I find it hilarious that we have a thread full of people complaining about a "free-throw contest" who all the while fondle themselves over their team's MVP candidate (and league leader in FTA), whose most potent offensive weapon is shooting free-throws. By the way, every suggestion in this thread for rule changes has been short-sighted at best and comically irrational at worst.
It's interesting as game theory, until you have to actually watch it, then if you are neutral observer you think about changing the channel. Even as an interested/biased party, I have very little appetite in watching Dwight stick 2 FT's to really "get" Scott Brooks or Popovich or whoever. It's part of the game, but it's not why we watch the game, which is why everybody hates it.
His most potent offensive weapon is that he is unstoppable off the ball which has the side effect of him earning FT's as a result of open play. That is pretty much the opposite of somebody hugging dorsey after a made basket.
I don't want to speak for Sam here, because God knows he treasures every opportunity to give you his own snarky response, but "type of fouls" is an incredibly disingenuous way to describe the difference between Harden driving to the lane and the team fouling him to stop a layup and Josh Smith being hugged or tapped on the shoulder to walk up the court to shoot free throws. It is INCREDIBLY frustrating to watch a game where there is a stretch where there isn't even basketball being played by your team. No one is dribbling, no one is driving, no one is shooting...just inbounds, watch the other team hug your players, shoot free throws...It's just too much.
The Hack-a is terrible even if your team does it. I think the Rockets did it to DeAndre Jordan a bit this year and it was boring to watch as well. I disagree that rules won't change - the NBA isn't relcutant to change its rules to improve the product, and opinion is uniform that intentional foul-fests is a ****ty product. It seems like it's becoming an even bigger problem than it was in the past, due to teams getting into the bonus earlier. This year might be the year.
Go back to your nap. This thread is entirely concerned with the type of foul. Playing tag with someone who doesn't have the ball 90 feet from the basket is not basketball.
Agreed. Even though we keep getting accused of "enjoying it when our team does it," I can't find evidence that I've ever relished it. I actually think it's boring and ugly. Sure, there's a tad of schadenfreude when then opposing lunk clunks his freebies, but it is short-lived.
I think there are two lines of arguments in this thread. 1. Watching excessive fouls and FT shooting is boring. This does have something to do with Harden's style of play. (not to mention Morey's philosophy of valuing players who can draw fouls.) I think that's one reason why Harden's game is not as popular as other superstars. Dwyane Wade used to be accused of the same thing. 2. Fouling someone that is not in play should not be part of basketball. This is by far the strongest argument for change of rule and "just make your FTs" can't really address it. Basketball has changed many rules to make the game better. The shot clock that prevenst the "four corner" stalling tactic, and the illegal defense that opens up the lane, are just a couple of examples.
Down 4 with 20 seconds left, it is okay to foul a guy without making any play on the ball, in an attempt to improve your chances of winning the game, right?
Smith should just sprint like a mad man at the basket so the defense is distracted while harden drives the ball beside him.
The hack-a intentional foul is 2 shots PLUS POSSESSION in that situation (plus you get to have whoever you want shoot the FT's) That's the Wilt chamberlain rule that has been around since before you were born. Obviously, intentional fouling is bad basketball which the league has long discouraged.
I reckon all those who don't think "hacka" strategies are acceptable also have no problem with defensive players flopping? Seems to me flopping should be OK, after all, it works often enough? And heck, all the offensive player needs to do is avoid getting anywhere close to the defensive player. Who cares if it seems to be hurting the game... it works!
Well, if a poor shooting player gets fouled while, you know, actually being involved in the offense, sure, his poor shooting is a penalty. But we're talking about getting fouled while standing on the court (or even off the court, if he is inbounding the ball?).
I didn't say foul a player without the ball. People foul the player with the ball without actually making a play on the ball in those situations all of the time.
Not exactly correct... if the player is out of bounds but inbounding the ball, he can and will still be hacked. Otherwise they would simply have Smith inbound the ball.
