If Phil Jackson had his way, he would make two minor changes in order to improve the game. “Why not have a four-point line about 35 feet out? It wouldn’t be long before players will get reasonably comfortable shooting from out there," Jackson told Charley Rosen of Today's Fastbreak. "And having a four-point line would certainly serve to enable teams to catch up in what are now blowout games."
This isn't the first time Jackson has made a case for a four-point line in the NBA. In an interview with the New York Times last year, the New York Knicks team president didn't say too much about the concept, other than saying it should be "implemented a few feet behind the 3-point line." Phil's idea was met with varying opinions. Reggie Millerbashed it, saying, "It’s comical. The league will be a laughingstock, and I will be in front of the line laughing the loudest." Meanwhile, Larry Bird was actually in favor of the addition. "Maybe five or ten years down the road, fours are what everybody will be shooting," he said. "The game evolves."
Oh, and that other change Phil would like to make? Adding six seconds to the shot clock. “This would give offenses more time to get low-post players involved, make defenses work harder, and encourage more passing and player movement,” Jackson explains. With the college game already working with a 30-second clock, this alteration shouldn't be met with such a lively debate, but hey, you never know.
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