David Stern would like to stamp out ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ tactics

[Brian in Mesa]

David Stern would like to stamp out ‘Hack-a-Shaq’ tactics

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-b...n-stamp-hack-shaq-tactics-231558614--nba.html

Back when Shaquille O'Neal was the most dominant force in the NBA, several teams utilized the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy that essentially turned every Los Angeles Lakers possession into an opportunity to see a gigantic man attempt to shoot a ball through a small hoop even though he was really, really bad at it. It was slow, lacked flow, and generally had very little to do with the reasons fans like watching NBA basketball. So David Stern and the NBA's competition committee created a new rule: fouling off the ball in the last two minutes of the game would give the fouled team two shots and the ball.

 

[devilalum]

Here's an idea. Why not make every team that plays the Lakers wear Doc Martins.

IMO this is all about keeping the Lakers relevant. If Howard played for the Suns nobody would care.

 

[Chaplin]

Here's a rule I'd like to institute:

If you are a bad free throw shooter, practice until you aren't!

That is giving an out to Dwight Howard and takes away from the strategy. Sure, it does slow the game down, but if you want to avoid that, either put in a better shooter or learn how to shoot free freaking shots!

 

[elindholm]

If you are a bad free throw shooter, practice until you aren't!

Practicing may not help. Some people just don't have it.

There are things I've spent thousands of hours practicing and never gotten any good at, and shooting free throws is one of them. And you can say, "But Eric, you're a scrub with no talent," and I would say, "That's exactly the point."

If Howard or O'Neal had been a normal-sized person, he never would have had a chance to become a professional basketball player. But if you're huge, you can be successful even while lacking the fundamental touch or coordination that is necessary to become a decent shooter. Howard is no more likely to become a good free-throw shooter than he is to become a concert violinist. The talent just isn't there.

 

[Chaplin]

Practicing may not help. Some people just don't have it.

Ok, but is it up to the league to determine that it's ok that they just don't have it? Lebron James might get tired after 42 minutes, should Stern reduce the length of a game to compensate?

 

[Phrazbit]

Stern is the devil. Teams did this for years to the Magic and Stern didnt give a crap. Good lord, I cant wait for this POS to retire.

 

[Phrazbit]

Ok, but is it up to the league to determine that it's ok that they just don't have it? Lebron James might get tired after 42 minutes, should Stern reduce the length of a game to compensate?

Exactly. Wes Johnson would be a decent player if dribbling were not a requirement, we should petition the league to eliminate traveling.

 

[PhxGametime]

The Suns will probably Draft a PF or C that can't shoot free throws lol and it'll be reversed...

 

[Manu4five]

Would the rule apply to all teams or is it like the new rule that the Spurs are not allowed to rest players? Stern has just lost it this season. He doesn´'t even try to pretend anymore. He said publically that his fav nba finals is a Laker-Laker final. I wonder how many rules he would have to change to achieve that...especially this season

 

[AzStevenCal]

Would the rule apply to all teams or is it like the new rule that the Spurs are not allowed to rest players? Stern has just lost it this season. He doesn´'t even try to pretend anymore. He said publically that his fav nba finals is a Laker-Laker final. I wonder how many rules he would have to change to achieve that...especially this season

I think you've eaten a few too many meals in the Spurs cafeteria. Whether you agree with Stern's actions or not, do you seriously believe he wouldn't have fined the Lakers if they had rested Kobe, Howard, Gasol and Artest when they played a big game against the Thunder?

But separately from that, what Pop did was stupid and he's just too smart to not have realized it. The league cannot allow teams to determine which games they will try to win and which games they surrender by design. They can't allow mediocre teams to rest their best players on the first night of a back-to-back to give them a better chance against a manageable opponent the next night. They can't allow a bad team to start resting their best players in November in anticipation of a big draft night. Pop could have rested Duncan and maybe one other and skated under that radar but he went way over the line resting 4 key players in a early season marquee matchup.

As for the intentional free throws, this isn't the first time the league has tried to discourage fouling like this. I think the hack a whoever technique makes a joke out of the game but you can't fault a coach for trying a legal tactic that works. Part of me says if the guy can't make free throws then that is just part of who he is as a player and you need to take that into consideration as a coach. OTOH, it turns the game into a bore-fest and I wouldn't have a problem with a new rule that addressed it. I'd go with allowing the team to choose who shoots the free throws once the team has gone into the bonus except for "and ones".

Steve

 

[desertdawg]

Here's an idea. Why not make every team that plays the Lakers wear Doc Martins.

IMO this is all about keeping the Lakers relevant. If Howard played for the Suns nobody would care.

Yup

 

[Cheesebeef]

i didn't hear Stern say word one when Pop was doing this to Shaq in that first round series back in 2008 when Shaq played for the Suns. Pop was doing that stuff in the 2nd quarter. Nary a word from Stern.

 

[slinslin]

As a fan this is obviously not a bad idea. Watching games slowly last forever because of intentional fouls is worse than watching baseball.

 

[Bada0Bing]

I hate free throws. I always delay watching so I can fast forward thru them.

I would take it one step further and institute the rules we use in my basketball league:

If a person is fouled in the act of shooting (except for the last 2 minutes of the second half), the shooter will be awarded one point and the ball (for missed attempts) and one point plus the basket (for successful attempts). This applies for both 2-point and 3-point attempts. If a technical or flagrant foul is committed during this portion of the first and second half, the opponent will receive two points and the ball back (unless the technical foul was committed when the offending team had the ball, in which case the opponent would receive two points but not the ball).

On and after the 7th team foul of any half (except for the last 2 minutes of the second half), any defensive foul (shooting/non-shooting) will result in 1 point and the ball for the offensive team (for missed attempts or non-shooting fouls) and one point plus the basket made (for successful attempts).

Free throw shooting: Teams will only shoot free throws in the in the last two minutes of the second half or the last two minutes of overtime periods. The number of free throw shots is determined as follows: shooting fouls (2 or 3 shots depending on the attempt), no free throws (non-shooting defensive team fouls 1-6), one-and-one (non-shooting defensive team fouls 7-9), two shots (non-shooting defensive team fouls 10+), and technical/flagrant fouls (two shots plus the ball). Total team fouls in the second half carry forward to any overtime periods.

 

[desertdawg]

i didn't hear Stern say word one when Pop was doing this to Shaq in that first round series back in 2008 when Shaq played for the Suns. Pop was doing that stuff in the 2nd quarter. Nary a word from Stern.

Of course not. The heaviest internationaly intergrated team in the NBA, against a washed up Shaq and the Phx Suns? Not only could they hack a Shaq, but they could beat Nash's ass night after night on national television.

But now that the Lakers are affected, Stern would like to keep them relevant. I'll quit watching the NBA for awhile if this crap goes down. D-12'S new nickname will be D-12, because that's how many free throws they will charity him each game. Awesome.

 

[Covert Rain]

I actually agree with something from both sides. Where was Stern when pop was doing this to Shaq for the Suns? He didn't give a damn. On the other side, fouling someone intentionally to put them on the free throw line is chicken **** and not really playing basketball.

 

[Rivercard]

fouling someone intentionally to put them on the free throw line is chicken **** and not really playing basketball.

I disagree. Changing rules to mask player weaknesses would be the chicken **** solution. Fouling is part of the game just the as much as being able to double team a poor ball handler. You attack the opponents weakness. Coaches have the option to take their poor free throw shooters out of the game at any time.

 

[Dback Jon]

I disagree. Changing rules to mask player weaknesses would be the chicken **** solution. Fouling is part of the game just the as much as being able to double team a poor ball handler. You attack the opponents weakness. Coaches have the option to take their poor free throw shooters out of the game at any time.

Yup!

 

[desertdawg]

The interview with Kobe and So Disrespectful was pretty telling. Kobe said it's up to Howard to improve, and that it's up to the rest of the team to carry this "burden." Also mentioned they needed to keep Gasol.

So Disrespectful kept going after Dantoni and Howard, and kept mentioning Kobe's time left in the League. But Kobe looked like he got the most emotional when they were talking Howard, kept making that weird looking grimace, much different than the killer Kobe face but just as emotional. Time bomb ticking, Kobe, Howard, and Dantoni go boom. Stern can suck it, everybody knows he's a Laker jocker, so he'll most likely have to watch it all from the front row.

 

[Covert Rain]

I disagree. Changing rules to mask player weaknesses would be the chicken **** solution. Fouling is part of the game just the as much as being able to double team a poor ball handler. You attack the opponents weakness. Coaches have the option to take their poor free throw shooters out of the game at any time.

Fouling someone intentionally is not a basketball play. It's taking advantage of a rule to put a bad free throw player on the line. It's not that what you're saying doesn't have merit. However, intentionally fouling is not in the spirit of good sportsmanship or the same as a coach calling a play on the court and letting the execution of your play decide the outcome of a game.

If someone is fouled during a play that was called and he misses the free throw because he sucks...that is completely different. Intentional fouls like that are bush league.

 

[Rivercard]

Fouling someone intentionally is not a basketball play.

It's not really much different than an intentional walk in baseball.

 

[Covert Rain]

It's not really much different than an intentional walk in baseball.

I don't pay much attention to baseball but there are many more examples of bush league plays that I think have no place in sports. At least in the case of an intentional walk, the goal is to get to the next batter. That next batter still has a chance to win or lose the game during normal play.

If you hack until the game is over.....that is just ridiculous.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't pay attention to most international rules but sounds bush league as well.

??

 

[Covert Rain]

??

I have read the post....I was running to a conference call. I updated it.

 

[Chaplin]

I don't pay much attention to baseball but there are many more examples of bush league plays that I think have no place in sports. At least in the case of an intentional walk, the goal is to get to the next batter. That next batter still has a chance to win or lose the game during normal play.

If you hack until the game is over.....that is just ridiculous.

But if the guy at the line makes his free throws, then the game could be over then as well. Usually there is an intentional walk to get to a batter that has a worse chance of getting a hit (or on base). Same concept. Intentional fouling is intended to get a guy on the line that has a worse chance of making the shots, but there still is a chance he will and the plan would backfire.