The NBA announced a change which affects players deliberately trying to draw shooting fouls rather than attempting to shoot.
Wednesday 10 November 2021 13:59, UK
Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard has complained about the new rule changes which have been brought in this season.
The NBA announced prior to the season there would be "an interpretive change in the officiating of overt, abrupt or abnormal non-basketball moves by offensive players with the ball in an effort to draw fouls."
It's to prevent the foul-seeking from players offensively, when players are looking to draw a foul rather than trying to shoot. It includes things like a shooter launching or leaning into a defender at an abnormal angle, the offensive player veering off his path into the defender in an abrupt manner or when the offensive player overtly extends a portion of his body or his off-arm into a defender.
The aim was targeting the likes of the James-Harden style foul drawing that we have seen in previous years which has meant a lot of whistle blowing and trips to the free-throw line. The fact he only had nine attempts from the line in his first three games was proof it was being enforced.
Lillard isn't a player you would associate with particularly being a beneficiary of these rules but the tale of the tape says different.
His shooting percentages have bombed across the board. For his career, (per Basketball Ref) he's 43.7 percent shooting and 37.3 percent on threes. This season, he is just 24.7 percent on threes and 35.1 percent for all field goal shooting. He's also dropped from a 89.3 percent at the line to 85.3 percent and is scoring 18.5 points per game, compared to a career 24.6 ppg.
And he feels part of the reason he isn't scoring anywhere near as much or as consistently is because of the referees.
"The way the game is being officiated is unacceptable," Lillard said after the Portland Trail Blazers' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.
"I don't want to go too deep into it so they make a big deal out of it but the explanations that's getting missed, I mean come on!
"I'm a player that, coming in, (thought) the rule change wouldn't affect me because I don't do the 'trick the referees', I don't do the trick plays. And it's just unacceptable."
Monty McCutchen, the NBA vice president of referee development and training, discussed this change during an appearance on The Crossover NBA Show with Chris Mannix and Howard Beck, explaining what the league is intending to do with its decision (via Sporting News):
"If you're placed at a disadvantage through good play, then therefore a foul should be called, offensively or defensively. We're not trying to take away every pump fake. We are trying to take away a pump fake that then leads to an abnormal launch angle that the defender never would've hit the offensive player had this offensive player not taken this abnormal launch angle.
"We want to balance out the ability of a defensive player to compete with passion with an offensive player who can compete with passion, and when we find that balance, good competition is the result."
