I did, and you have yet to really rebut or address anything. So you're just arguing to argue, as is your wont. A person holding/possessing a basketball is a reasonable grounds to deem something a "basketball play" vs. somebody who is not. Except, the argument he is citing is about 50 years old - it's from part of then Wikipedia article that talks about the Hack-A-Wilt. Which was then outlawed, because guys chasing Wilt around the court to foul him was deemed absurd in the context of a basketball game.
You're like a child who wanders into the middle of a movie... As Major's pointed out plenty of times, the hack-a has been around since the late 90s. The league has had ample time to change the rule for watchable reasons. Take off the tinfoil hats, gents. There is no NBA/media conspiracy here. None of the hack-a debate has anything to do with the Rockets organization or the city of Houston or anyone's like/dislike (or the popularity/unpopularity) of Dwight Howard. Perhaps the league doesn't see anything wrong with the practice, or deems it a legitimate strategy. Or thinks there should be a "basic bball skills" floor for all players. Or thinks they shouldn't change a rule because of (and to benefit) less than a dozen laughably bad free throw shooters. There's lotsa reasons why they might not've taken drastic action so far. But for real, for you guys that want a new rule put in place so badly: would y'all be ok with the idea of intentional, off-ball fouls being banned (severe punishment, like 2 shots + the ball back) only before a player crosses half-court? As we've pointed out, it would eliminate the hack-a while still shaming/punishing awful FT shooters.
What in the name of good Christ are you pro-hackers arguing for exactly? Nobody in their right mind wants this to continue. Jordan could practice free throws for the rest of his life and still never crest 50% by much. It's just unwatchable and I can't for the life of me figure out why people are arguing for it to continue (yes, even if they are trying to make some futile and microscopic semantic point). I do hope the league fixes this in the off-season, and I'm saddened to see 'my' team using the strategy so much. Ugh.
Intentional fouls should never be an advantage for the team implementing them. Even when it's used appropriately ON THE BALL with a few seconds left and the team is down by a point or two, they are still most likely fouling the other team's best free throw shooter because that's who it'll be inbounded to. I think the option of letting the affected team choose who gets to shoot the FT when an INTENTIONAL, OFF THE BALL foul is commited is the best solution. As many have stated already, these types of fouls were never intended for the sport of basketball. They should be dealt with swiftly. I basically support most of B-Bob's arguments on this debate as a whole.
The people arguing to keep hack-a-shack are the same knuckleheads who fight to keep pitchers batting in the MLB.
Two things they could do without completely taking away the ploy: 1. Implement the no intentional fouls in the last 4 minutes of any quarter rule. 2. Intentional fouling a player when ahead/tied should result in a technical foul penalty. These two things would dramatically curb how much it would be used. Forcing teams to play down the stretch of games without much stoppage.
Make intentional fouls 2 shots and the offensive team retains possession. I know people will say but what about when fouls are committed to stop the clock and this is done all the time but players always attempt a play on the ball. Its going to be called just like always but this rule would eliminate the bear hugs 94 feet from the court like we saw tonight.
We're arguing, or at least I'm arguing, that the onus is on the players themselves to fix this... not the league. Depends on your definition of "this." Does everyone find the hack-a-back-n-forth to be unwatchable basketball? Absolutely. Do I mind the idea of strategic (and not "accidental" or "part of the flow of the game") fouls? Absolutely not. More like a principled stand for fundamental basketball. You keep repeating this mantra about terrible free throw shooters as though there is proof positive you are correct that awful free throw shooters will just never get better. There are many, many, many examples in the league that disprove your theory. And it's really just that... a theory. Show me where Deandre, Dwight & Josh have hired a full-time FT coach to travel around with them, or work with them every day of an entire off-season. Show me where they've locked themselves in a gym until the shot itself became muscle memory. Show me where they've tried (in vain?) to implement an underhanded shot. Shaq once hired a FT coach and brought his percentage that season from ~40 to 65+%. Why he didn't stick with it is anyone's guess. Again I ask - are you okay with the idea of disallowing the intentional foul only before a player crosses half-court? This gets y'all want you want - the hack-a strategy in general ends - while giving the horrible FT-shooting player an option as to whether or not he wants to cross half-court to be intentionally fouled. Or, better yet, work on his goddam free throws.
With all due respect, you're missing the point. An intentional foul away from the ball should only harm the team implementing it and benefit the team being fouled. If a loophole is being exposed to the extent that the reverse is happening then a change should be imminent. It's not on the players, it's on the league 100%
it probably won't change <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">GMs meeting in Chicago today reached "no overwhelming consensus" to abolish Hack-a-Shaq, sources tell <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSSports">@CBSSports</a>: <a href="http://t.co/r0Vczj12Jz">http://t.co/r0Vczj12Jz</a></p>— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) <a href="https://twitter.com/KBergCBS/status/598541216343547905">May 13, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Why should the entire league make an exception for De Andre freakin' Jordan, Rajon Rondo and the 12 or so people who suck at fts? Like I said already so many big mrn can hit fts decently, so I'm not why you keep claiming Jordan cant do it if he practices his life.
LOL pleaz since when is 50% ft considered excellent? How many batters can hit home runs compared to big men who can hit above 50% ft?
They're not making exception for htem, they're making an exception for the millions and millions of people who change the channel when they watch or who hate 3 hour whistle fests. The NBA makes rule changes ALL THE TIME. Some players/teams benefit, some don't. They're all to make the game better and more enjoyable to play and to watch, something that there is nearly unanimous opnion that the hack-a is not.
To make the game better. That's all. The intentional foul is a loop-hole in the rules, and the game would be better without it.
That's a really ironic motivation to defend a play that is so far outside of fundamental basketball. I would think that someone who is concerned about fundamentals would want teams to play good defense instead of resorting to tactics completely outside of the course of the game.
Just ENFORCE the rules that are there already. It is an INTENTIONAL foul - Enforce that rule - an Intentional foul results in 2 shots and the ball. The rules are already there to stop it. DD
At the very least, spread it out to cover the last two minutes of EVERY quarter, instead of just the 4th. Or, just fine coaches that use that strategy. Kind of like how they fine Popovich for resting his veterans.
