No fear on shaq-hack...funny.

[SPURSX3]

http://www.broadbandnewsnet.com/newsmanager/anmviewer.asp?a=5063&z=1

Shaq gets last laugh on Spurs? "cowardly hack" joke
Excerpt: Jerry Brown, East Valley Tribune
Thursday, October 30, 2008




SAN ANTONIO - With Shaquille O'Neal's "coward" comment still ringing in the ears of Spurs fans before Wednesday's game, a reporter asked San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich if he would consider a mock "Hack-a-Shaq" on the first possession of the game to jokingly prove that he wasn't backing down from his strategy in last year's playoffs.

Popovich stopped. He ran his fingers through his new white beard. And then he started to grin.

"You know, that's not a bad idea now that I think about it. It?s a better suggestion than any of our (assistant) coaches have had all summer," Popovich said. "I could get a couple of guys in front of me and act like they were holding me back - a typical NBA fight."

Funny guy. He was just kidding, of course. Right?

Sure enough, the Suns won the tip and ex-Sun Michael Finley wrapped his arms around O'Neal to stop play five seconds into the game - a nonshooting foul. O'Neal quickly looked over at Popovich, who gave him two thumbs-up and the two shared a laugh.

"Classic Pop. I loved it," Steve Nash said. "It would have been a fine if he didn't do it."

But after Matt Bonner picked up his third foul with 2:39 left in the first half and the Spurs down to only three big men due to injury, Popovich brought the hack back in earnest. Four away-from-the-ball fouls put O'Neal at the line four times, but he was able to hit five of eight free throws to help the Suns to a 49-46 lead at the half.

"I was ready and prepared. I have to just go up and hit them," O?Neal said. "(The Spurs) are probably going to make sure I hit them every game. From high school on, I've shot 50 percent make one, miss one. I just have to try to make them both or not miss both."

But after most of the media had left his locker, O'Neal said he was knew what he was doing when he called San Antonio?s tactics cowardly and was just doing his part to stoke the fires for the season opener.

"When I say and do things it's all about marketing," he said. "Everyone will miss my 'quotatiousness' when I'm gone. It gets the media guys involved, it gets the fans involved. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mr. Pop, he's been taking care of me since I was 18 and I was a nobody living in San Antonio. It's all in fun."

"You guys have been talking about it all week, a couple of fans (here) tried to fight me. It all works."

[jemagee]

Shaq should give up being his sherrif and his next job after basketball should be spin doctor cause he can shovel manure with the best of them.

Shaqs always kidding, after the fact.

My favorite part is the part where shaq talks about always making '50%' of his free throws....like it's a good thing he's never been better than that...and not a big deal.

[westkoast]

At least they are both being good sports about it.

While many of us in LA have cringed a number of times when Shaq has opened his mouth he does have a point.  As long as it doesn't get out of hand it gives the media guys something to write about and some of us something to laugh at.  Whether that's with or at, I guess it doesn't matter as long as everyone is having a chuckle.

[jemagee]

As long as it strokes his ego, that is all it really ever seems to be about with Shaq....Shaq

[WayOutWest]

My favorite part is the part where shaq talks about always making '50%' of his free throws....like it's a good thing he's never been better than that...and not a big deal.

FYI,

50% or better from the FT line is fine if you are getting intentionally fouled.  We have had this discussion several times.  Name 1 single team that shots 50% or better from the field?  Then think about how it favors Shaq and his 50% FT shooting in a game.

[westkoast]

My favorite part is the part where shaq talks about always making '50%' of his free throws....like it's a good thing he's never been better than that...and not a big deal.

FYI,

50% or better from the FT line is fine if you are getting intentionally fouled.  We have had this discussion several times.  Name 1 single team that shots 50% or better from the field?  Then think about how it favors Shaq and his 50% FT shooting in a game.

Just to throw some other points to the debate here....

A team may not shoot 50% from the field but you are only getting 1 point when Shaq goes to the line if we stick to just stats here.  So while you are right in a sense there has to be a way to calculate or at least guestimate how the extra point would factor in.

On top of that sending Shaq to the line like that ices the rest of the shooters and the offense in general.  I think the effect that causes far exceeds any advantage Shaq's team would get based on what you are saying above.

[jemagee]

50% or better from the FT line is fine if you are getting intentionally fouled.  We have had this discussion several times.  Name 1 single team that shots 50% or better from the field?  Then think about how it favors Shaq and his 50% FT shooting in a game.

I don't buy it.

For a couple reasons.

1.  A free throw is only HALF a made FG -
2.  Guys like shaq regularly average 50% from the field - because of how close they take the baskets. 

In fact Shaquille O'neals career field goal percentage is 58%, his FT% is 52.5

How many players who played as much as shaq have that career 'honor' of a FT% worse than their FG%.

I shoot 10 FTS and make 5 (50%) i get 5 points.

I shot 10FG attempts and make 3 (30%) i get 6 points.

So i'm not sure how it's the 'same thing' - cause you aren't referring to a team - it's not hack the suns - it's hack a shaq

[WayOutWest]

wk & jem,

Either you don't understand b-ball possesions or you're not good at math.

I'll keep it simple.....

10 possesions......

Shaq 50% FT = 10 points
Team 50% FG = 10 points

If you ONLY shot 3 pointers then you have to shot about 37% to beat Shaq, anything less and it's close to wash.

[westkoast]

wk & jem,

Either you don't understand b-ball possesions or you're not good at math.

I'll keep it simple.....

10 possesions......

Shaq 50% FT = 10 points
Team 50% FG = 10 points

If you ONLY shot 3 pointers then you have to shot about 37% to beat Shaq, anything less and it's close to wash.

Right and how many three pointers are shot in 10 trips down the floor with most NBA teams these days?


Why are you side stepping my second point which clearly has an effect on the squad that the Spurs are going for.  Icing the offense and the shooters specifically by having them sit and watch Shaq FTs.

[jemagee]

Sorry, I don't buy the proof where 9=8 and I don't buy this...

again, shaq shoots OVER 50% for his career from the field, and we aren't talking about his team, we are talking about Shaq, and Shaq only.

Shaq gets the ball 2 feet from the basket

2 most likely outcomes

Don't foul him - easy 2 points
Foul him immediately - in penalty - and maybe 1 point

[WayOutWest]

Just to throw some other points to the debate here....

A team may not shoot 50% from the field but you are only getting 1 point when Shaq goes to the line if we stick to just stats here.  So while you are right in a sense there has to be a way to calculate or at least guestimate how the extra point would factor in.

On top of that sending Shaq to the line like that ices the rest of the shooters and the offense in general.  I think the effect that causes far exceeds any advantage Shaq's team would get based on what you are saying above.

Mathmatically Hack-A-Shaq doesn't work BUT, you hit on a very good point.  You ice your own shooters and you give the other teams defense a chance to get set.

One thing I noticed back in Shaq/Lakers is when the Mavs played Hack-A-Shaq is that it did cause some frustration with the Lakers, Kobe in particular.  At first they were encouraging Shaq but he was shooting like 30% and you could see the Lakers getting frustrated with the whole thing and at Shaq.  It took the Lakers completely out of their game.  What really drove the Lakers crazy is that Nellie was the first guy to play Hack-A-Shaq with a LEAD.  It was funny as hell.

[jemagee]

Mathmatically Hack-A-Shaq doesn't work BUT, you hit on a very good point.  You ice your own shooters and you give the other teams defense a chance to get set.

Still waiting for your proof that mathematically it doesn't work - especially when you work with made up numbers...the number are 58.2 and 52.5 - not 50 and 50

[WayOutWest]

Sorry, I don't buy the proof where 9=8 and I don't buy this...

again, shaq shoots OVER 50% for his career from the field, and we aren't talking about his team, we are talking about Shaq, and Shaq only.

Shaq gets the ball 2 feet from the basket

2 most likely outcomes

Don't foul him - easy 2 points
Foul him immediately - in penalty - and maybe 1 point

Ok, I see where you are confused.

Let use Spurs/Suns

To play Hack-A-Shaq and win the Spurs have to hit OVER 50% from the field to win, otherwise they just tie or lose.  Or if they only shoot 3 pointers they have to shoot over 36.67%.

I am not talking about what the other Suns or Shaq do from the field.

[westkoast]

Just to throw some other points to the debate here....

A team may not shoot 50% from the field but you are only getting 1 point when Shaq goes to the line if we stick to just stats here.  So while you are right in a sense there has to be a way to calculate or at least guestimate how the extra point would factor in.

On top of that sending Shaq to the line like that ices the rest of the shooters and the offense in general.  I think the effect that causes far exceeds any advantage Shaq's team would get based on what you are saying above.

Mathmatically Hack-A-Shaq doesn't work BUT, you hit on a very good point.  You ice your own shooters and you give the other teams defense a chance to get set.

One thing I noticed back in Shaq/Lakers is when the Mavs played Hack-A-Shaq is that it did cause some frustration with the Lakers, Kobe in particular.  At first they were encouraging Shaq but he was shooting like 30% and you could see the Lakers getting frustrated with the whole thing and at Shaq.  It took the Lakers completely out of their game.  What really drove the Lakers crazy is that Nellie was the first guy to play Hack-A-Shaq with a LEAD.  It was funny as hell.

I think doing it when you have a lead is actually the better strategy.  The only reason I say that is NBA players these days seem to not play as good of defense when they don't get to score/touch the ball.  There are very few guys in this league who play hard on the defensive end on every play with out being rewarded with touches on the other side of the court.  If you get other players disinterested in the game it works wonders.

Shaq is 50% for his career but as we both know there is a number of times where he will go cold for a stretch of a game.  If a team is making a push to catch up and he goes 0-5 in one stretch it may not matter much at the end of the game if he ended up at 50%.

I think the hack-a-shaq is effective at times.  The way Pop used it last year in the playoffs was effective.  The way Nellie use to use it didn't seem to work quite as well because it wasn't as disruptive.  The Lakers were not a run and gun team like the Suns were last year and in previous years.

[jemagee]

If you let shaq take 100 FG attempts - using career numbers - he will score slightly more than 116 points
If you send shaq to the FT line 100 times (200 shots) he'll score 105 points

116 is more than 105 still right?

The hack a shaq goal is to lessen shaqs impact on the game right?

Plus there's the whole stopped time giving the opponent more offensive opportunities idea as well