After multiple NBA players went down with injuries during the first round of the playoffs, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban proposed an intriguing rule change.
During Sunday’s slate of postseason action, star players such as Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Grizzlies’ Ja Morant sustained injuries while absorbing contact during attempts at attacking the basket.
In a response to an article from SI’s Chris Herring, Cuban proposed an adjustment to the NBA’s charging rule, which he believes would help reduce the rate of injuries in the league.
“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,” wrote Cuban on Twitter.
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
It’s certainly an eye-opening suggestion from Cuban, who indicated he’s made such a suggestion to the league in the past to no avail.
Morant suffered an injury to his hand after colliding with Anthony Davis, who tried to take a charge from Morant as the Grizzlies star drove to the basket against the Lakers on Sunday. He landed awkwardly and was on the ground in pain before being removed from the game.
Antetokounmpo’s injury came in the first quarter after a collision at the rim with Heat forward Kevin Love. Milwaukee’s superstar briefly remained in the game but was eventually removed, and did not return.
Cuban voiced his belief that an adjustment the location of the restrictive area inside the paint would reduce the amount of injuries sustained on these types of plays with such high amounts of physicality.
