NBA: Sunday Game Thread

[unleashbaynes]

There needs to be an investigation into how the three OKC guys get more FTA than anyone else in the game. I don't think it's a conspiracy or anything stupid like that, but that the large majority of the fouls called aren't actually fouls. You cannot tell me those three get to the rim more than anyone else in the league. It's not like people intentionally foul these guys, at least not most of the time. They do that arm swing move and get to the line every time. You'd think refs would say "how the does one guy get as many FTA as the entire other team, consistently?

Some thing needs to be done. I know Manu flops and all but these guys take it to another level, on jump shots they'll act like theyve been shot if someone even dares contest, like if they don't get the call they're just putting their team in a position by not being back on defense.

[Malik Hairston]

Most of Harden's calls are legit IMO, by rule..he's just really, really cheap and exploiting the rules, tbh..

To be fair, his game hasn't translated to the playoffs as a high-volume player, so maybe his FTA style of play will continue to fail..

[Cry Havoc]

Most of Harden's calls are legit IMO, by rule..he's just really, really cheap and exploiting the rules, tbh..

To be fair, his game hasn't translated to the playoffs as a high-volume player, so maybe his FTA style of play will continue to fail..

Agree. Hope the NBA takes a look at the "fling yourself completely out of control into a defender to get automatic freebies" this off-season.

[DMC]

To be fair, high end players have gotten a lot of FTA per game for a long long time. Go back and look at Dirk or MJ or any of the scoring superstars.

[DMC]

RK	PLAYER	TEAM	GP	PPG	FTM	FTA	FTM	FTA	FT%
1	Allen Iverson, SG	PHI	75	30.7	8.7	10.5	656	786	.835
	Shaquille O'Neal, C	MIA	73	22.9	4.8	10.5	353	765	.461
3	Kobe Bryant, SG	LAL	66	27.6	8.2	10.1	542	664	.816
4	Corey Maggette, SF	LAC	66	22.2	8.5	10.0	563	657	.857
5	Amar'e Stoudemire, C	PHX	80	26.0	7.3	9.9	583	795	.733
	Dwyane Wade, SG	MIA	77	24.1	7.5	9.9	581	762	.762
7	Dirk Nowitzki, PF	DAL	78	26.1	7.9	9.1	615	708	.869

The difference now isn't in the FTA per game, but the disparity between the top few and everyone else.

1	James Harden, SG	HOU	65	26.9	8.5	9.8	550	635	.866
2	Russell Westbrook, PG	OKC	51	27.5	7.9	9.4	402	480	.838
3	DeMarcus Cousins, C	SAC	51	23.7	7.3	9.1	371	466	.796
4	LeBron James, SF	CLE	57	26.0	5.7	8.0	327	457	.716
5	Jimmy Butler, SG	CHI	55	20.2	6.0	7.1	329	391	.841
6	Dwight Howard, C	HOU	32	16.3	3.7	6.9	117	222	.527

Obviously bigs are going to the line a lot because they live in the paint and fouling them is often the only way to stop a dunk, however the guards that have historically gotten to the line an inordinate amount of times have historically paid for it in injuries. Not so much the case now.

[UZER]

On that last play with Blake and ariza, why do the refs feel the need to call something?

Those type of charge / block calls with guys just falling to fall on their own for the purpose of drawing a got foul will never go away if they always bail out one the players.