Bballkingsrock
All-Star
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBqam1ocWIyBF9TAzk1ODYxOTQ4BHNlYwNlY2w-?slug=cnnsi-acallforscoring&prov=cnnsi&type=lgns
This is an articleby Marty Burns from SI.com. I found it on Yahoo. Here it is:
A call for scoring (con't.)Marty Burns, SI.com
Kings GM Geoff Petrie recently traded defensive ace Doug Christie to the Magic for Cuttino Mobley at least in part, he said, to add more scoring punch. Considering his team already averaged 101.8 points per game, fourth in the league, it would seem to indicate that Petrie believes you can't have enough firepower these days.
It's no secret the NBA has been trying to increase scoring and bring back more flow in recent years. From cutting down on the hand-check to allowing zone defenses, the league has been seeking ways to get it what it calls more "freedom of movement" on the court. This year, Jackson says, the emphasis was on a package of "clarifications" that included, among other things, perimeter contact, the block/charge and defensive three-seconds.
While it's hard to pinpoint any one rule change or clarification for this season's increase in scoring, the one that has had the greatest impact seems to be the crackdown on perimeter contact. The NBA rule that bans "contact initiated by the defensive player ... [including, but not limited to, the use of], forearm, hands, or body check," has been on the books for years. But the rulebook has long allowed certain exceptions, including one for "incidental contact" if it doesn't affect the ballhandler's rhythm, balance, speed and quickness. In years past, refs have given more leeway with this "tactile touch" to defenders. Not so this season. Just watch closely as guards try to defend these days. Players are no longer jabbing a stiff arm to the hip of ball-handlers nor steering them around like they did a few years ago (think Pat Riley's old Heat and Knicks teams of the '90s). Now you're more likely to see Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich, among others, in a defensive stance with botharms way back so as not to give the referees any reason to blow the whistle. Hinrich says he is simply doing what he has to do to avoid picking up a cheap foul.
During the preseason the NBA sent out a DVD to all 30 teams going over the various infractions. The league also dispatched refs to visit with teams. Still, some players say, they don't know what to expect night to night. "The rules suck," Nuggets guard Andre Miller says. "All of 'em. All of the rules suck. The NBA is supposed to be physical. But you can't pick and choose which games to allow [contact]. I try not to get caught up in it, but it's a big part of the game. It's just not consistent." Hinrich agrees. "Early on they were calling a lot of those touch fouls, but it's inconsistent. They let some guys get away with more than others. And it changes from game to game."
About the only thing all players seem to agree on is that it's better than it was in the preseason, when refs were calling everything and some games turned into free-throw contests. "I really haven't noticed much difference," Pistons guard Carlos Arroyo said last month. "Sometimes they call it, and sometimes they don't. I'm just glad they're not calling [as many fouls as] they did in the preseason. Those games were taking forever."
Whether refs are calling fewer fouls, as many coaches and players predicted would happen before the season, or whether the players have adjusted remains open to debate. But clearly the new guidelines are having an effect -- and they're not going away. As Fisher says, "The NBA wants more scoring, and this is one way to do it. We're all just going to have to get used to it."
This is an articleby Marty Burns from SI.com. I found it on Yahoo. Here it is:
A call for scoring (con't.)Marty Burns, SI.com
It's no secret the NBA has been trying to increase scoring and bring back more flow in recent years. From cutting down on the hand-check to allowing zone defenses, the league has been seeking ways to get it what it calls more "freedom of movement" on the court. This year, Jackson says, the emphasis was on a package of "clarifications" that included, among other things, perimeter contact, the block/charge and defensive three-seconds.
While it's hard to pinpoint any one rule change or clarification for this season's increase in scoring, the one that has had the greatest impact seems to be the crackdown on perimeter contact. The NBA rule that bans "contact initiated by the defensive player ... [including, but not limited to, the use of], forearm, hands, or body check," has been on the books for years. But the rulebook has long allowed certain exceptions, including one for "incidental contact" if it doesn't affect the ballhandler's rhythm, balance, speed and quickness. In years past, refs have given more leeway with this "tactile touch" to defenders. Not so this season. Just watch closely as guards try to defend these days. Players are no longer jabbing a stiff arm to the hip of ball-handlers nor steering them around like they did a few years ago (think Pat Riley's old Heat and Knicks teams of the '90s). Now you're more likely to see Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich, among others, in a defensive stance with botharms way back so as not to give the referees any reason to blow the whistle. Hinrich says he is simply doing what he has to do to avoid picking up a cheap foul.
During the preseason the NBA sent out a DVD to all 30 teams going over the various infractions. The league also dispatched refs to visit with teams. Still, some players say, they don't know what to expect night to night. "The rules suck," Nuggets guard Andre Miller says. "All of 'em. All of the rules suck. The NBA is supposed to be physical. But you can't pick and choose which games to allow [contact]. I try not to get caught up in it, but it's a big part of the game. It's just not consistent." Hinrich agrees. "Early on they were calling a lot of those touch fouls, but it's inconsistent. They let some guys get away with more than others. And it changes from game to game."
About the only thing all players seem to agree on is that it's better than it was in the preseason, when refs were calling everything and some games turned into free-throw contests. "I really haven't noticed much difference," Pistons guard Carlos Arroyo said last month. "Sometimes they call it, and sometimes they don't. I'm just glad they're not calling [as many fouls as] they did in the preseason. Those games were taking forever."
Whether refs are calling fewer fouls, as many coaches and players predicted would happen before the season, or whether the players have adjusted remains open to debate. But clearly the new guidelines are having an effect -- and they're not going away. As Fisher says, "The NBA wants more scoring, and this is one way to do it. We're all just going to have to get used to it."
Last edited by a moderator:
