NBA, there is a problem: too many bad referees

Not one thing goes well for them this season. Everything wrong. The Detroit Pistons, the team with the worst record in the NBA, of the 30 contenders, can’t take it anymore. A sensational refereeing error, later admitted by the league, at the end of the game lost last night in New York against the Knicks made them say that the limit is full. “We’ve had enough,” thundered Monty Williams, the coach of the Motown team. “We are livid with anger,” said Cade Cunningham, the Pistons’ best player, gnashing his teeth. The refereeing topic doubles a controversial missed whistle that cost Detroit, in the sprint, also in the previous match, against Orlando. New York itself was penalized two weeks ago by a serious refereeing error that cost them the match in Houston. Then two free throws scored by Aaron Holiday after a phantom foul by Jalen Brunson made the difference, in the last minute. In short, is there an arbitration problem in the NBA? In any case, since the whole world is a country and these are universal dynamics, it happens that the teams that count (and win) the least are the victims in particular. The Pistons are on the verge of a nervous breakdown. They have to look at themselves in the mirror for many of the misadventures they have suffered. But not for all…

oversight in the garden

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The bad thing happens with 9 seconds to play, with Detroit ahead by one point. A risky pass from Donte DiVincenzo, the Knicks’ paisa guard, is intercepted by Ausar Thompson, who however suffers from inexperience and instead of stopping, getting fouled and risking the game from the line, he messes up with possession. DiVincenzo pounces on the loose ball and overwhelms the visiting freshman with a tackle that would be of NFL football quality. However, the referees “swallow” the whistle, the action proceeds with Knicks possession and Brunson finds Josh Hart for the basket plus foul, converted with the free throw, which wins the game in New York. The trio from Villanova University, sports fighters from the film The Warriors set in New York which was popular in the late seventies, find a way to obtain an unexpected victory. But the Pistons aren’t there. Furious.

j’accuse of williams

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Monty is a mild-mannered guy, usually. Composed in his ways. The coach can be debated, and the season is relentlessly exposing his limitations, also considering the out of this world contract worth 78 million dollars for 6 years on the Pistons’ bench, but it is unanimously recognized that he is a decent person, in the NBA environments. This time he lost patience and it’s hard to blame him, it would have taken Job’s patience to swallow yet another bitter pill in a season made indigestible by the team’s 8-49 record. “The worst call of the season. We’ve had enough. We did things the right way, complaining about the wrongs suffered by calling the league privately, sending them the disputed images. We got tired. We had an opportunity to win the game and an opponent jumped into Thompson’s legs and no foul was called. An abomination. I’m tired of answering my boys who ask me what more they can do to win these finals, these are dynamics that are repeating themselves throughout the season. It’s ridiculous, we can’t take it anymore. We just want the refereeing to be fair. He wasn’t.” Sincere and heartfelt outburst, words that will probably cost him a fine from the league. He is not heartened by the fact that, if anything, it adds insult to injury that the referee who forgot to blow the whistle, James Williams, admitted the mistake. “We then reviewed the images, we should have called a foul by DiVincenzo on Thompson”. Cunningham echoed his coach’s anger: “The word of the day is bruising. Of anger.” Detroit, the team of Simone Fontecchio, starting small forward for the Pistons, is no stranger to suffering wrongs. Two in a row broke the bank in the locker room of the franchise remains famous by the Bad Boys.

the background

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Yes, because the previous game the Pistons had lost even at the last second due to the basket scored at the siren after an apparent violation of steps by Paolo Banchero. The two points of the Orlando Magic’s victory, with 8 tenths of a second remaining with the result tied. Without the possibility of reply, therefore. In the press release analyzing the last 2′ of the game, the league then legitimized that no whistle, without however erasing the doubts, but if anything, in fact, evidently giving the Pistons the feeling of being mocked, as well as damaged.

this huge show

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It’s not like the NBA is mad at Detroit. Let this be clear. Because the images speak for themselves and in terms of credibility these are bad figures that remain in the minds of the public, even the neutral one, not just Pistons fans. The impression is that in the sprint the referees do not want to take responsibility and leave the game to the players to decide. Philosophy that makes sense, even desirable. But when the episodes are sensational you cannot pretend nothing happened. There is more. The feeling that for reasons of entertainment – this immense show to quote a song by Ramazzotti – of show business, the basket at the last second is preferred to a whistle for an infringement of steps or confusion because it works more in terms of attraction of the enthusiast or casual sportsman who watches the highlights. Those of Banchero and Hart went viral on social media. If they had been canceled by previous infringements the showcase would have been smaller.

silver’s fears

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Credibility. This is the word that Commissioner Adam Silver cares about. And the many refereeing controversies, from players and coaches first and foremost, and then by extension from fans and enthusiasts, are an open wound for him. He spoke about it at the All Star Game in Indianapolis. “The relationship between referees and players is a focus of the league. There must be respect, in both directions. We are working on better mutual communication.” Work in progress therefore, but this latest setback does not help the path.