Drawing fouls in today’s NBA is almost like an art form at this point. With stars like James Harden and LeBron James being experts in the field, selling contact to get to the line has become a pretty normal practice in this modern era of basketball.
Of course, it doesn’t mean the practice comes without criticism.
Following a play by Trae Young, in which he flops to draw the whistle, Nets coach Steve Nash laid into him.
"That's not basketball" – Steve Nash
Trae Young was drawing cheap fouls and Steve Nash was tired of seeing it, not being able to do anything about it. Coach Nash had to have a word with this ref. Talk heavy coach. #WeGoHard – @Keith_McPherson pic.twitter.com/tMEbkSD6Ga
— Talkin’ Nets (@TalkinNets) December 31, 2020
Needless to say, flopping is widely frowned upon in the NBA, and it’s no surprise to hear Nash denounce the practice, and many fans agreed with him.
Nash is right, that ain't basketball.
— Byron Adrian leader of house Melton (@Byron_A_Melton) December 31, 2020
Crap like this is why NBA has become less and less watchable. It’s the James Harden effect and it is not enjoyable to watch.
— Paul Kasten (@PaulKasten6) December 31, 2020
https://twitter.com/MetsMinute/status/1344530818790809600https://twitter.com/G_D_100/status/1344499944988749825
For many, this sort of thing is exactly what’s wrong with the NBA. Instead of looking to be aggressive and score on his own, he’s trying to get a bailout by the refs and rack up points at the line. Not only is that less entertaining to watch, some would argue it’s just a mockery of the game itself.
On the other hand, why blame Trae for taking advantage of the rules? If this is the way he can score, and help his team win, why knock him for doing it?
In the end, no matter which side you’re on, it’s clear that this issue will continue to be a controversial topic amongst the NBA community. At this point, all we can do is wait and see how things play out over the next few years to come.
