As long as I have watched the game of baskteball, taking 2 steps without following them up by a shot, meant a travelling violation. 
That is no longer going to be the case, at least for this season.
Recently the NBA put a rule into effect that states, “A player who receives the ball while he is progressing or upon completion of a dribble, may take two steps in coming to a stop, passing or shooting the ball.”
With this new rule added to the game, the NBA is clearly going with the approach that more scoring equals more excitement. Now that the offensive players have the liberty to take 2 steps instead of 1, they have a whole new world opening up to their offensive games.
A rule like this should especially help the league’s better players, who will be expanding the already large boundaries of what they can do.
Take a player like LeBron James, who is one of the strongest players in the league in reference to size and skill. He was already one of the toughest guys to defend in the league when he only had the 1 step option. Now that he gets a free step added to his allowances, he will get to play with a more care-free attitude, and he will be that much harder to stop. I would not be shocked if LeBron’s all around stats, including assists, go up because of the new rule change.
Basketball fans, all you can do now is sit back, watch the scoring go up, and enjoy!
Filed under: NBA
