Landon Buford
During the off-season, the NBA made a significant rule change that prevented players from looking at defenders and relying on non-basketball movements to draw foul calls.
As a result, Trae Young, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic, and Stephen Curry have made a living at the foul lines using “overt, abrupt or abnormal non-basketball moves.”
They all had to figure out to adjust immediately!
“I love the effort,” Curry said (via The Athletic’s Anthony Slater). ”You’re sitting in a boardroom looking at film all summer, it’s hard to know how it’ll translate on the court. But definitely the purity of the game, the goal is to put the ball in the basket and not be out there just living and dying by trying to get to the free-throw line any way you can. So I love the effort.”
“I just asked every official, if they see a foul, just call a foul,” Harden said. “Sometimes, I feel like, coming into a game, it’s already predetermined. I already have that stigma of getting foul calls. So I just ask for officials to call what they see. … A foul is a foul, no matter what league it is.”
“I know how to score without shooting free throws, but at the same time, I know I’m getting fouled a lot more than I am,” Young said (via The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner). “They’re definitely holding on to their whistles a lot more than they would in previous years. … A lot of my fouls, I’m driving, and I’m smaller than a lot of guys, so they’re knocking me off balance and knocking me off track, so that’s a foul. If a ref knows the rules and knows that, they should call it.
“I just hope they call it within the rules because I know the rules, too. I’ve done my research and my book work, too.”
Jamal Crawford and Isaiah Thomas were on Hoop Spaces on Twitter Spaces, discussing the new rule changes on Saturday evening.
“The game reminds me of how I grew up playing it and you are not tricking the referees anymore. You actually have to earn a bucket. The defense can actually play defense and they can actually grab you a little bit. It’s a man’s game you know what I mean ?” Said Crawford.
“So, I am excited to see the league is taking a stand and making guys really go get it. For me, I love it because it’s like everybody that can see it became almost embarrassing. You could not breathe on a person because a foul would be called. That part was embarrassing for me that has played and as fans as consumers watching. It like was like, how am I supposed to play defensive or anybody else to play defensive if you cannot touch anybody. Now, that appears to be out of the game. It is clear who has been using that and who hasn’t, and that part has been exciting to watch. They are calling it closer to how the playoffs are going to be played.”
Thomas added, “I’m excited about the change of the rules because it is getting back to normal basketball somewhat. Players have manipulated the referees and the referees have manipulated the games. Not saying that is a good thing or a bad thing. You find loopholes and that is what players were doing. However, now they are dumbing it down on what is being called or not being called. You have to be a little more creative and have some hoop game to be successful and to make an impact. I think it is the betterment of the NBA and basketball.”
Isaiah Thomas worked out for numerous teams this off-season but is still looking for a permanent home. However, he is finally healthy after having a couple of surgeries on his hip, and hoping he gets another opportunity in the league here soon.
