Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
·
Jun 14, 2021
Replying to @wojespn
There are star players with greater usage and exposure who many people identify with this issue, but the league and teams generally see this as a universal problem throughout rosters that gives offenses too great of an advantage.
Adrian Wojnarowski
@wojespn
Young and Harden are both still alive in these playoffs, but the ability of many other players -- like Luka Doncic -- to create this kind of contact within the framework of the current rules has been at the center of league discussions for a long period of time

Don't trust it. The source is Twitter.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the league’s competition committee met today to look into changing the rules to “restrict unnatural motions on jump shots players use to draw fouls.” As Woj notes, this proposal would have a large effect on James Harden and Trae Young, in particular.

Both Harden and Young make a living out of drawing fouls by getting their defender in the air or on their hip and leaning into them to initiate contact. It is a practice that drives opposing players, coaches and fans crazy but is very effective for both players.

Anything that fucks with Harden AND TRAE is good in my book

Hawks guard Trae Young paused in the middle of his postgame comments, perhaps wondering if he was going too far -- or sensing that he already had.

"I don't want to get fined too much, but it's frustrating," the Atlanta star said.

There's no telling how the league will receive Young's latest words. This wasn't some unhinged rant, but he certainly had plenty to say about the officiating after the Hawks lost 122-111 to Washington on Thursday night. Young was one of five players who received a technical foul during the game, and another one was given out for delay of game.

"There's a lot of missed calls," he said. "It's basketball. It's just, it feels that they're learning, and they're just -- I don't know. It's frustrating."

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1dOhm Youngmisuk
Young went into more detail moments later. There's a new crackdown this season on non-basketball moves designed to draw contact. Officials aren't supposed to call defensive fouls when that happens, and Young and James Harden are often mentioned as players who could be significantly affected.

Young averaged 8.7 free throw attempts a game last season. He's averaging 4.4 this season after taking only three Thursday.

"I saw James said it's about him, but it's not targeting just one player or two players," Young said.

Young mentioned Damian Lillard and Devin Booker, a couple of other star scorers off to relatively slow starts.

"You can watch basketball. Damian Lillard's never averaged 17 points probably since his rookie year," Young said. "There's a couple guys. I mean, Book's averaging 18. There's a lot of things that, when guys are driving straight and guys are getting knocked off balance -- it's still a foul, whether they're using their lower body or their hands."

Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma took to Twitter after Thursday's game to offer his take on the rules changes.


Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr also voiced his approval of the changes, saying, "I love what I'm seeing. I think the officials are doing a great job. The game has more of an authentic feel."

Young said he isn't completely against the changes, but he still wants certain contact to be whistled.

"Veering back and jumping into guys -- that's different," he said. "There are certain things that, I agree with the rule changes, but then there's things that are still fouls, and guys are going to get hurt. Especially a smaller guy like me who's going up against bigger and stronger defenders, they're using their body and they're using their legs and their hands to stop me."

yea this is fucking bullshit. The reffing to start the year has been a joke. the new rules state that the offensive player can't create the contact. That's fine, no problem with that rule. But, instead the refs are now allowing defensive players to completely mug offensive players. Not just grabbing, but they are now allowing defenders to two hand shove offensive players driving with the ball.


This will be corrected eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than later since it is costing the Hawks games. They went from 4th in FT attempts last year to 28th this year. Trae down from 8 per game to 4.

yea this is fucking bullshit. The reffing to start the year has been a joke. the new rules state that the offensive player can't create the contact. That's fine, no problem with that rule. But, instead the refs are now allowing defensive players to completely mug offensive players. Not just grabbing, but they are now allowing defenders to two hand shove offensive players driving with the ball.


This will be corrected eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than later since it is costing the Hawks games. They went from 4th in FT attempts last year to 28th this year. Trae down from 8 per game to 4.

He is mad because they aren't calling those bullshit fouls for him any longer. It used to be pathetic how he would jump into guys, kick his leg out and receive a foul call for it. Or he'd come off the screen and jump back into the guy as he was trying to recover and receive a foul call.

Now he has to become a player and I fully expect him to struggle as a result.

He never did the leg kick out play. He stopped doing the fake the 3 and then jump awkwardly into defender to draw a foul last year. His 3 big moves to draw fouls are driving to the basket with defender on his hip and waiting for defender to grab him and then he raises up to shoot and draws the foul. This year they are now allowing defenders to grab and shove Trae and no call even though all contact is initiated by Defender.

His second move is when he comes around a screen and gets a defender following too closely to his back and Trae stops on a dime raises up for a shot and gets run over. This is still being called a foul even with the new reffing.

His 3rd move is when he comes around a screen at the top of the key and feels the defender trailing too closely and Trae stops on a dime and raises up for 3 point shot and lets defender run into him. This should still be a foul since defender is initiating contact, but refs are not calling it.

Refs are now allowing defenders to play out of control of their body and close out on players recklessly. It's only a matter of time before a star player suffers a serious leg injury as a result.

He never did the leg kick out play. He stopped doing the fake the 3 and then jump awkwardly into defender to draw a foul last year. His 3 big moves to draw fouls are driving to the basket with defender on his hip and waiting for defender to grab him and then he raises up to shoot and draws the foul. This year they are now allowing defenders to grab and shove Trae and no call even though all contact is initiated by Defender.

His second move is when he comes around a screen and gets a defender following too closely to his back and Trae stops on a dime raises up for a shot and gets run over. This is still being called a foul even with the new reffing.

His 3rd move is when he comes around a screen at the top of the key and feels the defender trailing too closely and Trae stops on a dime and raises up for 3 point shot and lets defender run into him. This should still be a foul since defender is initiating contact, but refs are not calling it.

Refs are now allowing defenders to play out of control of their body and close out on players recklessly. It's only a matter of time before a star player suffers a serious leg injury as a result.

It's a better game with the desperately needed rule change. Screw Harden and Trae.

I can't remember the last time Lebron was in foul trouble, let alone happened to have fouled out of a game.

gee i wonder why

gee i wonder why