There has been a palpable rise in scoring over the past few weeks in the NBA. At one point, scoring 70 was a rarity, something that doesn’t come about often. Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic reached the benchmark only separated by days. Moreover, Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker both exploded for more than 60 in that exact timeframe.
The scoring surge has frankly been ridiculous. Defenders are helpless when offensive players of such quality simply can’t miss. The NBA is also somewhat responsible for the uproar. Stars like Doncic and Embiid know exactly how to manipulate class and get fouls in an era where any contact qualifies for a trip to the line.
Yet, when speaking to JJ Reddick about his 73-point masterstroke, Doncic singled out a particular rule that allows him to attack relentlessly.
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Luka Doncic says this rule was the reason he scored 73
The moment Doncic’s shot started falling against the Hawks, the NBA knew its ‘wünderkid’ was about to do something historic. Only missing 8 shots the entire night, Doncic put up 73. It included 8 threes and shooting 75.8% from the field, the most for any player having scored more than 50 this season.
Tonight, Reddick invited the Slovenian back on his show for a second time and they discussed his scoring explosion this season. Doncic blamed the NBA’s three-second rule as the catalyst for his high production scoring.
“I would say it’s because of the rules. The three seconds in the paint is huge. I don’t think people realize how huge that is because when I am isoing, I watch the defender in the paint. He has to go out at some point. So when he’s going out I try to attack so that’s a huge difference,” said Doncic.
During his first appearance on The Old Man & The Three, Doncic said scoring 30 was easier in the NBA compared to in Europe. Even then, he mentioned this exact rule. But why does it make so much of a difference? Let’s take Doncic as the subject. At 6’8″, and with a robust physique, Doncic can overpower most guards in the league.
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The backup plan if he does get past his initial man is to have a recovery defender. That’s generally the center in the paint patiently waiting to swat his shot. In Europe, one can stay in there as long as they want. However, the NBA only allows three seconds in the paint, hence the secondary defender has to move out from time to time.
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That’s the window for Doncic to attack. A ball-handling genius and an expert finisher through contact, Luka Magic easily gets to his spot. Most of the time, it ends up with a basket. However, don’t be under the false pretense that it makes scoring easy. Playing in the NBA requires a myriad of skills and understanding to succeed. Doncic works hard and has perfected his offense to the point it’s second nature. Moreover, he has ways to impact the game other than scoring.
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Luka Doncic himself said it was difficult getting 73. But with the three-second rule, it is more doable when you compare it to the international standard.
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