sp6r=underrated wrote:LarsV8 wrote:Tacoma wrote:
Even if this was true, the fix for this isn't going back to the way it was. I saw the Philly-Bucks game last night and Harden was hooking defenders' arms to draw fouls ad nauseum. It's ugly, it's cheating the rules.
I'd much rather go back to the way it was earlier in the season. Then at least the non-call fouls applied to both teams. This foul baiting only benefits one team- - the one that's cheating.
How can you hook an arm when the defenders arm is supposed to be up?
Answer: You can't.
Harden isn't cheating the rules, he is exploiting undisciplined defenders.
Basketball is an entertainment product. The reason we have fouls is to make the game entertaining. What Harden does isn't enjoyable for fans so the rules should be changed to discourage players from playing like Harden.
Same way the NBA changed the rules to end Riley ball.
Hardenball leads to tons of free throws and tons of uncontested layups. It is super boring to watch
The NBA has completely neutered defense since they early days of this season. I guess they figured low scoring numbers don't help viewership so they called for the officials to call more whistles. Harden's taking advantage of this in a way that we've never seen before...he's getting the friendliest whistle he has ever gotten in his career, which is a high standard to hurdle, while not being able to get by virtually anyone.
As for the league itself, I'm not sure whether their view of "offense and superstars trump everything" draws in more fans. Most fans that I'm aware of are quite turned off by this sudden about-face.