NBA looking into a rise in 3-point shooting, says Adam Silver

The NBA may have an issue with the number of 3-point attempts, Commissioner Adam Silver admits, but he isn’t prepared to change the trend.

Silver spoke on Tuesday during the NBA Cup final in Las Vegas about how many 3-pointers teams are making. The defending champion Boston Celtics are on track to establish a single-team record of 51.1 3-point attempts per game, setting a new pace for long-range shooting.

Silver stated, “I would not reduce it to a so-called 3-point shooting issue,” in reference to the NBA’s analysis of game action. I believe that we take a more comprehensive approach to examining the game’s skill level, offensive variety, and fan reaction.

“In my opinion, the game is doing really well. We have some of the best athletes in the world participating, and I love watching the games. I believe it is unjust to the players to categorize them as 3-point shooters, midrange shooters, or big men playing under the basket. It is a fantastic game.

“Having said that, we’re constantly having discussions about whether there are ways to improve stylistically the game on the floor.”

About the 3-point range, which is 23 feet, 9 inches above the key and 22 feet in the corners, “Throughout history, we have occasionally shifted the 3-point line. That isn’t a solution, in my opinion, since when we examine the facts and the game, I believe that more clogging beneath the basket may occur rather than more midrange jumpers, if that is what people desire.

“Whether we should make certain adjustments or not, I do believe that the idea of greater diversity in offense should be taken seriously. Like all of you, I watch a lot of games, and while it’s not so much a 3-point problem, some of the offenses and audience start to seem really generic, and teams start imitating one another. We ought to be mindful of that, in my opinion.

Regarding the league’s dwindling television viewership, Silver stated, “We’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than they are on traditional television.” Therefore, every game will be accessible on a streaming service as part of our new television agreements, which we’re starting next year.”

Additionally, Silver stated that the NBA is not obligated to host the NBA Cup semifinals and final in Las Vegas. He admitted that there may be a problem with venue availability, but that the games might eventually migrate to home markets.