Hawks guard Trae Young is having the same success as usual, but that doesn’t mean he’s happy with the rule change that keeps shooters from drawing fouls when they jump into a defender.
As relayed by Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Young seemed the officiating was a bit off following the Hawks’ loss to the rising Wizards.
Young indicated that suddenly, some fouls are no longer being called.
“There was a lot of missed calls that they missed, but it’s basketball,” Young said, via Spencer. “It feels like they’re learning. I mean, I don’t know. It’s frustrating. It’s frustrating, for sure.”
Young averaged 8.7 free throws a game last season, tied for first in the NBA, as Spencer noted. But he went just 2-of-3 from the line vs. Washington.
Overall, the Hawks were fourth in the NBA in free-throw attempts last season, Spencer wrote. They are 28th out of the 30 teams this year.
“When guys are driving straight and guys are getting knocked off-balance, it’s still a foul, whether they’re using their lower body or their hands to stop the defender,” Young said. “So it’s still a foul.”
Young, 23, is 6-foot-1 and still averaging 24.2 points through the first five games. He’s not totally against the rule changes. He more or less indicated he is just confused by what to expect.
“There’s a lot of things they took out that was necessary, veering back and jumping into guys, that’s different,” he said. “There’s certain things that I agree with the rule change. But then there’s things that are still fouls and guys are going to get hurt.
“That’s why, especially a smaller guy like me who’s going up against bigger, stronger defenders, they’re using their body and they’re using their legs and their hands to stop me.”
He then offered some advice to the officials.
“I know they’re looking for guys getting knocked off-balance, so if I’m going straight and I get my balance knocked off, that’s a foul,” Young said. “If they slow down my speed, that’s a foul.
“I know the rules, so a ref can’t come to me and tell me what happened and what didn’t, if I know exactly what they’re looking for, you know what I’m saying? So that’s pretty much it.”
The Hawks (3-2) are coming off a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. They visit the 76ers in an East semis rematch on Saturday.
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