The NBA’s new rule on end-of-quarter heaves will no longer count missed shots against a player’s field-goal percentage, only the team’s. Analysts Richard Jefferson and Zach Lowe criticized the change, saying it rewards players who avoid risk while punishing those who try to win.
The NBA’s latest rule change on end-of-quarter heaves has sparked sharp criticism from analysts and former players.
Under the new rule, unsuccessful shots at the end of quarters—long-range heaves—will no longer count against a player’s individual field-goal percentage. Instead, missed attempts will only count for the team, not the player.
Richard Jefferson did not hold back on his thoughts. "This is cowardly! We don’t want it to count towards your %…… UNLESS YOU MAKE IT. You want the positive without the potential for negative. PROFESSIONAL SPORTS 2025," he wrote on X.
Veteran NBA analyst Zach Lowe also criticized the move.
"I hate it. I hate it. We're letting these chickensh*t players who won't shoot heaves get off scot free. I liked exposing those players and lionizing the Currys, Jokics, JR Smiths, and Pritchards of the world who wanted to win the game. Boo NBA. Boo chicken players," Lowe said.
The change, reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, aims to encourage players to attempt half-court and beyond shots without worrying about personal stats. Previously, some players avoided these attempts to protect their shooting percentages, sometimes letting the clock expire instead.
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