Adam Silver doubts change will come regarding intentional fouling

DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

 

According to a story on ESPN.com, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters covering the NBA Finals in Oakland that there is little chance there will be a rule change that would prevent the intentional fouling of poor free-throw shooters like DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard of the Houston Rockets.

Silver said league executives at the general managers meeting in mid-May were opposed to any changes.

“The data shows that we’re largely talking about two teams, throughout the playoffs,” Silver said. “In fact, 90 percent of the occurrences of Hack-a-Shaq invole the Rockets and the Clippers. And for the most part, it’s two players. Seventy-five percent involve two players, DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard. So then the question becomes, should we be making that rule change largely for two teams and two players?”

Jordan, an unrestricted free agent, shot just 39.7 percent from the free-throw line this season and has just a 41.7 career percentage over seven seasons. Howard shot 52.8 percent this season and has shot 57.3 percent over 11 seasons.