Through 272 games (22%) of the 25-26 season, fouls and free throws per game are the highest they’ve been in 20 years. Stan Van Gundy reports from talking to coaches that they are copying OKC and teaching defense differently. They no longer prioritize avoiding fouls in favor of forcing more turnovers
This season’s fouls per game (21.5) and free throws per game (25.2) are the highest league wide marks since 2006-07
Free throw rate or per field goal attempt is at a 16 year high.
On a per possession basis, these numbers are higher than they’ve been in over 10 years. Fouls per possession are up 14% from last year, the highest single year-to-year jump ever in NBA history.
Source for stats: https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats_per_game.html
On the most recent Zach Lowe Show, Stan Van Gundy cites a conversation he had with Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson expressed jealousy that OKC was ahead of the curve in discovering a competitive advantage by making the tradeoff of committing more fouls for forcing more turnovers. Avoiding fouls used to be the priority because of the efficiency of free throws, but it’s now shifted that the chance of forcing a turnover is worth the risk of a foul. Teams are also now using NFL film to teach how to strip the ball from offensive players.
SVG Full Quote:
The currency of the NBA now and even when you listen to the coaches is possessions, getting more shots than the other team. That has become much more of a big deal than efficiency with with coaches. It’s getting more shots. Talking to Kenny Atkinson the other night before the Cleveland game, they’ve changed the way they teach defense. They used to put a premium on not fouling because the free throws are the most efficient shot in the league. And so hands back, don’t be reaching. No, now they say go after the ball. That ball comes into the gap, they’re reaching up, they’re reaching down. He talked about looking at NFL cornerbacks in how they try to strip the ball from people after the catch.
And what does that mean? They’re fouling more, sending people to the line, but that’s obviously not threes in most cases, you know, and they’re creating enough turnovers to offset it. I think Oklahoma City might have given up the most free throw attempts in the league last year, um, if not very, very close. but they also forced the most turnovers. So, the currency of the league and just the overall analytical approach is leading to some different things.
So I think the league is changing and I think that’s exciting and I think coaches are and organizations are looking at okay, how do we get an edge? It was funny listening to Kenny the other night. Because Kenny’s been one of those guys who’s always trying to be ahead of the game and you could he was disappointed in himself. You could tell that Oklahoma City got the jump on everybody about creating turnovers and not worrying about fouls being the way to go.
Source: https://youtu.be/ZfTOCouZNYM?si=I74sRyVXzR8krB7Q&t=2060
As some confirmation of that point steals per game at 8.5 are the highest they’ve been since 93-94. Turnovers per game are also at a 20 year high, though some of this is due to an increase in pace.
The most recent Thinking Basketball podcast had a somewhat uncharacteristically negative segment, calling the trend “Slop Ball” because of how much more stoppages there are and how the games feel slower as a result, though that includes the compounding effect of the increased fouls with new high five rule, coach’s challenges, and replay reviews.