When the NBA abolished restrictions on zone defenses last spring, it seemed like the most drastic rules change in a half century.

The changes provoked passionate responses, both pro and con.

"I'm all for it," said Milwaukee Bucks guard Ray Allen. "It takes the game away from the isolation game."

"The game is about passing and cutting and moving," said Washington Coach Doug Collins in defending changes, "and there has been a lot of standing."

But Miami Coach Pat Riley said: "You're going to be back in the seventies in scoring." Others wondered why such a drastic step had to be taken.

"There's nothing wrong with the game the way it is right now," said Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, the league's top scorer. "Scoring is going to go way down with nothing but jump shots. It's going to take a lot of creativity away from the NBA."

The actual effect on the game has been barely noticeable, as you can tell from the following comparison, made 55 percent of the way through the 2001-02 season:

2000-01 2001-02 Points per game 189.6 190.3 Shots per game 161.2 163.2 FG percentage .443 .442 3-pt. shots/game 27.4 29.8 3-pt. percentage .354 .354 Fouls/game 44.7 42.3 FT/game 49.7 47.5 FT percentage .748 .751 Turnovers/game 30.1 29.1

There are two more shots per game and 2.4 fewer fouls per game. Most would agree those are changes for the better, although nothing to get excited about.

Even a sophisticated NBA fan could watch an entire game and not be aware of any rules changes. The former "illegal defense" warning has been replaced by an occasional "defensive three seconds" call, in which a defender is assessed a technical foul for being in the lane for three seconds while not being within an arm's length of an offensive player. This was called two or three times a game in November and December, and since then it has been called about as often as "three seconds" is called on offense. Almost never.

Why so little change?

First, there has been a hesitancy on the part of NBA coaches and players to implement a real zone. It may be legal, but it is still considered somehow unmanly and perhaps unworkable.

"The problem with implementing zone defenses, they are too complex to really play them right," said Detroit Coach Rick Carlisle. "They take an incredibly long time to teach."

At some point, an overmatched team will install a real zone defense during training camp, or perhaps for the playoffs. If it succeeds, it will be imitated. Until then, NBA teams will only nibble at zones.

Another reason is that zone principles could be used under the old rules. It was just a matter of disguising them and trying to slip them through complicated and frequently changing guidelines.

But the biggest reason is the creation of the three-point shot. It has rendered the old illegal-defense rules unnecessary.

When the three-point basket was added to the game in 1979, it was simply as a mechanism to keep teams in the game longer. Most three-pointers were attempted in desperation. The Lakers took 100 three-point shots all season on their way to the 1979-80 championship.

A generation later, there are 31 NBA players who have taken more than 100 three-point shots already and make at least 39 percent of them. Defending the perimeter is no longer an option.

Consequently, defenses cannot simply pack into a tight zone and dare opponents to shoot over it, even though the rules allow it.

ALL-SNUB TEAM Stars

The fans "snubbed" New Jersey's Jason Kidd by not voting him an All-Star starter. Portland's Rasheed Wallace was again "snubbed" by being left off the team.

They weren't really. "Snubbed" is too personal a word. But it has become accepted as an All-Star word, just as "uncorked" has become a word associated with wild pitches.

In some ways it is actually better to be "snubbed" than to make the team, since it certifies you as underrated and provides a chip for your shoulder, which can be a powerful motivational tool.

In any case, here is this year's "All-Snub" Team of players who won't be in Philadelphia next weekend.:

PF -- Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers.

SF -- Shawn Marion, Phoenix.

C -- Ben Wallace, Detroit.

PG -- Daron Davis, Charlotte.

SG -- Jerry Stackhouse, Detroit.

Honorable mention (snubbed from the "All-Snub" team): Andre Miller, Cleveland; Sam Cassell, Milwaukee; Sheed Wallace, Portland.

TOP 10 Stars

(last week's rank in parentheses:) 1. L.A. Lakers (1); 2. Sacramento (2); 3. Dallas (4); 4. Minnesota (3); 5. New Jersey (7); 6. San Antonio (5); 7. Milwaukee (6); 8. Portland (8); 9. Boston (9); 10. Toronto.