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The NBA has some rules changes they are trying out this season and it’s all being done in an effort to combat some of the wackier ways to draw fouls – and it has one New York Knicks guard optimistic.
New Knicks signing Evan Fournier posted a clip of Steph Curry trying to draw a foul in a preseason came against the Portland Trail Blazers by going up for a shot at a strange angle. This would’ve typically been a foul in seasons past, but it doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.
The NBA says the change targets “overt, abrupt or abnormal non-basketball moves by offensive players with the ball in an effort to draw fouls.”
For the 2021-22 NBA season, there will be an interpretive change in the officiating of overt, abrupt or abnormal non-basketball moves by offensive players with the ball in an effort to draw fouls. The following Points of Education videos showcase areas where a change was needed:
The result of this Curry 3-pt attempt was a non-call and he hit the top of the backboard with his shot.
This rule change will have a big impact around the league and shifty guards like Curry, Trae Young and James Harden
Fournier Likes What He Sees
Fournier reacted to the clip by simply saying “let’s see if there is consistency now!”
It turns out that not just fans were annoyed by the amount of calls that were dished out by the refs, but the players were fed up with it as well.
One fan responded to Fournier and thought that this won’t mean a ton for players like Young or Harden going forward, but the guard remained optimistic.
“Let’s wait to see their games,” he said. “But it’s encouraging.”
NBA players who competed in Tokyo during the Olympics know first hand how difficult adjusting to the new rules can be. The calls that were typical in the NBA were nowhere to be found in Japan, and it had some people questioning whether the US could come away with the Gold Medal.
That ended up being a non-issue, but it was worrisome in the early goings.
How Does This Affect the Knicks?
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While this is a big rule change in the NBA, we might not see it impact the Knicks players themselves because they’re not really known for calls like this in the first place.
For Harden, Curry and Young fans, just to name a few players, there might be a few growing pains as players try to break their old habits and adjust. These players shouldn’t have any issues because it’s not like they rely on these calls for all of their points, but their trips to the foul line could see a steep decline.
Overall, this does appear to be a good change for the league, but it likely wouldn’t have had a huge impact on the Knicks’ playoff series against the Hawks. It does make it so players have to actually earn their fouls, and with the Knicks figuring to have a strong defense this year thanks to Thibodeau, this can only mean good things.
Of course, we do have to hope the calls remain consistent throughout the year and this doesn’t just end up being a preseason thing. However, if Fournier’s optimism works, then it could only mean good things for the league.
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