The NBA Is Too Defensive, so Eliminate Charge Calls

David Thorpe and Henry Abbott (both of ESPN.com) took some time today to discuss how NBA defenses might be better than they've ever been before. Bill Simmons of Grantland recently noted a general decline in points over the decade. 

It makes sense.

The NBA changed the rules in 2002, so as to allow zone defense. It was only a matter of time until coaches learned how to best leverage their new defensive freedom. After Tom Thibodeau worked his "strong-side" magic with the Celtics and Bulls, the league changed for the stingier. 

Given that fans do indeed love offense and that the balance has perhaps shifted a bit too much towards the 1995 Knicks, a reform should be made to aid the flow of the game.

My proposal: Kill the charge call. 

Does anybody enjoy watching awesome fast breaks derailed by a stationary, flopping defender? Does this look anything like making a play on the ball? 

This obnoxious defensive tactic could be a health hazard as well. While there have been no formal studies done on the topic, my assumption is that an orchestrated crash is probably more of a concussion risk than your average block or steal attempt. 

So why not nix it? The result will be better game flow, more dunks and more block attempts. While you could argue that this leaves defenses compromised, just remember: They're currently winning the era.