Thoughts on the shot clock decision and the debates between fans are advancing. Shot clocks are a key element in college and pro basketball; they prevent each team from stealing and wasting time, making the game more interesting and fun to watch. The rule is after the opposing team inbounds or shoots the ball, a 30-second timer begins and if the team that has possession fails to put a shot up within that time frame it’s a turnover and the other team gains possession. But should Colorado be the 28th state to incorporate these timers as a CHSSA rule for high school basketball? 

The benefits of deciding in favor of this would prepare teens who aspire to be college athletes in this sport and help scouts better see if they are ready to set up to the next level. Walker Asp, a varsity Palmer basketball competitor says “I think it would improve the game just because there are so many possessions in the game, and give teams better chances to stay in the game.” Piggybacking off of that, 157 respondents claimed it would “improve games” and prevent teams from staling at the end of the game giving the opposing team a chance to come back. 126 people say it would “allow coaches to try different strategies on the court”. Some fans of the game claim that they enjoy the shot clock because “who wants to watch a bunch of teams walk up the court within the last 3 minutes of a game, that’s just a waste of time” A shot clock would be very effective for preventing the teams from passing above the 3-point line for minutes just wasting time. 

However many fans of Palmer basketball would disagree with the amount of entertainment the shot clock would provide. Justin Long, a consistent supporter of Palmer Basketball quotes having a shot clock would “force them to get the ball out too quick… and they would not have time to devise it or scheme a mischievous plan… things would be really rushed and not as many shots would go in.” As a fan, he thinks adding a shot clock in this level would take the fun away from watching the game because the teams would be rushed and throw up a bad shot. Some players of the game would even say that at this level the shot clock imposes too much unneeded stress on high school players, and most are not wishing to go to college for basketball anyway. Jazlynn Moreno, a Varsity Palmer Girls basketball player claims that “adding a shot clock would put too much unneeded stress on players.” Another downside of shot clocks would be re-wiring the electrical system would cost too much money, especially with Palmer’s Erps gym it’s so old that we would likely have to redo the entire gym and its electrical system which would cost a fortune  “Shot clock system will cost between $2,000-$6,000 per pair (per gym) depending on what the current system is in the gym(s).”