right way Spain wins by 34 points. No contest. I don't even think we deserve the gold medal.

Nothing on traveling that I could find. Here are the rule changes on the official FIBA site:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/mediCent/p/newsid/24352/presReleArti.html
Interestingly, Art. 25.2.3 states that it is now legal when a player falls and slides on the floor while holding the ball. Is Skip available for 2012?

[SPuL]

Nice.. Can't wait to see Bynum dunking over softies 10+ times a game

[senfono]

The traveling rule is right as it is. This is basketball, not handball. Just americans learn to dribble the ball, it's not so dificult

[kooldude]

Why exactly is there a defensive 3 sec rule anyways? What does that have to do with bball really?

[CircleCitysportsfan]

What about traveling? All these changes mean nothing if FIBA starts calling traveling the right way. It's obvious from all the vids I've seen, if team USA is called the right way Spain wins by 34 points. No contest. I don't even think we deserve the gold medal.

Nothing on traveling that I could find. Here are the rule changes on the official FIBA site:
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/mediCent/p/newsid/24352/presReleArti.html
Interestingly, Art. 25.2.3 states that it is now legal when a player falls and slides on the floor while holding the ball. Is Skip available for 2012?

Totally inappropriate and offensive post. Consider yourself warned.

BR

[M.Balla]

Why exactly is there a defensive 3 sec rule anyways? What does that have to do with bball really?

To solidify a zone defense. A man can be stationary for as long as he wants under the basket, protecting it. It's much easier to defend this way, than having to go in & out of the lane every three seconds.

IMO they shouldn't change that. It's good that zone defenses are allowed. I like to see flexibility and different schemes, coaches who used everything in a creative way, and different kind of players being useful for a team. If the point is to reward individual game, let's ban teams and start 1vs1 tournaments.

[M.Balla]

If 9/11 didnt happen we will win gold everytime. Since 9/11 happened, we will not even qualify to get to the medal round. Americans don't play basketball, and neither do travel, they are afraid of Osama Bin Laden.

fix

[CircleCitysportsfan]

If 9/11 didnt happen we will win gold everytime. Since 9/11 happened, we will not even qualify to get to the medal round. Americans don't play basketball, and neither do travel, they are afraid of Osama Bin Laden.

fix

9/11 was an excuse for 2 illegal wars, Bin Laden is not even a suspect according to the FBI.

What the hell are you talking about?

[M.Balla]

If 9/11 didnt happen we will win gold everytime. Since 9/11 happened, we will not even qualify to get to the medal round. Americans don't play basketball, and neither do travel, they are afraid of Osama Bin Laden.

fix

9/11 was an excuse for 2 illegal wars, Bin Laden is not even a suspect according to the FBI.

What the hell are you talking about?

Ask Larry.

[CircleCitysportsfan]

I just did, he said that piece of crap 2004 team still beat Spain's ass.

[Rocky5000]

Great, it makes sense that they should follow the rules of basketball according to the country that invented the sport, instead of some sissied-out version. And on the bright side for Calderon, in 2012 he can come out and say, "If the lane was a different shape, we would have won!"

[Duiz]

Great, it makes sense that they should follow the rules of basketball according to the country that invented the sport, instead of some sissied-out version. And on the bright side for Calderon, in 2012 he can come out and say, "If the lane was a different shape, we would have won!"

dude, are you an idiot? that sissied-out version is very similar to what... well what was invented in the country that invented it. It wasn't until Stern and his conspiracies and fashion issues came along that it was changed to this pro-guard and anti-center court and rules that we have.

I loved it when there was no three point line.

[SpeedyG]

One thing that could make it further difficult for International teams to compete against the U.S. is the farther 3pt line. I think when people hear this, they look at it only that it makes hitting those shots more difficult.

I think another effect that this will have is that it will make it more difficult for teams who like to have their big men spot up from the three point line to get rebounds (since they'll have to travel farther to get to the ball).

[MrCheerios]

I knew these changes were coming and I like them. It'll space the floor more and make the post game more important. I'm all for the proposed increase in size of the NBA court, too. I wonder what international players will be hurt most by these rules?