First, let's put aside the term "Hack-a-Shaq" and call it what it really is, that being, fouling a player and making that player earn his points at the line rather than get a more makable shot.
This philosophy is the same philosophy that the Celtics and most teams employ. But when you're dealing with Shaq or Reggie Evans or Ben Wallace the tactic is considered to have less integrity because that player is such a terrible free throw shooter??? I'm sorry that one is a head scratcher.
My old coach from way back used to have us shoot free throws until our shoulders hurt. His stance was they call it free for a reason. During the game you have someone trying to stop you from scoring, usually within 2 feet of you with a hand in your face. When you're at the FT line no one is guarding you, no hands in your face, no one trying to block the shot. It should be an almost automatic 2. And the only way to get that is by practice, practice, practice.
These less than 60% free throw shooters are the real disgrace to the game. To think that because they were big and talented and almost guaranteed to get in the league by the time they hit high school and didn't practice to improve this part of their game because it wasn't easy or "sexy" in a basketball sense is the real disgrace. These kids see highlight reel dunks, facials, unearthly blocks, and three pointers as part of the game they love and practice these until they can't move. But a free throw, never.
Well free throw shooting is also a part of the game. Always will be. And if players like Shaq can't hit over 70% they deserve to be fouled every time down floor. They think their size and dunking ability is a great asset to their team and should be used by their team. And they are right. But their free throw shooting is a huge hole in their team's armor and it is up to the other coach and team to not only see it, but exploit it.
"Hack-a-Shaq" is dull, boring, hard to watch, aggravating and effective. Instead of complaining about it perhaps people should be lamenting the fact that their heroes suck at a very, very important part of the game.
Every sport has an ugly part to it. Football holding penalties, backfield contact, and offsides. Baseball intentional walks, constant OB philosophy of taking pitches, and constant situational relief pitching. Soccer the whole [dang] sport. And basketball "Hack-a-Shaq". Al things that are done with the idea of trying to increase your chance of winning(in football 's case if you don't get caught).
They are part of the toatl game. Get used to it.
Oh, and if the Celtics play the Suns in the Finals, here's a guess, there won't be anyone complaining about the technique anymore.
not just singling your post out, but people who talk about it as a strategy everyone used either didnt watch or the game, or at a minimum didnt read the earlier posts.
the original spirit of the post was not intended to deal with the technique on the basic level. In this game and series, the foul was occuring the second they inbounded the ball. there was no attempt to even allow an offensive set to be instituted as no matter who had the ball on the inbound shaq was hugged. that is a problem. that is not the normal 'hack a shaq'.
I watched the games. I read the posts. And it doean't matter if you're talking about when he is shooting or when his team is in the penalty and inbounding the ball.
If any team playing the Suns feels when Shaq is in the game and about to shoot, or in the game while the Suns are in the penalty, that they are probably going to be more successful allowing a 50% FT shooter taking 2 FTs than they are guarding a team shooting 49% from the field in their offense and 31% from the three point line, they are going to foul Shaq.
Period, end of story. Hell, mathematically it makes sense.
And it doesn't matter if the fans hate it, or the Suns hate it, or Shaq hates it. It is within the rules of the game.
And quite honestly thinking that the league should change a rule because a player decided not to practice their free throws during his lifetime is obscene.
They change rules to enhance the game, not to hide player deficiencies. They change the rules to balance the game when the players outgrow the game(see Wilt dunking free throws), not to cover up the fact that their stars feel they need only excel at certain parts of the game and not even try to get better at others.
If a team doesn't want a "Hack-a-Shaq" to happen to them, don't sign players who will be playing big important minutes that can't shoot 60% from the line on their best days.
And if the fans don't want to watch this type of tactic, switch the channel to another game or don't watch. I'm sure there is a channel or three hundred that has something else on. If they don't want to watch it at a game they have tickets to, give them or sell them to someone else. I'm pretty sure they will find someone willing to take Suns tickets off their hands.
Topic: hack-a-shaq is a disgrace... (Read 16380 times)