I am going to keep my options open, knowing that the time is coming up,'' Jennings said in an email interview. "I'm doing my homework on big market teams.''
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I will be so glad when every big market team hit's max salary limits with their stars, so some of the crumbs can slink over to Charlotte. Every NBA player is so focused on big lights-big money, it is crunching small markets. What is the answer? Maybe make rule changes that would help quality teams overcome star power. My suggestions:
> Implement 4 second closely guarded rule that results in a turnover. This keeps "stars" from pounding the ball on isolation while the photographers get their lenses positioned for the poster moment. Also rewards effective double teams on "stars" who hog the ball in bad spots on the court.
> Eliminate the defensive 3 seconds rule. This allows big monsters to camp out in the lane and take out high flyers, or allows non-stars that play tough defense to effectively negate some of the "star" power. It could also help the effectiveness of zone defenses. This might also restore the importance of BIG MEN to the game. Apart from Dwight Howard, how many Centers matter in today's game versus previous eras?
> Implement the 1 and 1 at 7 fouls in a quarter versus 5, and make fouling out effective at 7 fouls versus 6. This gives extra opportunities to slow down the "stars" a time or two before they get into their shooting mode. even if a small market team has lesser players, they can get physical and foul.
Bottom line is the league, the players union and (to some degree) society have created this monster. The NBA needs to find a way to increase the meaning of TEAM. The latest CBA wiffed on items that would have helped. Therefore, rule changes must be used to make good teams more important than flashy stars in big cities.