How the referees slowed down James Harden, Damian Lillard & other stars

How has the new officiating impacted stars like James Harden? This video examines the key points of emphasis for the 2022 season, and how those "non-basketball moves" or foul-baiting behavior has influenced key players like Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum and more.
Support at Patreon: / thinkingbasketball
Book: www.amazon.com/Thinking-Baske...
Podcast: player.fm/series/thinking-bas... or at www.stitcher.com/podcast/ben-...
Website: www.backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
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Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music by Niello (favorite things) and Hair Fairlight
#ThinkingBasketball

[@kronmeicrumbs]

Makes the game much more watchable to be honest when it's not just a parade of free throws. Plus, there's incentive to play D again.

[@rupertgordonii6623]

For sure, feels like real basketball again

[@eliaskouakou7051]

We will go back to the free throws. Don't worry.

[@dt-lg2oc]

@@eliaskouakou7051 I don't think so

[@goxaviergo11]

@@eliaskouakou7051 I know, Harden went 19/20 from the line the other day and Lillard went 14/14

[@Connor-wf2zn]

Much much more fun to watch for sure very physical fun game

[@colewrld901]

I love the new rules. Nice seeing defensive players actually have a fair shot again. Was so tired of offensive players having so many unfair advantages

[@JL-fh4qw]

Fair shot again? MJ was getting superstar calls from being lightly touched. Even adjusted for pace, the 90s had far more free throws and personal fouls than the late 2010s, let alone this season which is setting a new record in lowest fta. Players hand check every possession and screens introduce a bunch of contact as well. The only real difference as Ben points out is less initiation of contact on offense compared to 90s. In the 60s even a light bump in the post would be an offensive foul.

[@johnle1535]

Real basketball is being played. Warriors are being credited. Lebron also sucks

[@ca20mn]

@@JL-fh4qw you ok bro? None of what you commented was related to OP post. Take your meds

[@JL-fh4qw]

Defenses have more advantage than ever outside of the 60s. Not only are there pseudo zone defenses every possession but also hand checking. Even in the 80s hand checking was not allowed to impede the driver's path. The 2000s refs allowed offensive players to initiate contact to counter massive hand checking. Of course guys like Harden took it way too far with the leaning into or hooking arms of legitimate defenses. LeBron made a living off of elbow extension and shoulder dips. But now the defense has gained too much of an advantage, there is no clear boundary on what defenders can get away with. The 90s game was ironically on average less physical on both offense and defense with less initiation of contact and hand checking being very light in comparison (not to mention the violation being called more often). Illegal defense rules made it far easier to get to the basket if you could beat your own man and only guys like Hakeem could rotate in time to block your shot from behind. On the other hand 90s players did have more restricted dribbling rules+philosophy, whereas every player today has grown up watching AI or Kyrie bend the rules in dribbling. Magic Johnson grew up with the old rules so he could only dribble on top of the ball. There was also less offensive physicality in 90s in general, not a lot of hard initiation. There are strengthness and weaknesses to each era but it is certainly a myth that our generation of basketball is less physical than the 90s. This is abundantly clear when watching an average 90s game and not dirtiest clips of Laimbeer.

[@JL-fh4qw]

@@ca20mn My comment is completely relevant. He is implying the game is back to "old times" again (a fictional picture that never existed) and that offensive players had too many advantages. They don't. As Ben points out many of thse clips show legitimate fouls. His theory is refs don't call them because Harden looks like he is initiating but in many of them the defender commits the foul first. These should be differentiated.

[@davidk739]

Boggles my mind how some of these were considered fouls in the first place, such as the ridiculous shooter pump faking and jumping into the defender. Regardless, it is good to see the NBA changing to better balance the game.

[@kaibe5241]

It came about as the league attempted to remove subjectivity from foul calls. By making it any contact, they made it easily abused .

[@zip6404]

AMEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@armchaircoach]

Reggie Miller invented it

[@TLoumena]

@@armchaircoach Bill Murray invented it at the beginning of Stripes

[@jmcminn1076]

I never had as much issue with the “if you get the defender in the air” calls because at least on those, there was an answer to “what should the defender have done different?” question, which is, not bite on the fake. The arm hooks and jumping into stationary defenders, and the Chris Paul stopping short at the logo nonsense was ridiculous and I am glad to see it gone.

[@mahejo]

I like that Harden finally gets shown the door with all his foul seeking moves. I rather see a game of skill that tries to score by out dribble the opponent then playing for getting the fouls. It brings back the classy of the game.

[@Plague_Doc22]

Not to mention, nobody watches the NBA to sit through free throws. It's honestly the most common pause in action that nobody really cares for unless really late in to the game.

[@blinkmeever]

It’s funny because I remembered couple years a basketball critique talking about how not drawing enough fouls is making Kyrie Irving not being as efficient as Harden because he always tries to finish the basket instead of hunting for fouls. Lmao it’s hilarious how the table has turned

[@Burhanontheranch]

Harden deserves to be snubbed from the hall of fame for all his bullshit

[@David-iv6je]

Did the refs make Harden fat tho?

[@blinkmeever]

@Andy Vester lmao if it was targeted then CP3 how the hell was he barely affected by the rules change. Harden didn’t just get fat to have this drastic drop-off. He lives and does by the free throws. I shit you not if the changed had never happened, this fat Harden you were talking about could still put up 30 pts a night with 20fts easily even if he shot 5-20 from the floor.

[@Splackavellie85]

It's kind of poetic that, in a season where superstar shooters are struggling more than anyone, it's the greatest of those superstar shooters that's leading the MVP race.

[@Jesko_VRS]

Curry actually has skill, Harden for example was a decent 6th man on the Thunder, but never superstar material. He tricked People into thinking otherwise with his fraud non basketbal moves, now he's exposed as the mediocre ball hog he is, true ballers such as Curry on the other hand will always have there skillsets.

[@i-man872]

@@Jesko_VRS You’re a casual fan

[@Peanutdenver]

Curry is an anomaly and has a high basketball IQ which helps adjusting to the changes. Jokic is another player who is unaffected by these rule changes though he's a center. But the amount of ball handling, driving and shooting he does as a big man hybrid would surprise the casual fan. My point being they are two of the smartest players in the league who understand every facet of the game. They how to create space and take good shots instead of focusing solely on making contact.

[@chekurshi]

@@Peanutdenver imo Curry works for his looks, dude is ALWAYS running off the ball setting up shit. James Harden would rather hook and get FT's than move the ball. My perspective is that you're seeing some true skill ballers coming up right now that didnt get the sweetheart calls like other superstars, and you're seeing dudes that got real comfortable getting easy FT's for (fairly imo) baiting FT's in the confines of the rules i think that's why Curry is still fine, he was always a lethal finisher and shooter to begin with, and never had to rely on FTs as much as someone like james harden

[@soullessSiIence]

Curry is on like his third prime. It's amazing how he keeps coming back as one of the best players.

[@lukaslambs5780]

I’m not some old head, I’m 20. But I LOVE these changes. You actually have to be crafty and skilled rather than exploiting gimmicks that defenders have little to no counter play against.

[@SKTV1991]

Exploitation is a skill. They arent obligated to give the defense an edge or a way to defend them. Thats on the defense

[@jeffreycalabro3969]

@@SKTV1991 it’s not about giving the defense an edge, it’s about making sure the offense only 29 edges instead of 30.

[@SKTV1991]

@@jeffreycalabro3969 man what? This is why people who dont play basketball are extremely hilarious to me. Yall say shit that makes no sense all based on jealousy

[@SKTV1991]

@Apple the players dont care what you think is lame to watch.. And they shouldnt. They arent there looking to entertain you their looking to win a game, get their paycheck and go home. Yall really gotta stop tryna live through these dudes

[@samueltan3926]

@@SKTV1991 the players might not care but the league obviously cares to make the rules change. Imagine a global sport association that does not want to entertain.

[@stacymartin5993]

Love the changes. Rewarding good defense leads often leads to great offense going they other direction. Much better than bad offense leading to game stoppage on the charity stripe.

[@markdille1694]

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I think this video explains perfectly why "old school" basketball was so much better. . . or at least 1 of the reasons. I think the majority of NBA fans want to see "creative scoring", not a foul shooting contest. I agree that some calls are being missed, but the majority of the calls that are missed are due to unnatural offensive moves that are being forced in order to get to the line. Steph was a frequent offender, but he will adjust and he will still be a top scorer because he doesn't rely of contact to get his points! I am interested to see if Harden will be able to adjust, because he has spent so much time perfecting his false contact flailing and flopping. Thank you again for a PERFECT video explanation and skillful analysis.

[@zip6404]

WHAT ABOUT LABRON STEAM ROLLING PLAYERS AND GET FREE THROWS FOR THAT GARBAGE!!!!!!

[@alexnather7614]

@@zip6404 the difference was lebron was actually trying to score a bucket harden and others are ONLY looking for the foul flailing their arms and shit

[@mechanicalman1068]

The Lebron/Harden difference is true, but it’s a matter of degrees. Harden is the worst. Him and Chris Paul should not have been allowed on the same team. Unwatchable. As for Steph, that wasn’t always part of his game and it’s hardly the key to his game. He started doing that when he saw other guys getting to the line while he wasn’t. He’d be covered in scratches and bruises in a post game interview and hardly shot any free throws. Guys used to maul him, but Harden and Paul got to the line because they looked for it and they sold it. And for what it’s worth, I’m a Warriors fan and love Steph, but I don’t like when he does it either. He’s thankfully not getting the call as much as he used to. Just play the damn game. If that BS is part of the game, change the game. The thing that gets me too is that if you shoot better than 33% from three, that averages to better than one point per shot attempt. So even if you are shooting 92% at the line, which is .92 points per shot attempt, the three is still a better shot. He’s shooting .380 this year, so thats 114 per 100 shots s opposed to 92.3 for free throws. That’s almost 20% better. I’m clearly missing something because that seems pretty obvious and he still tries to draw fouls, so the pros must know something I don’t. Keeping defenders cautious and off him and in foul trouble?

[@LiterallyAaron]

@@mechanicalman1068 well its probably because he gets more than one free throw per trip to the line... so 92% is about 1.84 points for a 2 point foul, and a whopping 2.76 points per trip for a 3 point foul. Also gives him time to rest, lets the defence get set and allows for subs

[@ImBucketNekkid]

Steph couldn't buy a whistle even though he was getting bumped and falling on almost every play. LeBron and Harden were football charging dudes lol and Steph is never in the top 10 for FTAs

[@hmohngcheelee7549]

I like the new rule, it’s going to be interesting to see how the effect carries over to next season and onward, possibly seeing more closely contested games.

[@taylorgang221000]

it needs tweaking cause there are obvious fouls not being called.

[@Matzes]

I don't see how it affects how games will be more closely contested as these rules apply to everyone

[@mrbucky226]

@@taylorgang221000 I feel like it will just fix itself over the next year or two. Players are still adjusting to these no calls, so as they stop attempting these dumb foul baiting moves, the refs will start calling the real fouls more and things will swing back to equilibrium

[@Dreweybaby]

Yea now we might not see so many games being over 100 buckets 🙂

[@Thatboygtmike]

@@Matzes More teams can play higher level defenses even without defensive pieces due to the allowed contact that slows down offensive players.

[@openthemind1244]

Shows how Steph was always a fundamentals-based shooter, b/c he's doing just fine, but guys like Harden who just rely on magic tricks are HURTING this season. Love it.

[@Spiqaro]

Me too, Harden is a bitch boy.

[@TheDeven1000]

Harden is a such a fuckin cry baby about it too. It’s like bruh just play basketball and stop foul hunting. You’re still one of the best players in the league. If you’d just play ball instead of foul hunting even though you’ve been told it’s not gonna work, you’d be playing much better. He’s just gotten so accustomed to getting those cheap fouls.

[@richardzazanis4764]

@@TheDeven1000 Harden's lack of efficiency will be exposed without the officials cleaning up a significant amount of his missed shots.

[@magst734]

@@TheDeven1000 it’s annoying sometimes watching nets games. He looks for a foul rather than trying to put up a good shot and it results in a turnover I’ll say.

[@kylezill8881]

For some reason, Harden went to the line for FT from this comment.

[@paperchasentx4162]

I’ve been begging for these rule changes for at least 2-3 yrs I’m glad they’re finally applied... players were starting to look for calls & bail outs instead of earning their points & Ws. It was getting disgraceful

[@TheDarth24]

This decision from the NBA to do this was one of the best things to happen in a long time. Games are so much more enjoyable to watch rather then having a whistle blown every 5 secs

[@joshb.1118]

Love the new rules. Players who initiated contact to draw fouls also lost the advantage of a few inches (or feet) of additional space. Folks were so scared of a foul initiated by folks like Harden that they gave him more room to launch shots and resorted to placing their hands behind their back to highlight that he was the one initiating contact each time.

[@jakasmalakas]

Spot on, players even be looking at ref whilst guarding harden and others instead of the player

[@lebarbosa9778]

@BftBG777 agree 100%.

[@playstationnintendowin489]

Yeah I said Hardens numbers where greatly increased by the calls he gets not only because of the foul shots he would get but also because he was getting calls for years that for some reason no other player in the nba would get and has a result of the not only more foul shots but also you couldn't play aggressive defense vs him either and that also gave harden more of a advantage.

[@Skadongle]

@BftBG777 players fs have been getting much more in each others faces and talking shit to each other. I never thought about it but it actually might be because of this rule change.

[@kurosan0079]

@@Skadongle I notice technicals are being called much more frequently this season too (correct me if I'm wrong). Maybe it's the refs being softies as usual, or maybe it really is the increased level of competitiveness.

[@oishiich.4814]

Curry on the other hand, had only improved. He set out to prove that he's the upper class of NBA stars and he did it

[@trebronlibrando4384]

200% agree!!!

[@beto3707]

I'm not a big Curry fan, but repect him a lot. He is way more skilled based than these other jokers like Harden.

[@radixonix839]

Curry still has 0 finals mvp

[@kevint6565]

@@radixonix839 what does that matter? If finals MVP went to either team, LeBron would have 10 by now. Winning the finals is the most important thing, and he's done it multiple times

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

@@kevint6565 lebron would have 10? oh hell no

[@jasonmiller7800]

This was a problem in college hoops too. The person I remember doing this the most was Maryland's Melo Trimble. He would lower his shoulder, and whip his head back at the first sign of contact and it would always draw a foul. So many other players took it up too, but now they call that flopping.

[@jubei187]

It's amazing that a simple rule change has really shown who are truly the most skilled in the NBA.

[@MrClebophd]

Well, using poor rules efficiently is also a skill, just not the skills the audience want to see.

[@onlyfacts3178]

A MONTH LATER NBA realized their superstars werent scoring 20 POINTS and now they went back to FAKE CALLS. LAST 5 games TRAE YOUNG and J.HARDEN TRAE - 53 FT attempts. HARDEN - 63 FT attempts.

[@sgshumblecrumb6046]

I mean Lillard and Harden are definitely extremely skilled. They developed bad habits by taking advantage of the rules. They also might have declined due to age. Harden looks slow now, Lillard didn't finish the season....

[@gitamahur3504]

Something that I'd wanna point out that after the rule changes, some obvious fouls are also resulting in no-calls. But all in all I'm happy with the current state of the game

[@chrissontt1311]

That was happening regardless though.

[@anthonydunkley7844]

yeah that tends to happen when refs have to adjust to new rules, it should improve by next the year or two

[@twoohhunoh]

It's going to have to happen since the message is to stop these kinds of non basketball plays, so if initially in the play the player tries to initiate contact and the defender does happen to foul him but it's not called, that will be because of the refs trying to have players abandon this bad habit. But there are others like you say, like yesterday Zack Lavine was clearly fouled on his way to the hoop.

[@cheeto6057]

I would take a no call over a bs call any day

[@recommended1782]

ya i noticed that to some refs are giving it some are not and sometimes fouls like that will hurt or injure palyers because they will reach in while driving were someone might twist or blow something up that's why i am very worried about ja morant the guy landing reminds me a lot of those pg like d rose and many others who had there carrer sortned by bad landing i hope it doen't happen though

[@goodjohnhunting]

Absolutely amazing how skilled Harden is...and at the same time unwatchable with his tricks. These changes were WAY PAST due. Great video as always, Ben!

[@Harrymcnani]

The man still found a loop hole as he got 20 ft recent 🤦‍♂️

[@jsnell126]

I love it. Watching a close game in 4th quarter where each team has under 100 pts makes each possession REALLY count!! The drama increases. The bar is higher in terms of how much skill it takes to score.

[@danielallyway]

Good. They are using FIBA rules, which makes them better ball players.

[@kennypowerz1267]

It's no longer NBA basketball....now it's just some sorry FIBA players in the NBA....Not impressed with the long ball...Europe doesn't have any rim rockers

[@mountaingoat595]

@@kennypowerz1267 I agree with you Kenny; however, what's disappointing to me is European players have good fundamentals, not many young NBA guys have great fundamentals due to their freak athleticism being valued more. I think there's middle ground to be found, 18-25 years ago the balance of fundamentals with athleticism was a good mix. Players like KD, Harden, Kevin Love, Gordon Hayward, DeMarcus Cousins, Brook Lopez, and so on were combining the 2. Notice how the guys from past drafts who are a mix between solid fundamentals and understanding along with above average athleticism are the most valuable guys right now. Coaching in the U.S. should focus more on fundamentals, even at a high school level.

[@kennypowerz1267]

@@mountaingoat595 those players you speak of are from America. Funny how you can make it even when people say you can't without knowing fundamentals. That's the American way to do things when people say you can't. Made it to the best league in the world with out fundamentals....how bout that👍👍

[@cheekybugger0120]

@@kennypowerz1267 yea, and he's saying these players have great fundamental skills, rather than just pure athletic prowess

[@mountaingoat595]

@@kennypowerz1267 I'm saying those players are unstoppable because fundamentals with athleticism is unstoppable.

[@visno]

i’ve been saying it for years; if the ball handler initiates contact with the defender, it should be a no-call. i for one love the new changes.

[@F00LSG0LD215]

Do you agree that a pump fake into a shot and the defender flies into the pump fake shooter the foul should be on the him or the defender for flying into him?? And not leaning into the shot just a pump fake and quick shot up....?

[@visno]

@@F00LSG0LD215 jumping into a defender that bit on a pump fake should be a no-call because the shooter willingly made the shot more difficult for themselves by jumping into the defender.

[@fungus_am0nguz644]

@@F00LSG0LD215 I agree that if you pump fake and the defender lands of top of the shooter it should be a foul call, it looks natural. However if the pump fake is done and the defender swings by the shooter and the shooter puts out an arm or a leg or body it shouldn't, they shit doesn't even look natural.

[@kurosan0079]

@@F00LSG0LD215 The shooter should still go straight up.

[@steph899]

1:28-1:34 is downright hilarious

[@thunderb00m]

Lol, jayz slowly losing respect for KD

[@legacy13iv14]

That zoom in 🤣🤣🤣

[@skorpyo45]

Love the new guidelines! I've been frustrated by the foul hunting tactics for a long time now especially leaning in to initiate contact after the defender is in the air and also hooking. James Harden was the worst of the lot and it seems like his production is way off. Now if we can get that, 3 step step back nonsense called travelling then the reset would be complete. Meanwhile Steph is shooting it like he always has, shot hunting not foul hunting! Great move NBA, great move!

[@richweiss7192]

So glad to see the rule change" I quit watching games with James Harden et al last season because of the travesty, the skill was initiating contact rather than getting to the hoop...or at least getting to the hoop became a 2 step process resulting in foul shots. The rule change allows much better flow to NBA games now.

[@MJ-zl9ud]

Right on point regarding the skill of initiating contact ghan getting to ghe hoop. I stopped watxhing the game last year too except when the playoffs came.

[@logicaldude3611]

James Harden has always the commissioner of that bushleague style of play. So glad the league finally changed it back to real basketball. They still have work to do but it's a start.

[@Oscar_Robertson]

This forces NBA players to show their skills the show if they're good or not

[@dimitrioscacomanolis9897]

Yes, James Harden is a wart of the face of professional basketball. I am enjoying watching his exploiting style get expunged from the game.

[@Oscar_Robertson]

The next thing the league need to do is separate the last eight or seven All-Star games from the real All-Star games because there was no defense whatsoever

[@desean3402]

I love the new rules. Period. A lot of these dudes that we were touting as all time greats are having to actually hoop and that’s good for the game at all levels

[@ASMRblack]

This rule really was a good thing for players like Giannis, cause now there is a clear discrepancy between how many ft’s, players get

[@Richbeans115]

Jimmy Butler was first to mind. Shooting MORE Fts

[@Emmanny]

@@Richbeans115 hes physically stronger than guys so fouls on him are more apparent. Guys try to overcompensate for the strength difference and hes getting those calls.

[@Reeferal]

Steph too the rules show the difference between him and all the other guards

[@paquinraino8180]

The late 2010 ( from 2016 to now in the 2020's) is the LOWEST period in terms of Free Throws per games in NBA history even in the 90's, 80's or 00's you had more FT per games and adjusted to the pace the league is an even lower tier than EVER. The problem is not not fouls but the Foul baiting, but now that the foul baiting will not be reward, the league is leading in the 2020's to the more complete level of basketball the league has ever saw. There was NEVER that much pace with so little of FTs in the game ever. Check the stats on basketball reference you'll see by yourself, even with the foul baiting they were less fouls attempts than in the 90's or 00's and even less when adjusted to the pace

[@battousaix4263]

@@Emmanny That's what you get when you take that big face coffee everyday fr 😤

[@robc5051]

I feel like Devin Booker has adjusted quite well. He had early struggles but his 3 point shot has improved significantly. Him and Chris Paul are both abusing big men off switches and the occasional iso situation. Also CP3 will always find a way to "abuse" rule technicalities

[@nicford1486]

Love the new rules. I've always been a defensive guy though so I'm a bit bias. But more physical play really separates the cream of the crop when it comes to offensive players. The Real superstars shine more when you allow a moderate amount of physical play.

[@arvindhmani06]

The move towards more lenient officiating parallels the changes in soccer refereeing that started with the Euros this year. The refereeing in that tournament was widely praised for being more in favor of physical contact, which meant that players who would go down from minimal contact (that they would sometimes initiate themselves) were not getting the calls. The end result was possibly one of the most entertaining international tournaments in recent memory. Following that, the Premier League made a similar move favoring physicality and strength, and it has led to a sport that is a hundred times more watchable. Thank you for this analysis! I just might go back to watching end enjoying basketball again 😁

[@amjan]

Soccer is totally different and it didn't really have a big problem with fouls as such, and they are not bit part of the game in the first place. Unlike basketball. Also, the officiating in NBA didn't bevome "more lenient", it became "less retarded".

[@zerocal76]

I dtopped watching the NBA 2 yrs ago but sweet jesus tiff could bring me back!

[@paquinraino8180]

The late 2010 ( from 2016 to now in the 2020's) is the LOWEST period in terms of Free Throws per games in NBA history even in the 90's, 80's or 00's you had more FT per games and adjusted to the pace the league is an even lower tier than EVER. The problem is not not fouls but the Foul baiting, but now that the foul baiting will not be reward, the league is leading in the 2020's to the more complete level of basketball the league has ever saw. There was NEVER that much pace with so little of FTs in the game ever. Check the stats on basketball reference you'll see by yourself, even with the foul baiting they were less fouls attempts than in the 90's or 00's and even less when adjusted to the pace

[@davidjr4903]

And yet England got to the final because of a dive that gave them a penalty they should never have gotten

[@arvindhmani06]

@@amjan I never said soccer is like basketball. The situation with fouls is what I'm talking about. If you think there was no problem with fouls in the past, you're sorely mistaken. Referees this season are told to let play continue when players go down unnaturally from contact, the sort of play that was being called a foul. Players like Sterling would just drop down as if they were shot. None of that nonsense. And actually teams like Man City do rely on a) earning fouls to keep possession of the ball, and b) committing fouls to prevent counter-attacks. Constant stoppages was not only becoming a problem, it was even making teams rethink the fundamentals.

[@ssj-shadow1184]

You've uploaded 4 videos in 2 weeks. That upload rate is insane, and so much quality. Please, keep it up! Love the new rule changes, great for the game.

[@chrissullivan6572]

Ben must not be sleeping because even the shorter videos a detailed so 2 a week must be taxing.

[@kiosunightstep6640]

Love these changes so much. Everyone does. NBA finally moved in the right direction.

[@PrinceJayReal]

Funny thing is how Trae Young is still just as good as he was last year, and with how he's playing right now maybe even better. Despite the loss in FTs, his scoring is up on identical efficiency and he's leading the Hawks to the league's 3rd best offense despite injury/recovery issues from other guys on the team. Despite being one of the principle offenders of foul baiting, the rule changes have helped him rise the ranks of NBA PGs

[@irishaarbear]

Trae actually adapted his game once he realized that wont work anymore, really impressive to see him be able to do that at such a young age.

[@fishbone3333]

Big difference with Trae is his 3 pt shooting this year is vastly improved.

[@pyrosdestiny]

I love the new rules. I was sick of that bs. We can finally see who the best guards truly are without all the dark arts.

[@kol8214]

Kd and steph are still cooking. Ja morant is also playing nice.

[@Tech-cy9yo]

James Harden is still getting his fouls calls just minus the flopping

[@davidjr4903]

@@kol8214 Jokić MVP

[@Aaronsolnelson]

I know refs aren't perfect, but I am so impressed with them. Recognizing these subtle differences in real time is amazing. It takes multiple replays and slow-mo for me to catch it.

[@penguinista]

Agreed! They are incredibly talented. It is amazing how many things they have to consider and weigh in an instant and then decide whether to blow the whistle.

[@arrellehnisrael8229]

Are your dads nba refs? Because refs miss the most easy to see violations in the nba... TRAVELING and FOULS. They rarely call 3 second violations and they pick on certain teams. They also coddle certain players. They also cheat for gambling purposes. They are sc um!

[@keithmoriyama5421]

@@penguinista In a fraction of a second!

[@jermontefenwick5775]

@@arrellehnisrael8229 don’t talk like that. You’ll get a tech

[@crietzsche]

@@arrellehnisrael8229 You clearly missed that time years ago when they clarified the gather step

[@KaiserVonWilhelm1]

Man, I don't watch basketball much. I stumbled on this video. Its so good i went to watch a few of your others. Your videos are insanely well done. Especially this breakdown of the new rules and how its impacting the game

[@chippandenga6722]

I love the changes. Very informative video for newbies to the game. Great stuff 👍🏽

[@johnnyfromtheblock7195]

Love how things are playing out this season (my fantasy team doesn't), feels like the ball I grew up playing, defence is actually allowed and offense is about trying to make the shot and if you get fouled you get fouled rather than trying to draw fouls.

[@ronald8664]

I remember how Curry was the first to get the call and the entire league went crazy on how he'd be nothing without free throws, when he never needed them in the first place lol

[@courtneyvaldez7903]

The narrative was always idiotic. Curry, with his career 4.2 FTA, was being compared to Harden ffs.

[@treesin2199]

Everyone has to play with Curry rules now and he's been used to no calls for years. Everyone else is at a disadvantage now.

[@Tech-cy9yo]

Same with James harden. Dude led the league in scoring with 0 free throws for 3 straight years

[@blue-phoenix115]

Great players like Curry, KD, Giannis not affected at all by this rule change.

[@Tech-cy9yo]

@@blue-phoenix115 Curry is not a great player. He dropped 12 points on terrible efficiency last night. Only Giannis and kd are unaffected

[@stephenbrown1136]

Great insight and analysis. Did not know this ‘ point of emphasis was in-play. Will add a layer to my watching the games. Thanks for making this

[@math001]

I don't really watch that much basketball outside of playoffs but this was such an amazing watch! Really got me hooked from the first few seconds

[@Adam-zy9fv]

From a 19 year old, these rule changes are great and i hope the game becomes more physical like it was in the past. Makes every game much more enjoyable to watch when you actually have to work to score, and its refreshing to see low scoring defensive battles too

[@paquinraino8180]

The late 2010 ( from 2016 to now in the 2020's) is the LOWEST period in terms of Free Throws per games in NBA history even in the 90's, 80's or 00's you had more FT per games and adjusted to the pace the league is an even lower tier than EVER. The problem is not not fouls but the Foul baiting, but now that the foul baiting will not be reward, the league is leading in the 2020's to the more complete level of basketball the league has ever saw. There was NEVER that much pace with so little of FTs in the game ever. Check the stats on basketball reference you'll see by yourself, even with the foul baiting they were less fouls attempts than in the 90's or 00's and even less when adjusted to the pace

[@JL-fh4qw]

@@paquinraino8180 People who think the 90s were as physical as this are blind and haven't really watched. It's just historical revisionism. Right now the NBA has the most difficult defenses despite player talent being at the top. The league had too many free throws in the 80s and 90s which fans complained about so they tried to find ways to reduce those attempts

[@dxtremecaliber]

@@JL-fh4qw still that is the physical era of basketball

[@WestbrickFansGotNoBrains]

@@mayaorozco6374 makes me wonder how did suns made the finals against mj with those defense... even rockete today played better defense...

[@tchalla7828]

Funny thing is those old enough to remember the Pistons v Spurs Finals in the mid 2000s that were nothing but defensive battles yet it was one of the least watched Finals in history. Fans claim the want more low scoring defensive battles yet will they continue to watch if there are more 90-88 games? I doubt it but time will tell

[@__j20]

I absolutely love the new rules. Those moves literally ruined the nba for me for 2-3 years, when it seemed like players were flopping or foul hunting more than they were actually looking to score. I can’t stand the softness of the league, as I grew up with the rules being that it is a contact sport and contact is allowed, just as long as it’s not excessive, or impacting the movement of the offensive player. This is the most fun I’ve had watching the nba since like 16 or 17 because right around that time is when the ridiculous fouls started happening. Defense is finally back and I love watching great defense. The bulls and warriors have been so great to watch on that end this season. And I like that u called out lillard, booker, Tatum and more, as hardens struggles have let those guys struggles fly under the radar, and whenever I’ve seen lillard called out, his fans claim it’s because he’s injured or there’s a new ball rather than acknowledging he heavily depended on those bs calls. Also great to see harden be exposed as nothing more than a glorified stat padding foul merchant, as his fans are now celebrating when he scores above 25 points, even though he’s only been able to do so when he shoots over 10 free throws in a game.

[@dubbcee1000]

The fact that Lillard made the top 75 list over tony parker is disgusting to me

[@__j20]

@@dubbcee1000 Tony Parker shouldn’t have made the list either 😂

[@craigalden54]

Rusty, you create some excellent NBA content, brother. Straight foreword, well researched & informed, direct communication, without all the hype, macho male ego bluster, & all the other extranious baloney so many KZbin channels seem to think is desirable to listen to, but in reality only gets in the way. If not making them totally unlistenable even when the subject is of interest. So you're a real breath of fresh air, thank you! (FYI, I just today found your pages & subscribed to both immediately.) Looking forward to your future videos & keep up the great work!

[@Bakerseed]

Kudos to the refs being able to see these kind of differences under pressure and in real-time. Takes balls to be this confident to follow through on these changes when some players haven't yet adjusted to them.

[@Dotsetc]

The new rules are great. We can finally now see how 'overrated' a lot players that we considered some of the greatest scorers ever, in reality are just really great scorers and how this era did cater to bailing out offensive players instead of earlier era's in which defence was actually bailed out more. With these new rules great defenders actually can show their defensive prowess again. It's not without reason that some of the best perimeter defenders like Green, Smart, George etc all complained how you can barely play any defence anymore. They were right and now the league adjusted to that, we're seeing the fruits of it and the impact that great defensive teams like the Warriors, Clippers or Jazz actually have on a game.

[@Soosss]

It was so frustrating seeing good defenders get fucked over when playing normal defence.. great change from the nba

[@Emmanny]

They saw how USA looked in the early stages in the olympic games with the fiba rules and all that flopping/foul baiting wasnt working

[@Tech-cy9yo]

James Harden would lead the league in scoring even if free throws never existed for 3 straight seasons.

[@jpizel1070]

@@Tech-cy9yo Have you been watching him this year?

[@johnmarkson1998]

@@jpizel1070 he has been great this year.

[@ThemCoolTurts911]

Basketball is so much better to watch now, and these insane stats aren't inflated like they have been the past couple of years

[@noobestofdamall]

The stats of Durant/Curry/Jokic/Giannis are virtually the same.

[@MuttonErase]

@@noobestofdamall same with Jimmy

[@meganth4560]

@@noobestofdamall those guys haven't used FTs as a crutch for scoring. Giannis has his freakish athleticism. KD and Steph are incredible pure shooters and Jokic is just too versatile.

[@paquinraino8180]

The late 2010 ( from 2016 to now in the 2020's) is the LOWEST period in terms of Free Throws per games in NBA history even in the 90's, 80's or 00's you had more FT per games and adjusted to the pace the league is an even lower tier than EVER. The problem is not not fouls but the Foul baiting, but now that the foul baiting will not be reward, the league is leading in the 2020's to the more complete level of basketball the league has ever saw. There was NEVER that much pace with so little of FTs in the game ever. Check the stats on basketball reference you'll see by yourself, even with the foul baiting they were less fouls attempts than in the 90's or 00's and even less when adjusted to the pace

[@dfallen4ngel]

@@meganth4560 jokic is beyond versatile Triple double is his middle name

[@jchrisharris]

I LOVE THIS!!! Thank you for pointing this out.

[@8040titan]

Amazing video, thank you for the explanation.

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

I'm happy about this change! Hopefully we see more of that gritty late 80s- early 2000s defense. Would be a big upgrade.

[@hex-2748]

This is why MJ is the goat. No BS just pure basketball physicality. Of course brawl should be prevented as they implement the "should be" rule of basketball.

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

@@hex-2748 I will admit that MJ was plagued by a bit of 'hero-baliness' but for the most part he is the GOAT relative to his time due to vertical, agility and power. Wonder who the next MJ will be in THIS era of the NBA... I can't wait to see a 3 pt shooting MJ!!!!

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

@Ulises Leon ...what?

[@injusticeanywherethreatens4810]

@Ulises Leon welp it looks like you're alone in your beliefs. have fun with that!

[@mrtspence]

Elated to see that you are posting more often. Awesome video as always. New points of emphasis are fantastic. All those guys who have been affected most will adjust and still be great scorers, it'll just be through some actual displays of basketball talent rather than foul baiting.

[@circomono]

i love this type of video analysis and also the new rules, you did a great job and a sub.

[@spacetradez9780]

props to the officials man that's gotta be a tough job.. its actually quite hard to tell whether the offensive player is initiating the contact in full speed a lot of the time.. also glad the NBA is cleaning this up bc it just wasn't fair ppl like dame and harden although I love harden could literally just get to the line whenever they wanted to

[@tahina2286]

Please, if you can find the time, make more videos like this, we love the big ones but your input on the game even on shorter formats is very interesting and always very-well explained !

[@nofuture_at_all]

I'm a Wizards fan and we face the Atlanta Hawks a lot of times in a year and I can say that Trae Young is the most irritating player to play against because of his foul baiting. He always had like 15+ free throws a game everytime he plays against us. Other than that, I like his game especially in the pick and roll.

[@nicbell8090]

As a hawks fan, it felt a little cheap. He’s good enough that he doesn’t need to resort to it, he’s still effective with the rule changes. It’s not built into his game muscle memory like harden

[@lordpaulphilippfernandez9904]

@@nicbell8090 it's probably a good thing that this happens early in Young's career, since it gives him the opportunity to forget said habit and focus more on improving his skills. Harden on the other hand had thrived on foul-baiting for years, so it will take him some time to adjust (and there's a chance that he may not)

[@Gnofg]

@@nicbell8090 I always hated his foul baiting. Anyone who has ever played basketball knows that on a jump shot you jump vertically. If I was playing against Trey I would take a big guard and post him all the time. He has no chance in that position. He is too small. Sometimes you need to forget about the three pointer and beat up someone physically.

[@Joeycustoms11]

Imagine how knicks fans feel about him 💀😭

[@79treefrog]

NBA hasn’t been this fun to watch in years, I’m all for the changes.

[@robotclark]

Nice analysis. Well done.

[@Warhamsterxxx]

It would also be interesting to explore the history of how officiating got to where it was before the change. I think rough teams like Detroit in the late 80s, and the Knicks in the 90s had something to do with that. I like that we're moving back to the good old honest hard nosed physical plays of the past, but I also remember hating teams like Detroit who purposely put the hurt on offensive players.

[@Plague_Doc22]

They realized that that style of play lead to more injuries for star players who would get hit hard. Like you said, the pistons to MJ for example. It's not really a basketball play anymore if u just want to hurt a guy. And having their stars sit out = bad for business.

[@Warhamsterxxx]

@@Plague_Doc22 it's from one deep end to the other. Now the offensive player is initiating contact and making the non-basketball-related plays. Although there is the argument that freethrows and getting to the line is part of the game. But there has been some degree of abuse by players like Harden.

[@Plague_Doc22]

@@Warhamsterxxx They've changed that this season though.

[@edmondlau511]

The malice at the palace really changed things to be even physical than before. That left a huge black eye that damaged the leagues image. Rules changed gradually over the years. They took away hand checking around ‘94 and the leg kick rule has been around for a while. It used to be called the Reggie Miller rule. He was notorious for it. I don’t remember when they started calling more flagrants. A lot of flagrants today were just common fouls if they were even called at all in the 80s to mid-90s.

[@yungluluu]

you keep blessing us with these videos. i’m so thankful for you man keep it up 🙏🏾

[@bermuda3944]

Very awesome analysis of how the league has handled fouls of a strange nature. Keep up the good work.

[@j.m.demoor1156]

I love this!! My other complaint, old school as it is, is still: How is 10:00 not considered traveling? And he's certainly not the only guilty one.

[@DenOndeMister]

Love the changes. I might get more excited by a good scoring play than a good defensive one, but I also will find a game boring if players are allowed to score without any meaningful opposition.

[@ShaunTheNavigator]

I love it. Separates the true artists of the game from those who are merely manipulating the rules to their advantage. Yes, there's an artistry in that, too, but that also takes away from the integrity of the game. Glad the NBA is tightening up on some of this chicanery.

[@arrellehnisrael8229]

True artists? There is an increase in scuffles and the scoring has gone down. The league is deliberately officiating one way for certain teams and another way for other teams. Handchecking is allowed for some teams while others get a whistle. Its very political now.

[@kevint6565]

@@arrellehnisrael8229 nothing is political, watchability had dropped. They change rules,, and now it's an all time high. Don't like physicality? Watch baseball

[@arrellehnisrael8229]

@@kevint6565 there is a general rise in ALL sports viewership. Nothing to do with alleged rule changes. 🤣

[@ijustyap]

@@arrellehnisrael8229 they’ll be alright, the game has been incredibly fun to watch this season

[@mj3955]

@@arrellehnisrael8229 maybe you need to reach so we can teach with true artistry of ball handles true physical dominance, accuracy and ambition. How was Michael Jordan dominating in a very physical era. Iverson… Larry bird… doctor j… dude I’ve seen way more ball handling than these people who try so often to get a call

[@pauloh4571]

Great post. Thank you. I've lost interest in most professional sports but I found this interesting.

[@bobbosworld6795]

Great video!

[@tomfabri3671]

Great vid! I love the new rules, I'd be interested to know if they have any effect on the overall pace of the game

[@galaxyvita2045]

Damn it's so good to see you being back to from. Would love to see a video on how the mavs went from historic offence to a "bad" one.

[@Akaya7777]

A lot of it is because Luka isn’t getting the calls he’s used to, he plays the rules similarly to a lot of these guys. Luke can adjust though, he’s from Europe and the refs there have always called the game this way so he should actually be used to it.

[@mattbailie7324]

love the new points of emphasis, much more enjoyable to watch.

[@gulfside13]

Harden smoking that Thinking Basketbal pack 😂😂

[@wg5331]

Loved these changes so far. Maintains the integrity of the game.

[@sergiokieri3137]

I love the new rules and as a Curry fan it is nice to see more guards played like people can play curry.

[@arrellehnisrael8229]

There aren't any new rules. Just finally attempting to enforce current rules. Basically refs were being suckers for flopping.

[@davidvillela7476]

Great breakdown, its the return of real basketball drives, besides the players that were getting the fouls, i guess everybody is loving this, it also makes the game ends faster and more dinamics!

[@jamellee8890]

great content bro

[@savethetrees1214]

Bro it got to the point where I jumped because I saw a thinking basketball notification. His vids are the best basketball content in the world

[@greedyglo]

The handcheck should have been called 7:48 but *I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT* Attack with the intention of scoring and actually making the shot rather than flailing and flopping for free throws and leg kicking just play how you would at the park with no refs and let free throws be a byproduct

[@Howdidhenotseeme]

That’s not a foul

[@andgar923]

Young fans laugh at us 'old heads' when we state that hand checking and more physical contact slows players. They laughed when we stated Harden and other players won't be as good in the past. This is a very small glimpse of what would've happened. Is hand checking gonna stop a player 100% of the time? NO, but as we see, it's enough to slow a player down. What we're seeing is still weak compared to past eras, but it does give us a small glimpse.

[@greedyglo]

@@Howdidhenotseeme It’s not a foul it’s a *handcheck* either way if it was me I would play through it and I would have passed to Joe Harris while being mad that he’s letting me get doubled more than likely he wasn’t hooping that day to say the least if they’re leaving a known shooter WIDE OPEN when they already have someone 6’10 guarding him

[@greedyglo]

@@andgar923 There’s only a few more things the NBA needs to polish like flopping and bailing out the defense on weak charge calls, etc but I agree when Harden was compared to Mike and Kobe and somehow passed DWade I was mind blown the 2000’s was the perfect level of physicality except for the dirty refs

[@chadrienstra7]

May start watching basketball again if they are starting to call the game this way. Very good informative video

[@nicoloalexisduran3295]

Thank you thank you thank you whoever restored basketball to the time players worried more about playing the other player than playing the ref. Last time I watched nba was when Boston won the championship. This is great

[@Squibtorious]

They've done a great job with this. "Defense is back," as folks are saying. One thing I'd like to change, is technical fouls require two refs to approve. So if one ref calls a tech, upon review at least one more ref has to agree. Each tech costs $20,000 and it could swing a game if a star gets a BS 2nd tech called.

[@Warmaker01]

I remember when Harden was starting to make these cheap moves to draw fouls. It got him a lot of free throws and points. It could not be ignored and players around the league sought to do what Harden was doing. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so even I saw Curry adopting some of those tactics. Anything to get points on the board. It looked cheesey to me, I was thinking, "This doesn't look like basketball." I think the NBA went into the right direction with the changes. Let's see who the real skill ballers are when defenders get to play a bit more.

[@AlexK878]

The last few years have really been hampered by the soft refereeing, so it's nice to finally see some positive change in that regard. It's quite absurd that Harden et al. have gotten away for so long with the type of shenanigans shown in this video. Kudos to the NBA for taking charge of this.

[@DavidScurrah]

Thanks for this video

[@adamfranco5250]

Good work as always Ben. I remember getting into my rare "feelings" in the Michael Jordan vid which took me by surprise tbh. I'll always celebrate cold hard, objective logical analysis like this, with that touch nerdy humor. As previously stated, this channel and vid is as close as an art form as it can be in this setting and a great side to wage war against common and mainstream data that people defend like a religion. Salute.

[@hoodatheist5549]

turned them back to regular players.

[@TempMask]

Ik everyone loves the new rules (I do too), but isn’t Harden also coming off a hamstring injury? If so I feel like its a little unfair not to mention that

[@tiktokexposed898]

That was a while ago lol. Now he just can't foul bait

[@asdasd1111ish]

I love JH skill and still think he's generational talent. But this is more about initiate contact (like from 8:55 - where JH actively hooking/keeping the defender arm close to him, while the counter example is keeping the arm away to protect the ball and drive to the hoop). His injures is huge part of his currently underperforming but we just can not look away the fact hunting fouls is a huge major part of his game, he need to adjust or else, even the most casual fan do see and sick of those tatics.

[@amplitudehertz17]

and that's probably the reason why his efficiency isn't dropping at all if you look at the advanced metrics. He's shooting at 61% TS% (which is basically his career average and it is very high) on way fewer FTA

[@porkchop8920]

@@tiktokexposed898 And now he gets to the line at a higher rate than last year because he's adjusted to the rules

[@jonion7884]

I would say it's quite fair considering he's pointing out specific plays and moves rather than broadly asserting that Harden can only foul-bait or that he's not actually that good. He's not trying to offer an explanation for why Harden was underperforming, simply showing (with data) that less of his production is coming from free throws and showing examples of how

[@travisphilp8215]

You are so good at this

[@joshdavis73]

Incredible video brother

[@RecapRico]

Its funny this was dropped right after James Harden had 21 Free Throws in a game

[@wym348]

They caved in

[@Tmoney10434]

James Harden is averaging 21-9-8-1 on 61% TS. He has a higher rTS% and FTr than last season, while starting the season slow from him grade 2 hamstring

[@clay2k452]

Look at the season before last year. He averaged 34-8-6-1. His FTA went from 12 to 7 this season. He used to average in the 30s and now it's down in the low 20s.

[@TRXSTA38]

@@clay2k452 ... Two years ago? You mean when he was carrying the Rockets offence and not playing beside arguably the best scorer in the league?

[@dtktheone7171]

@@clay2k452 he was on the rockets when averaging 30

[@Shiv23]

its not just about stats if you watch the nets play harden is more passive and its clearly because of the injury and new officiating

[@LegendInThaMakin]

@Lucianodadon it’s not a reach, objectively speaking these new rules have affected hardens gameplay greatly. Every single person can see that and will tell you that. He’s struggling right now because he has to actually earn fouls and can’t just create them and now the defence can actually guard him without fear of fouling him by looking at him wrong. If he rises above this I guess he really is great, if not, we will see he was only nice because he abused freethrow rules.

[@markdignadice]

Seeing these great players struggle making baskets while initiating contact and not getting fouls makes me appreciate Michael Jordan even more. He was 10-time scoring champion facing this kind of defense if not tougher. GOAT.

[@wallieshere]

all he wanted to do was score

[@keddricklamont9763]

The leg kick at :50 is necessary for balance and momentum control. Either kick the leg to correct to the body movement or fall.

[@jaredaulick343]

New POEs are great. It makes the goal trying to score instead of trying to get fouled which is a lot closer to the spirit of the game that people actually like

[@dominiquejones3805]

Players weren't even trying 2 finish, they were looking 4 bail outs

[@coldmiso.5781]

As much as this was called the Trae Young rule, he was barely affected and his shooting splits actually have improved in some aspects

[@dbok]

I also like the rules protecting the offensive player’s landing space on shots

[@Peter-ud9bx]

Excellent! So interesting!

[@yubbityyubba7749]

He definitely starting making this video before Hardens 20 free throw game 😂 But in all seriousness the anti-flopping reffing is a breath of fresh air

[@amplitudehertz17]

there is no stopping of james harden - He just finds new ways of doing it when the old ones aren't working. I guess at least his 20 free throw games are now looking cleaner, with him mostly actly trying to finish naturally through contact

[@S2pidMedia]

@@amplitudehertz17 I think people forget that Harden is a really good basketball player. I used to hate his game, and I always considered him a playoff choker because his style of play didn't translate to playoff basketball. But now he's getting to the line in bunches again, and it's not from hunting cheap fouls, but because his offensive package will get him legit calls. He might even be better in the playoffs than in the past because he's not going to be conditioned to getting cheap calls all season long and then struggling when he doesn't get them. He also gets to play with KD, who is one of the few who was completely unaffected by the rules change. Time will tell

[@michaelknibbs]

Love the new rules. And I like your examples here. There were many players I had not noticed in these flagrant fishing/flopping/faking fouls. But most of all, I love that James Harden gets to compete on a level court. He, much more than anyone else highlighted here, spoiled many a game for me. Oh yeah - Stephan Curry won't be too bothered by these changes.

[@BMbucky1]

I'd love to see the stats and video at the end of the year. would be unreal to see the rates go up down from this point.

[@shawn409]

Best rule change since the introduction of the shot clock. Actually I have no idea what basketball look like before the shot clock was around. It may have been great, but my guess is is it was painful to watch.

[@abehawkey3402]

Revisiting this video 65 games into the season is fucking hilarious.

[@ShinyBlackRims]

Remember when many analysts and some fans were saying that Harden is the best scorer or offensive player of all time? I never believed it. He has been exposed as a fraud this year. He has never been a better scorer than KD, Curry, Kobe, Lebron, MJ, etc. I like how this video pointed out Lillard and Booker as well. Their freethrow attempts are down, and so are their field goal percentages. They are shooting worse from the field because defenders no longer have to be timid and afraid of being called for BS fouls. In turn, defenders are allowed to be......well.......... defenders.

[@hashusx]

well explained! 👏🏻

[@rubix187]

It’s great that the NBA is becoming more fun to watch and ramping up on the competition with these new changes.