Hack-A-Shaq... WTF!? Discuss

Cap'nCrunch · Apr 23, 2008

Disclaimer: Bitter Suns fan, but...

How is this practice still allowed in the NBA?

and even tho it's not expressly outlawed in the rulebook other than in the final 2:00 of the game (or is it for each quarter and/or half too?), How do more coaches not complain about this obviously unfair and somewhat taboo tactic?

Here are my biggest gripes with this strategy:
1. You essentially turn an entire team's offense in to a 25% fg% (.5 x .5 = .25). As we know, 25% fg shooting doesn't win games.
2. You are INTENTIONALLY fouling a player without the ball, repeatedly.
3. You can employ this strategy with your bench 'goons' who are only in the game for the sole purpose of using their 6 fouls on Shaq, thus keeping your starters out of foul trouble.

Watching this happen for 5 or 6 possessions straight is extremely frustrating and annoying, and I feel it makes a mockery of the game.
What can the other team do? Have shaq stay out of bounds during offense (which may not even prevent him from being fouled). Or, keep subbing him out after each scoring possession.

I know, I know... :nopityA: There's no rule against it,
but c'mon, It's bullshit!

Discuss.

Uno · Apr 23, 2008

haha, it isn't BS.. it is strategy. the problem is the suns coaching staff is 100% outclassed by the spurs coaching staff.

all of your gripes are reasons to do it. all the douche bag has to do is hit his free throws. they traded for him, this is part of the package.

also it is a two way street, which is why it is allowed. the suns are not always going to get a FG opportunity and when they do it is not going to be wide open from the FREE THROW LINE! the spurs, or whoever the opposing team might be, concede that shot by fouling... they also put themselves in the penalty much quicker which could get Nash to the FT line on a non shooting foul.

the problem you should be upset about as a suns fan is that you would have had a shot in this series if you still had Marion, but you don't... you have an old Shaq who keeps getting used.

bigtendominator · Apr 23, 2008

Here is a strategy, how about making some damn free throws or maybe attempting to play some defense.

The Phoenix Suns have 1 more season of opportunity, after that their window is closed.

Cap'nCrunch · Apr 23, 2008

I can't disagree with much that you've said Doc....
however, I do think that Shaq is an effective force on the defensive end and defends Duncan pretty well when he's not in foul trouble. Also Shaq clogs up the lane and really helps with their inside rebounding....

that said, I don't want to shift the focus to pros and cons of shaq vs marion.

You mentioned that "hack-a-shaq" is a strategy... well so is sending your 12th man in the game to injure someone on the other team (ala John Cheney's 'Goon'). but that's not an acceptable strategy b/c it's illegal within the rules of the NBA.

It's unfair and downright wrong to intentionally injure someone, and while the hack-a-shaq is not nearly as destructive as the Goon strategy, it does reduce a team of 5 players down to one pathetic FT shooter.

And I agree that Suns coaching is outmatched 100%, however I wouldn't have expected Pop to stoop to this sort of crap.

rayray · Apr 23, 2008

the thing about hack a shaq is that everytime he touches the ball in the paint, he gets the shit knocked out of him and i dont care what you say, 99.9% of the fouls are intentional with little effort of going after the ball. they go after his arms and body and hang on. i could care less personally but even at l.a., i believe the reffs gotta call half his fouls intentional. they know whats going on and its not bullshit that they foul, its bullshit the way they do it

Cap'nCrunch · Apr 23, 2008

Here's what the NBA should do:

If a team begins to Hack-a-Shaq, the foul should go against a player of the offense's choosing. That way, shitty bench players like Udoka and Barry and Oberto don't eat up the fouls in this situation. Assign that foul to TD or Manu (yes I know he's the 6th man) and see how reluctant the Spurs are to use it then.

lapdance · Apr 23, 2008

Cap'n Crunch said:
I can't disagree with much that you've said Doc....
however, I do think that Shaq is an effective force on the defensive end and defends Duncan pretty well when he's not in foul trouble. Also Shaq clogs up the lane and really helps with their inside rebounding....

that said, I don't want to shift the focus to pros and cons of shaq vs marion.

You mentioned that "hack-a-shaq" is a strategy... well so is sending your 12th man in the game to injure someone on the other team (ala John Cheney's 'Goon'). but that's not an acceptable strategy b/c it's illegal within the rules of the NBA.

It's unfair and downright wrong to intentionally injure someone, and while the hack-a-shaq is not nearly as destructive as the Goon strategy, it does reduce a team of 5 players down to one pathetic FT shooter.

And I agree that Suns coaching is outmatched 100%, however I wouldn't have expected Pop to stoop to this sort of crap.

sure didn't look like a defensive force when manu and parker were driving in for layups all night.
as far as pops, great thinking. your down 8-10pts, so how do i get 2 or 3 extra posessions? foul the big miss.

lapdance · Apr 23, 2008

Cap'n Crunch said:
Here's what the NBA should do:

If a team begins to Hack-a-Shaq, the foul should go against a player of the offense's choosing. That way, shitty bench players like Udoka and Barry and Oberto don't eat up the fouls in this situation. Assign that foul to TD or Manu (yes I know he's the 6th man) and see how reluctant the Spurs are to use it then.

and i guess baseball should get rid of the intentional walk because its BS that they would walk the eight hitter to face the pitcher.
quit crying, you got outplayed and outcoached and you loss. it had nothing to do with fouling shaq. didn't he make 5 out of six when pops did that?

Cap'nCrunch · Apr 23, 2008

I'll give Spurs credit where credit is due. Manu and Parker are able to slice the lane with regular effectiveness. Although, there appears to be alot of "clearing out" a.k.a moving screens by TD and Kurt Thomas opening up those driving lanes.

Last night tho, Popovich decided to use hack-a-shaq with his team up by 7 or 8. this was during that pathetic 3rd qtr where the Suns offense went completely cold. My guess is that Pop wanted 2 or 3 more possessions to extend the lead and drive the dagger home. He essentially stymied the Suns offense even further by reducing their only scoring option to Shaq at the line.

Wynn · Apr 23, 2008

Very simple solution - call the intentional foul and make it a flagrant 1.

Cap'nCrunch · Apr 23, 2008

I already said I'm biased as a suns fan retard. but I dont think I'm crying about this. I'm trying to understand how such a blatantly unfair rule is still in the game and how other teams can justify it.

BTW, The hack a shaq is not the same as the Intentional walk. Managers have the option of pinch hitting for that pitcher if they want. There is no alternative to having shaq shoot those shots.

MrCleo · Apr 23, 2008

lol, it's nothing like the intentional walk.

and dantoni should've had them foul at the end of overtime in game 1 period

gtc08 · Apr 23, 2008

strategy of the game. the spurs exploited a huge sun weakness. expect to see it again.

miamiboy86 · Apr 23, 2008

Remember, D'Antoni left Shaq in there...he could have TAKEN HIM OUT (and I am a VERY BITTER suns backer)...Pops completely outcoached him the ENTIRE 2nd half, and the Suns went cold to start the 3rd and were not given any help by their coach as to fix the problem...besides, Shaq made what, 5 out of 6, right??? He scored most of their 3rd quarter points!!!!! What was most infuriating was the fact that the Suns went COMPLETELY away from what was working for the them in the first half (get amare/shaq down low, let them pound on Duncan and Olberto and get good 5-9 ft shots) and decided to start shooting wild stuff from the outside...and then when the DID go down low, IT WAS TO F******* DIAW, who looked like a deer caught in headlights, and could not hit a jumper to save his life....also, some blame has to go on Nash...I know he is a pass-first point guard, and 95% of the time it works great, but the man can shoot...why not give him some opportunities to do so!?!?!?!? We know he can make tough shots (see Game 1 finale), so why not give him a couple of looks when Shaq gets deep into the paint, passes it out to him for a jumper/3 point attempt...also, where was the offensive rebounding!?!??! NO ONE was trying for those rebounds, and we all know how deflating it is when a team can grab just 1 or two on a possession, but no one was going for it whatsoever....sry this has turned into a rant, but overall, the Suns were outcoached and outplayed by a smart, somehow hungry Spurs team.

BadCo · Apr 23, 2008

The T.V. guys addressed it last night saying the rules committee needs to look into this rule.

Can't blame the opposition for such a decision as winning isn't everything it is the only thing

Bluemyboy · Apr 23, 2008

Why is this a bad rule? If the player is not good enough to make the free throws he should be taken advantage of. Small guys have no rules that state they should get an advantage because they are not as big as the big guys. Poor foul shooters should not have any rules that allow them to get an advantage because they are poor in that area of the game.

shdw01 · Apr 23, 2008

how did you get 25% again?

Cap'nCrunch · Apr 23, 2008

Key difference between Hack-a-Shaq and the Intentional Walk:

The intentionally walked batter is usually used to set up a force out or get to a weaker hitter.

Fouling shaq 75 feet from the hoop is not preventing him from scoring, it's daring him to beat you from the foul line, which we know he can't do.

Bluemyboy · Apr 23, 2008

he has 50% shot of making a FT....

thus .5 point in first ft on avg.... .5 point in 2nd ft on avg.

= 1 pt every trip down on avg.

if you could avg 1 pt every trip down, you would be hitting much closer to 50% imo.

Cap'nCrunch · Apr 23, 2008

25% is 50% chance to make 1st FT x 50% chance to make 2nd FT. 25% chance of scoring 2 points in one possession. 2 points = a standard NBA fg

Hack-A-Shaq... WTF!? Discuss

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