Watching a few minutes of NBA action this evening reinforces my general impression that the NBA "rules" have been formulated by a lunatic. In fact, it is difficult to ascertain what the rules are - maybe it's the enforcement that results in the current silliness.
When an offensive player with the ball pushes a defensive player out of his way, it is apparently a foul on the part of the defensive player.
There is apparently a LeBron rule that allows literally ANY infraction by a "star" to be ignored, as long as the play ends with the ball going in the basket. I saw this Giannis Antetokounmpo fellow walk the entire width of the court a little while ago, pushing three players out of his way in the process, then dunk the ball. Nary a whistle to be heard.
But this is the history of NBA basketball rules. When the players decide that the rules are bullshit, the rule is changed to accommodate the players' desires.
There used to be an infraction called "palming" the ball. You can't run down the court carrying the ball. But then "Magic" came into the league, and he palmed the ball every time he got it...but he was a STAR, so the rule was abandoned. Now half the players in the game employ the same "magic" dribbling technique.
There was a rule that you couldn't enter the "paint" on a foul shot until the ball touched the rim. But the players ignored it, so...fuck it. No more rule. Jump balls? Forget it. They were tipping the ball on way up, making the whole process a fiasco, but rather than just telling the players not to do that, they (basically) quit having jump balls.
The NCAA outlawed dunking for a while because dunking a ball is not actually a "shot," but of course that rule didn't - couldn't - last. The "slam dunk" is the signature play of the league.
The greatest fiasco is the interpretation and enforcement of rules prohibiting personal fouls. Hand and body contact are constant in today's game. The players simply have made enforcement of the rules impossible by constant, perpetual infractions. So now you are guilty of an infraction if you actually try to defend a shot that is close to the basket. If a player jumps up and comes back to earth, and the defender has moved into that space, the defender is fouled when the shooter lands. I think.
Of course, they could just enforce the fucking rules and let the players modify their style of play to conform.
Nah. This is BASKETBALL we're talking about here.
Not interested. I guess I've seen what I need to see for the remainder of this season.
When an offensive player with the ball pushes a defensive player out of his way, it is apparently a foul on the part of the defensive player.
There is apparently a LeBron rule that allows literally ANY infraction by a "star" to be ignored, as long as the play ends with the ball going in the basket. I saw this Giannis Antetokounmpo fellow walk the entire width of the court a little while ago, pushing three players out of his way in the process, then dunk the ball. Nary a whistle to be heard.
But this is the history of NBA basketball rules. When the players decide that the rules are bullshit, the rule is changed to accommodate the players' desires.
There used to be an infraction called "palming" the ball. You can't run down the court carrying the ball. But then "Magic" came into the league, and he palmed the ball every time he got it...but he was a STAR, so the rule was abandoned. Now half the players in the game employ the same "magic" dribbling technique.
There was a rule that you couldn't enter the "paint" on a foul shot until the ball touched the rim. But the players ignored it, so...fuck it. No more rule. Jump balls? Forget it. They were tipping the ball on way up, making the whole process a fiasco, but rather than just telling the players not to do that, they (basically) quit having jump balls.
The NCAA outlawed dunking for a while because dunking a ball is not actually a "shot," but of course that rule didn't - couldn't - last. The "slam dunk" is the signature play of the league.
The greatest fiasco is the interpretation and enforcement of rules prohibiting personal fouls. Hand and body contact are constant in today's game. The players simply have made enforcement of the rules impossible by constant, perpetual infractions. So now you are guilty of an infraction if you actually try to defend a shot that is close to the basket. If a player jumps up and comes back to earth, and the defender has moved into that space, the defender is fouled when the shooter lands. I think.
Of course, they could just enforce the fucking rules and let the players modify their style of play to conform.
Nah. This is BASKETBALL we're talking about here.
Not interested. I guess I've seen what I need to see for the remainder of this season.
