Hack-a-Shaq officially changed

[max215]

This is horse turd.

Pretty much.

[jpotter33]

Wait, so now if you're down points at the end of the game, you can't try to foul to come back?? Is that how this rule will be put into effect??

Ah, after reading this I understand. You can still foul on that matter to stop the clock, but it has to be the guy with the ball in his hands. However, instead of the hack-a-Shaq technique not being allowed in the last two minutes in the fourth quarter, it's now prohibited in the last two minutes of each quarter. That's really the only change regarding the frequency of the hack-a-Shaq technique.

But essentially this doesn't really do anything to curb this technique at all. Instead of doing it for 46 minutes of a game, you can now only do it for 40 minutes. The only real substantial change is that you can't do this now during free throws or out of bounds play, which is a good change.

[Surferdad]

Yea, wait. I'm confused. So there's no more extending games at the end of the 4th by fouling? That seems like such an important part of end game situations.

This may make the game even slower at the end not faster.  By intentionally fouling you risk giving up 3 points (a FT plus possession) not 2.  That means teams will do it less and the team will the ball and the lead can just pound it to run out the clock.  I do not like it...

[CelticSooner]

Yea, wait. I'm confused. So there's no more extending games at the end of the 4th by fouling? That seems like such an important part of end game situations.

This may make the game even slower at the end not faster.  By intentionally fouling you risk giving up 3 points (a FT plus possession) not 2.  That means teams will do it less and the team will the ball and the lead can just pound it to run out the clock.  I do not like it...

Hack-a-Shaq is essentially dead late in quarters. Like I said should have given the coach a choice of what he wanted to do. At least then you'd have some strategy. What's the point of giving a FT and possession? In case it was an accidental foul?

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

My gut reaction:  I don't like it.  It is a response to the fact that certain professional NBA players have not learned a fundamental basketball skill, and it's not even a skills that involves other players.  Free throws are like a putting green in golf: It's all up the player alone.

TP.

This is essentially rewarding teams that have criminally awful FT shooters. Talk about hand holding.

[SHAQATTACK]

Good

Now let's sign

Drummond

[fairweatherfan]

Wait, so now if you're down points at the end of the game, you can't try to foul to come back?? Is that how this rule will be put into effect??

Ah, after reading this I understand. You can still foul on that matter to stop the clock, but it has to be the guy with the ball in his hands. However, instead of the hack-a-Shaq technique not being allowed in the last two minutes in the fourth quarter, it's now prohibited in the last two minutes of each quarter. That's really the only change regarding the frequency of the hack-a-Shaq technique.

But essentially this doesn't really do anything to curb this technique at all. Instead of doing it for 46 minutes of a game, you can now only do it for 40 minutes. The only real substantial change is that you can't do this now during free throws or out of bounds play, which is a good change.

Yeah the jump on the back foul on FTs becoming a flagrant is probably a more substantive change than anything regarding the last couple minutes.  Won't stop the tongue clucking though.

[danglertx]

They should have found a way to punish teams that put players on the floor who can't hit foul shots more, instead of punishing the team that can play the fundamentals.

Let me also point out how flawed this is.  Say we are down one against Golden State on the road.  Curry is lighting us up for 50.  Thompson has the ball, 35 seconds left on the clock.  They waste out 10 seconds then start their offense, oh wait... Smart gets called for a foul fighting over a screen on Curry.  One shot and the ball back with less than 24 seconds.  Pretty much game over with them up by 2 and the ball back with a new shot clock.

Ridiculous over reaction.  It would have been better to go back to the three to make two after 10 fouls in a quarter.  Then you can still employ the tactic for bad shooters, but it gets less effective against them and puts you in a bigger bind if you do it for the good free throw shooters.

[wdleehi]

They should have found a way to punish teams that put players on the floor who can't hit foul shots more, instead of punishing the team that can play the fundamentals.

Let me also point out how flawed this is.  Say we are down one against Golden State on the road.  Curry is lighting us up for 50.  Thompson has the ball, 35 seconds left on the clock.  They waste out 10 seconds then start their offense, oh wait... Smart gets called for a foul fighting over a screen on Curry.  One shot and the ball back with less than 24 seconds.  Pretty much game over with them up by 2 and the ball back with a new shot clock.

Ridiculous over reaction.  It would have been better to go back to the three to make two after 10 fouls in a quarter.  Then you can still employ the tactic for bad shooters, but it gets less effective against them and puts you in a bigger bind if you do it for the good free throw shooters.

 

That's not what it is for.  Intentionally fouling someone without the ball, not a foul during an actual basketball move. 

Should extend it to the whole game instead of rewarding teams that can't learn to play defense.  It is only half the game.

[SparzWizard]

This won't be a problem if you blow teams out every night.

So let's start blowing out teams to avoid the Hack-a-Shaq change.

[SparzWizard]

But basically, this is like how a technical foul procedure works then. Shoot 1 FT, regain possession. Except this occurs every last 2 minutes of each quarter. If the action of fouling is done, right?

[trickybilly]

My gut reaction:  I don't like it.  It is a response to the fact that certain professional NBA players have not learned a fundamental basketball skill, and it's not even a skills that involves other players.  Free throws are like a putting green in golf: It's all up the player alone.

TP.

This is essentially rewarding teams that have criminally awful FT shooters. Talk about hand holding.

Maaaaan, can't WAIT to get my season tickets so I can see Steve Nash just NOT MISS!!

Also, someone mentioned too many timeouts. This has been my pet peeve forever.. Reducing timeouts would also make teams use their bench more, thereby allowing third tier guys to get paid a little more "respectably"..

[jpotter33]

But basically, this is like how a technical foul procedure works then. Shoot 1 FT, regain possession. Except this occurs every last 2 minutes of each quarter. If the action of fouling is done, right?

Yes. It essentially just took the prohibition on hack-a-Shaq in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and extended it to the last two minutes of every quarter, which honestly won't change crap about the usage of the technique. It also essentially made it a flagrant to intentionally foul another poor free throw shooter on the other team during someone shooting free throws for your own team.

The most interesting and impactful change is that ANY foul that now occurs before a ball is inbounded is a free throw and the ball back.

[LilRip]

I like the rule change. I hated watching games with Hack a Dre/Deandre. That wasn't real basketball, IMO. Changing it to the last 2 minutes per quarter doesn't obliterate the strategy (you can still do it) but at least it curbs it.

8 minutes in a game is still 1/6 of a game. On the average, how quickly do teams get in the penalty? Maybe with 4 minutes left in a quarter? Maybe 3.5? That leaves about 1-2 minutes to do the hack strategy, if the team wishes to do so.

Note that this rule only affects off-ball fouls. You can still foul the ball handler intentionally to stop the clock.

[Big333223]

I think the rules changes are needlessly complicated but I really don't understand people's devotion to the free throw. Saying "it's part of the game" is silly to me. When you play play pickup basketball, do fouled players shoot free throws? No. It's such an important part of the game that it's the first thing that goes when you're playing with your friends.

Shooting free throws is a nice punishment when a team breaks a rule but when teams are gaining an advantage from something that is supposed to be a punishment, then the punishment isn't working anymore. When that happens the rule should be changed.

But like I said, these changes are just silly.