Bad news: Referees for Game 4

[wdleehi]

I don't understand why, for the finals, the nba doesn't anounce the ref assignments all at once before the start of the series. I mean, there are no ther games going on so no scheduling problems. The refs must know who is reffing game 4 before game 1 starts.

I don't understand why they just don't use one crew for the series. 

You kidding?  With all the controversy attached to individual refs for their performance in a single game, imagine if the same refs got trotted out for every game that series.  Look at Joey Crawford in the Spurs-Lakers series.  Whether you think the last call was right or wrong, is there any way he officiates 1-3 more games in that series without that call looking over his shoulder?  He would have to be psychologically superhuman for that call, and the controversy around it, to not affect his later officiating in some way or another. 

If the same refs were assigned to every game the refs would be given as much attention and importance in the series as the star players.  Nobody wants refs to be the center of attention - it's bad news for the league when refs are seen as major factors in deciding a game, and far worse when "oh, and he's reffing every single game for the rest of the series too" is attached.

The biggest issue is inconsistency.  If that isn't there, there is less to point at.


Officials that are home biased will be home biased for both teams. 


Player are able to adjust to how the game is played.




And if one crew does a real hatchet job, it will be easier to point out. 

[Ersatz]

  That ship sailed in the first half of game 3 when the Lakers built up their (widely predicted) 20-4 FT advantage. If Stern tries to point to the finals as proof that the refs are fair and unbiased he'll get laughed off the stage.

I disagree. In the first halves games 2 and 3 the more aggressive team went to the line more often. In game 2 Pierce was driving early and got fouls; in game 3, he settled for jumpers early and didn't. Kobe was the opposite. The discrepancy was due mostly to the players, not the officials.

[fairweatherfan]

I don't understand why, for the finals, the nba doesn't anounce the ref assignments all at once before the start of the series. I mean, there are no ther games going on so no scheduling problems. The refs must know who is reffing game 4 before game 1 starts.

I don't understand why they just don't use one crew for the series. 

You kidding?  With all the controversy attached to individual refs for their performance in a single game, imagine if the same refs got trotted out for every game that series.  Look at Joey Crawford in the Spurs-Lakers series.  Whether you think the last call was right or wrong, is there any way he officiates 1-3 more games in that series without that call looking over his shoulder?  He would have to be psychologically superhuman for that call, and the controversy around it, to not affect his later officiating in some way or another. 

If the same refs were assigned to every game the refs would be given as much attention and importance in the series as the star players.  Nobody wants refs to be the center of attention - it's bad news for the league when refs are seen as major factors in deciding a game, and far worse when "oh, and he's reffing every single game for the rest of the series too" is attached.

The biggest issue is inconsistency.  If that isn't there, there is less to point at.


Officials that are home biased will be home biased for both teams. 


Player are able to adjust to how the game is played.




And if one crew does a real hatchet job, it will be easier to point out. 

I think what usually upsets people isn't inconsistency from game to game, it's inconsistency within the same game - just like balls and strikes in baseball, if a crew establishes early what will and won't be called, and sticks with it, people rarely complain as much (though, some folks will always complain, of course).  It's when people see one play called as a foul, then a similar play not whistled, that they start ranting about conspiracies and rigging. 

Different crews calling things differently is accepted in every sport - it's when players and fans feel that the boundaries keep shifting from play to play that they get frustrated. 

[BballTim]

  That ship sailed in the first half of game 3 when the Lakers built up their (widely predicted) 20-4 FT advantage. If Stern tries to point to the finals as proof that the refs are fair and unbiased he'll get laughed off the stage.

I disagree. In the first halves games 2 and 3 the more aggressive team went to the line more often. In game 2 Pierce was driving early and got fouls; in game 3, he settled for jumpers early and didn't. Kobe was the opposite. The discrepancy was due mostly to the players, not the officials.

  You could easily argue it the other way around. If Kobe and the Lakers expect the refs to favor them, won't he drive more? Won't the Lakers appear to be more aggressive? It's like a self-fulfilling prophesy.

  My point wasn't that the refs were unfair and made us lose. Chris made the comment "This series could be make or break for the leagues credibility with the public and their fans". If the refs had done something other than what everyone knew they were going to do the league could point to that as an example that the refs are on the level. Since they didn't, the conspiracy theorists can point to the game to support their argument.

[jaketwice]

I'm tired of the difference in these games being the free throws - as is apparent from the stat line of each game: the team who shot the most free throws won.

Also: free throws are boring.

there may have been a difference in free throw attempts in game three, but we could have overcome the difference if we actually made some more of our attempts. No excuse for that. Just because LA is choking at the free throw line doesn't mean we have to follow their lead.

Without the FTs, neither team would have necessarily won games 2 or 3. 

You know the officiating is bad because it is outcome determinative. That should never be the case. Whether that is because the NBA is too protectionist as regards the players, because the league is fixing games, because certain referees have a bias or just plain suck - or whether it is for some other reason remains to be seen.

It is clear, in any case, that the referees can determine the outcome of the game. I think when the disparity in FTAs is greater than the margin of victory it gives the impression of cheating to the losing side.

That's a normal reaction. The NBA needs to remedy the problem before it loses all credibility. The Game 2 victory felt hollow to me, given the free throw disparity. I am not sure whether I will be watching next year. Stern is blowing it.

Personally, I think the refs should be limited in the number of FTAs they are allowed to grant, and the refs who work the finals should be the refs who allow the fewest free throws attempts.


Game 3: 87-81    (Lakers Win: FTAS: 34(LA)-22(BOS))
Game 2: 108-102  (Celtics Win: FTAS: 38(BOS)-10(LA))
Game 1: 98-88    (Celtics Win: FTAS: 35(BOS)-28 (LA))

Link to Boxes

[Triboy16]

kobe that whinner should of had 7 by now. He is such a baby

[Sweet17]

Personally, I think the refs should be limited in the number of FTAs they are allowed to grant, and the refs who work the finals should be the refs who allow the fewest free throws attempts.

No. Then team would maul the crap out of eachother. There is such a thing as a legitimate foul. <g>

[Triboy16]

The nba needs to develop college basketball style refereeing. Only legit fouls alowed not the contraversial types. In college basketball also dives are hardly called which is a good thing.

i also have an idea if a team gets fouled with less then a minute left they have to make both free throws or else if they miss the first one, it is considered a new possesion just like college. This could make comeback possibilities more exciting

[crownsy]

  That ship sailed in the first half of game 3 when the Lakers built up their (widely predicted) 20-4 FT advantage. If Stern tries to point to the finals as proof that the refs are fair and unbiased he'll get laughed off the stage.

I disagree. In the first halves games 2 and 3 the more aggressive team went to the line more often. In game 2 Pierce was driving early and got fouls; in game 3, he settled for jumpers early and didn't. Kobe was the opposite. The discrepancy was due mostly to the players, not the officials.

to expand on ball's point, pierce did drive twice in the first 4-5 minutes and you know what he got?

mauled into a TO with no call.

kobe meanwhile got balled out on 2 flailing drive in the first quarter with late foul calls.

i think if i were kobe i'd be a little more confident driving once i smelled which way the wind was blowing, and vice versa for pierce don't you?

[BleedinGreen417]

And the hits keep on coming... KG gets mugged, no foul, breakaway score for the Lakers and then Doc gets the technical... 

[Jon]

The Celtics are playing like crap, but the refs are making it worse.