“I think there was a sense earlier in the season that there was too much of an advantage for the offensive players,” Silver told reporters Wednesday. “I think Steve Kerr said offensive players were using themselves as projectiles or hunting for fouls, however you want to call it.”
Kerr said a lot of things about the officiating after Nikola Jokic shot 18 free throws in the Golden State Warriors’ Christmas Day loss to the Denver Nuggets. He said the game was becoming “a parade to the free throw line” that was “disgusting to watch.” Kerr said the NBA was “legislating the defense out of the game” and “enabling players to B.S. their way to the foul line.” Apparently the league office agreed.
The league has made it a point of emphasis for referees not to call fouls on plays where offensive players initiate contact, possibly because “Don’t let them B.S. their way to the line” was too vague as a directive. It’s led to a decline in fouls by four per game, roughly two per team.
For a team like the Warriors that has struggled to avoid fouling, that can be a big difference, especially if it saves their opponents from from getting into the bonus as quickly. The biggest proof that the new approach is working? Austin Reaves shot only three free throws in the Warriors’ game against the Lakers on Tuesday, thought the Warriors kept their numbers up by fouling D’Angelo Russell on three-point attempts twice.
So if you wonder why players and coaches complain about referees, it’s because some of the time, it totally works! Now Kerr just needs to have a postgame news conference where he says it’s “disgusting” to see flagrant foul calls on a power forward who’s just minding his own business and swinging his elbows.
