The NBA made a slight rule change this season to supposedly make it more difficult for players such as Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan and Houston’s James Harden to “sell” shooting fouls as they drive through the lane.
A distinct shooting motion must have already begun when the player gets hit, rather than contact that forces the player to initiate a shot, and it’s had no discernible impact on DeRozan.
The Toronto swingman was averaging 8.9 free-throw attempts per game before Thursday night’s visit by the New Orleans Pelicans, a career high and up from an average of 8.