Trying to draw fouls in the NBA is reckless and it needs to stop

Every night in the NBA, it is common to see players aiming to draw fouls. However, this tactic needs to stop because it’s reckless, and players are getting hurt.

Over the years, the NBA has drifted away from simply playing the game. Nearly every aspect of the game is carefully thought out and planned. In other words, tactics and strategies dominate the entire league.

The popular strategies in the NBA right now include, but are not limited to, hacking, deliberately fouling a poor free-throw shooter in an attempt to slow the opponent’s offense, although hacking has been dramatically reduced in recent seasons. Load management, this tactic needs no explanation.

Nearly eliminating the mid-rage shot, analytics say to go for paint 2-point shots or a 3-point shot. Hence, mid-range shots are becoming an endangered species, in terms of sports terminology.

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Lastly, we arrive at trying to draw fouls in order to earn a trip to the charity stripe. The art of drawing fouls is nothing new. With that said, it is becoming more common to see NBA players get injured when the action is being committed.

Let’s look at two examples:

Down goes Diallo

In a recent contest inside Chesapeake Energy Arena, the Oklahoma City Thunder were battling LeBron James and his Los Angeles Lakers. In the fourth quarter, LeBron had the ball, and he drove into the lane. Hamidou Diallo – OKC’s promising sophomore shooting guard and reigning Dunk Champion – was there to contest the King.

Upon meeting Diallo in the paint, LeBron appears to hook Diallo’s arm in an attempt to draw the foul.

LeBron did not deliberately try to injure Diallo, his injury occurred inadvertently as a result of the contact. However, the injury appeared to transpire because James was trying to draw a foul. Few fans will care that Diallo misses extended time, but what if a similar injury occurs with James Harden, Luka Doncic, or Trae Young because James or any other player is trying to draw a foul?

Can players injure themselves when trying to draw fouls?

The definitive answer is yes. Just ask Diallo’s current teammate Chris Paul. During the 2018 Western Conference Finals Paul injured his right hamstring, the injury ultimately held Paul out of the final two games of the series. The Rockets went on to lose in Game 7, to the eventual NBA champion Warriors.

What was lost within Paul’s obliterated hamstring, is he was trying to draw a foul on Quin Cook when the injury transpired. I shared my thoughts on the injury at the time, and I feel the same to this day. Could Paul have still gotten hurt without trying to draw a foul? Absolutely. However, just like Diallo, the injury occurred while a player was hunting for a foul.

Closing thoughts

Will NBA players ever stop foraging for calls in an attempt to gain a trip to the free-throw line? No, why should they? It’s not against the rules, and a lot of times (especially for superstars,) it puts the team in a better position to win.

Furthermore, it would be nearly impossible for the NBA to enforce rules regarding trying to draw fouls. See, for example, the way the league conducts anti-flopping rules and penalties. More times than not, both acts are too much of a judgment call to definitively say a player committed one or not.

Should the art of trying to draw a foul stop? Yes, it should. Will it stop though? No, it will not. When, not if, but when a player more prolific than Diallo gets hurt, from the action, perhaps this conversation will grow. Until then, each night, when players are scavenging for calls, the risk of unnecessary injuries will continue to exist.

From us to you, the entire team at Sir Charles In Charge wishes you and yours a safe and Happy Holiday weekend!