For Heat, NBA, the times they are a-changin’

MIAMI — Nevada Smith noticed the impact last season mostly at the ends of periods. His G League Sioux Falls Skyforce would attempt a late shot, secure the offensive rebound, and then exhale to reset the offense with a fresh 24-second clock to finish out the quarter.

Except the shot clock didn’t always go dark. Instead, it sometimes reset to

14 seconds.

“That’s when you have to rush ’em a bit,” said Smith, who is about to begin his third season as coach of the Miami Heat’s developmental affiliate.

The move to reset the shot clock to 14 seconds on offensive rebounds was adopted as an experimental change last season in the G League, following the international approach. The trial continued during summer league. And now it is expected to be ratified by the NBA Board of Governors for the upcoming season.

The approach is the latest move by a sport to increase the pace of play in today’s attention-deficit society. Major League Baseball is moving toward a pitch clock. The upcoming U.S. Open tennis tournament will utilize a

25-second serve clock. And now this, the NBA, which already had limited the shot-clock reset to 14 seconds after defensive fouls or violations, coming up with its own fast track.

The impact on the Heat figures to be less than on other teams, because for years, essentially since Pat Riley’s 1995 arrival, the emphasis has been getting back on defense rather than pursuing offensive rebounds. The Heat finished The NBA Board of Governors will vote during its upcoming meeting on a rule change taht will reset the possession clock to 14 seconds when a player grabs an offensive rebound.

21st last season among the NBA’s 30 teams in offensive rebounds, at 9.3 per game.

So, at most, you are talking an average of nine such shorter-clock possessions for Erik Spoelstra’s team.

Then consider that, according to Synergy, 54.4 percent of the Heat’s offensive rebounds in 2017-18 resulted in put-back possessions.

Instead, the greatest impact could come at the ends of games, with the added benefit of less fouling. If a team in the lead secures an offensive rebound with fewer than 24 seconds remaining, but more than 14, there no longer is the need for the defensive team to foul. Instead, if the score stands within three, 14 more seconds of defense could follow.

Smith, who worked with the Heat during summer league and also will do so during training camp, said the change need not be overstated, but does need to be monitored.

“We didn’t really realize

the difference until the end of a quarter or the end of the game,” he said, “because you pull it out, you think you’ve got 24 seconds, it’s ripping down, you’ve got 12, 11.

“In the regular course of play, it was never an issue. The offensive rebounds usually go up pretty quick or right back up on putbacks or kickouts for quick threes. So it was never an issue early in quarters. You get to late in quarters where you take a shot, you take it with 20, guys in their minds think they’ve got a full clock.”

With the change, an argument could be made that offensive rebounds will become even less valued, more teams to move in the direction of the Heat and instead protect the backcourt.

To Smith, the change merely will re-emphasize an attack mentality after offensive rebounds.

“A lot of those that aren’t putbacks are the tip-out ones and I think you can catch the defense scrambling

out of position,” he said. “So I think on those quick tip outs you can either swing for a shot or drive it back into a gap, where the defense is out of position.”

Likely to have a greater impact on the game will be the Board of Governors’ vote on broadening of the definition of a clear-path foul to include just about any attempt to intentionally foul to prevent a transition scoring opportunity. Faced with giving up two shots and possession, it should allow for more of the type of highlight plays that further the product.

Another change up for vote will be increasing the triggers on video review on “hostile acts” to include interactions with referees, opposing coaches and fans.

The Board of Governors meet Sept. 20-21, with a two-thirds majority needed to enact each change. That meeting will come in advance of the Heat preseason opener Sept. 30 against the San Antonio Spurs.

GETTY IMAGES FILE Bob Bass, the former coach and executive who passed away a week ago at 89, counted coaching the Miami Beach-based Floridians of the ABA among his basketball stops. But some of his best work came as general manager of the Charlotte Hornets. It was there that he was named NBA Executive of the Year for a second time in 1997. It also was there that he orchestrated the trade of Alonzo Mourning to the Heat in 1995, shortly after Pat Riley’s arrival as coach and team president. Often overlooked with that deal is that Mourning, who was facing impending free agency, initially balked at the trade because he thought the Heat would be giving up too much, leaving him to play with a depleted roster. As the Charlotte Observer pointed out this past week, Bass then threatened to deal Mourning to a less desirable location. Mourning, who relented, eventually would cement a Hall of Fame career with the Heat. As for the Hornets, they wound up with Glen Rice, Matt Geiger, Khalid Reeves and a future first-round pick in the deal.