Chop a Chandler?

[Medvedenko]

Genius....you say....well this has been going on since Wilt was in the league. There were players specifically on the court to disrupt him this way. Oh and Shaq was hacked during his Laker reign to no affect....as it helps having a guy like Kobe on your team. I agree with the Jim50 as being bush league. Were once it was ok to block shots while it was in the cylinder (Well within the rules at one point and if you were talented or tall enough you could grab the ball prior to it reaching the rim) was changed for the betterment of the game. This will be changed as well.

[ajh18]

What I think is so ridiculous about the Hack-a-Shaq complaints, is that you have to be a VERY bad free throw shooter to make it a wothwhile strategy. For example, Shaq shot free throws at 50.3% this year. The expected value of sending him to the line is 1.006 points. This year, according to ESPN, it looks like the Spurs gave up 1.15 points per shot.

Now, an opposing team certainly won't get a shot up on every possession. However, if Pop is assuming that the Suns would get shots up every time he went to it, all their players have to do is shoot 57.5% from the line to make Hack-a-Shaq mathematically useless. That hardly seems like an outrageous demand to place on an NBA player.

NBA strategies have always been designed to force opposing players to rely on their weaknesses. There is a reason teams don't guard Oberto at the 3 point line. There is a reason Pat Riley Basketball involves "no free layups." There is a reason that other teams design defenses that force Bruce Bowen to handle the ball, and Vaugn to take take mid-range jumpers. No one complains about these things, just as no one complains about teams (that are losing) fouling at the end of the game to conserve time and force the winning team to make free-throws. No one complains about time-saving techniques such as a point-guard not touching an inbounds pass until they absolutely have to, to delay the start of the clock.

Rules shouldn't be made to compensate for a player's inability to perform a fundamental skill of the sport. This weakens the game. Shooting 57% at free throws isn't too much to demand.

[inconvertible]

Pop did a lot of hack a shaqing when we were ahead.....brilliant.

If you can't hit your free throws, don't ing play basketball.

[inconvertible]

besides pop showed the world how inept the supposed "most dominate big man" really is, if nothing else Duncan's legend grows and Shaq's is diminishing fast.

[Jimcs50]

Pop did a lot of hack a shaqing when we were ahead.....brilliant.

If you can't hit your free throws, don't ing play basketball.

Give Bruce Bowen credit. He was at one time a victim of this "hack a Bruce", but he got his FT % up to a respectable level, where it made that strategy useless against him.

[GeorgeShinnLooms]

What I think is so ridiculous about the Hack-a-Shaq complaints, is that you have to be a VERY bad free throw shooter to make it a wothwhile strategy. For example, Shaq shot free throws at 50.3% this year. The expected value of sending him to the line is 1.006 points. This year, according to ESPN, it looks like the Spurs gave up 1.15 points per shot.

Now, an opposing team certainly won't get a shot up on every possession. However, if Pop is assuming that the Suns would get shots up every time he went to it, all their players have to do is shoot 57.5% from the line to make Hack-a-Shaq mathematically useless. That hardly seems like an outrageous demand to place on an NBA player.

NBA strategies have always been designed to force opposing players to rely on their weaknesses. There is a reason teams don't guard Oberto at the 3 point line. There is a reason Pat Riley Basketball involves "no free layups." There is a reason that other teams design defenses that force Bruce Bowen to handle the ball, and Vaugn to take take mid-range jumpers. No one complains about these things, just as no one complains about teams (that are losing) fouling at the end of the game to conserve time and force the winning team to make free-throws. No one complains about time-saving techniques such as a point-guard not touching an inbounds pass until they absolutely have to, to delay the start of the clock.

Rules shouldn't be made to compensate for a player's inability to perform a fundamental skill of the sport. This weakens the game. Shooting 57% at free throws isn't too much to demand.

It's a en strategy for a team of pussies.

[slayermin]

If anything, it saved our low post defenders to have to take the physical punishment Shaq deals out in the low post. Before the series, I thought Shaq was going to brutalize KT and TD in the low block. But now, it's full steam ahead. Pop was able to take the physicality out of the series and it should pay huge dividends as we advance.

I didn't mind at all that Pop resorted to this tactic. To me, he is taking this chance to repeat as serious as ever.

[rascal]

Hack a Shaq also adds to the Spurs are boring to watch thinking. It slowed the game down and was boring.

The nba will make changes to the rules so that won't happen next year. The nba wants to promote an entertaining brand of basketball with the big market teams preferibly winning. Big market = bigger ratings= bigger money

[ChumpDumper]

How is that rule going to be changed?

[rascal]

What I think is so ridiculous about the Hack-a-Shaq complaints, is that you have to be a VERY bad free throw shooter to make it a wothwhile strategy. For example, Shaq shot free throws at 50.3% this year. The expected value of sending him to the line is 1.006 points. This year, according to ESPN, it looks like the Spurs gave up 1.15 points per shot.

Now, an opposing team certainly won't get a shot up on every possession. However, if Pop is assuming that the Suns would get shots up every time he went to it, all their players have to do is shoot 57.5% from the line to make Hack-a-Shaq mathematically useless. That hardly seems like an outrageous demand to place on an NBA player.

NBA strategies have always been designed to force opposing players to rely on their weaknesses. There is a reason teams don't guard Oberto at the 3 point line. There is a reason Pat Riley Basketball involves "no free layups." There is a reason that other teams design defenses that force Bruce Bowen to handle the ball, and Vaugn to take take mid-range jumpers. No one complains about these things, just as no one complains about teams (that are losing) fouling at the end of the game to conserve time and force the winning team to make free-throws. No one complains about time-saving techniques such as a point-guard not touching an inbounds pass until they absolutely have to, to delay the start of the clock.

Rules shouldn't be made to compensate for a player's inability to perform a fundamental skill of the sport. This weakens the game. Shooting 57% at free throws isn't too much to demand.

Very good post.

[rascal]

How is that rule going to be changed?

Don't know how or even if it will. But they can do something like change it to make the team get the shots and the ball outside of the final two minutes of the game on all intentional fouls.

[ChumpDumper]

How does one determine intent for each foul?

[Teal Street]

please send Chandler to the line. no problem.

[DazedAndConfused]

Hack a Shaq worked on the Suns because it disrupted their rhythm, Shaq making/missing free throws really didn't matter all that much. The Suns are at their best when they are out running and gunning and playing loose, not in half court sets.

I suspect this strategy won't work against a VERY good halfcourt team in NOH. Plus Chandler is a decent FT shooter, wouldn't want to put that guy on the line like that.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

It's not going to work against Chandler. He hits them as frequent as Duncan.

[cjjr72984]

It's not going to work against Chandler. He hits them as frequent as Duncan.

Yea he does. The main reason his FT% is lower is b/c Chandler doesn't go to the line as much. He's a decent free throw shooter though.

[K-State Spur]

They did shoot 50% against us this year, which is damn good compared to everyone else. Also out 2 biggest losses this year were at the hands of New Orleans, so our defense against them is not stellar.

no doubt they took it to the Spurs a couple times this year. however, being able to game plan specifically for them for 4+ games over the next couple of weeks is a lot different than the regular season.

let us not forget that the Cavs kicked the crap out of the Spurs twice in the regular season last year.

[cjjr72984]

let us not forget that the Cavs kicked the crap out of the Spurs twice in the regular season last year.

Let's also not forget that the Hornets are a much better team than the Cavs last year (and this year).

[Jimcs50]

Let's also not forget that the Hornets are a much better team than the Cavs last year (and this year).

Let's not forget that New Orleans, like Cleveland last year are inexperienced and wide eyed, and that my friends is the reason why SA will win this series in 5 games.

[rascal]

How does one determine intent for each foul?

Thats for the refs to determine. Grabbing and holding fouls off the ball like the ones on Shaq . Its not too difficult to see the fouls on Shaq were intentional.

[Teal Street]

Let's not forget that New Orleans, like Cleveland last year are inexperienced and wide eyed, and that my friends is the reason why SA will win this series in 5 games.

inexperienced as a team yes but most of our guys have been to the playoffs before. Wide eyed? Unlikely considering their discipline. They are convinced they can beat anyone including your Spurs.

[m33p0]

totally different team. Pop is so accustomed to the Suns that he could predict what that team would do next. this will be the first time the Spurs will facing the Hornets in the playoffs at least in this era. We still don't know how they will respond to us.

i bet Pop is looking at the tendencies of this team, its strength and weaknesses. Part of their success has been their refusal to send the oppossing team on the free throw line. this cuts down the number of free pts that they give up. this is partly because the hornets aren't a deep team. this strength can be used to the spurs' advantage and therefore be turned into a weakness. and if i know Pop, he already has a plan just to do that.

[PlayoffEx-static]

Shaq FG% 62
FT% 51

Chandler FG% 62
FT% 59

It was a good percentage move to do it to Shaq, because the disparity was about 11%. That's not the case with Chandler.

[manufor3]

let me think ummm NO

[Jimcs50]

They will not change the rule. Shaq will be gone in 2 years and no other player will get the attention that Shaq has gotten and be that bad a FT shooter. The point is moot.