.. None of this happens by accident. Ilyasova studies game film and scouting reports. He knows which players tend to go to their left after they pump fake. And he knows which players are poor outside shooters, giving him the leeway to back off and bait them into driving. He can usually sense where they want to go. His job is to get there first.
.. “I wish there was a stat line for charges,” he said. “It should count as a block or a steal or something like that.”
.. If the defender takes the brunt of the contact between his shoulder blades, in the chest, Strom told Javie, there is a good chance that he was the first player to the spot.
.. Javie cited Dennis Rodman and Shane Battier as two former players who were exceptionally skilled at drawing charges. Rodman had the quickest feet in the league, Javie said.