NBA Basketball 2008-09: The Thread

[lazarus]

Ow Ming?

See you next season, Houston.

 

[thetitans2k]

With a two point lead and a foul to give (which refs should be knowledgeable of), Wright clearly intentionally fouls Carmelo on the wing. It's not called. He buries the shot and the Nuggets win by 1.

I'm sorry, but this clearly points to ineptitude in officiating. Look at this in the context of Kobe not getting suspended for an above the neck elbow. Look at this in the context of the asinine 2006 Finals. In no other sport can horrible officiating overshadow the game itself. I'm done. I'm fucking done. I love the Mavs. I love everyone involved in the franchise. But I can't support this league. As of right now, I'm not watching the NBA anymore.

People complain about refs in very sport. You could probably come up with three examples in any other sport. They're only human.

 

[RedRocksU2]

RIP Coach Daly.

 

[phillyfan26]

Most of the people I was watching the game with did not think it was a foul (about 50 people).

 

[LMP]

Most of the people I was watching the game with did not think it was a foul (about 50 people).

He shouldn't have put his hands up at the end either.

Even so, even the NBA is admitting that it was an error...

Didn't they replay a Heat game because of this about a year or so ago? Granted, it was a regular season game, but still.

 

[phillyfan26]

Who knows. The NBA is a circus league. College hoops wins every time.

 

[LMP]

They need to have a review system like the NFL, where the "booth" as well as the coaches can override calls at some point in the game. It would at least hold someone accountable for those kinds of errors.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Most of the people I was watching the game with did not think it was a foul (about 50 people).

I think he should have said something to the ref before the ball was placed into play, as in "I will foul him as soon as he gets the ball, be ready for the call", or just completely grabbed him instead of just reaching and throwing his arms up in the air.
I mean everyone knew that they had one foul to give.
I dunno.

 

[RedRocksU2]

Ow Ming?

See you next season, Houston.

Too bad. Yao was playing incredible.
I hate to win the series without having him in the other team.

 

[impy13]

I think he should have said something to the ref before the ball was placed into play, as in "I will foul him as soon as he gets the ball, be ready for the call", or just completely grabbed him instead of just reaching and throwing his arms up in the air.
I mean everyone knew that they had one foul to give.
I dunno.

He had already bumped him twice, the first time hard enough to set Anthony off his balance. The commentator even said "there's the foul... oh no they didn't call it." I don't see how it's anyone's responsibility to report the intention to the referees. Up two, eight seconds left, a foul to give? It's pretty damn obvious.

And about his arms, I don't think he should have given up on the play before the whistle, but it looked to me like he was trying to avoid it being a shooting foul by doing that. That's fine with me considering he had already fouled him on the floor. Twice. Keep in mind this is a game in which 61 (!) personal fouls were called. Some of the most ticky tack shit I've ever seen was called on both sides. Then they swallow the whistle in the one situation where it's obvious they're going to foul on purpose? Complete ineptitude.

NBA admits referees' error cost the Dallas Mavericks in the final seconds - ESPN

Thanks Sterny. A formal apology! We can all sleep sound tonight.

The official closest to the play was Mark Wunderlich, the same official who did not call a foul on Los Angeles' Derek Fisher at the end of Game 4 of last year's Western Conference finals.

In the post-Donaghy world, the guy needs to be fined or fired. He has determined the winner of two pivotal games. I'm not saying the Mavericks would have won the series (even winning the game isn't guaranteed if the foul gets called), but at 2-1 there is a chance. 3-0? It's over.

People complain about refs in very sport. You could probably come up with three examples in any other sport. They're only human.

A certain degree of human error is to be expected, but in no other sport can an official so clearly impact the result of a game. Yes, other sports have their occasional poor officiating, but the NBA is consistently the worst. Anyone with any basketball sense knows they're going to intentionally foul there and should be looking for it. It's like Game 5 of the 2006 Finals when Avery and Josh said they wanted their timeout after the second free throw and fucking Bennett Salvatore gave it in between the final two foul shots.

Here is another interesting link about the impact of officiating: http://www.dallasbasketball.com/fullColumn.php?id=1615

It's going to be Cleveland/LA. Ratings will be huge. Stern will jump into a vault of money a la Scrooge McDuck. And this shit will never stop until someone gets serious about fixing it.

 

[lazarus]

What in god's name is going on in Houston?

Congrats, Aaron Brooks. You're my new most hated player.

Fucking little rodent.

 

[Got Philk?]

I've always kind of thought the NBA is not for guys who are 7'4" or taller. too many injuries. I just don't think people that size...or their bodies...can handle running up and down the floor for an 82 game season.

p.s. Manute Bol weighed like 72 pounds. He doesn't count

 

[Got Philk?]

Ok, so lets say the Lakers win...then go on and lose at some point. Will this be another "if we had Bynum..." summer? Because I am starting to feel that this is a worthless excuse now...

But, we'll see what happens in the rest of the playoffs. I may have to eat my words.

 

[LMP]

Hard to win when it's 8-on-5, but Big Baby's shot at the end was unbelievable. The kid he knocked down afterward probably felt the same way.

 

[dan_smee]

once again, its hard to believe how much tension and excitement C's games can create by following live text updates

 

[namkcuR]

Hard to win when it's 8-on-5, but Big Baby's shot at the end was unbelievable. The kid he knocked down afterward probably felt the same way.

Bill Russell too. He was hyped.

 

[RedRocksU2]

That performance was much like the one from game 6 in the finals last year.

Fuck.
Fuck.

 

[speedracer]

Ok, so lets say the Lakers win...then go on and lose at some point. Will this be another "if we had Bynum..." summer? Because I am starting to feel that this is a worthless excuse now...

Staying healthy is a skill.

 

[CTU2fan]

Hard to win when it's 8-on-5

Funny I thought the same thing, so I guess that means the refs did a great job

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

The kid he knocked down afterward probably felt the same way.

one second you're pumped that your dad got you courtside seats and the magic are gonna go up 3-1, next second an overweight ticket stub knocks your hat off.

 

[CTU2fan]

A year ago Paul Pierce never makes that pass. Before that, he doesn't even think about making that pass.

I'm not sure if, in that situation, KG makes that shot. I'm not even sure he takes it.

 

[thetitans2k]

I feel like KG hit some big shots at the end of the game in his career. He would have for sure taken it because there was like 2 seconds on the clock and davis was wide open.

 

[Hewson]

The only question is would both Howard and Lewis have gone to Pierce if Garnett were out there. Likely not, and Pierce would have been single covered and taken the shot, but if they both went to Pierce he dishes to KG and thats Garnett's money shot.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

valid point.

YouTube - Glen Davis Game Winning Shot [HD]


there's a few ways you can defend a pick and roll, or in this case the pick and pop...
-get over (when the guy using the screen is a deadly shooter)
-go under (when the guy using the screen can't shoot worth a lick... i.e. rondo)
-switch (if there's no big to small or small to big mismatch issues)
-hedge and recover (sort of a combo of get over and switch)

each way has it's good and it's bad. hedge and recover is the most popular way of defending it at the higher levels... the defender of the guy guarding the pick "hedges" out to prevent penetration as the guy guarding the guy using the pick fights over the top of the screen. the key is that after the defender hedge's he must recover hard to his man.

howard is the hedge and recover guy, lewis is the guy fighting over the top. lewis does his job, howard doesn't do his. he hedges and stays... obviously assuming that there was no way pierce would pass it to davis. lewis ends up having to scrammble out to get a hand up but it's too late at that point.

you can tell the way lewis runs over the screen and at pierce that in no way was it a straight switch. simply put - dwight howard fucked up. and yes, if it were KG over there, i think howard would have been more aware of who was the popper was.

also rondo was wide open as well, as his man has (rightly) sagged into the lane to further prevent penetration off the pick and pop. pierce had his choice of two wide open guys... he picked the right one.

i also don't think the ball was ever going to ray allen once rondo gave it to pierce, as reggie miller stated... i think he was more of a decoy in order to clear out space for the pick and pop... the only way allen was in the play is if davis was supposed to down screen for allen for a curl after setting the screen with pierce, which the celtics do run, but they don't have enough time to pull that off at this moment.

 

[CTU2fan]

Well I think he'd have gladly gone to Ray if Turkoglu wasn't on him, but Orlando has been pretty determined to not let Ray or House get open looks.

But yeah, Howard never really recognized the pass. I think he was certain Pierce was shooting and determined to challenge said shot, figuring the only options were Pierce and Ray. Not sure if Stan told him to run to Pierce, and that's why he took the blame for the loss, or if he was just covering for his player (my guess is the latter).

 

[phanan]

The kid he knocked down afterward probably felt the same way.

Or his dad.

Orlando Sentinel - Big Baby shoves Magic fan by

Let the drama begin.

Orlando Magic fan Ernest Provetti is demanding an apology from Glen "Big Baby" Davis after the Celtics' thrilling Game 4 win in Orlando Sunday.

Why exactly?

Provetti said Davis shoved his 12-year-old son Nicholas with such force after Davis made a game-winning jumper, that Nicholas' baseball cap catapulted into the air and his son dove into his courtside seat.

Provetti sent an e-mail to the NBA League office this morning. He said Davis crossed the line, literally, and embarrassed his son.

"The NBA makes it clear to not cross the sideline," he said in a telephone interview. "If I cross that line, the NBA will take away my tickets. It's a double standard."

In the e-mail, Provetti said Davis conducted himself like a "raging animal with no regard for fans' personal safety."

Provetti moved to Orlando from New Jersey last year and is opening another branch to his toy company, Team Trinity. He was previously a fan of the Celtics because he watched Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers as a former player for the New York Knicks from 1992-94.

He comes to every game at Amway Arena and sits in the V.I.P Row A, seats 5 and 6. After Sunday's game, Provetti said he received calls and text messages from other fans checking on his son. Magic player Adonal Foyle also checked on how his son was after the game.

Provetti saw the video clip online this morning. He did not think it was funny.

"How do you like to be a 12-year-old and see a raging lunatic coming at you?"

More details to come. Check back later.

I like the part about how his son dove into his courtside seat.

 

[LMP]

 

[Got Philk?]

He's a MONSTER

 

[phillyfan26]

Or his dad.

Orlando Sentinel - Big Baby shoves Magic fan by



I like the part about how his son dove into his courtside seat.

I didn't see anything he said except the hat fall off his head.

Those should have never been seats anyway, though. This one's on the NBA.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

With a two point lead and a foul to give (which refs should be knowledgeable of), Wright clearly intentionally fouls Carmelo on the wing. It's not called. He buries the shot and the Nuggets win by 1.

I'm sorry, but this clearly points to ineptitude in officiating. Look at this in the context of Kobe not getting suspended for an above the neck elbow. Look at this in the context of the asinine 2006 Finals. In no other sport can horrible officiating overshadow the game itself. I'm done. I'm fucking done. I love the Mavs. I love everyone involved in the franchise. But I can't support this league. As of right now, I'm not watching the NBA anymore.

i agree with you about kobe, but i think you're incredibly wrong about the dallas play.

in fact, i think dallas and especially mark cuban and that douchebag josh howard need to shut the F up.

did the ref miss the foul? yes. could he have done a better job of fouling him? yea, he coulda wrapped him up more instead of just sorta hip checking mello.

but most importantly you are taught from a very early age in basketball to PLAY THE WHISTLE. dallas assumed that the foul had happened, stopped playing despite the fact that no foul was called, and carmello hit a wide open three.

it is 100% dallas' fault, not the refs. only they are to blame for their ineptitude.

PLAY

THE

WHISTLE.

the ref should have made a foul call. yes. true. but dallas can't assume the foul and stop playing. that is their own damn fault and nobody else's.

that play is like the football play where the ball is laying on the ground, everyone's standing around thinking it's dead, and somebody picks it up and runs it in untouched for a touchdown. play the whistle, play the whistle, play the mothafuckin whistle.