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The proposal seems simple… amend Rule #13 so a potentially game-deciding play at the conclusion of time is automatically reviewed. On the surface, this seems like a great idea. But, when you consider the scope of how this seemingly simple change would impact the league, it becomes much less appealing.
I’m going to start off by giving some long overdue credit… the officials in the NBA (or any sport) have some of the most challenging jobs out there. They must monitor the game in real time and make snap decisions based only on what they see, knowing full well that an arena of 40,000+ will let them know of every perceived mistake made.
I say ‘perceived’ mistake because, let’s be honest, the refs USUALLY get it right. In the heat of a game it’s easy to criticize officials, but when you remove your personal interests and observe the officiating objectively, you usually find that they are very good at what they do. That’s not to say they are perfect, but NOBODY IS PERFECT! So before we begin a “trash the refs” campaign, let’s acknowledge that this problem is not some grand flaw in professional sports. While this proposed rule change would evaluate every potentially game-deciding last-second shot, it realistically would only affect a very small percentage. There just isn’t a big enough need to warrant such a change.
This is a game played and monitored by human beings. Therefore issues such as interpretation and subjectivity come into play. Not every foul committed is a clear offense. That means that someone has to make a determination as to who the offender was. What one person sees as a charge, the other may see as a blocking foul. All the rules in the world will not change the fact that there are times when, even on replay, you won’t be able to get it 100% right.
Consider the example at the conclusion of regulation in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. There can be no dispute after viewing the replay that Pau Gasol’s hand clearly made contact with the rim. After review, this should have been called a goaltending violation, and the points should have been awarded accordingly, giving the Orlando Magic 2 points more and the win, right? I don’t think so.
The rulebook states that a player must vibrate the rim or backboard in such a way as to make the ball take an unnatural bounce in order to be deemed as goaltending. So did Gasol’s hand create a vibration? If so, was it enough to affect Courtney Lee’s shot? If you ask fans of the Los Angeles Lakers, they will tell you with 100% certainty that it did not. Yet, if you ask fans of the Orlando Magic, they will tell you with 100% certainty that it was a violation. Despite looking at the replay, you will never convince everyone that the correct call was made.
What makes the last shot of a game so important? I argue that EACH shot could change the outcome of a game, and to single out the final play of the game gives unfair weight to the final few seconds. Earlier in Game 2, there was a very clear goaltending violation committed by Dwight Howard that was not called. Had the refs gotten that call correct, Orlando actually would have trailed by 2 points at the end of regulation, and Lee’s miss would have instantly awarded the game to the Lakers. Hypothetically, had Orlando gone on to win in overtime, THAT blown call would have had more impact on the conclusion of the game than the final shot of regulation would have. Just because a shot takes place at the end of the game, it does not mean the shot is worth more than any other shot taken. It is worth the same points, and should be treated with the same allowance for error. If you want to review that shot, then you must review EVERY shot, which is far too ridiculous to maintain.
If you truly wish to eliminate human error from the game, allow the game to be played without any real-time interruption. At the conclusion of the game, officials then review the entire game and record each foul they observed in replay. Once those fouls are totaled up, each team would THEN shoot their foul shots, to add to the final score of regulation.
Otherwise, don’t play the game anymore. Humans will just screw it up anyway!
Read the intro and opening argument from Loyal Homer.
