Is hand checking overrated?

[lightfoot]

Good defense has always, and will always, be about good footwork.

[Ice Man]

Hugely overrated. The league is 99% the same before and after. The main value of the change in the hand checking rule is that it gives those who like to argue that the old days were different and better something to argue about.

[kobe_vs_jordan]

I don't think allowing hand checking would dramatically change anything. Offensive players would just push off more to create space. A push off is a lot more obvious when their is no initial contact. KD and LeBron would still be cruising through the league likely with less FTA. Handchecking can only do so much when you are still outmatched physically.

[Alize]

INDIANA vs MIAMI yesterday had many hand-checks.... so yes, it's very overrated

[Alize]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulr_m4MpV50[/youtube]

this

[Alize]

But contact above FT line was already prohibited in 1994, right?

Tell Jordan that.

Tell LeBron:





or Nash



Really, I quickly rewatched many games from different seasons and even after 2004 rules change hand checking still occurs - not so strong like before 1978 (BTW, Jordan played in a era when hand checking rules were already softer, more pro offensive), but the same as after 1994. And basically the biggest difference between now and late 80s/early 90s was the way Pistons and NYK (especially Harper) played. Other than these two teams rest of the league hand checked the same way as todays teams.

and this!

[JonFromVA]

Yes, hand-checking is over-rated. As I said in the other thread, elimination of it was just a response to defenses becoming too good relative to offenses.

Back in the day, if a guard wanted to get free of a pesky defender, he just called for a screen.

btw, the defensive 3 second rule was added in 2001. This encourages ISO play. The legalization of zones discourages it, and on and on.

In the end, the league is just trying to maintain a balance between offense PPP and defense.

[Emperor_Earth]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ulr_m4MpV50[/youtube]

this

Scottie Pippen is obviously a transcendent defensive monster but Magic won with his height. Let's not act like Magic Johnson was some agility freak or that Pippen guarding Magic was a mismatch by any stretch of the imagination...

Magic's height over his typical defender meant better passing angles and better court vision. Anyone who has ever been checked by someone 4+ inches shorter than you knows how much easier it is to see/pass over the top of the defense.

Re today's defenses versus yesterday's
Today's are much more sophisticated. Anyone who follows someone like Shane Battier knows what I mean.

That is not, however, to say that better basketball mind couldn't see things that the numbers would spell out for the less intelligent.

And yes, hand checking matters. But for anyone that has gotten used to it, there weaknesses to such physical defense: if you rely on hand checking you have to stay attached to your man. As the offensive player then, you know hand checkers are vulnerable to: spin moves, screens, and just backing out.
Spin moves counter hand checking much like pulling the chair counters strong post moves. The more weight a defender puts on the offensive player, the move vulnerable he is to lose his balance when that support is taken away.
Proper screens obviously make it very hard to stay attached to hand checkers. Just watch clips of Stockton/Malone. Even if you know what I mean, watch them anyways.
And how far is a hand checker going to stay attached to you? 20 feet out? 25 feet out? Go to 30 feet out and LeBron your way by him with a head of steam. Even better if there's a screen that the hand checker must pick a side on and you can pick the other.

[wowski]

But contact above FT line was already prohibited in 1994, right?

Tell Jordan that.

Tell LeBron:





or Nash



Really, I quickly rewatched many games from different seasons and even after 2004 rules change hand checking still occurs - not so strong like before 1978 (BTW, Jordan played in a era when hand checking rules were already softer, more pro offensive), but the same as after 1994. And basically the biggest difference between now and late 80s/early 90s was the way Pistons and NYK (especially Harper) played. Other than these two teams rest of the league hand checked the same way as todays teams.

Those are all legal by today's rules as they are not driving and have their backs to the basket.