When I say “true basketball” I mean the game as it’s typically played and the way it was intended to be played—i.e. there is a disincentive to foul the other team.

A ticking clock distorts the end of the game by incentivizing fouling, which is the reverse of how the game was designed.

Just think about a pick-up game. How weird would it be for someone to suggest a 10-minute game as opposed to a game to 11 points or whatever? The race to a set number of points, I’d argue, would feel much more like what most would consider true basketball.