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Leave it alone, noone changed the rules when Shaq was dominating down low, he should have learned to shoot a free throw by now, bad skills.

AllStarz | 04/30/08, 01:45 PM

Absolutely. There is nothing more maddening than having to sit through a game and watch this cowardly act despite it being somehwat strategic in nature. I can only imagine how irate fans must have been at the game.

The first offense should be treated as a general non-shooting foul unless the team is already in the penalty situation. The second offense should be a techincal free throw and the ball. The third and final offense should be two shots plus the ball. Subsequent acts should result in a team fine and the ejection of the coach.

Sure, O'Neal should be able to make his free throws and there's absolutely no excuse for him missing as many as he does. However, this "technique" has absolutely no place in the game and should be dealth with accordingly.

Skybill40 | 04/30/08, 02:44 PM

they'll get rid of it as soon as they re-fix the seeding layouts. come on...2 power house teams in rd 1?

erp2 | 04/30/08, 03:52 PM

I agree that it should not be allowed. I'm as big of a SPURS fan as they come (and I think coach Pop is the best) but I HATE watching this stupid strategy and I also HATE that my team is using it. There's no place for it. I'd rather win the right way and be the better team for it. I was at the game last night and I can tell you NO SPURS fans were happy with our team doing this.

Problem: It is a legitimate tactic to foul in order to save clock - especially down the stretch in tight games - so if you make a rule how do you decifer from typical "hack-a-shaq" from your normal intentional foul - which really should be allowed.

SPURSFAN 101 | 04/30/08, 03:57 PM

Also, I REALLY think the league needs to address what these refs are doing - or NOT doing. I've seen so many bad calls, no calls that should've been, and blatant favoritism that is absurd! I know throughout most NBA games there are bad calls both ways, etc. but some of them are flat out inexcusable. Last night's foul on Shaq - wasn't close to Duncan on the play - not a foul. Nash and Amare foul people all over the place and rarely get called, and the other night... Ginobili gets pushed to the ground from behind, by Nash, TWICE, before the ball is put into play RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE REF and doesn't get called for a foul, yet that same night, same situation in Orlando the refs get the call right. How about some consistency here!

SPURSFAN 101 | 04/30/08, 04:09 PM

The Hack-A-Shaq is a sissy way to play. But it is still a great strategy. The coaches don't care if they look like sissies, they are paid to win.

KGFAN2105 | 04/30/08, 04:17 PM

I do think that the current rules already have enough penalty for teams who try this tactic. You are risking being in foul violation, you are giving 2 free throws, etc. The reason this is not more widely used is simple, few players are as bad as Shaq in the FT line. I mean, a man his size being called 3 times in 5 minutes for line invasion during FTs? Had he scored 60-80% of first few Hack-a-Shaq rounds, they would have had to stop and the Magic would have won.

Spoke | 04/30/08, 04:46 PM

For 20 Million a year you would think he would practice. I bet if they fined him $50,000 for every miss we would never here the phrase Hack A Shaq again.

The Choo | 04/30/08, 04:48 PM

I think everyone of of you crying (sniveling, actually) about intentional fouling should take it up with the league offices or go kick your dog. It isn't about Shaq or any other playing missing free-throws, regrdless of how much each is paid.

It's a high-stakes chess-match and all the world's a stage. Salute to Greg Popovich. Discipline, guile and talent. America loves a winner.

Al Davis would love Coach Pop. "Just win, Baby!"

dymonhed | 04/30/08, 05:18 PM

I think everyone ofne of you crying (sniveling, actually) about intentional fouling should take it up with the league offices or go kick your dog. It isn't about Shaq or any other playing missing free-throws, regrdless of how much each is paid.

It's a high-stakes chess-match and all the world's a stage. Salute to Greg Popovich. Discipline, guile and talent. America loves a winner.

Al Davis would love Coach Pop. "Just win, Baby!"

dymonhed | 04/30/08, 05:20 PM

OMG what a b*tch a** way to win a game!! But that's just like the Spurs, b*tch a**! I've never seen a team collectively whine on every foul like the spurs! Duncan, parker, bowen, etc! Also they've GOT to have the biggest collection of FLOPPERS in the league too! From Kurt "Denzel" thomas to manu "I'll flop like i just got shot" ginobli, the spurs take b*tch a** to a new level!!

ThisISbasketball?? | 04/30/08, 05:30 PM

I wouldn't want my team to win like that! I'd want my team to win (or lose) like MEN! How disgusting! And despite all that they'd still be playing if Tim "I look like a deer in the headlights" Duncan wouldn't have made that miracle 3 in game 1.

But that's ok, none of that crap will work against the Hornets & parker can forget about "blowing by" CP3! The hornets had the 4th best D in the League this year. He'll have to play defense against someone who can take him to the rack and break those ankles.

ThisISbasketball?? | 04/30/08, 05:37 PM

Call it what you want. The series is over.

Just win, Baby!

dymonhed | 04/30/08, 05:39 PM

Pathetic! Just like the spurs!! Don't you have any PRIDE or dignity?? How you win is as important as winning isn't it?? Oooh, I guess you're like G.W. Bush huh? A win is a win right?

ThisISbasketball?? | 04/30/08, 05:44 PM

Leave it as it is. May be it will teach young kids to learn fundamentals of the game.
As for looking like sissies - who cares if you win. Toronto should have used same thing on Howard and it might help them. They didn't. So Spurs move on and Toronto is watching from sidelines.

strvt | 04/30/08, 06:15 PM

Exactly how are they going to change the rules? The only possible solution would be to give Referees the discretion to decide when this is happening and that will cause more problems than it solves. If a team is so lame that they cannot hit free throws, tough! As it is the referees are scared to call flagrant fouls unless a guy is bleeding. Does this mean the Detroit Pistons will have to give up their Thug defense? To the Suns and their fans -quit whining, you suck.

mishagothe | 04/30/08, 08:13 PM

I've been a long-time Suns fan (yeah, I know ...) but the rules allowed Popovich to do what he did and after this long in the league it's pretty pathetic that somebody making $20 million per year can't learn to put some arc on his shot. I think the rules need to change, though, simply because the NBA is first and foremost entertainment, and off-the-ball intentional fouling is a really, really, really annoying disruption of the rhythm of the game. In my opinion, the best way to stop it is to make it a one shot penalty with possession remaining with the team that was fouled.

azdave | 04/30/08, 09:35 PM

I've been a long-time Suns fan (yeah, I know ...) but the rules allowed Popovich to do what he did and after this long in the league it's pretty pathetic that somebody making $20 million per year can't learn to put some arc on his shot. I think the rules need to change, though, simply because the NBA is first and foremost entertainment, and off-the-ball intentional fouling is a really, really, really annoying disruption of the rhythm of the game. In my opinion, the best way to stop it is to make it a one shot penalty with possession remaining with the team that was fouled.

azdave | 04/30/08, 09:35 PM

I'm agreed that it would be nearly impossible to fairly decide who is fouling "on purpose" and who is not. Teams would resort to the same thing, but simply disguise it better. Banning Hack-a-Shaq is a stupid as banning "zone" defense (thank god, that useless rule was thrown out). Besides, I'm opposed to making a rule change all because one measly player can't make his foul shots. It's irrelevant for 98% of the rest of the league's players who shoot a decent percentage from the foul line.

rhawaiiana | 04/30/08, 09:38 PM

yup

magic-kobe | 04/30/08, 11:47 PM