Scoring explosions have become the new normal in today’s NBA, but not everyone is celebrating the offensive boom. League-wide defensive slippage has drawn increasing concern as teams routinely surpass the 100-point mark, and the 2025-26 season’s current average of 116.6 points per game sits just two points below the all-time record set in the 1961-62 season.
As the debate intensifies over why defense seems to be disappearing, Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is adding his voice to the conversation, and he believes tightening up how foul-baiting is judged could be a meaningful step toward restoring balance.
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Fred VanVleet Weighs In on NBA’s Defensive Drop-Off
While fans may enjoy the nightly barrage of dunks, deep threes, and highlight-reel scoring, the league is quickly approaching a point where offense feels overwhelming. The Denver Nuggets currently boast offensive ratings above 120, and many observers believe the product is suffering as their defensive structure continues to erode.
When NBA writer Matt Moore raised similar concerns on social media, VanVleet jumped into the discussion, asking what solutions might actually shift the balance back toward defense.
“Not as much leeway on screens/illegal screen angles where guard gets hung? More on-ball contact closer to handchecking,” Moore replied. “It seems to me like the biggest problem is you can’t stop perimeter penetration which gets the defense in rotation which always favors offense (ball moves faster than man).”
“That combined with the space you have to cover now leads to the breakdowns and high percentage looks not just from deep but on short roll lobs. But I’d love your thoughts.”
But VanVleet focused on something else entirely: officiating. According to the Rockets guard, foul-baiting is one of the biggest culprits behind inflated scoring, and he believes referees could officiate it more strictly, similar to how they handle it in the postseason.
“Players are always ahead of the rules and then the rules have to catch up. I think foul baiting could be judged better like it is in the playoffs. But do fans want playoff style officiating all year? Regular season would be a bloodbath,” he wrote.
The idea of playoff-level physicality from October to April might be extreme. Still, VanVleet’s point hits at a broader league-wide dilemma: offense has evolved much faster than the rulebook. Since hand-checking was removed in 2004-05, scoring has steadily climbed year after year. Reintroducing some form of controlled hand-checking, or simply officiating perimeter contact with more leniency, could help rein in the current offensive explosion.
As the debate continues, VanVleet himself remains sidelined. The veteran guard, who signed a two-year, $50 million extension with the Rockets in the offseason, tore his ACL in September and has yet to play this year. His return hasn’t been officially ruled out, but Houston has found a surprising rhythm in his absence.
With Kevin Durant leading the way, the Rockets have surged to a 15-6 record and sit fourth in the Western Conference, keeping themselves firmly in contention while awaiting VanVleet’s potential comeback.