I agree and I am happy to see these changes. Watching modern basketball and muggings all the time was getting old.

Well, they better be right. Some of these games are a joke with all the fouls right now. Like our game at TOSU where Craft knew he would get a whistle every time he crossed the 3 point line.

And Rick Pitino talking about a cleaner game is hilarious.

Scoring started to dip about the time the 3-pt shot was instituted.  Too often, players stay behind the arc to go for the lower-percentage three instead of taking a step or two in for a higher percentage two. 

This first season under the new rules will be brutal as teams adapt.  One reason why scoring is up is because of the additional free throws -- although the article says it's only been 2.6 per game, that means teams are getting into the bonus and the double bonus earlier, so they're getting an extra five or six FTs a game. But it's more stoppages, so the game seems a lot slower.  Our game vs O$U was by far the worst we've seen for foul calls this season, so I don't know if it was the players or the refs.

"Incidental" contact that does not "impede", or "disrupt", the players movement, shot, or passing of the ball should not be a foul. It's basketball, not a game of "reverse tag".

Craft took advantage of the refs tendency to blow the quick whistle at the slightest contact. I think the tendency so far has encouraged more "charging" to some degree - "leaning into" the defensive player.

The advantage now even more goes to the ball handler who takes the initiative, with the quick first step - i.e. Craft.

We just need to react to the changes as good as or better than OUr opponents - Drive to the rim more (or drive and dish), quicker drives/slashes (i.e Johnson so far has done this the best), quicker inlet passes when someone posts up down low, and then draw the contact when at the rim (or under).

Then also of course - hit the free throws.



  

amazing sequence yesterday in direct opposition to what has been called all year. Setty has a charge called on a putback rebound and then on the other end next play is set for a day and then gets called for a block on  a play where he not only was there before the ball came up but after it was gone from the hand. Inexcusable. Inconsistent with the rule the way it is being called and inconsistent end to end.

I think you are going to see more players meeting the driving offense at the rim and less whistles for what has been an automatic call. I think they are letting them play up top rather than be sadddled with the block/charge down low.

the second play I had a problem with was the block call where the offensive player was blowing down the lane and turned backwards throwing his body into the player that had been standing in the lane for a long time., The offensive player was clearly out of control while the defensive player had really not moved since the ball crossed mid court. That can not be an automatic block in any form. WIth 3 guys out there that still needs to be a discussion and a no call, a travel or a block.

I thought Setty had certainly "established" position on that call - but this article may indicate why he was called for the block - just when did the shooter, "begin his shot"?????

The biggest issue I've seen was the O$U game thus far.  Craft, on more than one occasion was given a foul call by dropping his shoulder and leaning/plowing into the defender.  We're not talking about beating the defender to a spot, or the defender being late.  I'm talking about him going straight at him and running into him to get the foul called.  For that to be called a "block" shouldn't be acceptable.

I think that game was an outlier from what I've seen this year so far, and that that specific game wasn't well officiated.  I agree with OUVan's stance -- sometimes the defender has no way to stop a driving player.  The example borna cites that was called on Setty was horrible.  And, it's exactly what Setty should have done -- get to the spot first to help.

If they can clean up these kinds of examples where the defenders aren't getting a fair deal, I think the "new rules" are better.  Beyond that, I still maintain that people aren't buying tickets, or buying TV rights to watch teams shoot tons of free throws a game.

The biggest myth about basketball is that it's supposed to be a "physical" game. In reality it's not. I concede that at some point during the game, you have to "put your eggs in one basket," go "balls to the wall" and "man up," but not at the expense of losing control and disrupting the flow of the game. Basketball is a game of flow, execution, and beating the other guy to the spot. It's a thinking man's game, too.

Like the article Borna posted above, "UCLA's teams were a symphony." That's what basketball should be.

When I was playing in high school, we were never taught to be physical with other players or keep our hands on ballhandlers while guarding the ball. We were taught to move our feet, force out to the side and baselines and beat the offensive player to the spot at all costs. If you got beat, you got beat. Work harder and try again. Don't foul, you've only got five. If they have to run through you to get to the basket, fall down and get the call. High school is officiated a little bit differently, but they are the same principles.

Our coach used to hate muscle guys and he would always encourage us to guard them tight, because at some point their physicality is going to take over and more often than not it will result in either an offensive foul or even intentional.

Personally, I hate the term "charge" when the offensive player is called. It makes it seem like an intentional foul in a smaller sense. More often than not, it should be labeled "player control foul." The player got out of control, pretty simple.