Spin off: intentionally trying to draw fouls

In some ways I agree. After watching three games for each player. Curry is twice the MVP Harden thinks he is.

Well you sample size of 3 playoff games certainly makes you qualified to judge for the regular season MVP...

After Curry just had the most Harden-esque game of his career with sub-30% shooting and needing 14 FT attempts and Harden put up 42 points on 60+% shooting? Trolling or not watching very closely?

Back on point, I've always felt they should tighten up on offensive players that diverge from their direct path to the basket just to initiate contact with a defender. It's tough to legislate exactly what is and isn't legal guarding position though and usually when these plays happen both players are moving in to each other somewhat so it's natural to give the advantage to the offensive player.

As it is now, any contact (other than push-offs, elbows, act.) that isn't the defender being between the offensive player and the goal and getting hit squarely is called a defensive foul. If you can't keep a guy like Harden in front of you, he's either taking advantage of the rule by veering into the desperately recovering defender once he's got them on his hip or taking advantage of lazy/unfocused defenders who lazily have their hands low at their sides instead of high and swiping up through their arms. It's hard to legislate either of these out, as defenders could easily take advantage of not being called for fouls for leaving their arms out to impede motion and offensive players should have the freedom to dribble where they please if the defense isn't cutting them off.

I agree with both proposed rule changes

I agree.

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but there doesn't need to be a rule change, refs just need to become more knowledgable in this area. It's an offensive foul, and some refs actually call it as that, but very few do. If they watch film in the offseason like they should and learn the tendencies of certain players, guys like Chris Paul and James Harden should be called for a lot more offensive fouls next season.

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The problem is alot of their cheap fouls are initiating contact against guys that are in lazy, illegal guarding positions. If you don't give them these calls, then the advantage will swing too far back to the defense and defenders will take advantage by keeping their arms outstretched since the refs won't give the offensive player the call because they "initiated" the contact. You need to be allowed to initiate contact against defenders that are illegally obstructing you. It's a difficult give and take, as whichever way you go with it smart players will take the rules to the extremes to exploit them.