Oh come on now Eric- attempting a layup when someone is guarding you cannot possibly be a better solution than passing it to the guy who is NOT being guarded. I don't care if it's a layup, a mid-range jumper, or a long three. I don't understand why you are arguing this in a manner that would make Slin blush. You know this- we are talking basic fast-break tactics.
I guess I'm just wrong. I see the defense fouling as a concession that the offense has done its job. "Get to the rim and draw a foul," we hear that a thousand times a season. I'll admit that I haven't watched the play over and over, but it sure looked to me like Tucker had an easy score had he not been fouled. So what's the big deal? Either he's aggressive and goes hard for the rim, or he second-guesses himself and starts trying to execute a little dish-off that isn't within his skill set. If he makes both free throws, there's no argument at all, so why not instead focus on improving his free-throw shooting? And remember, a foul on the defense brings the offense closer to the bonus, so it provides extra value that way.
I realize you don't like Dragic
Dragic has impressed me this season, and I haven't said anything negative about him since the real games started. But people miss layups; it happens. It's not like Tucker had LeBron James trailing, ready to electrify the team with a thunderous dunk. Sure, Dragic probably scores without getting fouled, but again, I think if you get to the rim and go to the line, you've done your job. If Tucker didn't have a clear path to the basket and was risking coming away with nothing, that's a different story. But I
want players who can see that target, know they can get there, and attack it for all they're worth.
