Security

 

Former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy is one of the more balanced analysts covering the 2013 playoffs.  He said something I totally agreed with last night.  "The team has to be of the mindset that it's all about the next play. You have to learn to play through the bad calls and keep it moving". Having said that, This bad officiating is getting out of hand. The Memphis Grizzlies have loss at least two games in the playoffs  Don't mention the regular season. Van Gundy also suggested that coaches be given two challenges each game for bad calls committed by the referees. After daring players and coaches to speak out of fear of being fined. That would be fair for all involved at  the least.

But I doubt that will ever happen. If the league wasn't involved. David Stern would address this. Charges of cheating would have come up at some point. When the ref makes a bad call that changes the outcome of the game and you see it plain as day on instant replay. The thing is the large market teams have no complaints. Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant and Blake Griffin aren't complaining. They get most of the calls anyway. Durant doesn't foul too much, he is too busy shooting jumpers. But the others hang out in the paint on the regular  How can  the most aggressive player in the league never commit a foul? Lebron James played 254 consecutive minutes without a foul during  regular season. When you average over twenty--five  points a game.it helps when at least ten of them are at the free throw line.

As coach of a team who seldom gets those calls. Lionel Hollins let the cat out of the bag. In Rudy Gay he coached a marquee player who didn't always necessarily get those calls.The Grizzlies unlike the Clippers the Heat.and the Lakers couldn't always depend on those extra points. According to Hollins and I agree. "The league is into hyping certain players". The fans don't want those players sitting on the bench no matter what. In the Chicago series Lebron James started a fight with the guy that was guarding him and got the short  end of the stick. In a strange turn of events. The referee ejected  Najr Muhammed from the game  Lebron James scored twenty points after that. He should have been ejected too. That's not calling it down the middle.  The referees are providing security.