The 2017-2018 NBA season has not been a good one for the league. With players constantly criticizing officials which made it necessary for the two sides to have a meeting during the All-Star break to discuss their issues.
Yet, this was avoidable. The NBA truly has failed its consumers and several years ago the league instituted a rule that a player will receive a warning letter for flopping and any additional violations results in a small fine. Shockingly enough, it didn’t deter floppers and now flailing in hopes of drawing a foul and getting to the free throw line has become acceptable.
James Harden makes a living at the free throw line by doing this. NBA fans though don’t go to games to watch someone shoot 10 plus free throws and have the game slowed down to a crawl or to watch superstars take a seat due to foul trouble.
Recently, I saw a clip of Shabazz Napier playing great defense on Harden. Here’s the clip:
People ask how you should defend Harden. Napier just did it perfectly. You can be a little aggressive, keep Harden off rhythm pic.twitter.com/TR7xgSRPKF
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) March 21, 2018
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What’s shocking about that clip? No foul got called meaning Harden didn’t get to the free throw line. 99 percent of the time he does. Still a foul call was necessary, yet not on Napier, Harden who used his off arm to create space.
Sometimes turnabout is fair play. Case in point Harden getting called for two offensive fouls in the closing minutes against the Boston Celtics.
With the playoffs coming in a few weeks now is the time for the NBA to make immediate and necessary rule changes to prevent flopping and flailing. For those who have deemed to have flopped or flailed to get a call, a technical foul gets called and a warning to the bench, if it happens again not only is the player ejected so is the coach. Similar to the rule in Major League Baseball if a warning has been given and another batter gets hit by a pitch.
Only one other solution makes sense is that if a player does flop or flail, no personal foul gets called and no free throws regardless of the number of team fouls. Now is the time for the NBA to fix it once and for all.