Team	2024-2025	2025-2026	YoY Change
Orlando Magic	23	30.7	33.48%
Miami Heat	20.2	26.6	31.68%
Detroit Pistons	22.3	28.3	26.91%
Charlotte Hornets	19.8	25	26.26%
Portland Trail Blazers	22.2	28	26.13%
Los Angeles Lakers	23.2	29.2	25.86%
Brooklyn Nets	20.7	25.9	25.12%
Oklahoma City Thunder	20.4	25.5	25.00%
Indiana Pacers	21.6	26.8	24.07%
Chicago Bulls	19.7	24.2	22.84%
San Antonio Spurs	21	25.7	22.38%
Utah Jazz	22.4	27.2	21.43%
Minnesota Timberwolves	21.8	26.2	20.18%
Houston Rockets	22.6	26.9	19.03%
Toronto Raptors	21.1	25	18.48%
Dallas Mavericks	23.1	27.3	18.18%
Philadelphia 76ers	22.5	26	15.56%
New Orleans Pelicans	21.9	25	14.16%
Cleveland Cavaliers	21.9	24.8	13.24%
New York Knicks	20.7	23.4	13.04%
Denver Nuggets	23.3	25.9	11.16%
Sacramento Kings	21.2	23.3	9.91%
Los Angeles Clippers	21.7	23.8	9.68%
Golden State Warriors	22.1	24.1	9.05%
Phoenix Suns	20.8	22.3	7.21%
Washington Wizards	20.6	21.5	4.37%
Memphis Grizzlies	23.3	24.3	4.29%
Atlanta Hawks	23.2	23.5	1.29%
Boston Celtics	19.1	19.3	1.05%
Milwaukee Bucks	23.1	20.1	-12.99%
League Average	21.7	25.2	16.13%

motorboat_mcgee | Lakers

67 | 9 hours ago

Let defenders play defense, Adam

jackaholicus | Mavericks

18 | 7 hours ago

Maybe teams are fouling more?

THlSGUYSAYS | Thunder

12 | 5 hours ago

This is what I’ve heard. Teams are copying thunder in regards to playing hyper aggressive and not worrying about fouling as much, which in turn would up free throws across the league.

LiamHundley | Thunder

4 | 4 hours ago

Yeah stan van gundy said as much. Everyone is going on and on blaming the league and refs for this, but the truth is simply just that teams are fouling more.

NotManyBuses | Charlotte Bobcats

5 | 8 hours ago

They will after the ASB, as they always do

This was a narrative in 22-23, 23-24, 24-25 and now again this year and people keep falling for it

They always call it tight and juice FTA/ORTG until about January or so, then they start ramping down the whistle to playoff levels.

By March these will be back to normal

zephah | Suns

18 | 7 hours ago

I ask this actually out of curiosity not to like attack/call you out; can you corroborate this with stats? It would be interesting to see if there are trends like this season to season

Morezingis | Timberwolves

3 | 8 hours ago

Gotta have the historical PPG talking points for those espn ratings to keep people engaged til the playoffs

Milkboy1516 | Bulls

6 | 5 hours ago

They did and then people bitched about their favorite player getting fouled too much in the playoffs.

Full_Adss | Lakers

43 | 8 hours ago

In other words, games are now 16% longer than last year. Silver scheduled the Lakers to play at 11 pm est and the game ended at 2am est

TrollOdinsson | Nuggets

20 | 8 hours ago

What do you mean?? This is what the people want! Who doesn’t enjoy spending 30-60 minutes watching commercials sandwiched in between endless free throw attempts??

JimJimmyJamesJimbo | Magic

5 | 7 hours ago

Watching commercials DURING free throws* that are also sandwiched by ad breaks. There’s a lot of incentive for more free throws

Any-Question-3759

2 | 8 hours ago

They gotta trim the fat.

Just have Shai shoot 100 free throws and then the other team loses.

DankKnightLP | Thunder

-2 | 5 hours ago

rent free

jackaholicus | Mavericks

7 | 6 hours ago

16% longer? That’s… not how that works.

Full_Adss | Lakers

1 | 6 hours ago

No shit

jackaholicus | Mavericks

2 | 6 hours ago

Sure, sure

512fm | Pistons

6 | 8 hours ago

I’m not sure there’s ever been a bigger disconnect between the league and the fans than right now. I suppose since getting the tv money, they just decided not to give a fuck.

Clemenx00 | NBA

3 | 7 hours ago

Crazy thing is that between this and the baseball clock there are now a lot of MLB games shorter than NBA games.

On average I think they take pretty much the same now…. that’s a terrible look for basketball even with sped up baseball.

TimeDielation

1 | 8 hours ago

Adam Silver: “16% longer games mean we can sell 16% more commercial space, right?”

motorboat_mcgee | Lakers

5 | 8 hours ago

This is 100% the thought process

jackaholicus | Mavericks

3 | 6 hours ago

The games are not 16% longer. How could that possible be true?

The average regulation game last night was 2h 14 minutes. That’s basically always been how long games are

TheDonbot | Bucks

33 | 8 hours ago

I think us Bucks fans have at least a tiny bit of an argument that we have been getting screwed by the refs this year considering literally every single team in the league is shooting more free throws than last year, except us who are shooting 13% less.

Obvious_Parsley3238

15 | 8 hours ago

Bucks lost one of the league’s elite foul baiters in Dame.

TheDonbot | Bucks

23 | 8 hours ago

How does this explain why every single player on the Bucks except Rollins and Green are averaging less free throws this year than they were last year? And note that this is happening while players are taking more shots without Dame and everyone else in the league is seeing an increase in free throws.

CrippledBanana | Canada

18 | 8 hours ago

All it takes is watching a couple buck games to see them getting rolled by the refs this season. League reallllly wants Giannis to go to another team it seems

grudgepacker | Bucks

10 | 7 hours ago

I’ve never been a big refs conspiracy guy but the shit they aren’t calling this season that every other team’s getting is insane.

CrippledBanana | Canada

17 | 7 hours ago

Yea Ngl I saw a bunch of buck fans complaining early into the season, thought it was just fan homerism and coping which is pretty standard in this sub, but then I caught a couple games and I’m starting to believe the conspiracy lol. Some very very biased calls against the bucks in almost every game I’ve seen so far

Intentional-Asshole

6 | 6 hours ago

I’ve never been one to be mega on-board the “NBA is trying to get Giannis to leave!” train. I always knew there was heavy encouragement from the NBA media for Giannis to leave.. But this season has really been something else. I mean even if you don’t watch the games, there’s also plenty of clips of Giannis getting absolutely mauled under the basket, multiple times, without even a sniff of a foul call. Then on the other end, the other team gets an incredibly soft foul off of a body bump

It really just doesn’t feel right. It’s beyond me just going “damn refs screwing my bucks again”, it is truly egregious reffing with an agenda.

FKJVMMP | MIL

4 | 5 hours ago

Giannis getting mauled with no call is standard, he also gets away with things and it kinda all works out. Just the natural result of an extremely physical play style, been happening for years.

Everybody else’s whistle, and the shit we’re getting called for on defence (including Giannis), totally different story. It’s every game but I still can’t believe that Kings game in particular, was like watching two different sports depending on who had the ball on offence.

clickstops | 76ers

3 | 6 hours ago

Do they have meetings where they discuss the plan to get Giannis to demand a trade? And then certain refs get the directive before the game starts? How’s it work?

dev_vvvvv | Celtics

10 | 8 hours ago

Bucks have 13% fewer FTAs and still have more than the Celtics.

It’s crazy the different whistles some people get.

SeaMeasurement9 | Bucks

19 | 8 hours ago

Well there’s a freight train on our team who gets fouled intentionally. Even then, it’s not being called a lot.

TheDonbot | Bucks

6 | 8 hours ago

The Celtics have seen an increase in FTA’s this year over last year despite not having Tatum, the player who averages by far the most amount of FTA’s on the team.

In context, kind of hard to complain about.

mutie_the_mailman | Celtics

2 | 4 hours ago

Its very easy to complain about when you see the whistle Jaylen Brown gets

P5Manchero

20 | 8 hours ago

Ya pretty much every magic game I’ve watched this season has nothing resembling a rhythm or flow to the game. Just a constant parade to the line. The official reviews are completely out of control as well. They legit spend 3-5 minutes on every review it’s absolutely insane. Need to take some cues from other sports on how to review calls remotely. There is no reason all 3 in arena refs need to review the calls in depth when one replay can get you to the right call remotely.

Gamesgtd | Magic

10 | 8 hours ago

We are free throw merchants. But we do attack the rim a lot, and we foul a lot on defense. It sucks but it makes sense.

clickstops | 76ers

9 | 6 hours ago

Magic play extremely physical defense. Even your guard defender, Suggs, is hyper physical.

People will complain about a lack of physical defense - then complain about too many fouls - then complain about defenders getting away with mauling people. The primary discussion point last year, for people paying attention, and this year’s training camp was “prison ball” - that defense is getting extraordinarily physical and offenses need to learn to play through it.

SeaMeasurement9 | Bucks

14 | 8 hours ago

This looks like such a crazy anomaly, I struggle to believe it’s true

dev_vvvvv | Celtics

4 | 8 hours ago

Links to the sources are in the headers.

Obvious_Parsley3238

13 | 8 hours ago

Everyone wants to copy the OKC defense which means more fouls.

jakehightower | Magic

7 | 8 hours ago

We’ve reached the next step after the 3pt revolution: the forced turnovers revolution. Offenses have gotten so efficient that total possessions/field goal attempts is the whole game, and defenses are playing more aggressively trying to force turnovers.

calman877 | 76ers

1 | 4 hours ago

Except steals are only up 4% (8.5 per team per game vs 8.2 last year)

dev_vvvvv | Celtics

2 | 8 hours ago

Doesn’t seem like it’s working.

Pace is slightly up (+1.4%) but PPG is up even more (+2.6%).

jackaholicus | Mavericks

8 | 6 hours ago

You’d have to check fast break points/points off turnovers/half court offense

SerenadeSwift | Supersonics

1 | an hour ago

Is there any data or really anything at all to back this up?

I’ve seen this said a lot lately and it really just feels like one of those things that people read on social media and then continue to repeat without ever actually checking if it’s an accurate statement.

Obvious_Parsley3238

1 | 40 minutes ago

FTA are up, turnovers are up, fouls are up, steals are up. It could be early season weirdness though.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_stats_per_game.html

Van Gundy said on the Zach Lowe show that teams are coaching to win the possession battle, which means playing aggressively to get turnovers at the expense of fouls.

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.

https://youtu.be/ZfTOCouZNYM?si=I74sRyVXzR8krB7Q&t=2060

TrollOdinsson | Nuggets

11 | 8 hours ago

ORTG and TS% are at their all time high. NBA has decided to stop pretending it’s a professional competition, they realized WWE is their main competitor.

Silver made it clear when he said NBA is a highlights league. The majority of NBA fans worldwide don’t actually watch games, just highlights on youtube, so there’s no bother to them that the refs have fully taken over who wins.

itsme32

5 | 8 hours ago

‘High-five rule’

Herakleios | Magic

6 | 8 hours ago

Since getting Paolo Orlando has been very good at getting to the line, biggest change this year is Franz has massively upped his game while basically everyone else has seen a little boost as well.

I think it’s one of those truly additive things: the more players you have good at drawing fouls the faster you get another team in the bonus and so the more fouls everyone else on your roster draws as well.

Franz is 11th and Paolo is 2nd in FTA/game. People can question their fit in other ways but they’re pretty complementary in this regard.

DeyZent | Magic

7 | 8 hours ago

I have to keep reminding myself that Franz is 6’10, his footwork and mobility for his size is incredible. He gets to the paint at will and has such good touch around the rim

Educational_Bit_6184

1 | an hour ago

Just like your mom

Gamesgtd | Magic

2 | 8 hours ago

Franz used to be more Ginobili like and tried to avoid contact to finesse a finish. Now he’s more aggressive seeking the calls

Giuseppe_exitplan | Magic

2 | 3 hours ago

I have no stats in front of me but Desmond Bane has to be a contributor to our FT stat right? He’s taking less 3’s than last season and he drives like a t-rex steam train.

WarriorsPropaganda

3 | 8 hours ago

Does anyone know if free throw rates are usually higher to start the season? I feel like there’s always a rule change or point of focus from the summer, like this year it’s the high five thing on shots, so there’s more calls at the beginning and then it levels off

youjuanfrieswiththat | Thunder

6 | 8 hours ago

I don’t have stats to back up the freethrow rates at the start of the season but I tend to agree.

It feels like there’s always the ‘Post All-Star Break’ officiating which is similar to the playoffs but that seems pointless. More fouls called doesn’t lead to less injuries and I think 90% of people prefer the playoff type of officiating anyway.

WarriorsPropaganda

1 | 7 hours ago

Yeah I want to see November 2024 vs November 2025 or March 2025 vs March 2026 or whatever

Jason_B_Kidding

1 | 8 hours ago

They have basically taken the ability to play defense out of the rule book.

You can’t really play defense anymore unless you have elite foot speed and length to contest.

PetalumaPegleg | 76ers

1 | 6 hours ago

Oh yay that’s the adjustment everyone wanted. More fts

Blueberry8675 | Thunder

1 | 4 hours ago

Who the fuck wants this? Officiating was finally starting to get better last season and now they’ve gone as far as possible in the other direction

cmcg18 | Celtics

1 | 4 hours ago

Shocked by where the lakers are at

Dependent-Switch-171 | Rockets

-1 | 8 hours ago

Sports betting has taken any integrity away from the sport, I was never the one for conspiracies but how can you not think money could corrupt the custodians of the game

grexor15

-2 | 8 hours ago

and yet people will still say OKC is only winning due to foul baiting. meanwhile Portland has one dude that went ¹⁹⁄₂₃ in one game. nice.

Carcrusher3 | Trail Blazers

5 | 7 hours ago

Yeah I guess that means we’re only winning due to foul baiting…

Oh wait, we’re not winning at all 🥲

dev_vvvvv | Celtics

-14 | 8 hours ago

Some of those were ticky tack fouls but none of what he did was anywhere near some of the stuff SGA pulls where he looks like he got flayed alive.

Zeeron1 | Thunder

9 | 7 hours ago

I wish these TikTok clip takes would stay on TikTok

Free Throw Attempts are up 16% vs last season’s totals. Orlando (+33%) and Miami (32%) lead the increase. Milwaukee (-13%) and Boston (+1%) are at the back of the pack.