NBA Finally Ready To Make Rule Change On Hack-A-Player

[JSD]

The NBA may finally be ready to create rule changes to the Hack-A-Player rules.

“I’m increasingly of the view that we will be looking to make some sort of change in that rule this summer,” said Adam Silver.

Silver has long been neutral to the strategy of intentionally fouling a player who is poor at free throws.

“Even for those who had not wanted to make the change, we’re being forced to that position just based on these sophisticated coaches understandably using every tactic available to them," Silver said. "It’s just not the way we want to see the game played."

There have been nearly 300 Hack-A-Player instances this season compared to 164 in all of last season.

DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard comprise the majority of Hack-A-Player fouls.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/240678/NBA-Finally-Ready-To-Make-Rule-Change-On-Hack-A-Player


Simple fix. Outisde of 2 minutes, give the team getting fouled the option when appropriate, like a football team declining a penalty.

So if Drummond were fouled, the Pistons options would be:

1.) Ability to inbound.
2.) Send Drummond to the line.
 

[Rakulp]

Just off the top of my head...and at 1 AM that's not necessarily a good thing

...but how about this...deliberate hacking of someone with 5 mins to go in any quarter results in the team that is hacked having the choice of players to shoot the free throws.

Who would enforce and define whether it was a hack...well, obviously, the refs.  They would have to know who the worst FT shooters were on each team, and keep an eye on it carefully during those last 5 mins each quarter.

It would have to be an obvious foul...again, judgment calls by the refs, so it may or may not be a good idea.  Just trying to come up with another option.

Rak

[JSD]

Just off the top of my head...and at 1 AM that's not necessarily a good thing

...but how about this...deliberate hacking of someone with 5 mins to go in any quarter results in the team that is hacked having the choice of players to shoot the free throws.

Who would enforce and define whether it was a hack...well, obviously, the refs.  They would have to know who the worst FT shooters were on each team, and keep an eye on it carefully during those last 5 mins each quarter.

It would have to be an obvious foul...again, judgment calls by the refs, so it may or may not be a good idea.  Just trying to come up with another option.

Rak

I view that as too subjective and allowing even more human error into the game. I don't want refs defining what is or isn't intentional.

[SparzWizard]

The NBA may finally be ready to create rule changes to the Hack-A-Player rules.

“I’m increasingly of the view that we will be looking to make some sort of change in that rule this summer,” said Adam Silver.

Silver has long been neutral to the strategy of intentionally fouling a player who is poor at free throws.

“Even for those who had not wanted to make the change, we’re being forced to that position just based on these sophisticated coaches understandably using every tactic available to them," Silver said. "It’s just not the way we want to see the game played."

There have been nearly 300 Hack-A-Player instances this season compared to 164 in all of last season.

DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard comprise the majority of Hack-A-Player fouls.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/240678/NBA-Finally-Ready-To-Make-Rule-Change-On-Hack-A-Player


Simple fix. Give the team getting fouled the option when appropriate, like a football team declining a penalty.

So if Drummond were fouled, the Pistons options would be:

1.) Ability to inbound.
2.) Send Drummond to the line.
 

So in crunch time, your team is down by like 1 or 2 points and you intentionally foul them. That player will get to choose to inbound the ball instead of going to the line and miss 1 or 2 free throws?! 

[jpotter33]

I say just keep the same two minutes rule at the end of the game and limit it to two to three times a quarter for a player (there's usually only one guy on a team they do hack anyways). Any foul on that player away from the ball after the limit, no matter what the intent, would then be enforced like a flagrant foul, i.e. two shots and the ball, which would take the incentive away. Of course, the hack-a-player could still legitimately be fouled when he had the ball or was near the ball, e.g. setting an on-ball screen.

This would be a way to find a middle ground between the two. It would limit the ridiculous uses of it when teams use it six to seven possessions in a row, but it also wouldn't just blatantly change the game for non-shooting bigs. Those people would still hurt their team for several possessions a quarter by not hitting their free throws, and they could still foul them when they had the ball.

I think this would get at the heart of the matter, which was the blatant overuse of the technique numerous times consecutively. I don't have a problem with it with how someone like Stevens has utilized it, i.e. occasionally to throw off the opponent's rhythm. I don't think he's ever used it more than three times in a row.

You'd also have to outlaw the stupid jump-on-the-back free throw technique. That's just ridiculous.

[JSD]

The NBA may finally be ready to create rule changes to the Hack-A-Player rules.

“I’m increasingly of the view that we will be looking to make some sort of change in that rule this summer,” said Adam Silver.

Silver has long been neutral to the strategy of intentionally fouling a player who is poor at free throws.

“Even for those who had not wanted to make the change, we’re being forced to that position just based on these sophisticated coaches understandably using every tactic available to them," Silver said. "It’s just not the way we want to see the game played."

There have been nearly 300 Hack-A-Player instances this season compared to 164 in all of last season.

DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard comprise the majority of Hack-A-Player fouls.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/240678/NBA-Finally-Ready-To-Make-Rule-Change-On-Hack-A-Player


Simple fix. Give the team getting fouled the option when appropriate, like a football team declining a penalty.

So if Drummond were fouled, the Pistons options would be:

1.) Ability to inbound.
2.) Send Drummond to the line.
 

So in crunch time, your team is down by like 1 or 2 points and you intentionally foul them. That player will get to choose to inbound the ball instead of going to the line and miss 1 or 2 free throws?! 

I meant outside of 2 minutes. I'll edit.

[guava_wrench]

While I don't like having rules to protect players from being exposed, I don't believe if using fouls as strategy. Fouls are there because they represent things players are not supposed to do. The penalty is not onerous because fouls are unavoidable. But if the penalty is so low that people have decided that committing fouls on purpose is an advantageous strategy, then we probably need to increase penalties.

While I would like to see harsher penalties for intentional fouls away from the ball, guys will figure out ways to make it seem not intentional. For example, it is extremely easy to foul Drummond or Howard by more aggressively trying to deny them position in the post.

[Redz]

Get rid of 3's or reconstitute the 3 to make 2 from the line rule.  With the focus on the metrics of "value of possession" coaches have exposed an imbalance. More 3's on offense and fouling crappy free throw shooters on D is playing the odds in your favor.  Maybe make 3's worth 2.5.  I dunno.

[SHAQATTACK]

This takes the game outcome MORE in the hands of the officials .   To determine what was an intentional foul and one that was not .   Some are obvious ...true .....but who is to,say concerning the subtle ones.

I don't like putting the games outcome in The hands of the refs. .....leave it to the players to make,or miss the foul shots . It's part of the game.

Officials is like big goverment , nothing goods comes of it , just waters down the fun and takes the game out of players hands. 


It will just make the game worse .....because now every close game will argued about whether or not the foul was intentional .  You just can not decide intentional or not by reviewing .

So ...now your punishing defensive minded teams for playing bigs TOO close at the end of a game.

You put players on the court based ON SKIlLs ......if they can shoot fouls ...then they are poor choice to have on court at various times.   Basic coaching there . you put them on the bench

It's all strategy ,   What's wrong with that ?   

The only fouls I don't like intentional are the ones where guys are fouled on the free throw attempts waiting for a rebound... Jumping on people's backs is dangerous .  I,say eliminate blatant fouling during free throw attempts .

[SHAQATTACK]

So we are going to screw basketball because 4-5 really bad bigs that can't shot free throws , while the other 295 players can .

That's just stupid .


Lots of,good big or most have shot there free throw well.

That's catering to a few teams with those unskilled tiny minority of players .

That's bad sports .....sort of like NASCAR .....changing the rules daily to include STARS who have been left out of competition.

So ......if these poor shooting bigs played for BAD teams , not major markets ......would anybody care .?   We know the answer is NO.

It's about the four or five teams with the awful shooting bigs playing in major market.

This is just turrible ethics

[Moranis]

teach the poor shooters the art of the underhand foul shot.

[mef730]

The NBA may finally be ready to create rule changes to the Hack-A-Player rules.

“I’m increasingly of the view that we will be looking to make some sort of change in that rule this summer,” said Adam Silver.

Silver has long been neutral to the strategy of intentionally fouling a player who is poor at free throws.

“Even for those who had not wanted to make the change, we’re being forced to that position just based on these sophisticated coaches understandably using every tactic available to them," Silver said. "It’s just not the way we want to see the game played."

There have been nearly 300 Hack-A-Player instances this season compared to 164 in all of last season.

DeAndre Jordan, Andre Drummond and Dwight Howard comprise the majority of Hack-A-Player fouls.

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/240678/NBA-Finally-Ready-To-Make-Rule-Change-On-Hack-A-Player


Simple fix. Outisde of 2 minutes, give the team getting fouled the option when appropriate, like a football team declining a penalty.

So if Drummond were fouled, the Pistons options would be:

1.) Ability to inbound.
2.) Send Drummond to the line.
 

I'm opposed to changing the rules at all but, if we did, this solution is the best one I've seen. I would add the caveat that, even if the player declines the shots, the offender would still be charged with a foul. That takes away the incentive to keep fouling the guy in the hopes that the offense will eventually mess up the inbound.

Mike

[Dino Pitino]

This will make bad free throw shooters more valuable trade targets and more attractive free agents going forward. Howard, Drummond, Jordan, Rondo, Noel...their value for 2016-17 and beyond just ticked up a little.

[RockinRyA]

Isaiah Thomas cannot guard players in the post. Why not make posting up illegal as well? 

[Donoghus]

This is stupid.  "Hack-A-Player" is a basketball strategy.  It's ugly to watch but, nonetheless, its still strategy. 

Learn to shoot free throws.