Jason Kidd: Dallas Mavs Must 'Do Scouting Reports' on NBA Officials After Latest Luka Doncic Technical Foul
During Thursday's 119-101 blowout loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic received a quick technical foul in the first quarter after a play where he got fouled, but no call was made. After starting the season off well in the technical foul department, Doncic has now strung together a handful of games racking up a tech, putting him at seven on the season – one shy of Boston Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis' league-leading eight techs.
However, even though there has been an uptick in NBA officials giving Doncic techs, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd isn't concerned with the trend, and he just wants officiating crews to be consistent going forward.
"I'm not concerned. We all understand what that number is," Kidd said. "This one was quick. Every crew is different. We have to be better. But it was a quick T -- Jacyn [Goble] gave him a quick T. Again, we've just got to figure out what's right and what's wrong. The clap – a lot of players do it. Some are called for a T, some aren't. Just be consistent, that's all."
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
In addition, Kidd also believes the Mavs need to start 'doing the scouting reports' on officiating crews, not just opposing players.
"Yeah, we've got to probably do a better job of doing the scouting report on each official," Kidd said. "It's just part of the game, understanding who's quick to blow a whistle on a T and who's not. That's part of the game."
When compared to the restraint officials show to other players in the league, like LeBron James and Draymond Green, you would think Doncic could at least get a courtesy warning before he gets that whistle.
“That I can’t clap. I’m serious. It’s crazy,” Doncic said. “And they took away my 3. Like now you can go back? They said I was out of bounds. If the refs don’t call it they can go back and check? It was the first time I’ve seen that, so I don’t understand.”
After the Mavs led 33-26 with one quarter in the books, the officials went back and determined that Doncic stepped out of bounds on one of his made 3s earlier in the first quarter. From that point on, whether the call had anything to do with it, or rather it was just the Mavs’ fatigue from playing three games in four nights, the Wolves couldn’t be stopped.
In postgame Pool Report, an explanation was given for why Doncic received his technical foul in such a quick manner.
"After a no call, Luka overtly gestures by hitting his hand multiple times while yelling 'call the foul' and aggressively walking towards the official," Crew Chief Curtis Blair said.
When asked if Doncic had said anything prior to that technical that built toward it being called, Blair stated, "No, he did not."
There are several occasions where Doncic earns his techs, especially when he spends entire games complaining about no-calls or taunting opponents, but Thursday night wasn’t one of those occasions. Hopefully, with additional scouting reports on officials, as Kidd suggested, Doncic and the Mavs can avoid these situations going forward.
