NBA Charge Foul rules

[just another ref]

Originally Posted by Old School

The defender did not try to play defense, he tried to beat him to the spot. That is not playing defense. The issue is the athlete is so much quicker, now you mix in a gifted D1 scholarship athlete getting beat to the spot by a lower level player who wouldn't even make the NAIA, who ruins his career.

Beating someone to the spot, thus gaining legal guarding position, is certainly one of the cornerstones of good defense. No matter what "gifted athlete" you are, you better look where you are going.

Along these lines, this is one of the things I like about basketball, as compared to other sports. If you have no athletic ability at all, if all you can do is stand and take up space, if you take up the right space, you can sometimes help your team.