Hoops Habit
Fansided

The NBA Needs To Address Hack-A-Shaq Strategy

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 9, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) shoots a free-throw against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 9, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan (6) shoots a free-throw against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 5
Next
NBA
p Apr 29, 2014; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media regarding the investigation involving Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling (not pictured) at New York Hilton Midtown. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

Possible Solutions:

By now, hopefully you can see the reasons for changing the rulebook to forbid the Hack-A-Shaq strategy. Perhaps you’re on the fence still. But either way, you’re probably wondering, “Okay, maybe the rule needs to be changed, but how would you fix it?”

Glad you asked.

There are a couple of ways to go about dissuading teams from trying to use this method to climb back into games. One way, as suggested by Grantland’s Bill Simmons, would be giving teams the option to decline the free throws when one of their bricklayers is fouled off the ball. The team would just keep the ball and be able to set their offense.

Live Feed

How many teams make the NBA Playoffs?
How many teams make the NBA Playoffs? /

FanSided

  • Why are there no NBA games on Thanksgiving? FanSided
  • Los Angeles Lakers: Championships, NBA Finals appearances, history & more FanSided
  • 5 Teams that the Mavericks need to avoid in the playoffs next year The Smoking Cuban
  • Can Lauri Markkanen lead the Jazz back to the postseason? The J-Notes
  • Should the Cavs be worried about next year's playoffs? King James Gospel

    • Another method would be allowing teams to select a designated shooter when their poor free throw shooter is fouled off the ball, which would almost completely eradicate the practice. Why foul a guy off the ball if the other team can let their 85 percent foul shooter take the shots instead?

    You could also just extend the rule that applies in the final two minutes to the preceding 46 minutes: if you foul a player off the ball, that team gets the free throw AND the ball back.

    There are other changes that could be made on the more controversial side, like awarding an additional free throw to the opposing team as a sort of technical foul or something along those lines. But I’m partial to either allowing teams to decline the free throws or selecting another player on the floor to take the attempts.

    Whatever the case, Grantland’s Zach Lowe noted in that podcast that we could be reaching a breaking point in these playoffs. Rick Carlisle is going to use this strategy on Dwight Howard, Joey Dorsey and Clint Capela when he can. Kevin McHale may counter by fouling Rajon Rondo. Pop will do the same with Jordan. At some point, someone will use that strategy against Andrew Bogut or Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors.

    Enough will (hopefully, finally) be enough. And thank goodness, because Hack-A-Shaq disrupts the flow of our favorite game far past the point where “make your free throws!” is a valid argument anymore.

    Next: The Biggest X-Factor On Every NBA Playoff Team

    More from Hoops Habit