Why Do NBA Players Let the Basketball Roll?

Whether you’re watch an NBA game, an NCAA one, or a WNBA game, there may be certain situations and times when a player allows the basketball to roll on the basketball court, unimpeded or touched by another player.

And while the practice certainly looks silly, there is a reason to the practice.

Below, we are going to look at just why do NBA player let the basketball roll on the basketball court before picking it up, what are the benefits to doing so, and what, if any, disadvantages are there to allowing the basketball to roll unimpeded on the court.

Clock Management and the Shot Clock Dilemma

In a regulation game of basketball, that is one where there is a shot clock and multiple officials and referees overseeing the progress of the game, each second counts. This is particularly true of close games and games between two rival teams.

As such, each individual team and player will look to maximize the amount of time in which they have possession of the basketball. However, per the official rules across the NBA, the NCAA, the WNBA, and FIBA, both the shot clock and the remaining time in the quarter, and the game, shall only begin to countdown once the basketball has been touched by a player in bounds.

This means that the shot clock countdown and the time remaining in the quarter, will only begin to decrease once a player on either team has touched the ball once it has been inbounded. Therefore, a team in possession of the basketball and with an inbounds opportunity, will look to maximize the total amount of time that they are in possession of the basketball.

However, on a normal inbound pass, it can take a basketball player 6 seconds to cross the half-court line and an additional couple of seconds to begin running an offensive play, potentially costing the offensive team between 8 to 10 seconds of time.

By rolling the ball on the inbounds play, and allowing the basketball to roll as far as possible towards the other side before maintaining possession, an offensive team is able to save upwards of 10 seconds per play and allows them more time to execute on an offensive strategy.

When Do Basketball Teams Utilize This Strategy?

Admittedly, utilizing the strategy of not touching the basketball from the initial inbounds pass is not always a good strategy or one that a basketball team will utilize. However, there are certain circumstances and situations wherein the strategy is warranted. Below, we will look at the situations where the strategy is warranted and where you will most likely see it occur.

• At the end of a quarter or half – one of the best times to utilize the strategy of not touching the basketball until it has rolled further along the court is towards the end of a quarter or half. Typically with only a few seconds left on the clock, a team will look to make a field goal attempt and would like to have the attempt be taken from closer to the basket. As such, they will allow the basketball to roll closer towards the basket before taking possession of the basketball and attempting the field goal shot.

• Towards the end of a close game – similarly, the strategy of not touching the basketball until it has rolled further along the court is most commonly used towards the end of a close game. Typically employed by the team down a few points, they will look to run an offensive play in as few seconds as possible, allowing for them to potentially regain possession of the basketball for another field goal attempt. A form of time management, the team will look to save as many seconds as possible on the clock and will look to allow the basketball to roll down the basketball court as far as possible.

• With only a couple of seconds on the shot or game clock – lastly, an offensive team is more likely to allow the basketball to roll on the court untouched when they only have a couple of seconds on the game or shot clock to attempt a field goal. With such little time on the clock, the offensive team may look to get closer to the basket for a higher probability shot then one further away from their basket.

What Are the Disadvantages to the Strategy?

While the advantages of the strategy are rather obvious, there are a few disadvantages to the strategy which force the offensive team to remove its usability. Below, we will look at a few of these disadvantages and reasons why a basketball team may opt to not employ the strategy.

• Heavy defensive pressure – in the instance of a close game, particularly one that is tied-up, the defensive team may be playing heavy man-to-man coverage. In such a scenario, rolling the ball can leave the basketball vulnerable to being picked up and stolen by an opposing player. Similarly, as the ball does not need to be in full possession for the shot or game clock to begin counting down, a player from the defensive end may simply tap the ball to begin play and begin the shot or game clock countdown.

• When a team is winning the game – similarly, for an offensive team with a lead over their opponent, running the strategy goes against the best option for securing the win. As the end of the game marks the winner of the game, many teams who are leading an opponent will look to waste time on the clock. As such, it would be counterintuitive to save time on the clock and this strategy would not be employed.

• Certain offensive schemes – lastly, certain offensive schemes call for a fast paced, run-and-gun style of play. In those schemes, the point guard will look to maintain possession of the basketball as quickly as possible, with the intention of running up the court in a hurried manner to begin an easy offensive opportunity. By allowing the basketball to roll on the court, you are allowing the opposing team an opportunity to get back on defense and prepare for the next play.

Does the Strategy Work?

Admittedly, the strategy, when employed and executed correctly, does help a basketball team to save a few seconds on both the game and shot clock and can help to allow for a better opportunity to execute against an offensive scheme.

However, the probability of being able to execute against the strategy time-and-time again significantly reduces its likelihood of success. That is, in the face of a deficit with only a few seconds remaining on the game clock, it is unlikely but not impossible to execute the strategy and score the game winning field goal.

With all that said, the game isn’t over until the final buzzer sounds. As such, if the strategy offers a team a last-second shot, then it should be taken and could potentially result in an upset.