When the NBA announced referees would no longer be instructed to call fouls on plays involving unnatural shooting motions this season, Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden was an obvious player who might be impacted. Harden has excelled at seeking out and creating contact as a way to get to the free throw line.
Lo and behold, Harden was off to a surprisingly poor start to the 2021-22 NBA regular season, averaging 16.6 points over his first five games and shooting 36% from the field before breaking out Friday night for 29 points while draining 16 of 19 free throws. Harden told reporters earlier this week that he's "slowly getting back" to where he was before dealing with a series of hamstring injuries last season, including one he played through during the Nets' seven-game conference semifinals loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Does that explanation hold up? This week's mailbag investigates along with considering the eras of NBA history. Throughout the NBA season, I answer your questions about the latest, most interesting topics in basketball. You can tweet me directly at @kpelton, tweet your questions using the hashtag #peltonmailbag or email them to peltonmailbag@gmail.com.