The Rockets are both always among the top teams in both pace and FT rate. Higher pace leads to more action. FTs lead to less action. From a basketball standpoint, it's not hard to see why high pace is beneficial, since defenses are much worse before they can set. From a basketball standpoint, it's also not hard to see why high number of FTs is beneficial, since FTs, even for teams like the Rockets, are good ways to score and get the other team in foul trouble. It's also not difficult to see, from an aesthetic standpoint, why FTs are boring to watch. If you make a poll of whether Rockets fans want to see hack a howard every single game, it doesn't take a genius to predict that the answers would be no. The ability to discern the difference between practicality and aesthetics, or a serious article on basketball vs. a lighthearted one based just one one person's sense of entertainment, should not be difficult. It just requires some thinking about this fun game of basketball that we all love to watch.
