Marcio Lassiter had simply completed his interview session within the PBA Media Day when commissioner Willie Marcial went to the San Miguel Beer veteran to make some clarifications.
“In my view, [the four-point shot] counts as a 3,” Marcial instructed Lassiter and reporters, referring to the query as to how the league will interpret statistics relating to the three-point shot and the much-talked-about four-point line that’s going to be added for the approaching season.
The brand new line, which had its share of critics and people keen to see it as a manner so as to add spice to the league, has created an enormous implications that may have an effect on Lassiter, who is predicted to interrupt Jimmy Alapag’s report of 1,250 profession three-pointers through the season-opening Governors’ Cup.
Lassiter enters the primary convention that ideas off Aug. 18 third on the all-time checklist behind Alapag and Allan Caidic, who has 1,242 triples and owns the repute as arguably Philippine basketball’s biggest shooter.
However the four-point line, which measures 27 toes, creates confusion as to how data will mirror if the league decides to scrap it altogether following the upcoming season which Marcial sees as an experimental interval.
The place does a four-pointer rely if Lassiter, who has 1,236 profession triples, makes one?
That query was first raised by Lassiter’s former teammate Alex Cabagnot, who by the way was signed to a one-year deal earlier within the week by Converge.
Whereas Lassiter additionally sought readability, he has his thoughts made up about methods to method Alapag’s report.
“For me, I’m gonna stick with the three-point line first and attempt to get that taken care of,” Lassiter mentioned. “It’s not gonna be simple, however I’ll give attention to that first and I’ll enterprise out to that four-point land [later].”
Actual-time knowledge
As a complete, a query was additionally raised on how statistics are going to be tabulated by the league, given the individuality of the brand new line that has not even been utilized in common NBA or Worldwide Basketball Federation (Fiba) video games.
Genius Sports activities, a world stats firm which is partnering with Fiba for its Fiba Reside Stats, can’t tweak its software program so as to add the four-point class to its statistics, prompting the PBA to seek for a neighborhood supplier.
“We perceive that Genius Sports activities can’t put an extra stat, however we have already got a backup in place,” mentioned Marcial.
Reside statistics accessible on-line have been a supply not just for PBA groups and the media, but additionally followers who need to have real-time knowledge accessible to them.In the meantime, Lassiter, like nearly everybody, is curious as to how the brand new dynamics have an effect on PBA gameplay, in addition to the temptations of making an attempt one.
“The four-point shot is gonna be one thing totally different for all of us, particularly myself,” Lassiter mentioned. “I don’t often take these, however I do make a couple of of these.”