Silver: NBA Will Not Change 'Hack-A-Shaq' Strategy Anytime Soon; Nor Playoff Seeding

[BatManu20]

Adam Silver was just on PTI. Said pretty definitively that the League will not be changing the 'Hack-A-Shaq' strategy anytime soon because he doesn't want any major changes in the rules. Thinks players should make their FT's.

He also said he will Not change the playoff seeding, but that the divisions have "Outlived their usefulness."


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[BatManu20]

Also said he will not implement any changes to stop teams from Tanking.

[~O~]

Silver should careless if teams take advantage of the hack strategy. It forces players and even GM's to adjust when another team takes advantage.

The less incompetent free throw shooters, the better the NBA looks overall.

Other than that, the tanking will never go away because of market differential.

[Mikeanaro]

How dare you greedy bastard, some players cant make free throws, is a desease and you want them to die? FUKIUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!

[Mitch]

Good news for the Spurs

[mkurts]

And McCutcheon will get a well earned promotion

[Malik Hairston]

Why would he change Hack-a-Shaq? The coach that implemented it looked like an idiot in the Clippers series, tbh:lol..

[ffadicted]

Bummed about the 1-16, but please get rid of the bullshit "division winner gets auto first 4 seed"

[Caltex2]

So in other words, he will change the seeding, no longer allowing a sub-par division winner to get a top 4 seed because there won't be divisions.

[adidas11]

I like Silver's stance on all of these issues:

1) Hack-a-Shaq: Besides the fact that if a team wants to neutralize this strategy by either A) improving their free throw shooting for that individual, or B) substitute that player out of the game, trying to legislate this strategy via rule changes opens up the book for other strategies that take advantage of player strengths/weakness throughout the game. Example: a team that is a poor 3 point or perimeter shooting team encounters a strategy where their opponent sags off them defensively forcing them to take outside shots. It's the same principle

2) Tanking games: You can't legislate a team that is forcing itself through a rebuilding process. And it would be almost impossible to prove that a team is intentionally losing games on a night by night basis. Like Silver said today, Philly's players tried and competed every game. It's management that constructed the team as they saw fit, but the players weren't intentionally tanking every night. And even if they were, you would have to find some direct evidence that says otherwise (like an email or a recorded locker room meeting with specific instructions to lose a said game

3) Seeding and divisions: I like what Silver said today, that if people/fans don't even recognize divisions, then it might be time to do away with them, and stick with conferences. But I'm definitely not in favor of doing a 1-16 seeding. The teams don't play similar schedules which would allow a true and proper seeding across the entire league.

[DMC]

I think it's important that the NBA have guys that aren't good at the line. Otherwise everyone turns into a James Harden, initiating contact and drawing fouls on every play. There will actually be fewer stoppages with guys who know they don't shoot the FT well, they have to take it to the hole (some shoot well from outside, oddly enough).

I don't mind the intentional fouling strategy like we saw it tonight, but Pop gets too cute with it, doing it in the 1st half up 10. that's mind boggling.

[snickles]

one other overlooked benefit of getting rid of divisions: expansion.

currently each division has the same number of teams, thanks to the realignment done with the bobcats came into the league. currently there's no way to add an expansion team without throwing that completely out of balance. with the proposed removal of divisions, expansion teams can be added 2 at a time without unbalancing the conferences.

*for the record, i think adding new teams to the league right now would be a horrible idea.