The Golden State Warriors opened their preseason on the road against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. During play, viewers caught a glimpse of how the new rules will affect NBA gameplay. In the following clip, Warriors star Stephen Curry attempts to draw a foul by tricking a defender into an attempted block.
His efforts went unrewarded despite getting his defender to bite on the fake as the officials on the floor didn’t call a foul on the play. This development with Curry reflects the new NBA rules that disallow shooters from leaning into defenders to draw cheap fouls. Abnormal leg kicks while shooting to draw contact also won’t draw any calls. In more enforced “non-basketball” attempts, referees will call an offensive foul.
These new rules should aid defenses across the league and allow games to go without multiple stoppages for foul calls. Most people agree that this was a much-needed step for the NBA and hope that gameplay will improve accordingly.
What made the NBA change its rules?
During the Summer Olympics, the United States basketball team got off to a rocky start. A team full of NBA players struggled on the international stage. The moves they would use during the NBA season to draw fouls wouldn’t do so on this front. The results showed as teams had leeway to play a more physical game on both ends without causing constant stops. Fans and players noted this and echoed a desire to see the NBA adopt new rules to improve the game.
Judging from what the league has done since then and what viewers saw in the Preseason game on Monday night, It seems that everyone has gotten their wish. With that, players will have to adjust on the fly during the season. While it may take some time, most will agree that these changes will yield positive results in the long run.
