Sunday, October 3, 2010

Is it time to lower the rim?

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) announced Sunday that is exploring the idea of lowering the rim in women's basketball about 4-6 inches.

"The game as it is is a good game, but we have a large majority of women's basketball players that don't have that size and there are questions whether the game is as attractive as it really could be if you were able to play over the basket rather than under the basket," FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann said.

We're sure this is exciting news to Richmond's Genevieve Okoro. But it certainly doesn't thrill the Seattle Times' Jayda Evans, who termed it "the stupidest idea I've ever heard at this point in the women's game."

I wouldn't go nearly that far. I don't know, the women already use a smaller ball, shoot from a shorter 3-point line. High school teams, boys and girls, play on a shorter court. Is a 10-foot rim really that sacred? Furthermore, I doubt lowering the rim by 4-6 inches is going to turn women's basketball into the And 1 Mix Tour. But it might address all those missed layups....

Look, I'm not saying FIBA should do it. I like women's basketball fine as it is; that's why I'm doing this. But I also don't view dunking as some sort of virus. They say they're going to spend years testing this idea. So to me, if serious, well-intentioned people want to brainstorm, research and test something that might result in a better game, I say go for it.

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