The words "Hack-a-Shaq" are designed to draw fear in the fans of teams he's played for and in fantasy Shaq owners across the internets.   However, Coach D'Antoni, the offensive genius that he is, has it right when he says, Would you, Could you Hack my Shaq?

Hack-a-Shaq can be crippling when your Suns need to close a gap or need to maintain a lead at the end of games.  It's at these times when your Suns need 10 points in 90 seconds that 1-for-2 doesn't cut it.  Likewise, when you opponent, say the Spurs, are down 10 wants to shoot the moon by trading 3's for Shaq's 1-for-2, then you have problems. 

Another good time to Hack-my-Shaq is when he's ready to rock the rim with a 99% FG%.  This is a smart play to hack and you have to do every time.

However, it's expanded use in this Suns-Spurs series has been bizarre.  Hacking my Shaq in the middle of the game?   In the backcourt??

The Suns have shot about 43% FG%.  Further, the renowned Spurs defense allows only 0.477% eFG% (by 82games.com) on the season.

Now, Shaq is shooting his career average in this series, about 53%.  Well, shoot.  That's actually better than our eFG%!   Again I say, well, Shaq, shoot!

One side issue that seems unjustifiable to me is the change in officiating during Game 3.   Why not just enforce palming violations now?  Why not foul out all the leagues' top PGs in the first quarter of each playoff game? 

That's not the way the law works in the USA, we don't prosecute all those old silly stupid laws on the books, although I suppose we could.  I'm not saying the lane violation is a stupid one, but the timing and secrecy of the enforcement of it is cowardly.   That's another aspect is just how cowardly the whole act is by the league and the Spurs - common courtesy in the change of how a game is called it for the referees to inform both teams what they're calling, as they do in preseason and often before games.

But who cares about the Spurs pulling a Mark Cuban?  Shaq did fine through the Hack-a-Shaq ambushes and may actually shoot free throws better because of it.

So for a 53% eFG%, I say, would you, could you, Hack my Shaq?

EDIT:  BTW, I'd like to say I called it right here, two months ago, regarding Shaq's expected FT.