Good find, PS!

So David Stern actually does things these days?

Odd that he looks at it now that Shaq is the most expensive role player on earth instead of when he was in his prime. You know, when they changed ALL THE OTHER RULES to accommodate/counteract him.

Or maybe they didn’t. I’m not used to rooting for him, or at least I’m rusty. Loved him at LSU.

It’s an ugly tactic, to be sure, but the only reason it exists is because “the Most Dominant Ever” cannot hit 2 of 3 free throws with any consistency.

Do we need rules to help an otherwise (formerly) dominant player with the weakest part of his game? Is it only because the ugliness is coming out at the end of his career, when he’s not as dominant?

Would this be a consideration for an already all-around crappy player?

I was browsing through some old box scores the other day looking for the game where the Mavs made 49-50 free throws in a playoff game against the Spurs. It was Game 1 in 2003 I think. Anyway, seeing the box score reminded me that Don Nelson employed both the Hack-A-Bruce and Hack-A-Tim in that game. The Spurs shot 48 free throws in the game. Bruce Bowen went to the line 10 times. And you guys KNOW Bruce doesn’t attack the basket. Anyway, I’d wager at least 16 of the trips to the line were intentional fouls away from the ball. (Certainly all of Bruce’s 10). I don’t recall an outcry from ANYBODY, much less the announcers that it needed to be addressed. It certainly didn’t induce Stern to act (and I’m pretty sure he was the commissioner back then).

Anyway, I don’t really care. It should make for some interesting rule interpretations if they try to discourage it. The only thing more interesting is if they try to address flopping. If you think the block/charge is the hardest call. How about the flop/no-flop?

Good luck with the coach hunt. I’m interested to see who you end up with.

Not part of the basketball play should be tw shots and the ball, pure and simple. This goes for anything away from the ball. If you are fouling to get the ball back at the end of the game, be sure it is a basketball play olike trying to steal the ball.

I don’t really see what the controversy is. This has nothing to do with Shaq or the fact that some folks can’t shoot free throws. Really, if the game is called like Naismith drew it up, there should be no contact at all. Since that would make the game ridiculous, let’s limit fouls to ‘any contact that gains an advantage’. fouls away from the ball are doubly egregious, since they seek an advantage by breaking a rule.