I never used to like guys like Damian Lillard & Darius Garland because of the way they foul bait. Some people say “don’t foul them then”, but the truth is they are looking for the foul. I love the way Kyrie, Steph, Jokic etc. play the game. 90% of the time they genuinely going for the basket and sometimes get fouled.
But after watching these guys who play the game fair get fouled and not get the calls, I now understand the foul baiters/floppers like Embid. It’s almost like you not gonna get the call if you don’t sell it. I don’t judge LeBron for his antics or Doncic for complaining out there every night. It’s tough.
There’s too much disparity between the refereeing & the players in terms of punishment. I Know this has been said multiple times already but there needs to be accountability too for and from the refs.
(I just read the rules, what is ‘NSFW’ ?)
this clip is always what pops in my head when people say Steph never foul baits
Dude pump fakes then jumps right into his defender and throws up a wild shot to try and get free throws and when the ref doesn’t call it he literally squares up on the guy. That’s not someone who only cares about “ethical buckets” lmao
I don’t expect high level competitors to forgo any such advantages that are within the current rules.
When we had Jimmy is when I saw the light honestly. He would always seem to get a couple foul calls early in a Q. Get into the bonus then the team would get 6-8 easy points off of it. It’s boring to watch but hard to beat.
For me personally the refereeing has made the nba nigh unwatchable. It’s bad enough that travels and carries are virtually never called, especially if you’re a star. But what really pisses me off is how offensive players are constantly rewarded for initiating the contact with the defense. Things like rip-throughs (🤢), faking the shot to provoke the defender to jump and then jumping into them, pushing off defenders and then flopping to the ground…theses things happen constantly and just ruin the watching experience. How is it even basketball, they’re not trying to score just to make some kind of contact and for some unknown reasons the refs always reward them.
offensive players have all the leeway in the world the carry, travel, shoulder push, push off with the arm, but then defensive players are supposed to be completely motionless, otherwise a contact isn’t a charge? How brain-dead is that, how are you supposed to be motionless when a 7’'1 giant is running towards the basket. If you don’t fucking jump out of the way quick enough it’s a defensive foul nowadays, I’m barely exaggerating
Rip throughs only exist because of poor/illegal defense so not really applicable
I do think a lot of jump shooters just do that little half jump where they kick their legs up and get rewarded with FTs
The biggest problem is the stars who attack the paint that carry on every single drive and barrel through every defender
Can you elaborate on rip-throughs? From my point of view being allowed to have your arms somewhere else than stuck behind your back doesn’t constitute illegal defense. And even if a defender does something illegal, swinging your arms wildly with 0 intention to shoot just to get a contact shouldn’t be allowed, how is this even a debate
Because it can only occur if the defender is occupying the offensive players space prohibiting movement.
Without it, a defender could just put their arms over yours and prevent you from dribbling or being able to move forward.
Players are entitled to sufficient space to move naturally and the rip throughs exist because it IS a natural shooting motion that is embellished through contact.
It should not be a shooting foul but it is still a foul
I fucking love it. Prime Wade driving to the rim like a RB is my boner pill. I think driving for contact is viable strategy to remove certain opposing players from the game with foul trouble.
It absolutely is. Everyone that played organized basketball have learned it. Every couch would tell you who was in foul trouble and run plays to go at them. Either you can draw the foul or the defender is softer in his defense. Simple x’s and o’s
Don’t hate the players. Hate the game. It’s the NBA’s fault for all of this.
How is this a controversial statement?
The NBA has greatly limited defense with rule changes and how the refs officiate the game in the past 30 years.
This has increased scoring, but it has also made foul baiting more prevalent. The game has evolved as well, sure. Players are smarter than they were and game the system. But it’s ridiculous to say the league isn’t the biggest reason why we have foul baiting and flopping. They are the ones with the power to change the rules and hand out fines.
I think there are different types of foul baiting and for me the worst of all was Harden hooking people’s arms. Regarding flops, I hate it. That’s why I can’t stand Embiid, Smart and Lowry, to name a few.
When refs allow it expect players to take advantage of the rules. They are playing to win.
I’m at the stage with all of the interruptions that I think they should get rid of all reviews. Just fine the floppers in retrospect, maybe one missed game if they get five of them in a season or something.
Also just have them give free throws for missed calls as the game goes on. Someone drives and makes or misses a shot, if it’s a missed call then at the next stoppage they can get their free throw. Don’t hold the game up.
Everything else the refs just get it right or wrong I don’t care. Look at the state of the reviews, they get it wrong half the time anyway.
The refs are too too eager to blow their whistle just when a player bites on a pump fake. It’s like they think that alone constitutes a foul.
You’re crazy if you think Steph doesn’t foul bait, he’s just not does it as much as the others you just mentioned, but he absolutely is one of those foul bait guys