NBA Puts Into Place The ‘Zaza Pachulia’ Rule

[NASpurs]

910979744614711298


http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2017/09/21/nba-puts-into-place-the-zaza-pachulia-rule/

NEW YORK (AP) — NBA referees will be able to call flagrant or technical fouls on defenders who dangerously close on jump shooters without allowing them space to land, as Zaza Pachulia did on the play that injured Spurs star Kawhi Leonard in last season’s playoffs.


Leonard sprained his ankle when Pachulia slid his foot under Leonard’s in Game 1 of Golden State’s victory in the Western Conference finals. After calling a foul, officials will now be able to look at replay to determine if the defender recklessly positioned his foot in an unnatural way, which could trigger an upgrade to a flagrant, or a technical if there was no contact but an apparent attempt to injure.


San Antonio lost 113-111 without Leonard, squandering a 20-point halftime lead, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was peeved. The next day, Popovich called the play “dangerous” and “unsportsmanlike” and insisted Pachulia has a history of such.


“Who gives a damn about what his intent was? You ever hear of manslaughter? You still go to jail when you’re texting and end up killing somebody, but you might not have intended to do that. All I care about is what I saw,” Popovich said to reporters at the time.


Popovich did not call on the NBA to demand further discipline for Pachulia, who was called for a personal foul on the play, but made it clear where he stands.
“A two-step, lead with your foot closeout is not appropriate. It’s dangerous, it’s unsportsmanlike, it’s just not what anybody does to anybody else and this particular individual has a history of that kind of action.”


Without Leonard, the Spurs were swept by the eventual champion Warriors.


NBA senior vice president of replay and referee operations Joe Borgia says Thursday the league has made the play a point of emphasis for referees in the spirit of player safety.

[Chinook]

It'll just turn into a "get your money's worth" kind of action.

[SAGirl]

911008954288885760
They will also revise the continuation fouls called on shooters coming off screens.

[lilbthebasedgod]

meh. I'm conflicted on this. I like the idea but giving techs and flagrants on accidents based on hustle could happen with this also.

[UZER]

We all know everyone will have to follow the rules, except the Warriors so it doesn't even matter.

[TheGreatYacht]

Just rules that the NBA will enforce for like 3 months then will never do again. Just like they did with the "Harden & Durant" rule which is motions like this

https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2017/04/28/636289783035910964-657453708_giphy.gif

will be called as non-shooting fouls, and will not be rewarded free throws. Fuck Adam Silver. He had a chance to punish Golden State's thugs and his clit got cold.

[cd98]

And if he got a flagrant, so what? Kawhi would still be out.

[TheGreatYacht]

And if he got a flagrant, so what? Kawhi would still be out.
This. Fucking this.

If the Duds are getting blown out, what's stopping them from doing it again? They'll give us 2 free throws and possession in a blow out while our star is out for the playoffs?

[spurs50_]

I see Harden and Paul's ppg going down by 5 pts.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

It still hurts...

[MultiTroll]

We all know everyone will have to follow the rules, except the Warriors so it doesn't even matter.
This.
Phaggot league will continue to be phaggotry.

[MultiTroll]

Just rules that the NBA will enforce for like 3 months then will never do again. Just like they did with the "Harden & Durant" rule which is motions like this
will be called as non-shooting fouls, and will not be rewarded free throws. Fuck Adam Silver. He had a chance to punish Golden State's thugs and his clit got cold.
"I'm going to clean up flopping" Phaggot Stern Jr. about three years ago.

[Seventyniner]

Wake me up when they start calling moving screens and carrying violations.

[Spurtacular]

If only the NBA had called a technical or flagrant foul on Zaza. Things would have been all better.

[Dex]

Is anybody surprised? Draymond Green goes around kicking people in the nuts on the reg, and even he only gets a technical like a quarter of the time.

[MultiTroll]

If only the NBA had called a technical or flagrant foul on Zaza. Things would have been all better.
Back in 2004 when he started this cowardly shit?
Couldn't agree more.
Would have been stopped a long time ago by a competent league.

[tholdren]

Wake me up when they start calling moving screens and carrying violations.

Lol but these pros are skilled...

[TimDunkem]

Just rules that the NBA will enforce for like 3 months then will never do again. Just like they did with the "Harden & Durant" rule which is motions like this

https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2017/04/28/636289783035910964-657453708_giphy.gif

will be called as non-shooting fouls, and will not be rewarded free throws. Fuck Adam Silver. He had a chance to punish Golden State's thugs and his clit got cold.Yeah what the fuck was up with that? I always wondered why they made the rule and never enforced it. Did they think no one would notice? Or does it just apply to players who aren't stars?

[spurs10]

If only the NBA had called a technical or flagrant foul on Zaza. Things would have been all better. Exactly! You get a foul and a ring!

[Down Under]

Just rules that the NBA will enforce for like 3 months then will never do again. Just like they did with the "Harden & Durant" rule which is motions like this

https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2017/04/28/636289783035910964-657453708_giphy.gif

will be called as non-shooting fouls, and will not be rewarded free throws. Fuck Adam Silver. He had a chance to punish Golden State's thugs and his clit got cold.
That's the worst carry, when you can turn the corner that much without dribbling, it enables you to pick up your dribble and draw the foul or continue dribbling. Just Bullshit.

[BillMc]

It still hurts...

[tbdog]

I remember when r/nba blew up over lma close out the game after as they thought it was worse than zaza. It was a desperate attempt to make the series even. Now the nba specifically mention zaza as action as a new rule.

[Chillen]

This. Fucking this.

If the Duds are getting blown out, what's stopping them from doing it again? They'll give us 2 free throws and possession in a blow out while our star is out for the playoffs?

If this happens again I hope someone on the Spurs has the balls to try and take their star players ankle out. What goes around comes around, it's not the right thing to do but if you see a team intentionally try to take down your star player you have to stick it to them to.

[cd021]

Lost in this, is that it could affect Kawhi's scoring numbers.

He took 7.2 FTAs per game up from 4.6 in 15-16 (+2.6). Kawhi actually studied how Harden got to the line and did similar things to do so.

[ceds]

It's ironic that we had a player who would close out the same way and injured a bunch of superstars in the 2000's

Pop had no problem with the "inappropriate and illegal" tactics back then. It's likely he encouraged Bruce to push the boundaries.

Pussies like Vice Carter & Ray Allen would bitch & complain while guys like Billups & Kobe just sucked it up and took the challenge. Kobe's 09 series against Bowen was the best I've ever seen him play btw

I'm glad kawhi kept his mouth shut - He has that mamba mentality & will come back with a vengeance

[tmtcsc]

I see Harden and Paul's ppg going down by 15 pts.

FIFY

[TimDunkem]

FIFY
Nah. It'll be like the "Durant rule" (can't swing your arms under another and get the call) that applies to everyone but the stars who are the main culprits. BOOK IT.

[ceds]

Totally! It really looked in the playoffs especially that kawhi has studied how Harden gets to the line.

I really noticed kawhi use the Harden tactics in the playoffs.
It seems like he did it more as the playoffs progressed.

I can't recall him getting any calls with the 3 like Harden but on multiple drives in the Mem and Hou series he ripped through when he caught the defenders arm down and got the call. It seemed like he tired it more often as the playoffs progressed....for sure in the Houston series. He also got KD in the first quarter of game 1

[Spurtacular]

Back in 2004 when he started this cowardly shit?
Couldn't agree more.
Would have been stopped a long time ago by a competent league.

No. A full-ou playoff suspension w/o pay and a forfeiture of a ring would have been a real start; but the league got what they wanted.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F71-Fi3uXmU

[Spurtacular]

That's the worst carry, when you can turn the corner that much without dribbling, it enables you to pick up your dribble and draw the foul or continue dribbling. Just Bullshit.

Just get rid of continuation beyond the arc early in the shot clock. This isn't hard stuff.

[99 Problems]

Game changer for Rockets. Takes a lot of sting out of their potential if the refs call it as explained. Kawhi is unstoppable regardless.

[Reck]

Just rules that the NBA will enforce for like 3 months then will never do again. Just like they did with the "Harden & Durant" rule which is motions like this

https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2017/04/28/636289783035910964-657453708_giphy.gif

will be called as non-shooting fouls, and will not be rewarded free throws. Fuck Adam Silver. He had a chance to punish Golden State's thugs and his clit got cold.

The type of rule that will get enforced during the regular season but will be more or less acceptable in the playoffs to allow more contact plays.

[UZER]

If this happens again I hope someone on the Spurs has the balls to try and take their star players ankle out. What goes around comes around, it's not the right thing to do but if you see a team intentionally try to take down your star player you have to stick it to them to.

As if Pop would ever allow that.

[DeRozan m8]

Just rules that the NBA will enforce for like 3 months then will never do again. Just like they did with the "Harden & Durant" rule which is motions like this

https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/2017/04/28/636289783035910964-657453708_giphy.gif

will be called as non-shooting fouls, and will not be rewarded free throws. Fuck Adam Silver. He had a chance to punish Golden State's thugs and his clit got cold.

Man I haven't missed seeing this pathetic f@ggot rape the game of basketball, tbh

One of the biggest disgraces in history to step on an NBA floor.

A complete embarrassment of a human.

[LittleCriminal]

I wonder if ZAZA is going to sit out playing in San Antonio this year??? cuz of all those death threats he had from crazy spur fans

[DeRozan m8]

I wonder if ZAZA is going to sit out playing in San Antonio this year??? cuz of all those death threats he had from crazy spur fans

I hope not.

And then I hope some crazy Texan shoots him in the ankle.

And then that ends his career.

Karma is karma

[Reck]

I hope not.

And then I hope some crazy Texan shoots him in the ankle.

And then that ends his career.

Karma is karma

Fucking extreme. lol

Players like Zaza always get their comeuppance all on their own.

[apalisoc_9]

really not a big fan of enforcing rules against the James Harden draw foul trick..

What if it was a real foul?

SMDH.

[Dex]

The only vindication Spurs fans will get out of the "Zaza Rule" is the name alone, which illustrates how fucking bush league it was.

Otherwise, it ain't gonna change what happened, and it ain't gonna make a damn difference going forward. Worst case scenario, teams may pick up an extra technical or give up an extra free throw while they injure their opponents.

As for Harden's bullshit antics, it would be great if they could actually make a difference with this. Even if they just call it a foul on the floor (or preferably an offensive foul), giving up three free throws for this shit is ridiculous. You shouldn't get rewarded for literally jumping into your opponent.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

The type of rule that will get enforced during the regular season but will be more or less acceptable in the playoffs to allow more contact plays.

The chickenshit thing about it not being "continuation" is the roughly 50% of time when it happens when teams are already "in the penalty". So it's free throws either way.

[BillMc]

Might have already been posted but its 4 am here and I'm too tired to look. Jalen gives Spurs some (slight) love at the end.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8grxUbUGRG4

[DMC]

Marc Gasol did it against KL in the opening round. I believe it was game 4.

[DMC]

The only vindication Spurs fans will get out of the "Zaza Rule" is the name alone, which illustrates how fucking bush league it was.

Otherwise, it ain't gonna change what happened, and it ain't gonna make a damn difference going forward. Worst case scenario, teams may pick up an extra technical or give up an extra free throw while they injure their opponents.

As for Harden's bullshit antics, it would be great if they could actually make a difference with this. Even if they just call it a foul on the floor (or preferably an offensive foul), giving up three free throws for this shit is ridiculous. You shouldn't get rewarded for literally jumping into your opponent.
They should merge the Zaza rule with the Harden/Durant rule and make it legal to slide a foot under those two.