The photo shows the referees making a video review during the game. Photo = KBL
This season, professional basketball is showing a clear ‘low scoring’ trend. As of the 7th, the average score in the 2024-25 professional basketball regular league is 76.9 points. It is the lowest in the last 10 seasons. The field goal success rate is also the lowest at 43.1%.
The Professional Basketball League (KBL) game headquarters has announced that it will make lenient decisions on physical fights this season. This is a so-called ‘hard call’ decision. It was a change to become competitive in line with the judging standards of international competitions.
However, as physical contact between players increased and became more intense, the shooting success rate and scoring naturally dropped. Due to the tight schedule, many injuries occurred. Star players who are under intensive control, such as Heo Hoon (Suwon KT), Heo Woong (Busan KCC), Lee Jeong-hyeon (Goyang Sono), and Kim Seon-hyeong (Seoul SK), have either left the team due to injury or are still absent.
At the start of this season, the KBL game headquarters predicted, “If players adapt to the decisions, scores will naturally increase.” However, the average score in the third round of the league was 76.7 points, which is similar to the first round (76.4 points). Rather, it fell compared to the second round (77.5 points).
There is also an expectation that things will change when the injured people return. However, IB Sports commentator Lee Gyu-seop said, “It is difficult to agree with the game headquarters’ opinion that the scoring will improve. “Even though there are many views that the decisions have become somewhat lighter, the scores are dropping,” he said. “There were many injuries in the first round. The entire team is overloaded as they try to fill the gap in the starting lineup. “We are seeing a situation that we would see in the second half of other seasons starting from the third round,” he diagnosed. Except for some clubs, it is not easy to operate an 8-man rotation, so the low scoring pattern may last longer.
Commissioner Lee also paid attention to the relatively relaxed U foul. The KBL game headquarters explained that fouls involving the hand pointing toward the ball during a fast break this season will be classified as a general foul rather than a U foul. In the end, the opportunity for a quick attack decreases, and a violent physical fight appears to follow. Commissioner Lee said, “In the sport of basketball, more points and more interesting situations occur in transition situations than in set offense. “If we block a fast break like we do now and it only ends up being a general foul, I don’t think it will be easy to score many points,” he analyzed.
The last thing to note is the game time. Even though physical fights have become more lenient and fewer whistles are blown, the average time per game is 1 hour and 54 minutes, which is longer than last season (1 hour and 53 minutes). Last season, there was controversy for blowing the whistle too often. As game time increases, physical strength consumption naturally increases. Foul intensity has increased compared to last season.
Commissioner Lee Gyu-seop said, “Even if a player has some areas to overcome based on his/her individual skills, it is difficult to expect immediate improvement this season. “There are two more breaks left, but I don’t know if I will recover.”
Reporter Kim Woo-jung ujkim50@edaily.co.kr
2025-01-08 21:08:00