NBA head scratchers

Opportunities for improvement on the court

Recently I wrote about the incredible basketball being played this season.

My brain has been struggling for the right analogy. How about this? 25 years ago it was a fight over a chunk of the court the size of Rhode Island, fought with rifles and hand grenades. Now the war stretches the length of New England, and they’re getting after it with drones and missiles.

I have eight screens playing most nights, and a team of three sending me game clips each morning. These old eyes are seeing a lot and thinking about more. The Pistons growing up quickly, the Raptors winning with depth, Tyrese Maxey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, even the Fightin’s Suns of Phoenix—beautiful things are unfolding.

Here are a few things, on the other hand, that have me baffled.

Jaren Jackson Jr. could be a superstar with some small improvements. Especially: stop fouling so much! He’s fouling more per minute right now than any time in the last five years. JASON MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

Rule #1: Don’t fuckin’ foul

So many players and teams are blowing off Thorpe’s First rule of defense. There are numerous metrics. Here’s one: Last year, no team took more than 23.3 free throws per game. Wanna guess how many teams are shooting at least that many now? 26. Almost everyone. That’s not just due to a faster pace either–even adjusted for pace the trend is crystal clear.

But didn’t we say the league is now more physical than ever because they don’t call fouls anymore? We did, and it is.

There’s just one little loophole: Thanks to all that speed, 3-point skill, driving talent, and physical play, defenders just can’t resist grabbing offensive players. And for whatever reason, in an NBA that permits wild amounts of contact, fouls with the hands are called as much as ever.

It’s the most natural instinct imaginable. If someone attacks you on the street or in the boxing ring, it’s up with the hands. Basketball players don’t lose those impulses when they step on the court. We coach them, in fact, to get their hands up. But up and in the way of your defender is VERY IMPORTANTLY not the same as on your defender.

The most common analysis we provide players is “show hands: wide on drives and straight up high on shots.” The second most common: “you can not put your hands on him at any time when he’s driving or shooting.”