Good call. I’ve always hated to admit that our guys whine, but when you see a stat like this, there can be only two truths: either teams refuse to drive the lane against us, or we don’t get calls. I’m going to assume it’s the latter.

I don’t think this “drawing offensive fouls” stat means very much. The bigs with high numbers are also the guys you would expect to be in posters getting dunked on. I think perimeter players see Andrew Bogut, Joel Pryzbilla, or Mikki Moore in the paint and a green light goes on “I’m dunking over him.” Those players all have high block totals too but which suggests to me not that they are great shot blockers but that players love driving on them. So they have more opportunity to draw fouls.

If a SG gets Rasheed Wallace on a rotation 15 feet from the hoop on the wing then the little red light that goes on says “It’s rough in the paint, I think I’ll shoot a little jumper”. Still, I think Detroit has a mild case that they don’t get enough calls.

Detroit is ranked #23 in foul differential (+.85 per game) and ranked #25 in opponent fouls per game (19.73 per game) so they’v got some point but the winning teams are spread all over the chart.

http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable3.html?cnf=1&prd=1#top

I think this has more to do with our scheme and philosophy than anything else. You have to let your man get by you for your team mate to draw a charge. We put Tayshaun on the opponent’s best slasher, and he backs off enough to keep them from getting by him, but is able to contest jumpers on account of his inspector gadget arms.

It’s not about scheme and philosophy B. You want to know what it’s about?:

Detroit doesn’t flop.

Each of the bigs contest shots inside the paint. Just about every shot is contested, noone is standing on the ground looking for a bailout on a call, because they got beat off the dribble. They either let the men blow by them for an easy layup, or 9 out of 10 a hand goes up and makes it a tough shot.

Our guys have too much respect and pride for the game of basketball to flop on the floor like Varejao, Ginobili or even Reggie Evans. I think intentionally stepping in front of a guy while he has a clear path to the rim should be a blocking foul or if the movement was so egregious then it should be a tech OR a flagrant depending on how the bodies fall. They’re not making a play on the ball when you step in front of a guy, you’re trying to draw contact to flop.