If there's one thing that was confirmed in the Miami game....

[110oldeast]

That sounds good, but that is just not the reality of basketball. Many players go the basket because they want to get to the line and get a rhythm. Coaches in fact will coach you to do this. Part of why LB doesn't like over reliance in jumpshots is about "high percentage" shots, but the other part is the possibility of getting on the line which driving does. Chauncey Billups only tries to score about 1/3 of the time he drives to the basket. The rest of the time, it is initiating contact with someone and counting on a whistle (which he often gets). Many of the pgs with good shooting percentages miss a lot at the basket, but when they do, there is a foul call that keeps it off the books.

I am not saying spend all your time fixated on foul calls, but this idea of not trying to draw fouls goes in direct contradiction with much of basketball coaching. Again, if a player goes to the hole much of the time and never gets to the line despite getting contact while picking up "body" foul calls while defending on the perimeter with minimal handchecking like Felton, it's relevant. The same things happen often when he is hipchecked when going around a pick and the hedge man hip checks him with no call. Again, getting fouls, getting into the bonus and getting points at the line is a significant part of the game.

I am not saying players need to dwell on it. But again, a coach is supposed to bring it to light.

No, they can't.


Of course I am a firm believer that when you drive you should ALWAYS look to score rather than look to draw a foul. Sometimes DJ plays for the foul too much. There is no point (unless you get your defender up in the air and you are taking a set J).

Felts used to do it too. I would drive me nuts. He hasn't done it NEARLY as much this season - in fact we hardly see it at all (although it has crept back lately) and look at the results. He's finishing better at the rim than ever before because he's just focused on trying to make the bucket rather than draw the foul.

When he drives like that, with his power, quicks and explosion, he is VERY hard to stop.

DJ can be the same, he just has to learn to use it (like he was last night). With his handles, quickness and creativity he is very hard to stop on the drive.

Don't worry about drawing fouls. Don't worry about what the refs are doing. Just worry about trying to put the ball in the basket.

[110oldeast]

Slam,

It's not an either/or scenario. Players AND refs decide games together. Neither happen in a vaccuum. It's not a black or white situation.

The players are accountable for making the appropriate plays. The refs are responsible for making the appropriate calls.

If they were not that significant to games, they wouldn't get graded and assigned to the playoffs based on these ratings.