Who comes to mind when you think of foul grifters – the guys that bend the NBA rulebook to their advantage by drawing fouls through unnatural movements? James Harden and his hooking of the defender’s arms? Jalen Brunson and Trae Young, with their ability to stop short in front of the defense, essentially causing defenders to commit rear-end collisions? Or maybe Joel Embiid, who throws his body into opposing players and somehow ends up on the ground during seemingly 50% of offensive possessions? All of these answers make sense.
But, don’t forget about the 7-foot-2 Latvian man on the Boston Celtics whose under-the-radar foul baiting technique has propelled his post-up game into one of the league’s most efficient plays. His name is Kristaps Porzingis.
A note on foul baiting
Before going any further, I must make something clear. While I know it might make you angry, it must be said: foul baiting is a skill. The term obviously has a negative connotation within basketball circles; when we see a player make an unnatural shooting motion or drive to the hoop exclusively with the goal of getting fouled, we don’t want them to be rewarded with free throws. It feels wrong. It feels unethical. But we need to reframe our thinking to understand that foul grifting is simply a function of players taking full advantage of the NBA rulebook. Don’t hate the player. Hate the game.
If foul baiting weren’t a skill, everyone would do it. Everyone would bulldoze into defenders and rip through defenders’ arms. But in reality, very few have mastered it, and that’s because it requires body control, footwork, pace and IQ (among many other skills) to effectively carry out the strategy.
Porzingis in the post
Kristaps Porzingis has been a premier NBA post-up player since he got to the Celtics. In the 2023-2024 season, there were 36 players who had more than 100 post ups; of those players, Porzingis had the best points per possession (1.30) of anyone. This year, there are 23 players who have had more than 100 post up opportunities; again, the Unicorn ranks first in points per possession (1.20).
Many have pointed to the Celtics’ unique offensive spacing as the key factors in Kristaps’ post-up success. Boston’s 5-out spacing and dynamic switch-hunting system often leaves Porzingis alone on the block with a smaller defender on him and four other shooters spaced out on the perimeter – the dream post-up scenario. However, people leave out one pivotal point when it comes to KP’s post success: he is a wizard (no pun intended) when it comes to drawing fouls in the post.
Of the 23 players with more than 100 post-ups this season, Porzingis is fouled more than anyone else – a whopping 24.1% of the time. The next highest foul rate is Julius Randle at 19.1%.
So, how does he do it?
The vast majority of Porzingis’ drawn fouls in the post come from his patented rip-through move. He’s often guarded by smaller players who try to swipe low at the ball and get a hand on it before he’s able to get into his shooting motion – because once he gets into his shooting motion, he’s too big and long to contest – but KP uses this to his advantage by feeling the contact and getting into his shooting motion immediately. He uses a combination of IQ and feel to pick the perfect time to rip through.
Here, the Latvian legend knows Sexton is going to swipe down at the rock, so he strongly holds the ball and rips it right through his arms. This is probably the most textbook example of the Porzingis rip-through you’ll see. Easy free throws. If you’ve watched the Celtics enough, you are quite familiar with this move.
The rip-through move can work on larger players, too. As soon as Porzingis senses Claxton’s hands on his back, he knows it’s time to spin and get right into his shooting motion. He seeks out the contact at the perfect time; if he had been a second later, Claxton might’ve had time to pull his hands back and force him into a bad shot.
Much of Kristaps’ foul-drawing success can be attributed to the rip-through move, but there’s something else going on as well: opposing players LOVE being physical with him. Defenders clearly view him as soft and weak, thinking they can push him around – but rather than fighting back with physicality, Porzingis just baits them into fouls. It happens in the post, but some of the most illustrative examples of this phenomenon come away from the ball.
Royce O’Neal simply cannot help himself. He sees the lanky 7-footer and his ego gets the best of him. He thinks to himself, “I have a lower center of gravity than this guy. He looks awkward and tall. Let’s see how he handles some physicality.” And before you know it, KP is falling backwards.
Kristaps Porzingis has solidified himself as one of – if not the best – post-up players in the NBA. The Celtics system certainly empowers him by placing him in advantageous mismatches and spacing the floor, but we must not forget that KP is one of the best foul grifters in the NBA – and no, that’s not a bad thing.
