Overthinking Time and Distance

[Back In The Saddle]

In studying 4-23 recently and thinking through scenarios, I invented one for which I can't conclusively determine the answer. Here's how it goes.

If a ballhandler goes airborne, then a defender moves into an otherwise legal guarding position just beyond where he will land, then the ball handler lands, then he contacts the guard, I believe that's a player control foul. 4-23-4-b ends when the ballhandler returns to the floor, and no time and distance are given to the ballhandler. So LGP is established the instant the ballhandler touches down.

If the same scenario is played out for a moving offensive player without the ball, then I think the contact must be a block because even after 4-23-5-d ends, the otherwise legal defender must still allow time and distance per 4-23-5-a,b,c.

Assuming that is all correct, what about a hybrid scenario. What if the airborne ballhandler passes before he lands? Is he then a moving offensive player without the ball and entitled to time and distance? Or do we treat him as a ballhandler still? Does it matter if the pass occurs before or after the defender takes his position?

If I were to see this I would probably consider it a pass-and-crash and call a team control foul. Would I be correct? What rule would I use to back up the call, either way?