I realize you’re saying it’s now not a foul (which I didn’t know until your previous post) but I was responding to previous years with the Rockets and the clip you provided shows that Allen doesn’t square up and harden takes advantage. The league may choose not to call that a foul anymore, but it was at the time.
It was a foul at that time. It no longer is according to today's rule. And its the reason why James harden's FT rate has plummeted. Harden can adjust because he is an all time great but his FT trips to the line will be much less frequent than the past.
Have you watched his games to confirm this? I haven’t. So I haven’t seen how he’s playing this year to know if those are the fouls he’s not getting or what.
I watched their season opener against the Bucks. Harden did not attempt the hook move. Not even once. He used to get atleast 6 FT attempts a game on average by hooking defender into a shot. Now he doesn't even try anymore. He's well aware of the rule change. He also tried the stop in the middle of a pick and roll to rise up and shoot move. To be fair, this could've been a foul but the refs not biting. He did a few lean into defender while going for layup attempts. Again no dice. He also did a step back 3 and land on defender's foot move to draw foul. That also could've been called but again they swallowed the whistle on that too. Refs are determined not to allow James Harden to go to the FT line.
https://bbs.clutchfans.net/threads/doris-burke.302460/page-8#post-12725013 Not to toot my own horn(ok actually i am), but heres me in 2019 complaining about Harden's hook. So i'm not being a hater just because he's no longer a Rocket. I said this in 2019. What glorious foresight. 2019 me was smarter than the 2021 version of me.
I don't know but just as passionate you are about it not being bait 29 other teams feel that it is and NOT a basketball move. Believe me I would defend him for that stuff saying they shouldn't put their hand on him because they should already know what he's going to do. It would be one thing occasionally but that was literally one of his go to moves behind the jack step back.
