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Was listening to the Thinking Basketball podcast and was stunned by this number. Seems like the NBA has swung so far to the other side of the pendulum from the beginning of the season that it's a completely different sport now.

After barely being able to get to the line at the beginning of the season, Harden's free-throw rate in Philly is sitting at 71%. Nearly 40% of his Philly points have come from the line. For reference, his fellow free-throw merchant Embiid, is sitting at a 61% free-throw rate and getting 32% of his points from the line.

When the whistle inevitably tightens in the playoffs, this offense can get ugly.

It's the only part of his game that seems to be working now.

Peregrine01 wrote:Was listening to the Thinking Basketball podcast and was stunned by this number. Seems like the NBA has swung so far to the other side of the pendulum from the beginning of the season that it's a completely different sport now.

After barely being able to get to the line at the beginning of the season, Harden's free-throw rate in Philly is sitting at 71%. Nearly 40% of his Philly points have come from the line. For reference, his fellow free-throw merchant Embiid, is sitting at a 61% free-throw rate and getting 32% of his points from the line.

When the whistle inevitably tightens in the playoffs, this offense can get ugly.

Will it inevitably tighten though, for Embiid at least? Look at his FT numbers - playoffs and regular season over the last couple of years.

2019-20
Regular: 8.5
Playoffs: 14.8

2020-21
Regular: 10.7
Playoffs: 9.9

LordCovington33 wrote:

Peregrine01 wrote:Was listening to the Thinking Basketball podcast and was stunned by this number. Seems like the NBA has swung so far to the other side of the pendulum from the beginning of the season that it's a completely different sport now.

After barely being able to get to the line at the beginning of the season, Harden's free-throw rate in Philly is sitting at 71%. Nearly 40% of his Philly points have come from the line. For reference, his fellow free-throw merchant Embiid, is sitting at a 61% free-throw rate and getting 32% of his points from the line.

When the whistle inevitably tightens in the playoffs, this offense can get ugly.

Will it inevitably tighten though, for Embiid at least? Look at his FT numbers - playoffs and regular season over the last couple of years.

2019-20
Regular: 8.5
Playoffs: 14.8

2020-21
Regular: 10.7
Playoffs: 9.9

I agree with you there is nothing inevitable about it. But if the fouling makes for an ugly playoffs, I think the NBA will again try to officiate like they did in the beginning of the year.

LordCovington33 wrote:

Peregrine01 wrote:Was listening to the Thinking Basketball podcast and was stunned by this number. Seems like the NBA has swung so far to the other side of the pendulum from the beginning of the season that it's a completely different sport now.

After barely being able to get to the line at the beginning of the season, Harden's free-throw rate in Philly is sitting at 71%. Nearly 40% of his Philly points have come from the line. For reference, his fellow free-throw merchant Embiid, is sitting at a 61% free-throw rate and getting 32% of his points from the line.

When the whistle inevitably tightens in the playoffs, this offense can get ugly.

Will it inevitably tighten though, for Embiid at least? Look at his FT numbers - playoffs and regular season over the last couple of years.

2019-20
Regular: 8.5
Playoffs: 14.8

2020-21
Regular: 10.7
Playoffs: 9.9

If history is any guide, referees have been loathe to be as whistle happy in the middle of tight playoff games. I'm sure Embiid and Harden will still get to the line a fair amount but feel it's a bit dangerous when your offense is so dependent on something that's as mercurial as NBA officiating.

Return to the mean.

Statistics are going blow your mind...

It's 14 games...bit early to really judge all that much.

dhsilv2 wrote:It's 14 games...bit early to really judge all that much.

His effective FG% from the field this year is 4% below league average and his finishing percentages in the paint are even worse. It's gotten to the point where free throws are the only thing keeping him from being a Jordan Clarkson-type scorer.

Peregrine01 wrote:

dhsilv2 wrote:It's 14 games...bit early to really judge all that much.

His effective FG% from the field this year is 4% below league average and his finishing percentages in the paint are even worse. It's gotten to the point where free throws are the only thing keeping him from being a Jordan Clarkson-type scorer.

I'm well aware of Harden's poor play this year. Chris Paul's play looked just as down the year after a similar issues as well. Hopefully Harden gets his game back next year, but we'll see.

I miss how much more exciting watching a random game was at the beginning of the season. I love when defenders get to play defense and minor contact isn't considered a foul. I like chippy basketball where the game stays fluid with fewer whistles.

Yea it's classic NBA. Silver sends a memo to the refs the new foul rules at the beginning of the season. Then a new memo about harden is traded bc silver sees/want to boost the possibility of marketing a star duo and elite team in Philly.

Peregrine01 wrote:

LordCovington33 wrote:

Peregrine01 wrote:Was listening to the Thinking Basketball podcast and was stunned by this number. Seems like the NBA has swung so far to the other side of the pendulum from the beginning of the season that it's a completely different sport now.

After barely being able to get to the line at the beginning of the season, Harden's free-throw rate in Philly is sitting at 71%. Nearly 40% of his Philly points have come from the line. For reference, his fellow free-throw merchant Embiid, is sitting at a 61% free-throw rate and getting 32% of his points from the line.

When the whistle inevitably tightens in the playoffs, this offense can get ugly.

Will it inevitably tighten though, for Embiid at least? Look at his FT numbers - playoffs and regular season over the last couple of years.

2019-20
Regular: 8.5
Playoffs: 14.8

2020-21
Regular: 10.7
Playoffs: 9.9

If history is any guide, referees have been loathe to be as whistle happy in the middle of tight playoff games. I'm sure Embiid and Harden will still get to the line a fair amount but feel it's a bit dangerous when your offense is so dependent on something that's as mercurial as NBA officiating.

Depends on who it is though, Giannis got a lot of favorable calls and his push offs were not called as offensive fouls during the finals.

DonaldSanders wrote:I miss how much more exciting watching a random game was at the beginning of the season. I love when defenders get to play defense and minor contact isn't considered a foul. I like chippy basketball where the game stays fluid with fewer whistles.

There is no fluidity in chippy basketball.
The two, by definition, are mutually exclusive.

What are his stats when going against teams that put no RESPEK on his name? (Nets, Suns, etc.)

BallerTalk wrote:

DonaldSanders wrote:I miss how much more exciting watching a random game was at the beginning of the season. I love when defenders get to play defense and minor contact isn't considered a foul. I like chippy basketball where the game stays fluid with fewer whistles.

There is no fluidity in chippy basketball.
The two, by definition, are mutually exclusive.

Sure under your definition of fluid basketball which is apparently totally different from my definition.

DonaldSanders wrote:

BallerTalk wrote:

DonaldSanders wrote:I miss how much more exciting watching a random game was at the beginning of the season. I love when defenders get to play defense and minor contact isn't considered a foul. I like chippy basketball where the game stays fluid with fewer whistles.

There is no fluidity in chippy basketball.
The two, by definition, are mutually exclusive.

Sure under your definition of fluid basketball which is apparently totally different from my definition.

More likely you're the exception here.

BallerTalk wrote:

DonaldSanders wrote:

BallerTalk wrote:
There is no fluidity in chippy basketball.
The two, by definition, are mutually exclusive.

Sure under your definition of fluid basketball which is apparently totally different from my definition.

More likely you're the exception here.

I doubt it, most people don't consider constant whistles to be fluid basketball. I guess you find Embiid's freethrow shooting to be fluid. Enjoy your definition!

We all knew this would happen, the first 2 months, honestly was the best basketball, now its back to the same old Nba...

alebaba wrote:We all knew this would happen, the first 2 months, honestly was the best basketball, now its back to the same old Nba...

It was actually pretty garbage.

They stopped calling obvious fouls and it made them look stupid and inconsistent.

Its good for Harden. However, this is all shaping up for a postseason disaster.