As he does every offseason, NBA commissioner Adam Silver examines the trends of the league and decides on new rules or to emphasize current ones already in existence that aren’t necessarily being called.
This year, one major emphasis has been on defensive contact, particularly on players cutting across the lane. It is something that many teams have struggled with so far, and the Los Angeles Lakers in particular.
The Lakers are one of many teams susceptible to foul issues in relation to these new rules and players have touched on the difficulties of adjusting.
Silver recently spoke about the rule changes, noting that he believes teams will ultimately adjust, and that consistency in the calls made are most important, via ESPN:
“The question that seems to be coming back from some of the coaches and players is in essence is how much physicality will be allowed on defense,” Silver said.