Should the NBA Outlaw the Hack-a-Shaq Defense?

By Lee Andrew Henderson, published May 07, 2008
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The Phoenix Suns bandwagon is making excuses again. Last year they complained that the only reason the San Antonio Spurs beat the Phoenix Suns was because some of the Suns were wrongly suspended. And by "wrongly suspended" I mean they broke the rules and got the punishment that goes along with those rules. How that is "wrongly suspended" I'll never know. This year the Suns bandwagon is complaining about Hack-a-Shaq.

For those of you not familiar with Hack-a-Shaq, it's a strategy that some teams use. Opposing teams will purposely foul Shaquille O'Neal and put him on the free throw line because he couldn't make a free throw to save his life. Basically the hope is that Shaq misses both free throws, the opposing team gets the rebound and the Suns end up not scoring on that possession.

The Phoenix Suns bandwagon is complaining that this isn't fair and that nobody should be allowed to purposely foul somebody.

So let me get this right. Because Shaq stinks at free throws we should make a rule so that he can avoid having to shoot them?

Well heck, how about we let players with no ball handling skills carry the ball instead of dribbling the ball? How about we let teams that can't defend (like the Phoenix Suns for example) play with six players? Both of those ideas are just as ridiculous.

Making a rule based on the fact that Shaq sucks at free throws is the most absurd thing I've heard in a long time. I don't care if Hack-a-Shaq is "cheap". I don't care if Hack-a-Shaq slows down the game and is boring, it's good strategy to put somebody that sucks at free throws on the free throw line.

The Phoenix Suns have two choices. Leave Shaq in the game and live with the fact that the supposed most dominant player of all-time has a hole the size of Lake Michigan in his game. Or take Shaq out of the game.

 
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Showing Comments 1 - 9 of 9
 
 
YO! Lee, you lost all your credibility by stating that the NBA made a rule specifically for Shaq? When the rule was made specifically for Wilt Chamberlain, not Shaq. You have not excuse for not knowing this, when now a days you can google everything and find out the true about anything. Sorry but to make this type of mistake as a blogger is inexcusable. If you put your effort by speaking with the facts instead of putting your effort on your hate for the Suns, your credibility as a blogger will be alot better. Carlos

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Posted on 05/11/2008 at 6:05:14 PM

 
The last two minutes rule benefits Shaq, but it also benefits every poor FT shooter in the league. Just check out the shooting percentages of some of these guys - Dwight Howard and Tyson Chandler are both under 60 percent from the line. Those guys would be getting clobbered just as much as Shaq. I kind of think the Hack-a-Shaq is some sort of cosmic payback for all of the offensive fouls he committed in his prime - backing guys down and bowling them over - that were never called. And the problem with the Suns players who were disqualified last year was not enforcing the rules during the fight - it was allowing things to get completely out of hand by not calling obvious fouls so that a fight was inevitable. If they had a camera devoted to Bruce Bowen, you would see he had NUMEROUS hard fouls on Nash that were never called.

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 3:05:24 PM

 
Actually, Shaq should not try to be such a man, refusing to change his approach in the least bit. He could try underhand, keeping two hands on the ball, but he feels underhand would make him look like a pussy, even though Wilt had some limited success with it for a while. P.S.: Even Bill Russell wasn't much better than Wilt or Shaq. The problem with a lot of centers and power forwards is that their hands are too big. Here is an experiment: Shoot a few free throws with a softball or similar-size ball. I tried it and couldn't come close. And my record from the charity stripe with a real b-ball that properly fits my hands is 14 in a row, although in a driveway, not in a game. So it is tough for a lot of big guys, not just Shaq, and intentional fouls should be penalized by two fouls shots AND keeping the ball.

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 12:05:25 PM

 
Interesting read!

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 11:05:49 AM

 
Hmm, did not think about it that way mwt - interesting points as well. That just puts it into another perspective. Not calling intentional fouls is a problem, for sure.

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 11:05:25 AM

 
...... it is ridiculous in the final minute to allow a team to advance the ball beyond midcourt simply by calling time. This would be like giving a football team a 30-yard advance when it calls timeout.

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 11:05:56 AM

 
I see things differently than yourself and your two illustrious commentators to this point. Indeed, the rules should be followed: An intentional foul is two free throws PLUS you keep possession of the ball. The problem not just in the pros but in college is that refs do not call intentional fouls. Sometimes it is said that "intentional" is a matter of judgement and so the refs cannot call it. Please. All foul calls -- charge or block, over the back or clean rebound -- are matters of judgement. Intentional fouls should be called as such. This does not just involve Shaq. Teams trailing in the final minute will intentional foul ANYONE. This is wrong. If we remember that Hack-A-Shaq or Hack Anyone is two shots and the ball, all this will cease. Basketball is the most exciting sport of all, except is slows to a crawl in the final two minutes with these tactics. Not to digress, another good rule would limit coaches to 1 timeout in the final two minutes. Also, it is ridiculous to allow a team

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 11:05:46 AM

 
Although I am originally from Arizona, I agree with you and feel they should not make a rule just to appease Shaq and the rest of the team. I also agree that it is a "cheap" strategy to have, but no cheaper than other strategies in basketball and other sports to affect one of the best players and interfere with their game. That is part of what "strategy" means does it not? I am right on board with you Lee! Stay cool in the AC!

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 10:05:07 AM

 
I agree 100%. While it is a cheap trick to do this to Shaq, game rules are game rules. They shouldn't be changed to custom fit specific needs. If that were the case, where would the line be drawn, you know? Besides to change the rules in favor of someone seems like cheating to me. To create this rule could be insulting to Shaq in a way as well. It's like saying "You can't hold your own, so we're going to set it up easy for you". That isn't how sports should go. They should be based on natural talent and team effort.

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Posted on 05/07/2008 at 10:05:45 AM

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