The 2013-2014 NBA season isn’t over yet, but just like rebuilding, or “tanking”, teams we are looking forward to the future. The NBA seems to institute new technical innovations that change the scope of gameplay every so often and the next handful of seasons are no different. The league is continuing a trend of being more fan-friendly, easily accessible, and heavily active in social media.
Although there are prototypes or projects of what could potentially be integrated, there are no definitive answers. That leaves a lot in the air as far as what could or should be integrated into the league. As the league continues to grow, the use of any of the following technical advancements will positively impact the league as a whole and the relationship it has with fans.
Rim/Hand/Whistle Censored Clock Management
Let’s be honest, the refs don’t always get it right as far as clock management, and it can ultimately affect the outcome of a game. An issue with clock management is that it is all manual. It has been a huge flaw in the NBA for decades and has greatly impacted fatigue, coaching situations, and outcomes. For example, let’s examine the Derek Fisher game-winning shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2004 Western Conference Finals.
Mathematically, it is impossible to catch, aim, and guide the ball in four-tenths of a second. Albeit, Derek Fisher did more of a flicking motion rather than guiding, it was not enough time to realistically get the shot up. If you listen closely you can even hear one of the announcers mention that there is still a tenth of a second remaining. That poor clock management cost the San Antonio Spurs the game and ultimately a chance for a championship. There are countless other instances where the clock wasn’t handled properly.
A technical advancement that should be looked into is an automatic clock management system. It’s shocking that something of this manner has yet to be addressed. Although it could be highly productive the mechanics behind it are quite simple. A sensitive, yet powerful, sensory micro chip would be placed within the ball, around the rim, at the end of the net, and within the whistles of the officials. In the event that a basket is made the clock will continue to run until the ball has been synchronized with the rim and passed through the net.
Following, the clock will not start again until the sensory chip inside the ball detects the hand pressure of the ball handler within the court’s dimensions, that will help differentiate from the official and inbounder who are on the outside of the court. It will also help in instances where a ball was deflected out of bounds but officials are not sure of who touched it last. The hand censored technology will indicate who did and how soon after it was touched after the last person. The technology will help in instances where the naked eye is not enough.
Also, to help in those situations where the whistle blows but the clock does not stop right away, a whistle censored micro chip should be installed. The technology will be able to differentiate from the official’s whistles and those of people in the stands by synchronizing the official’s whistles into the system before the start of each game. This advancement will greatly reduce the amount of time the officials spend at the monitors reviewing clock situations and could further speed up the game.
What this form of clock management technology ultimately comes down to is getting it right.
Foot Activated Baseline Technology
Much like the clock management technology, a new innovation that should be looked into is the foot activated line. In this situation, all players will be required to have a micro-chip installed in their sneakers that will be compatible with the various lines throughout the court: baseline, backcourt, charging circle, three-pointer, free-throw.
The synchronized micro chip indicates the placement of a player’s foot in accordance to the various lines and will make a distinguishing noticeable beeping noise whenever the line is touched by the player with the ball. For example, if a player where to shoot a three-pointer with their toe very close to the line it would be difficult for officials to know for sure whether it were a two or three pointer. Then, they’d have to review the monitors and make a decision based off what they see, which always isn’t the correct choice, and ultimately slows down the action.
The foot activation would indicate where the player was standing and the beeping noise determines whether his foot touched the line when shooting. This would hinder the officials from having to delay the game by reviewing the play after a timeout. This is also the case with the baseline, backcourt, charging circle, and free-throw to indicate out of bounds, backcourt and lane violations, and charges.
Court Projection System
Unlike the first two innovations, which are hypothetical theories, this advancement is more concrete. A new trend that is sure to pick up next season is the use of 3D Court Projection. The projection was used by the Cleveland Cavaliers during the jersey retirement of Zydrunas Ilgauskas. It was also used by the Brooklyn Nets and before then by the New York Knicks a few years ago. The court projection will continue the NBA’s trend of advancing technology. An exciting and enticing portrayal of team and player highlights are a great way to get the players and fans pumped for some action.
All in all, the league continues to grow on a global marketing scale and within the association in regards to player popularity and team success. With so many eyes on the game via scouts, fans, and social media, the league has to do it’s best in ensuring that flaws or weak spots are handled correctly. There is no way to officiate or produce a perfect game in all aspects, but the innovations described will help to come close to it. A few minor tweaks here and there can go a long way in how the game is played and ultimately how the fans respond.