Warriors rejoice as NBA emphasizes ‘Hi-Five’ fouls: ‘It’ll help Steph’

SAN FRANCISCO – A loud “smack” reverberated around the Bill King interview room inside Chase Center after a recent training camp session. 

Steve Kerr had slapped his hands together, the Warriors coach visually and sonically emphasizing an off-the-court victory in a battle begun a half year prior. 

“The shooter is allowed and now able to follow through … defenders would literally high-five them as they were shooting,” Kerr said while bringing his hands together. “Now that’s going to be a foul.” 

Curry, who shot just 4.3 free throws per game in the regular season, averaged an even 4.0 against the Rockets in an uber-physical playoff series.

Houston’s defense drew the ire of fans – and the Golden State broadcasting crew – when it appeared that then-Rockets forward Dillon Brooks was targeting Steph Curry’s injured thumb during their seven-game slugfest in May. 

Brooks, now with the Suns, did not exactly deny such allegations at the time. 

“If I had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time,” he said. “So, whatever they’re saying on the broadcast, they can keep saying it.”

Repeated swipes at Curry’s hand left Kerr fuming.

“Players all over the league are just taking shots at guys’ shooting hands after release because they know it’s not going to be a foul,” Kerr said after a Game 5 loss. “I’m very confident that next year the league will fix it.”

He was proven prescient. So how did the change come about?

Kerr mentioned that the NBA Coaches Association brought forward what they believed were important topics to the league. 

When reached by the Bay Area News Group, the NBA’s league office said suggestions for new points of emphasis were suggested by coaches were then considered by the Competition Committee. 

Among those was the “Hi-Five” rule, which made the cut. So what exactly is the difference?

In the NBA’s yearly video sent out to officials, the NBA’s head of referee development and training Monty McCutcheon showed clips of what will be and won’t be considered acceptable contact this season. 

If a defender contests a shot, and then makes a second and distinct motion that results in striking the shooting hand, a foul will be called. 

In one of the video examples shown, a Brooks flagrant foul on Hornets guard Brandon Miller was spotlighted. 

“We can also see that there is a wind-up, impact, and follow-through with the swipe, and that the contact can clearly be defined as unnecessary,” McCutcheon said. “This type of contact on a secondary motion by a defender contesting a shot is illegal and a flagrant foul can and may be called on this type of play.”

Warriors sixth man Buddy Hield, another prolific gunner who has seven seasons of 200 or more 3-point makes to his name, was also featured in the instructional video for officials.

Unsurprisingly, the Bahamian fan favorite is a fan of the crackdown on certain types of contests and closeouts.

“You’ve got some wild defenders out there … it’s interesting to see them finally starting to change it, and I think they’re moving in the right direction,” Hield told the Bay Area News Group.

Of course, that does not mean that any contest will be called a foul. Incidental contact with the hand on a closeout by a defender will not be an infraction. 

But the goal of the rule is to cut down on the egregious examples of defenders taking swings at shooters, something that will benefit the Warriors’ top player, who averaged 24.5 points per game last season despite the repeated uncalled fouls. 

“Hopefully, you’ll see him get one or two extra calls a night because of that rule change,” Hield said.

Curry took 969 jump shots during the regular season, many of which would have resulted in foul calls had the “Hi-Five” rule been in effect.

“It’ll help Steph. Every game, because of the relaxed rules on that the last few years, everybody out there is just trying to hammer him on the arm,” Kerr said. “So that’s a good change for him, and it’s a good change for everybody.”

Training camp injuries and notes

• Kerr said that Jimmy Butler did not practice on Friday or Saturday after rolling his ankle on Thursday. The coach said Butler may not play in Sunday’s preseason opener against the Lakers.
• Center Trayce Jackson-Davis is also questionable with a thumb injury, and rookie forward Alex Toohey will not play while dealing with a sore right knee, which the Australian called tendinitis during his media day availability on Monday. De’Anthony Melton is also out as he continues to rehab from a torn ACL.
• Kerr reiterated that the starters will not play more than 15 minutes, and added that every player on the active roster will is expected to get playing time on Sunday.