Comments on: Stern says he would like to eliminate “hack-a-Howard” (or anyone)

By: bluesdogg

bluesdogg — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 13:20:05 +0000

This should not be an issue for Stern, this is a team issue.
If the Lakers don’t want this strategy used against them then fix it! Its just like in baseball, it your pitching staff cant compete with a hitter and you keep walking him, you dont change the strike zone because your pitcher cant beat him.

By: rushbacker

rushbacker — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 09:10:04 +0000

Dude. The “enter” key is on the right-hand side of your keyboard. Use it.

By: galacticdomin8r

galacticdomin8r — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 22:40:16 +0000

Cheating? How could it possibility be thought of as cheating? Do they start the vibrating rim machine when Howard gets to the line? Does he have to shoot 20 ft FT and everyone else gets 10 ft FT’s? Are you drunk?

By: brewdogg

brewdogg — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:50:30 +0000

I think the point that is trying to be made here is that, when writing something as long as you did, if you truly want people to understand your viewpoint, you should try to make it easy to read. By the time I got halfway through that post, I was more focused on trying to piece it together and less on what you were actually writing.

Basically…..if someone is talking to you and they sound like an idiot, you will assume that they are an idiot. If they sound articulate and knowledgeable, you will be more inclined to listen and believe what they are telling you. The same goes for printed word. If you write in a fashion that would indicate that you weren’t able to pass sixth grade English classes, we will be less inclined to take your point of view seriously.

By: coachdp3

coachdp3 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 18:27:08 +0000

This is crap….where was Sterns concern for hack a Howard when he was in Orlando. SHAQ in Orlando? You cant say its because of tv revenue as back in the days of Howard and Shaq in Orlando, Orlando was one of the top teams on TV…playing on Christmas…etc. this is why Stern is better off retired. He only cares when itsa big market team affected…NBA Cares…right…lol.

By: wsuperman4445

wsuperman4445 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:09:46 +0000

to Manchestermiracle, is that the best you can do? lets focus on the article make your point on that no need to insult or.. try to get a laugh at my expense, do you have any meaningful thoughts on the article? or do you want to just play english teacher? if so have at it.. its amazing the balls people have when sitting in their underpants in front of a key board insulting people and not having nothing meaning full to say. if it would make your day I am sorry that I missed some Grammer and spelling issues in making my point about the article.. happy now? now you can K.M.A !

By: wsuperman4445

wsuperman4445 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 14:56:55 +0000

having Stern eliminate the “Hack a Howard or Shaq or who ever.. is unfair. if that is a players weakness then that is that players weakness, that player needs to adjust or the team needs to work out some way to over come that weakness. So my question is this Should then Stern Lower the Basketball Goals because Jamieer Nelson of the Magic (who is one of the shorter Guards in the league) so he could Dunk the ball like the taller basketball players? no Jamieer had to adapt his game to compinsate for being a short Point Guard in the NBA or.. the team had choices to not resign him and get someone taller but his value to the team with standing his height compinsated for his inablitly to dunk ( and yes he can Dunk) but my point withstanding he/and the Magic has a probem when he is teamed up with taller basket ball players to guard or to Dunk on them. my point is Dwight needs to deal with the fact he is a poor free throw shooter Stern should not ” fix it” for him if so.. then Lower the basket ball Post so Jamieer can dunk like the big Guys on a regular basis. in other words Dwight and others that are poor free throw shooters.. Man up and deal with it, at least you can improve your shooting Percentage with hard work people who are in the NBA and are short like Point Guard Jamieer Nelson and others cannot improve their height but they adapt and find ways to deal with it So can you Dwight!

By: BigBeachBall

BigBeachBall — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 10:38:55 +0000

Before Stern retires, he’s going to do away with backboards because they give shooters an unfair advantage.

By: kanemoney

kanemoney — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 07:13:36 +0000

Then hit the free throws. It’s that simple.

And for the record, Hack-a-Shaq almost never worked. He did hit a high percentage down the stretch (most notably the NBA finals with the Pacers).

By: magicbucs

magicbucs — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 05:22:23 +0000

This is so lame. A rule change for one player that can’t make his FTs. Why don’t we just change all the rules to help the lakers or big markets win. They have been doing hack a Dwight for years but now that D12 is with the lakers it becomes a rule change issue?!?!
How come bin laden couldn’t of crashed a plane on sterns house with his a$$ in it??

By: manchestermiracle

manchestermiracle — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 04:30:38 +0000

Please, please learn what a paragraph is and use them.

By: xerocc

xerocc — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:55:41 +0000

hard to disagree with him. it’s a cheap strategy used solely to overcompensate for a lack of coaching ability. get rid of it.

By: savvybynature

savvybynature — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:52:49 +0000

Another rule to aid superstars?!!? I’m shocked I tell you, shocked!

Here’s an idea: Stop changing the game to what you think makes for good TV. Also, stop being condescending to “purists,” also known as the people that, you know, enjoy the game of basketball.

Stern is obsessed with chasing the Jersey Shore crowd and in the meantime is alienating fans of basketball in the process. What happens when the what’s-trendy-lately crowd moves on to something else?

By: scrock25

scrock25 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 02:25:54 +0000

nice……………….

By: bjerkrulez

bjerkrulez — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:48:51 +0000

Here he goes again…the dictator at his best…

Just what was posted on the article, when a guy misses free throws, it’s his team that goes down- simple logic!

Even if you’re a pro mr. commissioner, there is NO perfect player unless you will have robots playing in the NBA instead of humans…sheesh!

Why not fine the team $250k for each foul since you’re at it again…lmao

By: ljl2

ljl2 — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 00:02:19 +0000

What if it’s your team that is using it as a way of getting back into a game? I’d rather see the game slow down and my team win. I am able to pay attention.

By: lemfaxx

lemfaxx — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:52:17 +0000

Hey smart people. If that is the only way to win for those weakest team y ur going to stop them. They are all prof player, so if they dont want to loss dont put poor shooter in the court. If u really concern of the league pls limit the other team for getting too much supperstar. The other teams are boring coz they dont have big names in the court. Be fair men!

By: wsuperman4445

wsuperman4445 — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:39:38 +0000

I think its unfair that David Stern gets to make rules based on his personal preference. the game developed into the game as it is because players found ways to beat other teams using unconventional ways to beat teams. and that is fun to watch. its bad enough that the market is skewered to big markets like LA its not fair that these players like Dwight go to teams like the Lakers and leave the smaller markets even though it was the Magic that made Dwight into the Defensive Presence that he is now he does have the right to leave but to torch the team the way he did was wrong so if the Magic against all odds found a weakness in Dwight’s game and used it great the Magic, Dwight used a weakness in the Free market and used it to his advantage. . at the end of the day its not all about points as Stern is implying its about the Drama on and off the court the will to win and what teams and plays do to win, its not all about running the ball back and forth and keeping things moving as he ( stern puts it) its about strategy and finding withing the rules ways to win. It was thrilling that the game was not what the “experts” predicted head lines the next day.. ” Magic plays Lakers in LA with a Player that totally trashed the Magic on his way out… but the Underdogs figured out a way to even the score by exploiting the weakness that Howard has in his free throws by hack a Howard” To me that is brilliant basketball, figuring a way to win within the rules.. so what does Stern do? when big market team starts to lose or be embarrassed by Small market, he again looks for ways that the big market teams don’t have to ” waste their time playing teams like the Magic, by again changing the rules to suit his personal needs, this commission has been interfering with the game too much, this is wrong and Stern knows it. why does he not just let the Teams figure it out by them selves on how to solve the Hack a Howard situation either by Howard manning up and practicing his free throws in the summer instead of jet setting all over the world or some other TEAM originated solution?. all this does if Stern does this is say to people like Howard ” hey I don’t have to work harder on my Free throws because David Stern has taken care of it for me not only has he (Stern made it easy for me to get here he’s got my back when it comes to my lack of free throw skills” not a great message to put out there for others.. David, Leave the game alone let Howard and other with his free throw percentage work work this one out on his own .. if Miami or Boston or the Knicks did the Hack a Howard because both teams are big market teams Stern would not even mention this at all.. David what is your Beef again small market teams trying to even things up? wsuperman4445 a Magic fan

By: edwardsro

edwardsro — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:39:12 +0000

This rule change will happen soon

By: indyspeedo

indyspeedo — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:30:37 +0000

I refuse to even say this guys name with all the crap he caused in Orlando! The player who formerly played for the Magic should have stopped trying to run the coaching staff out of town and practiced shooting free throws. What a total waste. Who cares if they hack him! He’s supposed to be a professional work on your free throws and quit trying to keep yourself in the news

By: fanofevilempire

fanofevilempire — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:11:00 +0000

nice……………..

By: fanofevilempire

fanofevilempire — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:10:34 +0000

nice…………………………..

By: galacticdomin8r

galacticdomin8r — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 22:29:22 +0000

I find the expression on the faces of Dwight Howard’s fans, coaches, teammates, and front office to be great entertainment during the FT trips.

Leave to Stern to come up with another poorly thought out rule. The NBA’s problem isn’t a lack of rules, it is the excess of them. So what do they do? Add more.

By: e39er

e39er — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 22:20:58 +0000

Stern hurry up and retire please, stop changing the game for your own good, let Dwight or anybody learn how to shoot his damn free throws

By: ajpnsf

ajpnsf — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:54:53 +0000

I like Abbot’s suggestion too.

Some guys can’t shoot free throws. So what. It seems cheap to me to have to win like that. Almost like cheating.

By: jimmerg31385

jimmerg31385 — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:49:45 +0000

So if you were to eliminate the hack-a-(player name) strategy in the interest of making the game more entertaining, wouldn’t you also have to eliminate the foul when a team is up 3 late in the game situation? It would be more entertaining to see a team shoot a last second 3 for the tie rather than a parade of free throws until there’s 1.5 seconds left. Then take it a step further, what if anytime a team was fouled they could choose between free throws and ball out of bounds. For better or worse free throws are part of the game and player’s inability to make them will continue to lead to this strategy. Also, don’t think that the fact this is happening to a marquee franchise doesn’t play any part in Stern’s opinion.

By: kindasporty

kindasporty — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:38:23 +0000

You know what would also make it a more interesting game? Trap doors in the floor that open at random. That would be awesome.

By: miamatt

miamatt — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:33:39 +0000

Funny, I’d like to see professional basketball players who can barely hit 50% of their free thorws eliminated. Abbot’s suggestion isn’t bad, but simply passable free throw shooting eliminates this altogether.

Any given player’s weakness is there to be exploited; improve, or continue to hurt your own team.

By: jedifriedchicken

jedifriedchicken — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:26:48 +0000

I can’t stand David Stern, but I’m in agreement with him here. I hate the whole hack-a-Shaq bit, along with flopping, and strong-arm bit of the 80′s. I appreciate a game of skill and fundamentals, not rule exploitations, intimidation, and thuggery.

I do like the idea Abbot suggested though.

By: HitsDingers

HitsDingers — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:24:33 +0000

Stern’s point isn’t about whether it’s a good strategy for winning games; his point is that it makes for a boring game to watch.