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Rockets have been researching refs and how they are calling games

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by motleydeflep6, Apr 28, 2019.

  1. motleydeflep6

    motleydeflep6 Member

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    https://theathletic.com/952359/2019...iciating-rage-is-rooted-in-warriors-research/

    Great article.


    OAKLAND — This Houston Rockets rage was not about one game.

    This wasn’t about Game One of the Western Conference Semifinals, where they fell 104-100 to the Golden State Warriors and left Oracle Arena utterly convinced yet again that the defending champions are getting the benefit of the whistle to a devastating degree.

    This wasn’t about emotion — though there was plenty of that. Mike D’Antoni getting his technical in the third quarter, when he chewed on official Zach Zarba’s left ear like it was a rib-eye and nearly got tossed.

    Chris Paul losing his cool in the late third quarter, and again near the end regulation when was ejected after the latest no-call left him incensed. James Harden, whose poor shooting night (9-of-28) had everything to do with all those times he believed he should’ve been sent to the line, wanting to rip his Beard out at all those points in between and saying afterward that he just wanted “a fair chance.”

    Rockets general manager in Daryl Morey, whose reputation as a leader of the analytics movement is rooted in his ability to let the evidence guide one’s process, sharing his emotional reaction to it all via Twitter when he retweeted Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban after the game.

    No, this was about the NBA’s most analytically-minded organization deciding long ago that all the data in this heavy-hitter matchup proves their point: The Warriors, as they see it, are getting the kind of officiating edge that simply must be stopped. And Game One – which was refereed by Zarba, Josh Tiven, and Courtney Kirkland – confirmed their fears that this playoff battle with the Warriors might be just as painful as the last when it comes to the officiating.

    By the Rockets’ internal count from their video crew, there were eight attempted three-pointers that should have been fouls in Game One – good for 24 free throw attempts that would’ve certainly decided the game. There was insult added to injury on that front as well, with D’Antoni and Harden both saying that officials told them at halftime that they had missed foul calls on four Rockets three-point attempts.

    But make no mistake, this is much bigger than one game.

    According to sources with knowledge of the situation, the Rockets have been making a data-driven case with the NBA for quite some time that these Super Team Warriors are getting a major officiating advantage in these heavy-hitter matchups. And of all the specific examples that have been discussed with league officials, none has left them more suspect of the system than the 2018 Western Conference Finals. This series opener, more than anything, was salt being poured directly into that Rockets wound.

    When that series ended nearly a year ago, the Rockets’ research had just begun. They secured the play-by-play officiating reports from each game from the NBA – a service that is afforded to individual teams (teams aren’t given reports for other teams, which makes it hard to compare). These reports document the league’s verdict on correct calls and missed calls in the same way as the Last Two Minute reports that are shared publicly, with the obvious difference being that it accounts for all 48 minutes of action.

    And after the Rockets went through every line, tallying all the missed calls for each team and adding up the potential points that were lost along the way, it wasn’t pretty: The Rockets, according to the sources, had a double-digit point deficit in six of the seven games (and a small edge in Game 2). In all, sources say, they were harmed to the tune of 93 points. Game Seven was the worst, the research showed, with the league-issued report indicating that they should have had 18 more points. More specifically, two of the 27 consecutive missed three-pointers that did them in were ruled to have been missed foul calls.

    What’s more, the same ‘landing space’ play that had the Rockets furious after Game One was a major point of frustration during that series – especially after their Game 7 loss, and with D’Antoni as upset as anyone over the matter. As detailed in this “NBA Video Rulebook” breakdown, defenders are required to allow shooters to “safely return to the floor.”

    The vertical jumpshots are the easiest to officiate, but the rule also applies to plays in which the shooter’s momentum carries him to a spot that’s different form where the jump originated. This historical backdrop of this debate wasn’t lost on Rockets officials, either: In Sept. 2017, the NBA instituted a rule that allowed officials to call a flagrant or technical if the defender “recklessly positioned his foot in an unnatural way” under the shooter; the rule was inspired by then-Golden State center Zaza Pachulia’s placement of his foot under Kawhi Leonard during the 2017 Western Conference Finals, when the then-San Antonio star had his season ended by that ankle injury.

    “Call the game how it’s supposed to be called and that’s it,” Harden said. “And I’ll live with the results. …We all know what happened a few years back with Kawhi. That can change the entire series. Just call the game the way it’s supposed to be called and we’ll live with the results. It’s plain and simple.”

    To that end, the Rockets also believe that another one of their allegations was confirmed yet again in Game One: The notion that the league’s more experienced officials are far less willing to call this play in accordance with the rules, as compared to younger officials. Sources say the Rockets raised this research-inspired complaint with the NBA months ago, and it didn’t help matters in their eyes on that front that this game fell right in line with that theory (Zarba is in his 16th season, Tiven is in his ninth, and Kirkland is in his 19th).

    When Morey sent that tweet which will likely lead to his latest fine, the “2006” mention sparked an obvious flashback: Cuban’s Mavericks lost to Miami in the 2006 Finals that remain among the most controversial in the league’s history when it comes to the officiating. But there was another key event that year as well, as Morey left the Boston Celtics to join the Rockets as an assistant general manager in April of 2006 en route to building this team wants so badly to end this Warriors run and win the franchise’s first title since 1995.

    If they don’t get the calls they believe they deserve this time around, though, this debate will likely rage on into yet another disappointing finish.
     
    #1 motleydeflep6, Apr 28, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2019
  2. WestendMassive

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    Fantastic leak by Daryl Morey, can't think it would have come from anywhere else
     
  3. dje243

    dje243 Member

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    I’m sure it’s not possible, but could they sue the league for this? Especially if they were to find that the trend holds when the Warriors play other teams in big games too? Seems reasonable to think that those calls cost teams and thus owners millions of dollars.
     
  4. J Sizzle

    J Sizzle Member

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    Once again....none of this Really matters. The league isn’t going to change anything. Officiating will remain bad and it will remain rigged in favor of the super team golden boys.
     
  5. HTown_TMac

    HTown_TMac Member

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    Warriors waste no time sending tapes to the league, so.. I don’t see anything wrong with this.
     
  6. fckbandwagons

    fckbandwagons Member

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    This is for all of those that DON'T think the nba is rigged. Especially those who thought HOU lost fairly in game 7 last year!
     
  7. 13BeardsIN1

    13BeardsIN1 Member

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    Morey is about to be Hinkied
     
  8. motleydeflep6

    motleydeflep6 Member

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    Apparently the league doesn’t want it public knowledge that teams can get this kind of report.


    Also interesting that younger refs tend to call the game more fair and correct than the more seasoned refs. Hmmmm.....
     
  9. Swapshop

    Swapshop Member

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    So basically the Rockets are telling the league what they already know?
     
  10. 13BeardsIN1

    13BeardsIN1 Member

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    Morey went Dr. Strange, giving Thanos the time stone. We're in the EndGame now.
     
  11. motleydeflep6

    motleydeflep6 Member

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    I think they’re pretty much saying “**** you” and leaking out info for the public to see.

    Which may just end with them getting killed more by the refs.
     
  12. WestendMassive

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    It's so obviously rigged now that Adam Silver may as well be walking into NBA arenas like this:

    [​IMG]
     
  13. DreamShook

    DreamShook Member

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    Morey should have leaked it to Yahoo Sports for the people who don't want to buy a subscription.
     
  14. WestendMassive

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    Probably tried leaking it to BSPN but they weren't interesting in running the truth
     
  15. Rivaldo2181

    Rivaldo2181 Contributing Member

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    Thanks for sharing. Game 7 of the 2018 WCF was one of the most blatant cheat jobs in nba history along with that Kong’s lakers series in the early 2000s. Game 1 today is as agrigeous. This sucks to be so close to a title yet so far bc of the officiating.

    Can you post the entire article?


     
  16. mkahanek

    mkahanek Member

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    So. What you are saying is it is pointless to watch. Sort of like I stopped watching professional wrestling when I was 12.

    NBA=WWF Or whatever it is called.
     
  17. kjayp

    kjayp Contributing Member

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    We used to try to con refs - alot... back when CP3 was still phantom flopping in LA... imo those reps are still carrying through to today...

    Now our guys b**** about every call when it happens - never mind playing through it and seeing if a 'make-up call' is coming... Harden is yelling at the officials as he runs downcourt... EGo b****es after every drive...

    We make it adversarial against the refs - and that is not a recipe for success...

    I always said if yer gonna play for the foul (which some CFers have told me is the best strategy statistically) - then dont be surprised when things dont work out if yer gonna leave your fate in the hands of the officials...

    aint sayin how it goes down is right - but it is what it is... and you gotta play the course...
     
    UTSA2step, DwangBoy, JW86 and 3 others like this.
  18. AzCkR

    AzCkR Member

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    morey finna get fined $100k lol
     
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  19. DreamShook

    DreamShook Member

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    Well.. there is only one outcome then? Pretty bleak, fellas.. pretty, pretty bleak.. damn.
     
    Earnie Banks likes this.
  20. Doctor Robert

    Doctor Robert Contributing Member

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    Fertitta.

    The guy is losing a MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MONEY when these things happen. Can you imagine how much ticket sales, ticket prices, and memorabilia sales have been lost because of this? On the players side, they're losing tons of money as well for endorsements. Add to that the BS reputation issues Harden has to put up with because we didn't win the series or the championship. He ABSOLUTELY would have won MVP this year if he was a returning champion as well.
     

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