[BryanV21]

Your proposal would negatively affect the defense, as they would be less aggressive as to prevent a 5 on 4 disadvantage. I know... same goes for hockey. However, a foul in hockey that leads to a 5 on 4 disadvantage is much more egregious than most fouls in basketball (aka "less common"). And while watching teams score is fun and all, plenty of people love to see good defensive play (they are still replaying LeBron's block in Game 7 of last year's NBA Finals). And like it or not, defense is a part of the game.

Field goals can be boring, but they are part of football. Icing is not a part of international hockey, but is a part of the NHL, although it can be boring to stop play for another face-off. Having to sit through four pitches meant to intentionally walk a batter is boring, but that's a part of baseball, and there have been times when things happen during those four pitches.

I understand that free throws are not exciting, but it's hardly a big deal. Certainly not one big enough to warrant such a drastic change.