How Andre Drummond is changing the game
We knew Andre Drummond’s inability to hit free throws could lead to a change NBA rules, but now we have some details as to what is being discussed.
Andre Drummond, Dwight Howard, Shaquille O’Neal, and DeAndre Jordan are all players that have dominate skills that can change the game. But they all also share the same Achilles heel–horrendous free throw shooting.
Drummond leads all of the aforementioned players in this category as he owns the NBA’s worst free throw percentage in history at 35.5%.
These player’s inability has lead to some unorthodox coaching methods involving intentional fouling. None more on orthodox than a game against the Houston Rockets where the Rockets started the second half fouling Drummond for about half of the third quarter.
This style of coaching has caught the NBA’s eye and rule changes seem almost inevitable before the start of next season. Below are some of the changes being discussed.
"You might want to hold off on thinking the NBA will easily address the intentional fouling of Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond.ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe is reporting a small group of owners (including Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban) and executives who are against completely doing away with intentional fouls are seeking a compromise.Citing unnamed sources, Lowe reports that the idea is this: Any intentional off-ball foul committed in the backcourt, at any time during the game, draws the same untenable penalty currently in place for such fouls in the last two minutes of regulation.That would allow teams to keep players such as Drummond or Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan on the floor for defensive and rebounding purposes.The report says the idea originated from Atlanta Hawks special advisor Rick Sund, a former Pistons general manager.The report adds that another carrot for compromise could be allowing the fouled player three free-throw shots to make two. A further hindrance could be that once a team reaches a certain number of team fouls, all foul shooters would get three to make two."
I think most of us feel the same way–you shouldn’t change the game because someone can’t shoot a free throw. Exploiting weaknesses is a pivotal strategy in sports.
However, the degree to which these coaches are implementing the intentional fouls are having a negative effect on the flow and pace of the game. It’s not something fans enjoy watching and it’s not something the NBA wants the fans watching either.
The rule changes will stop the intentional fouls from happening, but this doesn’t change the fact that Andre Drummond–and the rest of the poor free throw shooters- need to make significant strides at the free throw line if they want to see the ball at all late in games.
This seems like a fair compromise all around.