Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban urged the NBA to modify a rule that he believes would result in a steep drop in charging calls.
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. I’ve asked. Obviously nothing has changed.
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) April 17, 2023
Two key injuries to Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant took place during Sunday’s playoff action.
Antetokounmpo left Sunday’s game with an injury in the Bucks’ loss to the Miami Heat after falling on his back. That fall was the result of a collision with the Heat’s Kevin Love.
Whether or not Antetokounmpo’s absence was the main factor in the Bucks’ loss is open to debate, though it’s clear his absence negatively affected his team. His status for Game 2 of the Bucks’ series against the Heat is unknown at the moment.
In Morant’s case, his effort to drive against Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers resulted in him falling to the ground and injuring his hand. After the Grizzlies’ loss to the Lakers, Morant indicated that he’s uncertain whether he’ll be able to play in Wednesday night’s matchup between the two teams.
One extreme measure that the NBA could take is to simply get rid of the charging rule, which likely won’t happen. That’s because players would likely become more aggressive moving towards the basket.
In the case of Antetokounmpo, that could make him an even more dangerous player than he already is at the moment. During the past five regular seasons, he’s managed to get whistled for charging 148 times, by far the most in the NBA over that period.
Cuban’s suggestion of moving the circle back a foot has been made, though it seems unlikely that the NBA will go beyond taking it under consideration. Conceivably, that possibility could change if Antetokounmpo’s and Morant’s injuries result in extended absences that abruptly end their teams’ respective seasons.
This issue is one that Cuban may not have much time to focus on, considering that his Mavericks team fell short of the postseason. Cuban also has a major issue after the postseason, with veteran guard Kyrie Irving potentially leaving the team in free agency.
