What About The Shot Clock?

I've seen quite a mixture of basketball games from the NBA to youth recreational leagues, and everything in between. There seems to be a common difference between certain leagues and that is, the shot clock.

The shot clock was implemented into the game as early as 1954. With this new addition to the game, it maximized shot attempts for both teams, it sped up the way the game was played, and it allowed teams a fair chance throughout the duration of the game.

Implementing a 30-second shot clock in public high schools and magnet schools across Connecticut would make the games more interesting in the fourth quarter. Even though the game tempo would be tinkered with, I think it might be worth the move. Of course, everyone in the CIAC would probably disagree with me since they play without the shot clock, and they are used to playing without it. But, at Hamden Hall, we play with the shot clock.

It forces you to make timely decisions in a matter of 30 seconds. A lot of the times, timeouts are designated by coaches just to plan what their team is going to do in the matter of the time left on the shot clock. Down the stretch, the shot clock is crucial. Essentially, CIAC teams can simply play keep-away with their opponent for as long as they would like with the game on the line. Sometimes, I don't think this is fair. They should have to do something with the basketball to prove they are the better team, coming down the stretch. There is no sense of urgency to score or do anything with the ball when you know all you have to do is play hot potato with the other team. The problem is with these  fourth quarters when a team is only down by like six points, it feels like a lot more because they simply can't get enough touches on the ball to get back into it. It puts more pressure on the losing team to make amazing plays on the defensive end to get back in the game. They are put at a disadvantage in the first place because there is no time limit on how long they will be chasing the ball in the half-court. I know that there are many factors that go into winning and losing a basketball game, but I think the shot clock is one, prevalent factor.

Just a thought. Agree or disagree?

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