Might wanna check those facts. His career free throw rates(free throws per field goal attempted): Regular season - .534 Post season - .540 His free throw rate has only gone down significantly once in his career during the playoffs(last year). The other years his free throw rate has gone up or essentially stayed the same as it was during that regular season.
Some what accurate. Harden also shot more threes during the playoffs, which acts as a counter balance to more FGA's in general. 12-13 Season: 0.59 FTA/FGA Playoffs: 0.57 FTA/FGA Increased FGA by 2.1 Increased 3PA by 1.1 13-14 Season: 0.55 FTA/FGA Playoffs: 0.37 FTA/FGA Increased FGA by 5.7 Increased 3PA by 2.4 That he was called for fouls less in 13-14 playoffs is true, but in general, Harden also struggled immensely during that series as well. Previous to last year however, FTA/FGA has been pretty much identical. Until this becomes a trend, playoffs 13-14 is what one calls a statistical outlier.
I can tell I wouldn't be able to play pick up ball with most of y'all because it would be a foul every time. I have not seen these blatant foul calls on harden that y'all are crying for.
These pictures are pretty damning evidence that the refs have been asked to call it differently for Harden
Pick up ball is different. It's like not calling carry. I never call fouls cause people complain and besides it helps me in league play. Harden getting his arms slapped clear as day while driving the lane is a foul in the NBA and thus should be called one.
It really would not bother me if Dwight wasn't getting called on the other end for brushing by somebody
You foul me enough and I'd react with a sweet stiff arm to the chest. That's how it is on the playground. That's what Harden needs to do. If it gets him a tech then so be it. The refs will not just change their minds. He has to make them.
It sucks that the fact that he has a perception for going to the line a lot is affecting that he really does get fouled a lot... He's so big and knows how to use space so well, he really does get a ton of excessive contact.
This whole thing really pisses me off. Someone needs to put a fire under the refs - give this issue more media attention. I'm not sure how, but if Harden spits the dummy after a no-call or something, really plays it up and gets a tech, it should lead to it becoming a story, that'll start a discussion and put a national microscope on the refs. That'll revert things back to normal, because it is so obviously biased now.
Why would you back away and give Harden more room to finish in the lane? I'm assuming that's what you mean. He would average 40pts a game if teams did that.
Now 7 games in a row with single digit FTAs. Never happened last year, hasn't happened since 2012 when he was coming off the bench at OKC. Last season his longest stretch of single digit FTA games was 6, with a total of 40 FTAs in those 6 games. Now, in this 7 game streak, he has had a total of only 34 FTAs.
Actually, we can blame the NBA And the Refs. You could also say: 1. Live by the 3, die by the 3. 2. Live by the mid range shot, die by the mid range shot. 3. Live by the lay up, die by the lay up. etc. etc. How you play the game should not all of a sudden change the way the officials will ref a game. It should not change what the refs call a charge and what they call a blocking foul from one game to the next. Just because Harden knows how to get defenders to foul him should not affect the way the Officials call the game. What you said is just as ridiculous as how the refs will change their opinion on game rules just because Harden is playing in the game.
This won't change the refs' minds. We would just give the other team free points. Dwight Howard sometimes gets called for standing next to an opponent and being a large man.
Agreed. No one should be allowed to change the way the game is called. No one player should be the focus of the way multiple officials call the game. Like I said before either you stick to the rules or you don't. Harden like MANY before him are simply taking advantage of the rules that are in place. He didn't make the rules so don't PENALIZE him for using them to his advantage. It is NOT his fault people have to foul him in order to try to stop him.
His overall 2pt FG% is down, but it's not really down around the rim. Career .626 shooter from 0-3 feet This year he's at .616 which is down a bit from last years .632 His biggest drop off on 2 pointers is from 3-10 feet and 16 feet out, where he is down about 8% from both. His number of and 1 attempts aren't really out of whack either. He had 69 his first year here. Went down to 42 last year and this year he currently has 21. So he's on pace for more than last year. I really just think the league has gotten a ton of complaints and the refs were put on notice. I don't expect it to last the rest of the season, because the complaints are just gonna swing the other way. They can't keep piling up evidence of these fouls that aren't called and just ignore it.
I feel like Harden is creating the same amount of contact if not more, but the refs won't blow the whistle because of constant complains and this notion of "letting players play". If u foul someone a lot it's because they earn it. Refs not understanding that.
