Draymond and Steph Sound Off on NBA’s New Foul Rule
Changes are coming to the NBA this season that will benefit the game of basketball both fundamentally and aesthetically. Remember the days when players would steer clear of foul hunting, namely at the three-point line? Those days are coming back.
Per a new NBA rule instituted this season, offensive players will be prevented from drawing a shooting foul if they jump into a defender at an abnormal angle. The new rule states that “marginal” contact should be a no-call, while exaggerated contact should be ruled as an offensive foul.
The rule change comes in response to the act of offensive players jumping into defenders being more common in recent years. As the game of basketball has shifted to the perimeter, players have looked to benefit from foul calls leading to potential four-point plays or three free throw attempts. Stephen Curry has often looked to this from time to time, after all, if your rivals are doing so, why let them have an advantage?
Now, Curry is among the first to see the new rules in action, and he offered his thoughts on the early implementation. In the first quarter of the Warriors’ first preseason matchup against the Portland Trailblazers, Curry attempted to draw a foul off a three-point shot, but no whistle was blown. After the game, Curry mentioned that the new rule will take some getting used to, and that there will be plenty of early confusion at the start:
“I’m sitting there watching the video, like, uhh, I’m still confused on how that’s not a (defensive) foul. There’s going to be some confusion to start, for sure.”
On the other side of the ball, former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green cannot contain his excitement for the new rule implementation. Namely, he’s looking forward to the league clamping down on certain offensive players trying to “cheat the system.”
"I think over the course of my 10 years -- going into my 10th year -- I've seen some point of emphasis not make it too far past the preseason," Green said Tuesday at shootaround prior to the Warriors' preseason game vs. the Los Angeles Lakers.
Green echoed how difficult it is for the defender to benefit from the whistle in today’s NBA, and highlighted his initial excitement upon hearing the news of the new rule:
"We'll see how long this one goes. But it's very funny seeing some of this s--t not get called. As a defender, that's exciting because, and I've spoken on it before, as a defender you feel like you can't do anything. Everything is tailored for the advantage to the offensive player. As a defender, it's exciting to me.
"I remember when the rules first came out we were on the bus to practice and I started yelling like, 'Yeah, motherf--kers! Y'all ain't getting away with that s--t no more.' ... At the end of the day, I think the skill in this league is probably at an all-time high, so guys are going to score the basketball regardless. But it does help to know that you will have more of a fair opportunity as a defender and guys can't just cheat the system. Because guys got really good at cheating the system. So, that's good to see."
Draymond makes a sound point in noting that the skill level in the NBA today is at a peak where it’s reasonable to assume players will find a way to score, someway somehow. The issue in recent years has been a result of players looking to take advantage of the whistle as a means of getting points easily and “efficiently.”
For Draymond, the new rules give him an extra edge (as if he needed more) in looking to contain the opponent’s best offensive threat. For Steph, the new rule is a facet of the game to keep in mind, but by no means does it hinge on his ability to score literally from wherever he wants on the court.
The new foul rules will certainly take some getting used to, by players and even by fans. But it’s good for the game of basketball, and it will certainly help rid the game of tactics that are an eyesore for fans watching. If anything, it will rid certain Warriors’ opponents of tactics they have leaned too heavily on in recent years.