One of the enduring images of this NBA season won’t be a poster dunk, or a monster block, or a game-winner sailing through the net.
It will be Shaun Livingston, bearing an expression of pure frustration, and referee Courtney Kirkland bumping heads in an early December incident that resulted in the Warriors point guard being suspended and Kirkland being temporarily removed from the officiating rotation for a week.
The image perfectly embodies the ongoing feud between refs and players that has reached its fiery pinnacle during this campaign.
On Monday, 21 technical fouls and five ejections (Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, Ben Simmons, Kyle Lowry and Trevor Ariza) were issued across an 11-game slate.
Speaking after the Thunder beat the Kings, 95-88, despite Westbrook’s premature exit, Carmelo Anthony voiced his utmost disapproval with the current state of officiating.
“I’m done with them,” the former Knick said. “I’m done with the refs. No disrespect, but I’m done with those guys.”
Anthony hasn’t been the only prominent player to verbally target the referees. Chris Paul sarcastically trolled official Scott Foster for giving him a tech last Wednesday.
“Scott, you the man. That’s who they pay to see,” the All-Star point guard said.
Draymond Green, who has been hit with a league-leading 11 techs this season, has accused the officials of assessing penalties based on personal vendettas.
“It’s bad, it’s horrible. It’s really bad. I don’t know why it is. But I think it’s ridiculous. It’s ruining the game,” Green told The Athletic. “They can get a new crop [of refs], a whole new crop.”
Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the media, and the escalating discord, ahead of the NBA’s global game in London on Thursday.
“I’m listening to the players’ complaints, and I’m also listening to the referees’ complaints,” he said. “And I’d say although it seems to be getting a fair amount of attention, we’ve looked back at the data from over the years, and there haven’t been a greater number of ejections or a greater number of technicals.”
Silver is right. Prior to Monday’s fiasco, officials were on pace to hand out 760 technical fouls, which is a lower total than nine of the past 13 seasons, per data compiled by USA Today. The issue has been somewhat exacerbated by a number of high-profile ejections, including LeBron James’ first in his 15-year career. Kevin Durant also has been tossed three times.
Regardless of the statistics, the mounting tension between refs and players is proving detrimental to the game, as stars seem to be growing more agitated by the day.
“There is nothing aberrational happening in terms of the calls on the floor,” Silver explained. “But it’s something that people are talking about. I recognize that.”
Much of the frustration stems from how quickly refs have resorted to calling techs or ejections — a drastic shift from in prior years, according to Melo. (Although it is worth noting that, especially following the intense fight that transpired between Arron Afflalo and Nemanja Bjelica on Tuesday, some ejections are warranted.)
“Now, the trigger is too quick. You look at somebody wrong, you get a technical foul. You say one wrong thing, you get a technical foul,” Anthony told ESPN just over a week ago. “The game has changed a lot since I came in 15 years ago, the players and the officials had that dialogue, whether it was good or whether it was bad, there was always a point where they would let you get a little steam off, and then would come to you and say, ‘That’s enough, let’s move on.’”
In other words, the problem — which obviously extends beyond just technicals — is a lack of communication, and the disdain that has resulted from that deficiency. Anthony suggested that the rapid pace of today’s NBA could be a cause for the diminishing back-and-forth between the two parties.
And so the solution: Smooth the relationships through increased dialogue and understanding.
Yes, officials are currently undergoing more training. But the real work is being done in conference rooms, not on the court.
The heads of the players’ association and the referees’ association met in December to discuss the conflict, and another meeting between three players and three officials is scheduled for Feb. 17, during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.
Perhaps the peace treaty that ends the war will be signed there.
Welcome back, Zach LaVine!
The Bulls shooting guard, shipped from Minnesota to Chicago in the Jimmy Butler trade, returned from a torn ACL on Saturday. In two outings (both wins), LaVine is averaging 16 points and 3.5 assists in just 19.5 minutes.
On the flip side, the Timberwolves have been thriving with Butler in the mix.
They won five in a row, all by double digits, before falling 108-102 to the Magic on Tuesday.
Big test for Minny around the corner, as the Wolves will meet the Rockets, Raptors, Clippers, Blazers and Warriors in the next eight days.
Pelicans big man Anthony Davis over the last three games (all wins): 43 points on 56 percent shooting from the field, 14 rebounds, 2.3 blocks per game. Not bad.