Amazing phenomenon in the NBA. While criticism of a league that had become too offensive grew louder and louder, forcing Adam Silver and Joe Dumars to step up, the phenomenon calmed down.
Early March, Tom Haberstroh also noted already a real drop in scoring during the resumption, after the All-Star Break, but we could then wonder if it was not an epiphenomenon, linked precisely to the return from vacation. Except that two weeks later, we must admit that this drop in scoring is real…
Continuing Tom Haberstroh's graph, we see that there has been a general decline since the All-Star Game.
The decline had even started before the cut and this is undoubtedly not unrelated to the fact… that the percentage of fouls on 2-pointers dropped drastically in February and March.
At more than 16% in November, December and January, the percentage fell to less than 15% in February and March. A point and a half of a percentage, it doesn't necessarily seem huge like that but, over the period, 28,352 2-point shots were taken and therefore 500 whistles “disappeared” compared to the rate at the start of the season.
Logically, Marc Stein therefore contacted the league to ask if instructions had been given to the referees, the injury to Joel Embiid, the biggest foul vacuum, not being enough to explain this drastic fall. Official response: no specific instructions were communicated by Adam Silver to the officials.
Sportico chart updated in March
