With the NBA's latest crackdown on complaining about calls that referees make it's fair to ask this simple question.
Will the rules be applied consistently?
For an example of what NOT to do to an official, please follow this link to the instructional video. CLICK HERE.
Did you watch it? Don't flap your arms in that manner.
We found this week that both Denver Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups and forward Carmelo Anthony are “a bit confused” about the NBA’s latest crackdown. I think the Nuggets need to stop whining about every foul call they get on the court (which other teams take advantage of when they go on a fast break). Nene, Melo and Billups are particular offenders. Having multiple guys complaining just doesn’t help as much as diplomacy from the coach and occasional politicking by the point guard or captain does.
With all that being said, it's hard not to think that these new guidelines were created with the Nuggets in mind. Which isn't completely fair. Other teams and individual players are just as complicit in complaining as the Nuggets. I'll be watching for this. I'm not crying conspiracy, I'm just speaking from the perspective of fairness. Here's three examples:
1. Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. How many times have we seen this player and team complain about every single foul committed? Seriously. I’d like there to be one game where I don’t see Tim Duncan’s eyes bug out like that scene from Total Recall where they step out onto Mars without a helmet. The Spurs, meanwhile, have been taught some sort of Jedi mind trick to fool referee’s into thinking they are not actually complaining/whining about every call, but actually giving them a soothing foot massage and telling them they are doing a great job. Either the refs need to snap out of it, or they need to FAIRLY officiate all Spurs games and call technicals when appropriate.
2. Kobe Bryant. He get’s away with more jawing at the refs than any other player in the NBA. He abuses officials and is allowed to scream at them over-and-over-and-over with no technical foul called. It’s insane. I’m well aware that Kobe gets the occasional technical foul, but let’s be honest, if the refs enforced these new guidelines as they SHOULD then Kobe’s technical fouls would rival Rasheed Wallace‘s in his heyday. Some fairness is in order.
3. LeBron James. If only because of the “crybaby” act that he has. Stomping away and looking like someone took his favorite toy away. Under the new guidelines this would be a tech. Will they call it? Will it be fairly applied to any of these “mega” teams such as the Miami Heat?
It's very interesting to me that the NBA chose to crack down on this and not flopping! The two go hand-in-hand. Flopping leads to complaining. It seems to me that the NBA could have done itself a favor and just cracked down on flopping and acting, thus eliminating a primary source of whining and gesticulating. It makes no sense to let this continue.
With these new guidelines it’s imperative upon coaches to work the refs more. Notice the techs only apply to the players? I hope Nuggets coach George Karl works the officials more this season to take the heat off of his players. Yes, this will cost the Nuggets a couple games because of the new crackdown, but it’ll be imperative for Denver to eliminate the damage as much as they can. We as fans can complain about these as much as we’d like, but the players aren’t afforded that luxury. They must adapt to these guidelines as best they can. No excuses.
Same applies to the NBA. No excuses. Apply this rule fairly to ALL teams in ALL markets. Otherwise you will have many fans flapping their arms along with the players.
