Hide your eyes when Shaq’s at the line.I know it’s hard to lose. Back when I was a Little League football star — I was a pretty good little linebacker after my Dad would scream at me during halftime and put me in a tearful rage — our teams didn’t lose much. When we did take an L, though, inevitably there would be a swell of “They CHEATED!” accusations coming from our players, parents, sometimes even coaches, directed at either the refs, the other team, or both. Of course there was rarely ever a situation where our gripes were legit; but when the game is over and you have to stomach that loss, you’ll cling to anything as an excuse.
Last week, this article about Amare Stoudemire’s defense turned into a debate over the merits of “Hack-a-Shaq,” the strategy employed by the San Antonio Spurs in this year’s first-round playoff series that sent Amare and the Suns home earlier than expected. Predictably, the loudest complaints about Hack-a-Shaq are came from those with an interest in teams hurt by it; namely Suns fans still dealing with another postseason loss.
In short, Hack-a-Shaq is when a team intentionally fouls a player on the opposing team who is a notoriously bad free throw shooter (Shaq, Ben Wallace, Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler, etc.), often when said player doesn’t even have the ball, with the intent of getting that guy on the free throw line where he can brick shots and take the ball out of the hands of his team’s most dangerous offensive players. In other words, you’re better off letting Chandler (60% FT shooter) try to make two from the line than you are letting Chandler run the pick-and-roll with Chris Paul, and it makes more sense to send Ben Wallace (41% FT shooter) to his least-favorite spot on the floor than to let LeBron do LeBron things to your defense.
While Hack-a-Shaq has been used most often by Gregg Popovich and the Spurs lately — just another reason for the Spurs-haters to hate — the strategy has roots that go back around 50 years. During the Wilt Chamberlain era, opponents used to literally chase Wilt (51% FT shooter) around the court in late-game situations looking to foul. It got to a point where the NBA implemented a rule that if you foul an offensive player who doesn’t have the ball or isn’t trying to get the ball in the last two minutes, his team maintains possession after the free throws.
Decades after Wilt’s run, Don Nelson regularly used a modernized Hack-a-Shaq strategy (then without a name) against the Bulls and Dennis Rodman (58% FT shooter) in non-late-game situations, and Nellie still uses it today; just last year he turned a Warriors/Nets game into a Josh Boone (48% FT shooter) free throw exhibition.
My first memory of it was in the 2000 Finals, when coach Larry Bird had his Pacers intentionally foul Shaq so much that Diesel took a postseason-record 39 free throws (making 18 of them) in Game Two. This came after Shaq had destroyed Indiana for 43 points in Game One, and he ended with 40 points in Game Two and the Lakers still won. Since then, coaches like Rick Adelman and Flip Saunders have used the Hack-a-Shaq, and players like Andris Biedrins (52% FT shooter) and Bruce Bowen (57% FT shooter) have also been subject to it.
Of course, not everyone is a fan of Hack-a-Shaq. Some have gone as far to say it’s an insult to the integrity of basketball and a blight on manhood in general, something that should be illegal. Others, while maybe not a fan of watching Hack-a-Shaq, defend it as a legit strategy that fits within the rules and therefore is OK with them.
Count me among the second group. Obviously I’d rather not watch Josh Boone do things to the rim that require a call to child services, but I’m also well aware that there’s one easy way to rid the basketball world of Hack-a-Shaq once and for all:
MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS.
Look, I know Shaq has gargantuan hands and that Biedrins is paid to rebound and block shots, but that doesn’t let them off the hook when it comes to having at least a rudimentary grasp of one of the game’s basic skills. Hack-a-Shaq is no different than leaving a bad three-point shooter open beyond the arc (i.e. Rajon Rondo), pressuring a shaky ball-handler the full 94 feet (i.e. Eddie House), allowing someone who has no right hand to go right (i.e. Thaddeus Young), or double-teaming someone who can’t pass out of a double-team (i.e. Zach Randolph). The goal is to exploit a weakness, which is no different than posting up a 5-10 defender with a 6-6 scorer or dropping jumpers in the face of a slow defender who sags off and cheats on a pick-and-roll.
But unlike height, you can teach a player to make an unguarded shot from 15 feet. Or at least to sink seven of 10 from the line. They call it the “charity stripe,” and anyone who’s complaining about receiving charity is obviously someone who just doesn’t get it or hasn’t learned how to take advantage.
Related posts:
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Dime Magazine says:
I say it’s legit strategy. Teams in the NRF do it to us, putting a certain Dime Lifestyle Editor on the line to make him earn his points. They know he’s not exactly Steve Nash at the stripe, so fouling him is better than letting him get to the cup for an easy 2.
You play to win the game….
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Marcus says:
Make your freebies…then theres no issue.
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
aj says:
Jackpot on the last sentence. Don’t gimmie this crap that Hack-A-Crappy FT Shooter is bad basketball. It’s brilliant. The name of the game is to win. And don’t gimmie this crap that it’ll drive fans away, it won’t. Y’all still watched Suns-Spurs. It’ll make fans hollar more for their star players to PLAY BETTER BASKETBALL.
After the layup line in elementary basketball, what’s the next shooting activity the little kids are taught to do, shoot free throws.
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:51 pm
izzy says:
its most def a legit strategy. It may not be the most appeasing to fans or Tv ratings (which is another whole issue) but it still comes down to exploiting a players weakness to win a bball game.
For many a year people had to deal with Shaq being the most dominant and nimble big man the NBA has seen in a decade (ever?!), but with those skills on the decline, everyone has issues with the integrity of basketball with a Hack-A-Shaq strategy. Make your free throws or sit on the bench at the end of a close game.
Its the same situation regardless of middle school games or the NBA.
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 pm
tai says:
shaq is to lazy to practice free throws
and only suns fans can say its bad strategy
this is excellent its in the rules so why not use it in your favor
or does every team has to allow shaq to dunk?
fuck no
it works use it u play to win
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Ian says:
hey comon anything for the win and if u cant play in crunch time because you can only dunk sit your ass down
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
dagwaller says:
This strategy is just like flopping or forcing a foul while you’re shooting: 100 percent legal, even if it’s not exactly the most fun to watch.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:05 pm
it aint easy being green says:
make freethrows. fuck, you get paid enough. if you worked at mcdonalds and always burned the fries you would most likely get fired. stop complaining and hit’em.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
If you have ever played beer pong you know its tough to make 7 out of ten and since the ball looks like a ping pong ball in shaqs banana hands…I’m gonna give him a pass
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
yoda says:
i can understand that shaq has big hands and its hard for him to shoot the ball like he should. but i couldn’t understand ever why doesn’t he shoots free throws that balls hits glass first. just hit white square and you are safe. just like timmys bank shots, same deal, just in front of basketball. as for is it legit, i hate it, but if player paid 15million+ dollars can’t be bothered to learn to shoot free throws, then use hack-a-shaq on him.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Detroit Dave says:
IF you think about it if you foul Shaq and he makes 10/20 shots from the line that is equal to scoring 5 field goals out of 10 trips down the floor. It balances out. The problem when the other teams is hitting three pointers or if Shaq goes 0-2 at the line which he will tend to do.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
bsteezy3 says:
As a Magic fan, I’m able to witness this strategy on two players: Shaq and now Dwight Howard. I HATE HACK-A-SHAQ!!!! I can’t stand it. It looks like a cop-out defense strategy. It slows the game down, it raises the “boredom meter” on any game, and it’s just a cowardly move. However, I’ll admit it, it IS within the rules, therefore, it’s a LEGIT STRATEGY (THAT’S INSULTING TO BASKETBALL). This article mentions a rule that they made to help Wilt (returning the ball to the team that shoots the FTs…); what happened to that rule?
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Chromodome says:
It may be a legit strategy, but it makes for HORRIBLE basketball to watch and comes across like a cheesy loophole in the rules. It’s like the opposite of a tech since the opponent is getting to pick who to send to the line.
I’d be in favor of something like the rule they had in Wilt’s day, so if the weak F/T shooter touches the ball foul away — but if he is away from the ball, give him one shot and his team retains possession.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
A-Slam says:
I agree that the strategy is legit but it definately makes games wayyy less enjoyable to watch. How many people wanted to fuckin watch shaq take 39 free throws? that’s like watching paint dry
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
loganlight says:
Legit Strategy.
I’m with you AB, I don’t like it, but it’s just like exploiting any other weakness of a player. I’ve said for years that paid basketball players should be able to make free throws… I CAN MAKE FREE THROWS. I’m 5′11 and I play 5 times a week… where I never have to make a free throw except to get on a team… but I can still sink em.
The one thing I would change about the rule is the off the ball fouling. It makes no sense. The player you’re fouling has no shot at scoring… instead, I think that teams should be able to send the ball handler to the line. So if Shaq gets fouled while Nash has the ball (at half court mind you), Steve is taking the freebies. If Shaq is posting, and Nash is within a passing lane - perhaps on the wing - Shaq would shoot. The biggest problem I have is when teams foul before the ball crosses half court!
That’s my idea to change things… but it is part of basketball. Get over it and make your free throws.
LL
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
me says:
is it a legit strategy? -yes
Should it be changed?-yes
Just because it’s legit, doesn’t mean it should be in the game. It’s not fun to watch. isn’t that why they added the hand-checking rules, so people will score more and it’ll be funner to watch?
Plus shaq doesn’t get a pass, elton brand has bigger hands than him, what’s his ft %?
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
loganlight says:
it aint easy being green says:
“make freethrows. f–k, you get paid enough. if you worked at mcdonalds and always burned the fries you would most likely get fired. stop complaining and hit’em.”
- THAT is hilarious. Dime, hit this guy up for comment of the day!
LL
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
andy c. says:
having a guy sprint at shaq who is not involved in the play whatsoever, is despicable. if he’s screening, posting, or catching the in-bounds pass fine. fouling a guy off the ball because he can’t make free throws should be a 1-shot and the ball. at least in the last 5 min of a game anyway. popovich’s tactics against the suns were disgusting.
i still don’t know why shaq’s release is so jacked. when he first started in the l he had a nice follow-through.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:49 pm
DeGuy says:
i don’t get it.
how can somebody who has been playing basketball their entire life(almost every day) hit 50% from the line?
they should hack away all day if you ask me…
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
bballinca says:
Legit strategy as it is within the rules. Shaq should have taken a lesson from Karl Malone and worked on his game and physical shape instead of seeing how many dunkin donuts he could slam into his mouth.
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Ross says:
Legit strategy.
It literally took the Suns out of the game every time Shaq got fouled in that series. Ironically, The Mavs would do the same thing to Bowen and the Spurs a few years prior in the playoffs.
It’s worth noting that when the Spurs tried it on Chandler in the next series, he started making his free throws, and the strategy somewhat back-fired.
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Prof. TX says:
This is definitely bad for basketball. I can’t imagine that anyone who writes/revises the rules ever said “You know what would be a good defensive skill? Let’s have everyone try to run over and hug whoever has the lowest shooting stat?”
People need to see the difference between legal and legitimate. Flopping is also technically legal, because there’s no punishment for it. But nobody designing the game envisioned that defense would be “If you can’t tackle or hug their worst shooter, then fling yourself to the floor for no good reason and hope for a bad call”
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:40 pm
ERIC says:
Good article Austin!
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:52 pm
dagwaller says:
Exactly what I’m saying, Prof. Although I’m always quick to point out that shooters get the same amount of calls by jumping into defenders - flopping has its offensive counterpart.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Ian says:
wow i really didnt think this article would have that many people in favor of it
but nice austin
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:33 pm
Dagomar Degroot says:
I believe Shaq has an elbow problem - I read on ESPN that he broke it while young and that this is why he can’t shoot free throws.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
bballinca says:
Dagomar that is BS. Even than it is the same shot every time so you learn to adjust. Even than he could ahve learned to shot with his other hand if it is such a hinderance to him. Shaq never cared for trully improving his game. Shaq won the gene pool lottery and cashed in (Rightfully so) But to say he was a fundamentally great basketball player would be wrong.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
K Dizzle says:
Great post, Prof(#22).
I’m kinda embarrassed for dudes on here lookin for the easy way out. It’s in the rules so it’s legal so we won’t at least try and stop you, we’re just gonna bring on a goon to hug you (on your end of the floor) cuz you or someone on your team might score? Yeah, that’s what Naismith had in mind.
Straight comedy….daily.
The best part being that we comparin ball in 2008 to some ish that when on when Wilt was playin…50 years ago. It’s called evolution. 24 sec clock, 10 sec halfcourt line, 3 point line. Changes made to improve the game. If anyone can tell me how huggin a dude who doesn’t have the ball makes the game better, please break it down.
I got an idea. Stop watchin the NBA and watch some college so heads can see how ball is played. Memphis was the worst free throw shootin team in the L and Kansas didn’t beat them by grabbin Dorsey, Rose or CDR in the backcourt. They put the clamps down, hustled on d, communicated, and hit some big shots.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:44 pm
aj says:
@ Prof Tx.
I believe the average is just over 1 pt per possession for teams in the NBA. So it’s not pick the worst FT shooter on the team, it’s simply pick anyone that lowers the other teams points they are able to score.
How can anyone say this is despicable or cowardly though? That gives me a good laugh. You go ahead and be manly and lose. If it works and you win, way to go. If it backfires and you lose, better try something different next time.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
dapro says:
It’s a legit insult
I get pissed when I’m playing 2k8 online and the other cat continues to foul me cause I can’t shoot free throws for s*&*, but that’s strategy
If it’s tight in the 4th it makes sense to foul but if it’s 1-3rd quarter and your going into HACK-A- mode it’s bs
Gameplan for the hack in 4th. Make key subs do what you gotta do
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Ansonious says:
this shit is funny I STILL CAN’ BELIEVE WERE ON THIS SUBJECT. Whatever it’s hilarious that I get no credit for starting this little war, hey Austin Burton how bout a friendly wager? I bet 100 bones that the spurs lose in the playoffs before the suns do. I’m sure it’s chump change for you but if you really believe in your team that much take the bet buddy.
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Ansonious says:
oh my bad can’t
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Mike says:
The rule should be changed. Purposely fouling a player without the ball is NOT good basketball. It defeats the purpose of the game. It is by no means the same as ‘forcing a player left’ or ‘posting up the small guy.’ I am all for hack-a-shaq, but when HE ACTUALLY HAS THE BALL! Only then is it strategy. The off the ball fouls are cheap shots, not strategy.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Big North says:
I agree with Mike, when he has the ball in his hands, go for it. It’s a flaw to be exploited, but being able to do it off the ball and not be penalized is a flaw in the system. I’m thinking that’s going to be Erased soon with Stern wanting to “sexy” up the game. And this always happens in pressure situations, where you want to see teams battle it out. This has potential to murder those moments. I bet you ESPN classic wont be airing any games that got won due to that tactic 20 years from now. lol.
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:05 pm
dwade3 says:
Your point is good but still a little shaky. The other weaknesses you mentioned are exploited within the flow of the game. Letting a guy go right when he doesn’t have a right hand is one thing, but FOULING a guy is something entirely different… Intentional fouls don’t really have any basketball skills to them. In FIBA ball such a foul would result in a free throw plus kept possession. IMHO that is the way it should be in the NBA as well.
But I definitely agree on the point that these bums shouldn’t be paid millions if they can’t make their free throws.
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:25 pm
LakeShow84 says:
I thought this was beautiful because before that suns/spurs series i didnt this was a viable strategy.. But DAMN the suns completely lost their cool.. People dont talk about that but this hackashaq completely deflates some teams.. watching the suns they knew that everytime they got a run going it would be ruined by the strategy and towards the end it looked like they almost didnt play hard..
Crazy but it should stay.. like they say it aint called the CHARITY stripe for nothing.. if all else fails do it Granny style.. In my opinion u have more control because your motion is bigger..
But dont get me twisted.. 90% all day baby..
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:31 pm
LakeShow84 says:
And suns fans should give up betting spurs fans anything.. Because in reality Suns fans pride lies in the spurs bellies.. ATE THEM UP!!!
“i bet the spurs lose in the playoffs before the Suns do”
Have u watched bball in the 2000’s?? the suns will be rebuilding in 2 years.. Their best time came when Dirk dropped 200 on them in the playoffs..
Like vince says “Its Ova”..
I think Suns Fans took the (completely idiotic) pride of Dan A’ntoni inside of them and this almost makes them as bad as Celtic fans..
No Offense CeltsFan
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Dave says:
I consider it a legit strategy but it produces bad basketball.
I’m really unsure about whether the NBA should intervene. I don’t like guys getting a break because they can’t dedicate themselves to hitting a ridiculously repetitive 15 foot shot with nobody defending them. I don’t like letting them off the hook for that.
September 2nd, 2008 at 10:09 pm
Meica says:
“Hack-A-Shaq” keeps the league honest. Employed enough, teams think twice about acquiring a monster player who can’t hit the broad side of a barn with his free throw.
Who knows? Maybe some of these bad free throw shooters will adopt the granny style again. It will be hilarious!
September 2nd, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Celts Fan says:
Legit strategy. It should be changed, but right now, you do whatever it takes to win. I’d rather win without it, but a win’s a win. Stern should turn off the ball into 1 shot and keeping possession, but til he does, it’s legal so do it.
@LakeShow, it’s cool man. I have buddies that wouldn’t have come to Celtics games if you gave them tickets a few years ago. KG and Ray Allen come to town and they’re all about the Celtics and have “loved them forever” but were no where to be found in the days when an old Kenny Anderson and Orienne Greene were pretending they knew how to play point int he early 2000s. The old heads around here LOVE the Celtics but just hadn’t really been lining up to pay for tickets to see shitbag teams (why when you can pay $200 a game to go sit in seats made for a midget at Fenway and watch fucking paint dry for 9 innings) but people my age (25) and younger, if you weren’t raised on it or didn’t just love the game, when MJ retired and the lockout happened, they just jumped more into the Pats and Sox and never came back until it was conveniently time to hop on the bandwagon when the Celtics get good. It’s a miracle there weren’t at least 3 dudes named Sully bludgeoned to death the night we won the chip…
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:06 am
sans says:
It’s cheap. And illegal in every basketball rulebook until you hit the NBA. And flopping, faking a foul, is one of the six ways that you can be issued a technical foul.
Here’s what I posted before on this topic:
Ansonious, you are absolutely right. Intentional fouling, with the exception of stopping the clock, is unsportsmanlike and degrades the game as much as flopping (faking a foul) does. It’s disrespectful to ball, taking away from the fluidity and motion integral to the sport. Fuck that stupid cheap shit. Intentionally fouling so a player cannot tie or win a game with a shot, forcing them to take two freebies instead of the clutch 3 is bogus. It’s whack if it’s against Big Timmeh, Cactus, or Chuck Hayes (although multiple Chuck Hayes free throw sitings would be great to see, for the pure amusement; homey looks like someone scares him right at the end of his release).
And it’s not the same thing if a point can’t handle a trapping press. Intentional fouls, in the rulebook, are designated separate from common, unintentional fouls. They should be enforced like that. We are not talking about creating rules here, just enforcing them in the spirit under which they were created.
Peace.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:19 am
LakeShow84 says:
“although multiple Chuck Hayes free throw sitings would be great to see, for the pure amusement; homey looks like someone scares him right at the end of his release”
Quote of the day? shit, is it day or week??
lmao sans
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:25 am
Wildes says:
Great article. A lot of insightful points.
I think the basic point is that a violation shouldn’t help the violator. In the NFL, coaches can chose not to accept penalties. In soccer, a ref will choose to “play on” and ignore an infraction if the team already has gained an advantage.
Yes, Hack a Shaq could be solved be Shaq hitting free throws. And while it is a valid strategy, it sure doesn’t feel right when you see it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:26 am
Ansonious says:
@ lakeshow84 Just the fact I get no response from the bet already tells me someones scared.
Lets not forget the last game between the suns and the spurs at the end of last season(and oh the suns won that game.) Hence the cheap bullshit come playoffs, so talk all the smack you want to yourselves, cause we all know why the most disgraceful series in nba history was played the way it was, because the spurs were afraid of having their asses handed to them, and Austin Burton knows it too. So go ahead take my bet if it’s so outlandish you shouldn’t have a problem taking my money come playoffs, dime has my email address get ahold of me, and I’m a man of my word I won’t back out. I’m out like the spurs before the suns in the playoffs peace!
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:03 am
Ian says:
ansonious
why dont we beat who wins if the spurs meet the suns next season intead of u hoping someone else beats us so that u might have a small chance at a ring
please if your team did it to bowen and it worked ub be happy to see the suns take the spurs to at least 6 games
spurs afraid of the suns hahahahahahahahahahahahshahahah
the same suns that the spurs have wooped forever
the spurs are hoping for the suns in the playoffs so that the have an easy series
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:01 am
Luke says:
EXCELLENT point, I’ve thought the same thing for ages and can’t believe how bad some of these guys are, I mean I know plenty of rec league players who hit 60-70% and these guys aren’t getting paid millions. Seriously how hard can it be?
Although it could be a psychological problem for some of them, because I just can’t believe they don’t practice it at least a little, I remember reading that Bruce Bowen makes 80% in practice and he shoots it better from 3 than the stripe!
September 3rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
iain. says:
@CeltsFan:
Man Orien Greene had game, what happened to him?
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 am
SparkyJ23 says:
There’s one easy way to rid the basketball world of Hack-a-Shaq once and for all:
MAKE YOUR FREE THROWS.
THIS
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:57 am
Celts Fan says:
was a nice defender but got nabbed doing 95 in a 30 in Waltham (wreckless driving arrest,) and it was just so dumb and unnecessary, Wyc let him go to prove a point that we wouldn’t stand for ANYTHING. I think he was on the Pacers last year, beyond that, no clue. You’re right though, I kinda liked his game as a backup point that can defend and had an okay mid-range game (and the self-awareness that it was only okay.)
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 am
Ansonious says:
We shall see who laughs last!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
dukesman2000 says:
If I was a coach I would definitely use that strategy, it is smart basketball. I dont think it is an insult to the sport, I think it is an insult to Shaq. Leanr to shoot free throws
September 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
K Dizzle says:
Why everybody keep talkin about Shaq? He ain’t the only one who can’t shoot free throws. Every team got a dude who can’t make em.
““Hack-A-Shaq” keeps the league honest. Employed enough, teams think twice about acquiring a monster player who can’t hit the broad side of a barn with his free throw.”
So what you sayin is that teams would think twice about draftin a Shaq, Tim Duncan, Dwight Howard, Ben Wallace etc cuz they can’t make free throws?
Doubt it…
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
byron says:
It is a disgrace to the game of basketball. I understand that a guy should be able to make freethrows, but don’t punish all the fans of the game (the reason for the league in the first place) for that. If it is an intentional foul or wrap-up, treat it like they do in the Olympics (in FIBA), and call it like it is (an intentional foul) where you get 2 shots and the ball.
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:25 pm
Austin Burton says:
In that case, fouling at the end of the game would be ruled intentional (because that’s what it is) and teams wouldn’t be able to try and foul to stop the clock.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:10 am
Jolson says:
I’ve read numerous reports indicating that indeed, Shaq HAS tried to get better over the years at free throws. Does his pride get in the way sometimes? Sure, like when someone (I think it was Rick Berry?) wanted to teach him to shoot underhanded and Shaq wanted nothing to do with it. But even so it’s not like Shaq just never shot free throws in his career in an attempt to get better.
And I think it’s unfair to say that it’s like double-teaming in the paint or pressing a ball handler, because at least then the ball is IN PLAY. How much skill does it take to foul a guy away from the ball who’s trying to post up just to put him on the free throw line? I think that if the foul is away from the ball the offensive team should get to pick their free throw shooter from the players on the floor. That would remove Hack-a-Shaq pretty much. I’d rather teams win basketball games by PLAYING BASKETBALL, not by sending people to the free throw line and taking advantage.