Four-point shot in All-Star Game

There are plans to unravel innovative features to spice up the PBA All-Star Game in Passi, Iloilo, on March 9 to 12 and while purists may frown on the “gimmicks,” they surely won’t deny that the primary reason for the treat is to entertain the fans by showcasing the offensive skills of their hoop idols.

One of the planned features is a four-point shot. The proposal is to designate shooting spots in between the three-point arc and the halfcourt line and any shot converted from the spots will count for four points. It’s a take-off from the four-point shot in the Big Three league founded by American rapper and actor Ice Cube in 2017. The Big Three’s four-point shot is taken from any of three circles on the halfcourt, all 30 feet from the basket. PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said this will reward distance shooters like Paul Lee and Robert Bolick with an extra point when knocking down a logo shot that is counted as a three-pointer in a regular game.

Another proposed feature is the three-point dunk which has been in the menu of the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors (RSJ) game during the All-Star festivities. PBA Operations Senior Officer Mauro Bengua Jr. said the three-point dunk was used in the All-Star Game in 2007. Imagine the soaring scores with players attempting from four-point range and attacking the rim for dunks. Defense? In All-Star Games, whether in the NBA or PBA, defense takes a backseat to offense and fans don’t mind. But it’s not unusual for players to elevate for a highlight block or go for a steal to create a situation for a transition dunk so there will be some defense in the showcase, too.

What is under consideration is a tweak in the All-Star Game scoring format. The NBA introduced a unique system in the 2020 All-Star Game to open each of the first three quarters at 0-0 then at the start of the fourth frame, a final target score is set based on the leading team’s cumulative score through the previous three periods. There is no time limit for the fourth quarter which ends when a team reaches the target score. The system is called the Elam Ending, named after Ball State University professor Nick Elam. Last year, the NBA All-Star Game’s target score was the leading team’s cumulative points plus 24 points to honor Kobe Bryant’s jersey number. To illustrate, Team Durant had 139 points in the first three quarters and Team Lebron, 138. So the target score was 139 plus 24 or 163. Team Lebron was first to score 163 and won.

Whether the PBA will introduce the Elam Ending or not in this year’s All-Star Game is under study, according to Marcial. It’s a little bit confusing as the fourth quarter won’t be played under a time limit but under a score limit. But it could add excitement to the chase for a win as both teams battle to be first in reaching the target score.

Another PBA innovation is the drafting of players for the opposing teams in the All-Star Game. Fans will vote for 24 players to comprise both teams. Balloting started last Wednesday via online (visit www.pba.ph and look for the PBA All-Star logo) and in-venue during the Governors’ Cup games up to Feb. 15. There are 174 players to choose from, including three pairs of brothers – Russel and Richard Escoto, Matt and Mike Nieto and Jerrick and Maverick Ahanmisi. Fans will also choose 20 players from a list of 62 for the RSJ contest. The top four vote-getting rookies will be named to play, two on each team. There are 18 rookies in the pool. Fans will pick the two coaches for the All-Star Game and their lead assistants will call the shots in the RSJ game. The top two vote-getters will be designated captains and select 11 players from the remaining pool of 22 for their teams in an alternate drafting system.

Passi has been the All-Star host-in-waiting since 2020 but the pandemic cancelled the festivities the last three years. Finally, Passi gets the chance to roll out the red carpet for the PBA All-Star extravaganza.