Unlike Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash who didn't hold back in expressing his thoughts about Trae Young's “stop short” trick to draw fouls, New York Knicks tactician Tom Thibodeau shared some rather interesting comments on the strategy.
Before taking on the Hawks on Monday, Thibodeau addressed Young's technique to draw fouls and called it “interesting.” He also noted that such move wouldn't have worked in international play.
“It’s interesting. I watched the Brooklyn games and I saw it (from Young),” the Knicks coach told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “There’s been that trend that started with James Harden and the league in general, protecting the shooters. It’s interesting, having coached internationally in FIBA, they don’t give players those calls. We have to concentrate on our body position, keep our hands back and be disciplined.”
Certainly, Trae Young is one of the premier foul-drawers in the NBA along with James Harden and Joel Embiid. The diminutive third-year guard is leading the league in both free throws made with 62 and free throws attempted with 70.
While it is true that the former Oklahoma Sooner might embellish some of his movements to draw the attention of the refs, he doesn’t do it more or less than other NBA stars of his stature. For instance, Luka Doncic is in the top 10 in free throws made and attempted, but fans rarely hear about his actions being anything “less than basketball.”
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