The last two minutes of the Spurs-Clippers contest featured a very familiar sight. San Antonio used the ol’ Hack-A-Jordan strategy, which they seemingly use during every close game against the Clips.
ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy, who has expressed his disgust with the league for not outlawing the strategy in the past, turned up the criticism a few extra notches while calling the game.
“I want Philadelphia, when they play them, to expose this farce of a rule to the extreme,” Van Gundy said. “I would foul [Jordan] every possession the whole game he’s in there. From the opening tip, I’d grab him, then when they’re taking it out, grab him before the ball is inbounds. That sends him to the free throw line. And then do it the entire game. Because we act like it is OK, this rule. This is a joke of a rule. In the last two minutes, you can’t do it, but the first 46 it’s OK? And people say, Well, we don’t want to reward a lack of skill to change the rule.’ How about this: What type of skill is fouling? And I hope that Doc Rivers and J.B. Bickerstaff on January 18 Hack-a-Jordan and then Hack-a-Howard the whole game on national TV. I hope it’s a 19-hour game that never ends because this is a joke of a rule. “
Van Gundy makes a good point here. While it’s embarrassing that NBA players like Jordan and Howard make less than half of their free throw attempts, Fouling is definitely not a skill, and the Hack-a (insert poor free throw shooter here) strategy has been an eyesore for years in the league. Most coaches in the league actually hate the strategy, but still use it to their advantage when they can solely because it’s still legal. The time has come for Silver to make a change.
