In Boston Celtics loss, Jae Crowder's normal shot motion results in critical offensive foul

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In Boston Celtics loss, Jae Crowder's normal shot motion results in critical offensive foul



Print Email Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com

on November 22, 2015 at 10:40 PM, updated November 23, 2015 at 12:10 AM




NEW YORK -- By their own admission, the Boston Celtics "deserved" to lose Sunday night.

"If we had played harder than (the Brooklyn Nets)," regretted Isaiah Thomas after the 111-101 defeat, "than we would have won."

Still, the Celtics hit a shot to cut the deficit to five points, maybe four, within the final two minutes. That would not have promised a win, of course, but we will never know because the referees waved off a Jae Crowder 3-pointer due to an offensive foul. With 1:41 left in the fourth quarter, Crowder knocked down a corner 3-pointer, but it didn't count because his swinging right leg made contact with Thaddeus Young:

https://vine.co/v/izMpqXZOvpb


Evan Turner could see why the call was made, but thinks the NBA should note Crowder's typical follow through for later reference.

"I understand where they're coming from with it," Turner said. "But that's how Jae shoots as well."

Even on open looks, Crowder often follows through by kicking his right leg forward. When he doesn't make contact with anybody, the habit fails to gain a referee's attention. But his normal shot motion can also get him in trouble; because of it, he's gotten whistled for at least two offensive fouls this season, including the one Sunday.

Again: Crowder twists his right side forward almost every time he shoots, even when he's uncovered. Here's an open 3-pointer from the previous game against Brooklyn:

http://fat.gfycat.com/BlackOddballIndianabat.webm

And another one from earlier Sunday night:

http://fat.gfycat.com/MisguidedNeighboringEeve.webm

In a section on personal fouls, the NBA rule book states, "A player shall not hold, push, charge into, impede the progress of an opponent by extending a hand, forearm, leg or knee or by bending the body into a position that is not normal. Contact that results in the re-routing of an opponent is a foul which must be called immediately."

Crowder extends his leg just about every time he attempts a 3-pointer, and in this case the ref believed it impeded Young's progress.

Much to R.J. Hunter's chagrin:

http://zippy.gfycat.com/LivelyHarshHeterodontosaurus.webm

But was it the right call? Last year, the NBA released explanations on a number of misunderstood rules, including fouls in the act of shooting. The wording follows:

"If an offensive player with the ball can draw his defender into their air towards him (for example, on a pump fake), and he creates contact with the defender during his shooting motion, it is a shooting foul. However, if the defender is vertical (jumping straight up and down) or going to completely miss the offensive player (e.g., jumping to his side), and the offensive player seeks out contact with the airborne defender, it is an offensive foul if the contact is more than marginal (that is, minimal contact will not be called)."
If Crowder shot like most people, Young might have run by without contact. But based on Crowder's history of leg swings, he was not seeking out contact either.

"If you go back and look at all the shots, he always lands like that," Turner said. "I understand both sides of it. But I think there has to be a note that that's how he really shoots whether there's somebody around him or nobody around him."



bob
MY NOTE:  We were down 8, he hit that 3, we would have been down 5 with 1:41 left (that's assuming a foul wasn't called on Young for running into Jae's leg when it was in a normal shooting motion for the +1).  Instead of being down 5, or 4, two-possessions either way, Jack came down after that call and hit a two and they were up 10 and 4 possessions.  A key call at a critical moment.  


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