Remember, NBA teams think of 1.10 points per possession as the target threshold to beat.
Breaking it down numerically gives a new perspective on what teams would ideally achieve:
- Two-point FG with a 55% chance of success or greater
- Three-point FG with a 36.7% chance of success or greater
- Two Free-Throws with a 55% FT-shooter or better
- Three Free-Throws with a 36.7% FT-shooter or better (Refs caught on to James Harden Technique)
As you can see, the “Hack-a-Simmons” phenomena was a completely unjustifiable tactic. Anecdotally, it feels like the opponent who employs “Hack-A” strategies lose almost every time.