Everything Kawhi Leonard

[planetmars]

Out of curiosity anyone know how the calls are going for the Bucks?

Tried to watch a bit of game 3 and just couldn't do it. Just a really boring series.

Anyway from nba.com/stats.. Pistons are 15th in FTA (we're 16th). Bucks are 10th. 23.7 compares to 18.0. So Bucks are getting to the line more. They are also beating the Pistons by double digits every game though. I don't think its the fouls that are the reason.

[G__Deane]

If you think it's a NBA-wide conspiracy, as some do, then it's hard to figure out how to make the "why?" match the "how?"

I don't think it's a conspiracy. I *do* think there are multiple reasons why refereeing is uneven between crews and between players and teams, and that there are even some of them that would be difficult for the league to deal with even if they were determined to do so.

A number of those reasons come stem from the fact that it is nearly impossible for the league to completely insulate their refereeing crews from sports media. I do think that the number one factor in star calls and favorable whistles towards specific teams is how the media presents teams and their players. I think that conscious and/or unconscious biases take root when the media, for example, anoints players as being incredibly talented or superstar players, or describes them in very specific ways, and that affects how players are officiated. (This goes a long, long way to explaining how Harden is currently officiated, for instance.)

When you compare how Kawhi and Derozan have been officiated in Toronto, or even how pre-injury and post-injury Kawhi gets officiated, you can see how this works. Derozan has been consistently portrayed as athletic and talented, and tends to get the calls, especially against lesser opponents and teams. Kawhi in San Antonio consistently received more favorable officiating in part because he emerged as a talent from a young age, and in part from the Popovich effect where San Antonio is perceived as a championship caliber team (even aside from Pops working the refs) that drafts high-caliber players and maximizes their talents. Kawhi in Toronto is a question mark because of the injury, still has some lingering character issues in the minds of many because of the prolonged spat between Kawhi's camp and Popovich/the Spurs, and is currently seen as the product of hard work more than talent. I think all of these factors work into how at least some of the refs see Kawhi, and if this is the case, it's going to take at least another six months to a year for how Kawhi is officiated to consistently approach how he was being officiated in San Antonio.

On a related topic, I do *not* think there is a consistent conscious anti-Canadian bias in NBA officiating, but I *do* think the fact the US media (which will be the primary NBA media most referees watch) pretty consistently covers US teams with more interest and more positivity than the Raptors does result in something of an unconscious bias against the Raptors much of the time.

The good news for us is that Milwaukee, who is likely a more difficult matchup for us than Philly is likely to be, also has some of the same media and respect issues that we do with the officials, being in the shadow of the Jordan Bulls and in the shadow of the larger Chicago media market in general. It's worth noting that talented players in Chicago tend to get their tires pumped in the national media more so than equally talented players in Milwaukee do; I expect that if one did a deep data dive, you would find that officiating would track in Chicago's favor (relatively speaking) for an long time. It would be a good test case for this.

Giannis is the new NBA AND media darling. The dude is uber-talented and media/marketing friendly. He'll get more calls than almost anyone and earns them mostly. Harden DEMANDS his. Durant gets his. No way any current Chicago player will get more than Giannis in the foreseeable future just based on the city. Now, whether the NBA marketing machine would prefer to see him in a larger American venue is another story altogether..

[Puffer]

I'm trying to figure out the underlying motive for such a foul discrepancy. It can't simply be about TV ratings, can it? I mean, there are MUCH smaller market teams in the playoffs than Toronto.

Hard to imagine lower possible TV ratings when you get exactly zero revenue from one of the teams participating. ESPN earns nothing from Canadian viewership.

[golden]

All aboard the hype train....

[G__Deane]

All aboard the hype train....

Kendricks is an ex-Boston Celtic. Never trust a Celtic.....he's up to something

[Nilanka]

Playoff scoring leaders



https://ca.nba.com/news/nba-playoffs...l1rrcc1aan4ac5

[Apollo]

Stephen A is already out in front of the Raptors/76ers series suggesting that the Raptors cannot beat the 76ers if Embiid is healthy.

[KeonClark]

Stephen A is already out in front of the Raptors/76ers series suggesting that the Raptors cannot beat the 76ers if Embiid is healthy.

I think its that time again for one of my favorite videos

[Apollo]

I think its that time again for one of my favorite videos

LOL! That was great, thanks.

[G__Deane]

Stephen A is already out in front of the Raptors/76ers series suggesting that the Raptors cannot beat the 76ers if Embiid is healthy.

Provides himself a nice little built in excuse: Embiid must not have been healthy

[007]

Stephen A is already out in front of the Raptors/76ers series suggesting that the Raptors cannot beat the 76ers if Embiid is healthy.

After what Gasol has done to Vucevic I’m confident in his ability to take on Embiid

[slaw]

I think its that time again for one of my favorite videos

He's an expert!

[G__Deane]

After what Gasol has done to Vucevic I’m confident in his ability to take on Embiid

Embiid is a different animal to Vucevic. When he's healthy, Embiis is one of the bigest loads in the league to slow down and handle in the paint. He's also the recipient of more than his fair share of favourable calls and he's very vocal. And if he gets Gasol in early foul trouble, we're in trouble.

[DogeLover1234]

Stephen A is already out in front of the Raptors/76ers series suggesting that the Raptors cannot beat the 76ers if Embiid is healthy.

Such a weird take if youve watched both teams this playoffs, especially since Embiid is clearly hurt.

Though I suppose the guy has never cared about the accuracy of his predictions.

[slaw]

Embiid is a different animal to Vucevic. When he's healthy, Embiis is one of the bigest loads in the league to slow down and handle in the paint. He's also the recipient of more than his fair share of favourable calls and he's very vocal. And if he gets Gasol in early foul trouble, we're in trouble.

Well, it's not going to be a Gasol shutting him down for 7 games or Embiid going off for 7 games event. It will be back and forth. Some games Gasol will get the better of it and some games Embiid will get the better of Gasol.

While Toronto matches up well with Philly, the Sixers have a bunch of very good players and they are all going to pose problems. Raps just need to get the better of them more often than not.... they won't dominate Philly the way the have dominated the Magic.