The old joke is that to really watch the NBA you just have to tune into the final two minutes. Perhaps the league is hinting that there’s a smidge of truth in that humor.
On Sunday the Nets and Celtics will play a 44-minute game – 10 four-minute quarters – as the NBA experiments with shorter games featuring fewer mandatory timeouts.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban is against the change, and so am I.
Few games in the NBA are won or lost in the first half, but this would be a mistake. The game needs tweaking, sure, but this move would be like taking a couple of innings of a baseball game or slicing time from the NFL. Think about the statistical ramifications and historical impact.
If the NBA ever pulled this trigger, it’s all-time scoring leaders would be cemented forever.
The idea arose from a recent coaches’ meeting. I’m all for it during the preseason. But altering the length of a game during the regular season comes too close to messing with the fabric of a fantastic, popular sport.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
