Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-USA TODAY Sports
For several decades, most of the top talented players in the NBA were from America. But over recent years, that trend has been changing quickly. More and more international players are now entering the NBA. On top of that, they aren’t only playing in the NBA; they are dominating it as well.
The biggest example of it is probably the success of the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic. International players simply seem a lot more skilled compared to others.
So much so that Doncic went ahead and said he feels it’s easier to score in the NBA compared to international leagues. There might be several reasons why Doncic believes that. Additionally, it seems like Doncic isn’t the only NBA player who believes this.
Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard agreed to Doncic’s assessment last summer when the Trail Blazers superstar made an appearance for Team USA. Lillard gave a few reasons why he thought scoring in the NBA was easier compared to Europe.
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“Best scorers in the NBA score from three and get fouled, in FIBA not as many foul calls, more physical. Also, no defensive 3 seconds, so the paint is more crowded, and refs don’t blow the whistle; it’s hard. There are so many things that allow scoring to be easier in the NBA.”
There are a plethora of extra rules that the NBA imposes, which certainly interfere with the flow of the game.
The top players in the NBA take advantage of such rules and score at will. On the other hand, as Dame explained, the rules in FIBA are different, and it helps in promoting a very competitive matchup between teams.
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