NBA Takes…with Teresa: Are the refs ruling or ruining the game?
March has been a month for weird officiating. Has the game turned into the officials vs. players? It is ruining the game and the fun for the players and the fans.
Last week I took a break from NBA Takes, and my colleague, Chris Phillips, did a piece on the referee calls that should be removed from the game. In it, he said,
“The NBA game is changing and not for the better. Selective enforcement of rules, actual or imagined, is tearing apart a great sport.”
During this month, and up until this past Monday, officials, in my opinion, are ruining and ruling the game. I agree with Chris 100 percent. Recent calls on even the NBA’s elite players are proving something is terribly wrong.
Let’s call it like it is. James Harden does not get calls unless it’s a blatant foul. Now that he is a member of the Brooklyn Nets, he gets the advantage. Now I’m a Knicks fan, and I’ve never denied it. On Monday, the refs made an egregious call on Julius Randle. I realize now that maybe Randle did walk. But what about the inconsistencies. Why was RJ Barrett called for fouls when Kyrie Irving did the same things and was not?
As Chris said, “selective enforcement.” His is an article you must read if you are a fan of the game of basketball.
Protecting the Zebras not the game
The first half of the season saw all-star players draw fines because they publicly criticized the officials. They had every reason to complain. Unfortunately, their pleas were either ignored or assessed fines. Two of the stars hit with fines play on the same team.
Meanwhile, the President of the Players’ Association is non-existent. He’s been more like the president of not standing up for his players. So far, not a thing from him. That’s right, as of this time, there has been no word from Chris Paul.
Paying for it
Whether on the court or after the game, there’s a long list of players victimized by the officials and then penalized for speaking out.
- Julius Randle of the Knicks – no call or right call, which possibly cost Knicks the game or overtime play.
- No foul call on Khris Middleton in Bucks vs. Wizards game Monday night. The referee said the call was correct because there was only “marginal contact.” (Contact is a foul, right?)
- Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert fined $25,000 each for “publicly complaining about the officials.”
- Michael Carter-Williams and Terrence Ross were fined $15,000 each for verbal abuse of ref and taking their time leaving the court.
- Montrezl Harrell received a tech for shouting, “And 1.”
- Donovan Mitchell ejected with 30.5 seconds remaining in a tight game. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid was inciting the ref to tech him and didn’t get a single call.
- Devin Booker was ejected in another intense game for 1) complaining too much and 2) verbal abuse complaints about the first technical.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo got a technical for making mean faces at Karl Anthony-Towns.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is sick of not getting calls. He had this to say:
“For me, it’s just frustrating how physical people can be when defending me in certain situations. In our last road trip, I had back-to-back games with five fouls, about to foul out just playing normal defense. I’m going to the rim getting smacked in the head. I’m getting grabbed. Getting slapped on the arms. Getting pushed in the back. I mean, that’s the frustrating thing for me.”
Where is the commish?
Adam Silver had this to say.
The data shows “nothing aberrational” is happening in terms of accuracy of officials’ calls or technical fouls.
I will say everyone is under enormous pressure this year. The officials aren’t exempt from that. They are also operating under our sort of work quarantine protocols.
I’m not anxious to necessarily repeat those words, but everybody has to find the right balance in a pandemic and be mindful of the stress.
Silver also believes that officials hear things they wouldn’t usually hear in packed arenas. Tell that to Giannis.
I don’t know if I can say this, but Silver is so full of it. These same officials treat some players differently than other players. There are different rules and standards for James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and LeBron James.
This and that
Other than the officials, there’s not much to talk about. There are trade rumors, injuries – Kevin Durant out another one to two weeks and Anthony Davis out another two to three weeks. Without them, the Nets and Lakers need not apply for the NBA Finals.
That’s it for this week. March Madness begins this Saturday. Keep an eye on Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs. The freshman is something special.
Related story: NBA Trade Deadline – Choosing a direction for the Portland Trail Blazers
From all of us at PNWS, stay healthy and safe!