Defending Without Fouling A Focus In 2024-25 | GatorCountry.com Eric’s math is flawed. He’s equating 2 FTs per shot to points per possession. You can’t arbitrarily change the units. He has to have a conversation of shots per possession to accurately complete this article. I’m interested in seeing the numbers, but not these numbers.
You also have to take into account that it's less likely you'll even get a 2nd free throw after a foul. You have to make the first to get a 2nd. By my math, if you're an average free-thrower (71.2%), you have an expectation of .712 points for the first, as Eric says, but only 1.13 points for each time you get awarded 2 free throws, which is less than both the wide-open 3 pps and the 2 freebies number Eric gives.
The best way to defend without fouling is to be a super star. MJ got away with a lot of stuff just because he was MJ. Fans come to games to see the stars play and not sit on the bench with foul trouble.
People forget how much the refs favored him. The video of Magic and Bird at a photo shoot with Jordan in ‘92 before the Dream Team Olympics when Magic says to Bird, “don’t get close to him or you’ll be called for a foul” was 100% accurate. another way to not get called a foul is to not play Kentucky at Rupp
Correct. A one-and-one is going to be different from a 2-shot foul, which might agree with Eric's math. Each scenario will have different analytics, and might be good to factor into one's game plan. My brain hurts.
I self-diagnosed and self-remedied with a blend of coconut rum, grenadine, sprite, and crushed ice. We're all good.
Jordan fouled out 11 games in his career. Lebron 6 times. Magic Johnson fouled out 5 times in his career. Jordan got calls but so did every superstar.
I hate when someone says, "Well, they earned it." Favoring one player over others because of popularity is essentially cheating.
I don't believe in any of that. A foul is a foul and I also hate when refs call fouls based on the "perception of contact" when literally no contact was made. Is what it is though. I don't think anyone "earns" favoritism but the powers that be make money decisions like this. Refs have orders to keep certain players in play
That doesn't change anything. You think lebron, or any star isn't getting fouls called on their defenders that are sometimes ticky tack at best? Shaq is one if the only superstars I can recall that didn't get that benefit because of his size and violent style of play. Guys could barely stop him while mugging him.
Shaq used to swing his elbows, spin and bulldoze guys to the hoop. He ALWAYS got a benefit on those non-calls, to the point teams had to load up on 1-2 bigger guys on the team just because Shaq was on their schedule and maybe had to meet him in the playoffs. Even then it was nearly impossible to stop him when he could just physically manhandle them, but he fouled / charged them all the time on offense with no call. Lebron gets fouled going to the hoop a LOT with no call because he powers through and like Shaq shows little to no effect. He had to learn how to sell it better because he wouldn't get the calls, still often doesn't get the calls. Maybe you've been watching a different NBA? Shaq would get fouled with no call too because of his size, but to say he didn't get special treatment on those offensive clearouts is ridiculous. No calls on his offensive fouls where we channeled his inner Sauron with the ring of power and literally cleared everyone out of the way, changed the league.
Shaq would have fouled out in the first quarter of every game way back when. There was a time when you couldn't just bull your way to the hoop.
