Hack A Shaq isn't good coaching - Phil Jackson

[DespЏrado]

Because the Spurs won.

I'm not saying this as a "NBA/Media Hates the Spurs" argument, but in the past the strategy has typically been used by teams who ended up losing the series anyway because they were that much inferior. I guess an exception would be when the Mavs employed Hack-a-Bowen in 2006, but that wasn't used with as much frequency as this year's Hack-a-Shaq.

Another thing: This was a very highly-touted series that a lot of basketball fans were excited about. So it's understandable that fans of the game who tuned in for good basketball were turned off when a free throw compe ion broke out.

I'm glad the Spurs used it and I'm glad we beat the Suns. If the rulebook provides a loophole, you go for it. But I would definitely welcome a rule change in the offseason if the NBA decides that's what's best for the game. I don't think you can try to eliminate all intentional fouls, but you can at least address off-the-ball intentional fouls.

+1 This is pretty much right on.


I do think the only important argument the Spurs fans are missing is that this game changing practice has a slight chance of making us a worse team. The Spurs are so good because they practice a system of defense that turns it up in crunch time. Reliance on a strategy like hack a shaq, even if it was only at the end of the first half of games could potentially lead to a bad habit of letting our guard down.

Which is why the Spurs must never use the practice consistently, which is exactly why I was ecstatic to see it in game 1 but infinitely more unhappy with it's continued use.

Oh and the Spurs were a better team defensively than they were giving themselves credit for. They have to know they can rely on their defense at any given moment of the game, and using hack a Shaq undermines that mentality.

[pauls931]

Pop had two purposes for hack a shack. What most here miss is that it's also to disrupt nash's rhythm, not just put pressure on shaq. Phoenix likes to get the ball inbounds quickly, so hack a shack at the end of quarters slows down the pace to the spurs advantage.

I live in Texas so everyone is a Spur fan and most have the opinion that Shaq just needs to hit freethrows. But I tend to lean towards the rule being you have to foul who has the ball and if you foul off the ball perhaps give the team on offense a freethrow and the ball back.

Dantoni could have benched shaq, but I think he hated the idea of the other team being able to decide which players he plays by means other than player matchups.

hack a shack is good coaching, I'm just not sure if it's good sportsmanship.

[cherylsteele]

Geez...everyone is in an uproar over Hack-a-Shaq, you have a player who has been in the NBA for 15 yrs, making 10 mil+/yr and has done little to nothing to improve from the FT line. The strategy had been used in the past and yet he shows no effort to improve this aspect of the game, Bruce practiced his free throws when we were playing against Nellie and made the Nellie and the Mavs pay the price. I see very few people talking about that, they just want to talk about that choice of strategy the Spurs used.

Now people want to penalize teams for using another player's weakness to their advantage. Maybe we should penalize a player for not improving his skill set. Shooting free throws is a fundamental part of the game, just like dribbling the ball.

[dunkman]

He plays psychological games with the Spurs (Pop, coaching staff and players). I think that Pop has the upper hand with equal talent, Phil has been better when Duncan has insufficent help and when he had 4 HOF's, Malone playing smart and well, plus Payton playing some solid defense on Parker.

For this year the Spurs have more talent and championship experience, and I expect them to route the Hornets quite easy, also the Lakers, if they survive against the Jazz, but not so easy.

[ambchang]

I hated it when the Magic did it to Wallace a few years back. If you hit 50% of FTs, the other team doesn't really benefit. Over the course of a few trips down the floor, it's akin to shooting 50% from the field. It just slows the game down.

And no, it isn't the same as letting TP shoot jumpers. The game doesn't stop in that scenario.

So it's the slowing down of the game that you have a problem with? It's one way to kill the opposing team's momentum, and in that case, the same as calling a timeout when the other team is going on a run. I don't see people complaining about that.

[ambchang]

+1 This is pretty much right on.


I do think the only important argument the Spurs fans are missing is that this game changing practice has a slight chance of making us a worse team. The Spurs are so good because they practice a system of defense that turns it up in crunch time. Reliance on a strategy like hack a shaq, even if it was only at the end of the first half of games could potentially lead to a bad habit of letting our guard down.

Which is why the Spurs must never use the practice consistently, which is exactly why I was ecstatic to see it in game 1 but infinitely more unhappy with it's continued use.

Oh and the Spurs were a better team defensively than they were giving themselves credit for. They have to know they can rely on their defense at any given moment of the game, and using hack a Shaq undermines that mentality.

I wouldn't agree with the point that Pop was using hack-a-shaq as a defensive mechanism for a particular possession. As noted, Shaq has shot around 50% for the series, and the Suns haven't been making 50% of their shots. Pop has also used the strategy when Shaq was making his FTs. It looks MUCH more like he was using it to screw with Shaq's mind, and undermine the confidence the coach (or maybe even the rest of the team) has when Shaq is on the floor. It's not like he was running it when the Spurs were down, he just seemed to pull this out randomly.

It sends the message that, "If you put Shaq on the floor, I am going to make it so that your team can't even do what you want on the floor, but if you take him out, I am going to have my guards score on you at will and dominate you on the boards." So it's sort of a damned if you do and damned if you don't scenario, forcing D'antoni to waste time thinking of a counter when time is already at a premium during the game and the series.

It really is a brilliant move.

[purist]

One question. Did Spurs win?
..... yeah, I thought so.

[Agloco]

Another poster (a Pistons fan, I think), came up with the possibility of allowing the team who is fouled the option of declining the free throws.
Considering that the Hack-a-Shaq worked for the Spurs at the expense of a potential match-up the NBA was undoubtedly salivating about (Lakers/Suns), I'm pretty sure they will change the rule one way or another to discourage teams from using it in the future.

That's an interesting spin..... I like it.

[Flux451]

It's called exploiting a weakness.

It is the same as playing a player to his left if right handed. Its the same as double teaming a player. THere are pros and cons.
Shaq had a chance to score easy points and help his team win but he didn't step up.
IT's boring but its a stragtegy.

It has happened to Bowen like many have said here so we know what it is like. ANd Bowen stepped up.

Also, I hate Phil. Ever since his whole 99 spurs ring should have an asterix next to it. What a egotistical smuck. THEY ARE GOING DOWN!!!!

[hater]

fans complaining about the hack a shaq is like Alquaeda complaining US is using high tech weapons on them

[Spurminator]

Just as a reminder....

I saw the interview on PTI, this is being taken way too seriously. He basically said he was surprised Pop did it, but that it did help take Phoenix out of their game. He also said it makes the game really ugly, but it worked.

[Septic]

I seriously don't get it. This strategy works on very few people because very few people shoot a very low percentage at the FT line. Shooting FT'S IS PART OF THE GOD DAMN ING GAME and it's not the fault of the opposing teams coach or any one for that matter for fouling a horrid FT shooter. It's 'war' out there on the courts when it comes down to championships and you get there by any means necessary except for purposely injuring someone. If that fat slob clanks 50% of his FREE THROWS... free being the key word here that's his own fault. Changing a rule in the NBA because of 1 person is just ridiculous.

I could careless if other teams fouled Bowen every time, Spurs would adjust the Suns would rather lose and cry foul than to adjust.

Maybe the NBA should move the FT line closer to satisfy Shaq and thus pander to a few people.

Lastly, they can all go fishing cause the Spurs are winning rings and they are losing games.

[Hillcrest]

He's right. While it may be good strategy, it's mainly just ing tacky, and frustrating to watch as a fan. I'm pretty confident in saying that the forefathers of the game probably didn't have it in mind when they created the game. I feel like we don't need to stoop to that level to be successful. Then again, this is the first time I remember Pop doing it for a sustained period of time, and I doubt we'll see it again. Now, I know 98% of this board would eat Pop's feces if he asked them to, so I don't expect many to agree with me in criticizing his choice to do it.

the forefathers didn't have 3-pointers, dunks, cylinders in mind either. for now, the rules are the rules and i think you take advantage.

"tacky"...what's that? who decides that? who decided the rules? the rules are tacky, then, not the strategy.

[LakerMagic]

At first i didn't like hack-a-Shaq. But I think that was just the Laker fan in me ribbing the Spurs and Spurs fans. I admit it. But when you really think about it, who cares. Shaq should of hit his free throws.

Pop is a really great coach. I highly doubt he did Hack-a-Shaq out of fear. I think it was strategic to get the Suns out of synch. Even Nash admitted that it thew him off his game. Superior coaching is what it was. Spurs demolished the Suns.

[GoodToBeTheKing]

Interviewer: Hey Pop how come you didn't use the "hack-a-Shaq" strategy?
Pop: I was embarassed and fealt the Spurs fans would appreciate a more pure form of basketball.
Interviewer: But you lost?
Pop: Yeah but this feels much better. Did you see Nash carve up our defense and Shaq completely dominate on the inside? Next year we are going to work on Bruce backing off on his defensive effort. When he locks down the opposing team's best player it really makes for a boring game.
Interviewer: But you have won 4 championships?
Pop: True but we really weren't that entertaining and by the way did you see our ratings. I was more intersted in the Kobe soap opera than our own finals games with the Cavs last year. Now that was drama.