Bomani Jones joins calls for NBA rules change to reduce 3-point shooting

Add Bomani Jones to the list of sports commentators who are tired of the modern NBA.

After an opening week in which the Boston Celtics broke the record for most 3-pointers in a game and 2024 breakout star Anthony Edwards averaged 13 attempts per game from deep, Jones is a another sports media veteran sounding the alarm.

“Basically, it’s become a sting. “Every boxer has a shot,” Jones said of the 3-point shot. “But (the 3-point shot) isn’t supposed to be a push. It feels like it’s an uppercut, an option, something you have.”

After Nick Wright warned the NBA last week that the game's modern style was not “sustainable” and long-lasting Boston Globe Columnist Bob Ryan once again railed against the overuse of the long bomb, Jones tried to remind his audience and the league that nothing is sacred.

Jones explained A sport's rules and style should be based on what is most compelling, not on teams finding advantages to dominate. The right time The host illustrated his point by using longtime middle-class hitman DeMar DeRozan.

“Hoopers talk about (DeRozan) a lot differently than people watching because we look at it by the numbers. But at the end of the day, we watch basketball because it’s fun to watch,” Jones said.

“And DeMar DeRozan is fun to watch. I like watching artists. And this current style of play, and I think people have misunderstood this, is that the rules incentivize certain styles. So people will do that. Styles lead to fights, and you usually have to change the rules a bit and then encourage people to play in lots of different ways. There aren’t that many people I just think about, I love their game.”

Aside from great mid-range play from a player like DeRozan, Jones pointed to the post play and creative drive to the basket as other past skills in today's NBA. The influx of statistical analysis into the league gradually changed players' styles to focus beyond the arc.

“We enjoy these things, but three is so much more than two that everyone will stand out out there,” Jones said. “And the next thing you know…Anthony Edwards has made 13 three-pointers per game so far this year.”

The last NBA season focused on rest and stress management. The league instituted minimum games played for awards, and players allowed the All-Star Game to progress so slowly that it even exhausted commissioner Adam Silver.

This year, the perimeter-oriented style being emulated across the league will be a key talking point. It's not just that Edwards or Boston welcome this shot. Every player and every team is. Games are won and lost simply based on a team's ability to score and make the required number of three-pointers to keep up with their opponents.

This leads to some pretty repetitive games and moments throughout the regular season.

Jones isn't the only one fed up.

(The Right Time with Bomani Jones on YouTube)