David Stern vs. "ludicrous" Hack-a-ShaqMuch of the NBA is discussing Dwight Howard's inability to hit freethrows, and the tactical opportunity that it creates for Los AngelesLakers' opponents to foul him early and often. Even if Howard is nowherenear the action, if an opponent grabs him, it is Howard who must stepto the free-throw line, and he'll bring his career 58 percent averagewith him.
Before Wednesday evening's games, Howard had shot a league-leading203 free throws on the season, of which he has made just 95. TheOklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant was second but far behind, havingattempted just 165 (although Durant has made 149).
Related: The Thunder have the league's best free-throw percentage,while the Lakers are 30th out of 30 teams and are likely to stay thereas long as Howard plays starter's minutes -- which Lakers coach MikeD'Antoni says will not change.
Meanwhile, fans are the losers as the most fluid of games is reducedto standing around watching one of the world's most remarkable athletescomplete one of the only basketball tasks at which he is horrid towatch. It's an annoyance to the history of the game, and an affront toanyone watching for fun.
So when NBA commissioner David Stern joined the local Fox NewOrleans broadcast team for a stretch of Wednesday evening's Lakers vs.Hornets game, a main topic of discussion was what the league might doabout changing the rules to keep teams from fouling Howard so readily.
Stern was quick to point out that the league has instituted a rulethat successfully stopped the tactic in the last two minutes of games:Foul a player away from the ball, and after the the free throw, thefouled team gets the ball back. The penalty is so steep that thetactical advantage of fouling is gone.
Stern said he wanted to make that rule last all game.
"I would have liked to have seen the rule changed to make thelast-two-minute rule the whole rule," he said."It was getting to apoint last year where, [in the] first period, they were just grabbingplayers. I think that's ludicrous.
"We tried to change it to any time in the game because last year Iguess it was everyone was fouling Tiago Splitter early on and thecommittee didn't want to do it. And so that's just the way it is.Because the reality is that there are a lot of basketball purists -- andI understand that point of view -- who say, 'Hey, why don't you learnto shoot foul shots? You're supposed to be a pro.'"
It's an issue that won't go away anytime soon, and it puts thepurists in an awkward position defending a set-up that prevents actualbasketball play.
One suggestion that has been part of HoopIdea previously: Allow thefouled team to decide if they'd like free throws, or possession of theball. That would touch off a lot of other changes to end-game scenarios,but they'd entirely eliminate any advantage from fouling. And if youthink about it, in what world would rules be set up to favor the peoplewho break them? Ludicrous indeed.
屎端
上年jordan比人hack又唔見你話改例...............
