December 2, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) attempts a free throw shot against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

First it was hack-a-Shaq. Now it’s hack-a-Dwight (or Howard). Either way, the practice of fouling any player off the ball to gain an advantage with him on the free-throw line should not be rewarded. If I were Dwight Howard or the Lakers, I’d be taking my case right to David Stern.

Let me get this out of the way before I go any further. If you want to foul Dwight Howard every time he takes a shot or even has the ball, that’s fine by me. Those, at least, look like normal fouls and come within the flow of the game.

If you want to just go grab his jersey, give him a hug, or wrap him up while he’s walking down the court just because the Lakers are in the bonus, you should be called for an intentional foul, because that’s exactly what you’re doing; Fouling a player intentionally.

If those stupid plays were deemed intentional fouls, Dwight would get his shots and then the Lakers would get the ball after he was done shooting.

Also, this applies to every team who employs this strategy against a bad free-throw shooter.

I don’t see how intentionally fouling a player away from the ball isn’t already deemed intentional, but things got way to out of hand in LA last night with Orlando Magic players grabbing Dwight almost every time the Lakers entered the bonus.

These rules probably won’t be changed, but if you look at it with an open mind, you’d see how crazy it is that these off-ball fouls aren’t already being called intentional every time they happen.

Apr 07, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Magic defeated the Sixers 88-82. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

I started to type this post with the idea of slamming the Brooklyn Nets for missing out on the chance to trade for Dwight Howard (and for taking on Joe Johnson’s crazy salary).

But, I’m listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning and Chis Broussard says the Nets are considering sending their 2013, 2015 and 2017 first round picks to Orlando along with Marshon Brooks, Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries for Dwight Howard.

Sweet Jesus help us all if this trade goes down.

Without Howard, a Big Three of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace would make the Nets a perpetual mirror image of their cross town rival Knicks for the past two seasons: Nothing better than the sixth best team in their conference and maybe nothing better than the second team in their division.

If they land Howard and put him with Williams, Jonson and Wallace, the Nets will fight the Heat in the eastern conference finals for the next five years.

And that wouldn’t be any fun… would it?

In other, less exciting news, of the three teams we know that have interest in J.J. Hickson, it seems like Golden State is his most likely destination.

The Charlotte Bobcats are one team that really wants to land Hickson, but he’ll probably go where the money is, and the Warriors will probably offer him the most money.

Speaking of Charlotte, one guy they’re probably going to land is Antwan Jamison; He told the Charlotte Observer last season that he would be open to signing with the Bobcats and Charlotte management has said one of their priorities this off season is signing a veteran who can still play.

There’s not much more to report on the Jeremy Lin front. The Knicks say they’ll let the market decide his price (and then most likely pay him) and we probably won’t know what that price is until Steve Nash makes his decision… which there isn’t much to report on either.

Jan 22, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Workers walk with a photo of Los Angeles Clippers power forward Blake Griffin (not pictured) on a pole to encourage All-Star Game voting during the game at the Staples Center. Clippers won 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Ok, that’s no fair, being so sarcastic in the title, but this is a Charlotte Bobcats fan-site and we have to have some tilt in that direction in each post.  The NBA and TNT announced the starters last week, no surprises there, with Florida and LA dominating both sides but the reserves are always interesting to see.  I always hope for some odd, deep selection that makes Kenny and Charles jump out of their seats and rocks the NBA landscape, but no, nothing shocking.

There are 7 first timers, many of whom you could have made arguments for before this season (NBA.com’s release says 5 are first timers, but the roster page notes 7, maybe some were selected but couldn’t participate before?).  It was my contention, in a previous post, that you could almost work your way through the standings from the previous year and fill out your All-Star roster without putting much thought into it.  My theoretical roster looked something like this: (more…)