The NBA addressed a major issue this off season by adding new rules to hopefully save the fans from the painfully annoying away-from-the-play fouling strategy.
The intentional off the ball fouling targeted the league' worst free throw shooters like Los Angeles Clippers center Deandre Jordan, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond and now Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard. Watching all-star basketball players fail so miserably at uncontested shots became a routine nuisance for coaches and the fans.
Howard set his career low free throw percentage last season at 48 percent. Jordan only made 43 percent of his free throws last season (which is actually an improvement from the previous season), and Drummond only converted 35 percent of his attempts from the free throw line.
Something needed to be done, and the NBA Board of governors believe they've found a solution that will discourage teams from abusing the strategy.
The first rule change expands when the new rules for away-from-the-play fouls go into effect. Previously, the rule applied to the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime allowing the fouled team one free throw and possession of the ball. Starting next season, this rule will apply at the end of each quarter and overtime.
The second amendment will treat any defensive foul committed before the ball is inbounded in the last two minutes of any quarter as an away-from-the-play foul. Resulting in one free throw and possession of the ball for the fouled team.
The final rule change will automatically declare "any dangerous or excessively hard deliberate fouls" as a flagrant foul. It specifically referenced jumping on a players' back for a deliberate foul as an example.
So Howard shouldn't have to worry about this happening again.
The new rules seem reasonable and awarding the ball to the fouled team may discourage other teams from abusing the away-from-the play fouls. Will this be an effective change for the NBA?
