NBA & Refs in Playoffs - RR Conspiracy Theory thread

[psrs1]

Nick Kyoreos on board re this. He tweeted in regards to this tonight in game 4 thread.

[Lark Benson]

Just wanted to add that I honestly think a big part of the problem is that Raps fans have been so starved for not only the playoffs but playoff success that they're not used to the roller coaster ride that is NBA playoff officiating when you're really invested in a team and seeing things subjectively. The officiating has been brutal on both sides, completely inconsistent. Neither team has an advantage when you don't know how contact is going to be called from one possession to the next.

[Ambidextrious]

NBA is going to definitely pressure the Refs to favour Shooklyn. Just watch!

[slaw]

Joey Crawford was awful in the Game 3 for Portland and Houston.

The officiating was awful in the Hawks Pacers Game 4.

It isn't just Toronto. It's almost every game.

[white men can't jump]

Joey Crawford was awful in the Game 3 for Portland and Houston.

The officiating was awful in the Hawks Pacers Game 4.

It isn't just Toronto. It's almost every game.

Yup. Did you catch the Wiz-Bulls today? Ridiculous. If the whistle was even close to fair, Washington would've blown them out by like 30+ points. The Bulls looked like a D-league team compared to them for most of the game.

[Scraptor]

Joey Crawford was awful in the Game 3 for Portland and Houston.

The officiating was awful in the Hawks Pacers Game 4.

It isn't just Toronto. It's almost every game.

Joey Crawford is a special case. The guy is terrible.

I think the officiating has been inconsistent to the point where fans and teams are fixated on it. But I don't think the refs are biased towards one team or another, aside from slightly favoring the home team due to the pressure of the crowd. (Or granting superstar calls, because that's the way David Stern guided the league the last couple decades.)

The reffing has been mostly fair this series. We definitely got away with a few calls in game 4.

[Axel]

Did anyone really not expect the refs to be performing like this?

I'm not convinced of any conspiracy, but I am open to it being possible (I mean if Jose Canseco can be proven right, then Tim Donaghy has at least a fighting chance), but it's all irrelevant. NBA playoffs are more physical. Always have been, always will be. We knew the Nets would want to try and bully the Raps, and would work the refs; so again, what surprise has there been?

Win despite the calls. If you go for a lay-up, you'll get fouled, miss the shot and might not get the call. Dunk, finish strong; then it doesn't matter if the ref makes the call or not. On defence, there isn't much you can do to prevent bad calls, so just keep moving your feet to stay in front of your man, and when you foul, foul hard.

[Primer]

The non-calls are what really get me. When they show a replay and Garnett is shoving the shit out JV while they go for a rebound, and a ref is standing 2 feet away watching them, and doesn't call a foul, it's just ridiculous. It wasn't even disguised as a basketball move. He just put both hands on JV's chest and pushed him away. Hell, JV was even called for a foul on one of those because Garnett pushed him into Blatche. The ref was right fucking there watrching the whole damn thing, that's what gets me.

[Primer]

I laugh.

I laugh because people are so blind.

This situation has zero to do with the NUMBER of foul shots.

Its about what call, and when, and on who.

You look down the stretch.... you cannot miss if you're toronto because Brooklyn has Pierce, and pierce is either scoring, or there is a whistle. its that simple.

I look at the off the ball stuff too.... Toronto gets mugged a lot.

I dont care anymore to be honest, the Raptors have yet to execute MY game plan..... if they had, they'd be getting ready to win 3 straight right now.


they need many, MANY hard fouls on NJ's key guys. Just absolutely hammer them to the floor. Break a hand on a lay up..... just kill um. make them sore, and tired, make PP and KG have to get up off the floor a lot..... it makes a difference.

toronto refuses to do it though.

I'm sure the refs would start throwing technicals, flagrants, and ejections out way in a jiffy if we played your game plan. Did you see the bullshit technical on JV while he was getting punched in the stomach by Livingston? And you think we could get away with hammering their guys? Not a chance.

[white men can't jump]

The non-calls are what really get me. When they show a replay and Garnett is shoving the shit out JV while they go for a rebound, and a ref is standing 2 feet away watching them, and doesn't call a foul, it's just ridiculous. It wasn't even disguised as a basketball move. He just put both hands on JV's chest and pushed him away. Hell, JV was even called for a foul on one of those because Garnett pushed him into Blatche. The ref was right fucking there watrching the whole damn thing, that's what gets me.

Yeah, it's pretty annoying. Quantitatively the series doesn't seem unfairly reffed on paper...but qualitatively? They are being allowed to be much more physical and dirty. It's frustrating because some of the plays are not even basketball plays. Last night in game 4, that play where DeMar stayed down after being hit on a shot...well Pierce flat out threw an elbow into his ribs as DeMar landed. He extended his arm just to be able to elbow him. He wasn't in a position to contest or box out. He just took a cheap shot at him. I only saw it once, so maybe I'm overreacting and not remembering quite properly, but it fully looked like a flagrant foul to me. And it wasn't the only cheap shot they've taken at our guys in this series.

(I still want to see replays of what happened later in the game when Lowry was fouled and Amir went to help him up. It fully looked like KG swung/shoved toward the back of Amir's head. Not sure contact was made, but Amir did apparently have words for KG after the free throws, so I wonder if it was, and if so, why it wasn't called...*EDIT: managed to find crappy replays of the last minute. KG didn't take a swing, but he shoved Amir as Amir tried to clear him off Kyle to pick him up. So not that dirty, but still more than what JV got a tech for...)

[stooley]

Those non calls are the benefits of veteran "saviness".

Technically, there is probably a foul committed on a large majority of NBA possessions. But because of the ambiguity of the rules, context often plays an important part on calls.

The Nets just know what they'll be able to get away with. Sometimes it bites them in the ass, but generally that's part of their advantage.

A lot of our fouls are reach ins once the defender gets beat. That's going to get called every, single, time.

Now I'm not saying there haven't been bad calls, but it's going both ways. I thought a lot of those offensive fouls at the end of the game last night were VERY iffy.

[JawsGT]

I hate NBA refereeing, it's the absolute worst part of the entire package. I'm not really sure of any bias, although I am certainly suspicious, but after those 3(?) offensive fouls the Raps drew in last night's game late in the fourth then I am less likely to believe in a conspiracy. Those were the types of calls I was surprised the Raps would get at that stage in the game. But of course, maybe the NBA just wants to see a game 7 in this series lol Which is probably why the refs reviewed that Tech they handed out last night and subsequently decided JV should get one too. Good f'king job NBA!!

But bias aside, does anyone not realize that the type of officiating we have been seeing in these playoffs actually makes the games much less enjoyable? There are so many questionable calls and how many ticky-tack fouls do we see per game? Little to no contact gets called in one play, while a hack across the arms is a no-call on another play. The inconsistency is atrocious. Players have no idea how games are gonna be called. The playoffs are supposed to be more physical, so let them be and stop calling BS plays. The on-court product has been less enjoyable than it should be. So many delays (reviewing calls) and so many free throws that the games (not all obviously) have been slow and often a little boring.

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the refs know what to be doing, and maybe they don't because the NBA has a meeting with them before every game to tell them how to officiate. Seriously, if that is actually true, then f'ck me sideways the NBA truly sucks.

[white men can't jump]

I hate NBA refereeing, it's the absolute worst part of the entire package. I'm not really sure of any bias, although I am certainly suspicious, but after those 3(?) offensive fouls the Raps drew in last night's game late in the fourth then I am less likely to believe in a conspiracy. Those were the types of calls I was surprised the Raps would get at that stage in the game. But of course, maybe the NBA just wants to see a game 7 in this series lol Which is probably why the refs reviewed that Tech they handed out last night and subsequently decided JV should get one too. Good f'king job NBA!!

But bias aside, does anyone not realize that the type of officiating we have been seeing in these playoffs actually makes the games much less enjoyable? There are so many questionable calls and how many ticky-tack fouls do we see per game? Little to no contact gets called in one play, while a hack across the arms is a no-call on another play. The inconsistency is atrocious. Players have no idea how games are gonna be called. The playoffs are supposed to be more physical, so let them be and stop calling BS plays. The on-court product has been less enjoyable than it should be. So many delays (reviewing calls) and so many free throws that the games (not all obviously) have been slow and often a little boring.

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if the refs know what to be doing, and maybe they don't because the NBA has a meeting with them before every game to tell them how to officiate. Seriously, if that is actually true, then f'ck me sideways the NBA truly sucks.

Yup. Big time. It's hurting their product, and that's why in the long run I think they hopefully will find the need to improve somehow essential. It's terrible to see parts of games (that could alter the end outcome) dictated by poor officiating.

[Axel]

The non-calls are what really get me. When they show a replay and Garnett is shoving the shit out JV while they go for a rebound, and a ref is standing 2 feet away watching them, and doesn't call a foul, it's just ridiculous. It wasn't even disguised as a basketball move. He just put both hands on JV's chest and pushed him away. Hell, JV was even called for a foul on one of those because Garnett pushed him into Blatche. The ref was right fucking there watrching the whole damn thing, that's what gets me.

Again, I ask, does this somehow surprise you?

This type of action isn't new. I think too many Raptors fans don't remember what playoff basketball looks like at times.

[stooley]

Yup. Big time. It's hurting their product, and that's why in the long run I think they hopefully will find the need to improve somehow essential. It's terrible to see parts of games (that could alter the end outcome) dictated by poor officiating.

To call the game well, they'd need 5 refs on the court. Matchups have to be watched constantly, or else calls get made on the aftermath and not on the actual foul.

Flopping happens in basketball and soccer because the refs are undermanned, and it's also the reason the reffing is terrible.