The NBA has implemented new rules this season that make it more difficult for offensive players to draw fouls, and that has led to some frustration among elite scorers. Draymond Green, however, believes the change has drastically improved the game.
After the Golden State Warriors’ 103-82 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, Green said he has enjoyed NBA basketball as both a player and spectator much more this season. He attributed that to the league doing away with “bulls— calls.”
“Can I say how satisfying it is to watch the game without all those terrible calls,” Green said, via ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “Guys cheating the game and grabbing guys and getting the foul. I’ve been really enjoying watching basketball this year.”
Green added that he didn’t watch much NBA basketball in recent years because he got tired of “guys cheating the game.”
“I think this game was turning into who can draw the most fouls? Nobody wants to watch that and you definitely don’t want to play in a game like that,” Green said. “So you can feel the difference out there for sure. It’s just more pure basketball and that’s great for our game.”
The response to the rule changes has been mixed. Green is known for his defense and is a former Defensive Player of the Year, so his stance is hardly a surprise. Scorers like Trae Young have seen their free throw attempts drastically decrease in the early part of the year. Young recently revealed a strategy he has to deal with the new rules.
It’s too early to say if the changes have improved the game, but Green isn’t the only one who appreciates them.
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