The NBA enacted slightly more punitive rules against teams that employ Hack-a-Shaq.
Surprise, surprise: Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the league office don’t see eye-to-eye.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN:
Mark Cuban told ESPN he voted against new deliberate foul rules. "Rewarding incompetence is never a good business strategy," he said.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) July 13, 2016
That’s one way to frame it.
Another: The NBA is no longer rewarding the incompetence of teams that defend so poorly, intentionally fouling is their optimal strategy.
Hacking is the only “skill” I can execute on an NBA level, which suggests it’s not much of a skill at all. I’d rather watch Andrew Bogut defend an Andre Drummond pick-and-roll rather than Bogut intentionally fouling Drummond. The ensuing free throws, admittedly, can be entertaining -- but not enough to outweigh the cost of a longer and choppier game.
And that’s what this is really about. Presenting consumers with a product they desire is always a good business strategy. If they draw more fans and keep existing fans more engaged, the new rules will pay off.
One more way to frame it: Maybe Cuban holds a grudge.
