Sports in 1

By: Poorit “Sports in 1” Lertpaitoonpan

I went to United States last year for my graduation and attend the Lakers at Suns game in Phoenix.

The game is fun, ending in a dramatic and controversial 116-114 win for the Lakers. However, I get frustrated on one issue, the amount of time “big name players” shoot free throws.

LeBron James and Luka Doncic went to the line 14 times EACH, while Devin Booker went to the line 16 times. Some of the foul are quite odd, especially the last second foul on LeBron James, where Booker BARELY touch him.

It is not just the superstar privilege, it is a league-wide issues, many of the players has step up this season, but it was overshadow by their tendency to draw fouls.

Many players such as Shai-Gilgeous Alexander of the Thunders and Dani Avdija of the Trail Blazers are getting many flaks for being foul-baiters, per their high Field goal attempts this season.

Biggest culprits is Dani Avdija, who takes massive leap in scoring this season, average 26 points per game (as of 24 Jan 2026), massive increase from 16.9 last season. Though he have similar field goal percentage and 3 points percentage, his free throw attempts dramatically increase from 5.2 to 9.8 per game (though he also shoot 5.1 more attempts per game compare to last season as well).

Defender of those “foul-baiters” will point out to their playstyle, attributing their high free throw attempts to their physicality and tendency for those players to drive to the hoop, where they are likely to be hit with contact from the defender.

What they do is not against the rule, it can be said that it is smart as well, by using every advantage to achieve victory.

However, what seems to be the problem is the audience, with many free throw attempts mean pausing of the game, making it boring. Many of the game can be down to who hits more free throw or which teams have gone to the line more than the other.

The NBA has bring rules against “flopping”, “theatrical and exaggerate movement”, and “unnatural shooting motion”. However, the enforcing of those rules have been lack-lustering, as it is a fine line of margine on what is consider flopping.

Most of the time, there are actually contact when those player are calling for a foul, so those movement is not far-fetch from being genuine.

Foul-baiting is nothing new, it has been problem for a very long time. NBA has attempts to curb those attempts, yet players adapt and find new ways to use the rule to their favors.

Perhaps, it is time to allow more contact from defender. With this, there should be more balance between actual foul or just soft and unavoidable contact for the defender. Besides, it could stomp the over-offensive era that basketball fans are complaining at current moment.

Still, even if there are rules to allow more contact, I’m sure those witty players will find ways to get themself to the line anyways.

Reference

https://www.espn.com.au/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401839699
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6172761/2025/03/11/nba-flopping-rules-officiating/
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/foul-baiting-think-changes-game-072032904.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMeGEkv6qFcTuce1NePE6UsQCKO5Cts_lDCr_9MTf2djnCpIXDv26ugDJPGHA3Sj60dhxSsLqYrvDUlwS7kljLTJlvnfwnk2QFgZxW1_dlw1t37tnZqx0y9uD9oK89Lts2bjt_Xn583OKV0k1MK1l-uCS9lc-kuDirfqOW5WKKc2
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilgesh01.html
https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/avdijde01.html
https://x.com/Joe_Sway/status/1992723191521800319?s=20