The new NBA rules to ensure that players are not shooting more free throws than needed are certainly working. Many players who used to spend a lot of time at the charity stripe are now struggling to get there. One of the best examples of that is Brooklyn Nets star James Harden, who is essentially the poster boy for the rule.
While Harden’s averages have seriously plummeted, the same cannot be said for Atlanta Hawks superstar Trae Young. Young had a similar playstyle to that of Harden, but since the new rules have been established, he has adjusted his game accordingly.
As a result, despite not shooting many free throws, he is still scoring on a regular basis. After all, if Trae plays well, the Hawks play well; it is as simple as that.
Even though his game hasn’t been that impacted, Young believes he is getting fouled more than the numbers actually account for. Hawks beat reporter Chris Kirschner asked the guard what his thoughts were about the same topic.
“I know how to score without shooting free throws, but at the same time, I know I’m getting fouled a lot more than I am, “Young said. “They’re definitely holding on to their whistles a lot more than they would in previous years. I know they’re looking for three things specifically. If the offensive player is knocked off track. A lot of my fouls, I’m driving and I’m smaller than a lot of guys so they’re knocking me off balance and knocking me off track, so that’s a foul. If a ref knows the rules and knows that, they should call it. I just hope they call it within the rules because I know the rules too. I’ve done my research and my book work too.
I asked Trae Young about not receiving many foul calls when he drives to the rim so far this season.
Here's what he had to say: pic.twitter.com/a7CliW6JwT
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) October 28, 2021
Young clearly stated that he is aware of the rules as well. But due to him being smaller than many NBA players, he of course gets knocked off the way easily. Despite the rules stating that should be a foul, he is not getting enough calls.
Well, the rules are new for the refs as well. Maybe as the season progresses, the situation will improve. At the end of the day, it is exciting to see players digging deep into their bags to score, rather than simply taking contact and putting the ball in the net from the free-throw line.
