SWENSDAY STUFF

The Power Play for the NBA
Swen Nater

Growing up, I had no appreciation for the game of Hockey, probably because we never played it in Southern California. The only ice we had there was in a Slurpee. But through the years, I have watched more and more and, frankly, it’s quite a game. It’s fast, usually close, and those players are amazing athletes. How do they stay up on those skates without breaking an ankle? For me, the most interesting thing about Hockey is the Power Play. That’s when one player is sent to the penalty box for a few minutes because of a major infraction of the rules, like trying to take a guy’s head off with his hockey stick. With only 4 players, that team is at a disadvantage and often gets scored on, sometimes more than once.

The other day I got to thinking; what if a version of the Power Play was installed in NBA basketball?  I know. I know. It sounds crazy but hear me out. Here are my thoughts.

The Rule
In Hockey, a player is sent to the penalty box for starting a fight or deliberately trying to injure another player. That happens in the NBA. When a player attempts to hurt, by hitting an opponent on the head, for example, they call that a flagrant foul. Depending on the severity and intent, it’s a flagrant 1 or flagrant 2. Now here’s what it costs the team. The player gets a personal foul, the team gets a team foul, and the other team gets two freethrows, and the ball. Big deal! They may not make the freethrows and they may already have had possession. For a Flagrant 2 foul, I believe the only difference is, the player is ejected and, upon review by the league, could be fined and/or be suspended from one or more games.

The severity of the penalty does not, to me, equal the infraction. Hey! Somebody could get seriously hurt. And, it’s not working too well; we still see flagrant fouls in the NBA. I have a better idea. Install the Power Play in the NBA.  (It will happen at the same time the basket gets raised to 12 feet, so let’s not hold our breath.)

For any flagrant foul, where there is intent to injure, the current penalties remain the same with one exception; for a Flagrant 1, the player is sent to the bench for a minimum of 4 minutes and is allowed back in the game at the next dead ball. 

Results
During a Power Play in Hockey, the game speeds up as the team with the advantage pushes the puck up the ice, looking for the open player. The team with the disadvantage is like an injured boxer, scrambling and doing whatever it can to keep the puck away from the goal.

In basketball, I see the team with the disadvantage going into a zone defense while the other team screens and moves the ball, looking to get to the basket or for the good outside shot. Every possession, for both teams, there would be a fast break. The Advantage Team is looking for an even greater advantage and the Disadvantage Team is pushing the ball to make it more even, if they pass one of the defenders. In any case, I have a hunch they won’t need 24 seconds for the Advantage Team to find a good shot and I anticipate that team ringing the cash register a number of times before the penalized player comes back in. 

Conclusion
Four against five is not something new. It’s never been done in a game that I know of, but it has in practice. It was part of Bobby Knight’s practice plan and I used it also when I coached small college. It’s an entirely different game—a step up in intensity and excitement. 

There are four reasons the Power Play is good for the game. You might think of more.
1. The punishment fits the crime.
2. Less flagrant fouls
3. More scoring
4. Faster game

What do you think? I think the Power Play would be the most exciting part of the game. If I were in the stands, I’d think twice about going to the concession stand to get my Slurpee during play. I might miss something.