NBA Officiating Is Foul: Unchecked

Kristaps Porzingis' ejection from game one of the Mavericks-Clippers playoff series highlights the NBA's officiating problem.

The NBA has an officiating problem and it needs to be fixed before it becomes a full blown crisis. As the way games are called is easily the worst thing about the league.

That’s trash man! 🗑 #NBAPlayoffs

— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) August 18, 2020

The latest example being the bogus ejection of Kristaps Porzingis from the Dallas Mavericks loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in game one of their series. 

Man that was BOGUS AS HELL MAN!!!!! Cmon man. 🤦🏾‍♂️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 18, 2020

Porzingis hasn’t been sent away for less since the New York Knicks traded him. Tossing him for technicals ruined Luka Doncic’s chance at a win in his record-setting postseason debut, and what was otherwise an awesome opening day of playoffs. 

One bad Call like that not only can change the series but took away from the entire of day of Great Basketball. SMH

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) August 18, 2020

The NBA will say it was the right process since KP got his second technical, but the first one he received was a bigger overreaction from the refs than it was from him. And this goes beyond officials being extra when it comes to calling technical fouls and trying to control the game. 

Kristaps Porzingis got ejected because of two AWFUL technical fouls by the refs.

The NBA referees are consistently awful and watching them impact postseason games is exhausting.

— Colb (@___Colb___) August 18, 2020

I’m also so tired of watching jump shooters get bailed out. There’s no reason players flailing on the perimeter should be getting rewarded more than those driving to the basket. It’s embarrassing and has led to stars, from James Harden to Joel Embiid, fine-tuning their foul selling theatrical skills.

A professional flop by Kawhi 😂 💀 @SONTHoops

via @BronAndBrow pic.twitter.com/XijmK3uUPh

— the Sports ON Tap (@thesportsontap) August 18, 2020

There is no way anyone wants to watch that and it can’t be helping any viewership issues.

Adam Silver better make the call these officials. You’re ruining the product with all these whistles. https://t.co/W2i6sCBQEd

— Ry (@JustRyCole) August 18, 2020

This was a problem that predated the bubble but foul calls are also up since they got there, messing up an amazing product and last night was enough to make me sick. 

Games in the NBA bubble have averaged 231.5 points, up from 222.9 during the regular season. There were 45.8 fouls per game in the bubble, compared to 41.2 prior, via @ESPNStatsInfo.

— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) August 16, 2020

I love the NBA, I think it is the best league in the world. But this needs to be addressed and I’m hopeful the proven leadership of Adam Silver and company will do just that.

Modern basketball is laden with unbelievable superstar talent. I want to anticipate what they might do next, not a whistle. As right now the way the NBA is being officiated is foul.