NBA passes new ‘heave’ rule that Payton Pritchard will love
The new rule will take effect in the NBA this season, following a successful test run during Summer League.
Starting with the 2025-56 season, missed end-of-period halfcourt heave attempts will no longer count towards an individual player’s field-goal percentage in NBA games.
Instead, those misses will be counted as missed field-goals for the team.
The NBA had previously tested out the rule during Summer League and G-League games. Now the change will take place in NBA games.
A “heave” is any shot from beyond 36 feet away from the basket taken within three seconds of the end of a quarter.
Celtics guard Payton Pritchard has hit several memorable halfcourt heaves, including a 49-foot buzzer-beater right before halftime in the clinching Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals. It was the longest shot made in the NBA Finals since 1998.
“I live for those moments, clock winding down and six seconds left, get to a spot and raise [up for the jumper],” Pritchard told reporters last October. “I kind of black out in those moments and just let it fly. And obviously it works out a lot of the time.
“It’s really just about the energy I’ve got to bring every game, especially coming off the bench. Some nights our starters might have low energy, so I’ve got to be responsible for bringing it that night.”
Pritchard had previously called players who let fears of lowering their shooting percentage keep them from taking heaves “soft.” Now players can take those shots without their percentages taking a hit. The potential rule change had been on Pritchard’s radar for at least a year.
“I think they should implement that in the NBA,” Pritchard said. “Obviously, it’s not a normal 3-point shot. Some guys don’t take it because it might hurt their percentages. I don’t worry about the percentages because it can change the whole momentum of a game. But it’s not a bad rule to maybe look at.”
Pritchard also said last fall that he would like to see heaves become worth four points instead of three in the future. There are some professional leagues, such as the BIG3, that have 4-point shots.
Heaves are just one skill that Pritchard has in his repertoire. The crafty guard scored a career 14.3 points last season en route to winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.
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