If the refs call it, then the players will adjust. It's kind of like potty training your dog. If you don't set the expectation - there is no way they will inherently follow the rule.
The fans will boo, not go to the games, etc. They want to see a Dr. J dazzle them, not get called for traveling and turn it over. The NBA changes rules periodically and the refs start calling things tight early on and then they get lax about it. Sorta like in baseball they have fantom tags and a lot of the time the umps will let you get away with being near the base (on a double play, etc.) rather than making you touch the base and get in a collision.
Sounds to me like you need to go watch some ESPN Hardwood Classic NBA games. The game was much more physical back in the 80s-90s era and much harder for the PG/SG to get into the paint and score the ball.
In Denny's third video the game play announcers even say they place all the blame on the ref who didn't call a foul on Jordan for knocking Dumars out of bounds to get the rebound.
Agree with Tester; just call the rules and player will adjust. If they want to allow 3 steps just change the rule. I think NBA refs are real good for the most part; sometimes it hard to tell when a call is real close. It was much worse 20+ years ago.
We have to root for them to go for it, because they're playing Memphis twice. Plus, it'll be good to remember that we dealt them their most devastating loss of the season the year they broke the record.
Hand-checking rules were changed in 1994. Sure they added flagrant 1 flagrant-2. Flagrant fouls were still flagrant fouls they simply decided to parse the two. Again, you can call them rule changes or you can call them points of emphasis. There's been a point of emphasis on rough play and hits to the Head so what is to be done about it? It was a point of emphasis on hand-checking and how it was displacing the offensive player. And checking was disrupting the players Rhythm, balance, speed, and quickness.
