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Do refs "swallow the whistles" during the playoffs?

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by Carl Herrera, May 23, 2015.

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  1. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    One thing that I've heard many times among fans and media members-- including former players and coaches-- is that refs swallow their whistles during the playoffs and don't call fouls. One corollary of this theory is that James Harden would not be as effective because he relies on fouls and refs don't call them in the playoffs.


    So I decided to look at some basic data on this. Here is a table summarizing the # of personal fouls called per 48 minutes during the regular season vs. during the playoffs:


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    <tr class="tableizer-firstrow"><th>Year</th><th>2012-13</th><th>2013-14</th><th>2014-15</th></tr>
    <tr><td>PF/48 Regular</td><td>19.69317723</td><td>20.52822581</td><td>20.05645161</td></tr>
    <tr><td>PF/48 Playoffs</td><td>21.88562597</td><td>21.79392142</td><td>21.51958471</td></tr>
    <tr><td>FT% Regular</td><td>0.753</td><td>0.756</td><td>0.75</td></tr>
    <tr><td>FT% Playoffs</td><td>0.751</td><td>0.763</td><td>0.731</td></tr>
    </table>

    It doesn't not look like the whistles are exactly "swallowed" during the playoffs given that more personal fouls are called per 48 minutes in the playoff than there are in the regular season for each of the last 3 seasons. This is not conclusive because the refs might be leaving more fouls uncalled while teams are just committing an extremely high rate of fouls. But still, it seems that the refs are blowing the whistle at a per-minute rate similar to, and even a little higher than, the rate they blow the whistle during the regular season.

    I also included the FT% from these seasons because I wanted to see if there may be more intentional of bad FT shooters in the playoffs. If the increased FTA in the playoffs is due to intentional hacking, you'd expect a decrease in FT% given more bad FT shooters will go to the line. This doesn't appear to be the case except maybe this season (even then, a 2% drop in FT% may still be random).
     
    #1 Carl Herrera, May 23, 2015
  2. BigShasta

    BigShasta Contributing Member

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    Well you must also adhere to the variable of increased physicality. So while it seems that foul calls have remained on average constant to what was being called during the regular season, play has also become more aggressive.

    One can attribute to fouls being called but for certain plays rather than the plays we see during the regular season. For example when JH gets hacked in the regular season it's normally a foul call. However in the playoffs his hacks aren't being called that often or at least not every play.

    So since JH isn't getting calls, refs make up those calls among other plays. Off ball calls or hack a Howard type calls to ease the eyes of the discrepancy.
     
    #2 BigShasta, May 23, 2015
  3. Swish4fives

    Swish4fives Member

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    I disagree. Some games James gets the calls, and others he doesn't. Just like the regular season. Plenty of times refs have swallowed the whistle on him in regular season games, and plenty of times he has gotten the calls in the playoffs.
     
    #3 Swish4fives, May 23, 2015
  4. LCAhmed

    LCAhmed Contributing Member

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    hehehe "swallow"
     
    #4 LCAhmed, May 23, 2015
  5. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Contributing Member

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    Nope. But fans take the whining up 3 notches though.
     
    #5 t_mac1, May 23, 2015
  6. t_mac1

    t_mac1 Contributing Member

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    Harden is getting the same amount of FTA as he is during the reg. season.
     
    #6 t_mac1, May 23, 2015
  7. J Sizzle

    J Sizzle Member

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    They sure as hell do against the Warriors.
     
    #7 J Sizzle, May 23, 2015
  8. napalm06

    napalm06 Huge Flopping Fan

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    This is what the "eye test" seems to suggest.
     
    #8 napalm06, May 23, 2015
  9. IzakDavid13

    IzakDavid13 Contributing Member

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    Free throw attempts are one thing, missing out of bounds calls, over the back, moving screens, elbows to the face, holds & people falling over and 'accidentally' holding the defensive player away from the ball is another...
     
    #9 IzakDavid13, May 23, 2015
  10. WinkFan

    WinkFan Contributing Member

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    I've posted similar stats a couple of times before. There are more PF and FT per game in the playoffs. Also, Harden's regular season and playoff free throw rate are basically the same. Last year's reduced FTR for Harden was the exception, not the rule.
     
    #10 WinkFan, May 23, 2015
  11. banzai

    banzai Contributing Member

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    Let me know what you guys think. The NBA has always been criticized for being a bullsheat league.... fixing games, refs fraternizing with players and coaches, and other b.s. antics. Just like our political system, banking system, foreign policy, the NBA will endure because we dont have a say in the matter. What do you think we can do as fans to make the NBA fair?
     
    #11 banzai, May 23, 2015
  12. IzakDavid13

    IzakDavid13 Contributing Member

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    ...btw, I'm still waiting for the 2 Minute Officials report for Game 1 & now Game 2...but not released???

    Why is that?
     
    #12 IzakDavid13, May 23, 2015
  13. Carl Herrera

    Carl Herrera Contributing Member

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    The NBA only release reports for games that were within 5 points or closer at the 2 minute mark. Were Games 1 and 2 within 5 points at the 2 minute mark. So if a game is not within 5 points at the 2 minute mark, even if it finished within 5 points, there is no release of reports.

    http://www.indystar.com/story/sport...inutes-reports-on-crunch-time-calls/24147489/

    Doesn't make much sense... take Game 2, for example, you can't honestly say that there is no "crunch time" during that game. Honestly, I think the NBA should just release all referee reports for every minute of every game. But maybe there are those within the league that are worried and what they do now is just a pilot program.
     
    #13 Carl Herrera, May 23, 2015
  14. iconoclastic

    iconoclastic Member

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    Stop watching it.
     
    #14 iconoclastic, May 23, 2015
  15. Shroopy2

    Shroopy2 Contributing Member

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    Semi-related, want to add to that: There's the myth that - compared to how it "used to be" - that refs call TOO MANY TOUCH FOULS when guards get "breathed on". Saying NOW that its over-active refs interrupt game too much with whistles, and it becomes just a free throw competition. In the Bird/Magic/Jordan era you had to EARN your way to foul line (whats 'free throws' anyway, NOTHING is "free" - fight through face slaps to make the bucket!)

    Its actually the Bird/Magic/Jordan era had MORE FOULS called and MORE Free Throws/Game. We just chose to not remember it. Today its far LESS FOULS called per game. I think style of play has lot to do with that. Today there's more outside shooting/3 point shots per game which means less situations and possessions to foul.

    In all, fans complain probably cuz they just like to complain.

    About Swallowing the Playoff Whistle, I think it happens in certain SITUATIONS more than in regular season. (Gotta be a bold ref to call a foul in final possession that decides a game) And they do let players play a little more. But not a substantial amount, because refs can't allow the game to turn into fights, marquee players getting hurt, and other things its not supposed to be. They still have to protect the brand a LITTLE bit
     
    #15 Shroopy2, May 24, 2015
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