How is that a foul against Battier when Battier leaned backwards to avoid contact. Kobe still got some contact but that was because he initiated the contact. So, how is that foul on Battier, I really don't understand it. Earlier in the game Von Wafer did the same exact thing, (i think Kobe) Just stood there and didn't even move out of the way. Please someone explain why that is a foul on Battier?!?!?
While it was frustrating to see, I don't see how that could've been a foul on Kobe. It's not just Kobe either. An offensive player can try to initiate contact, and Battier was running toward Kobe and unfortunately ran into him while trying to avoid contact by pulling his body back. If any Rockets player make the same play Kobe made, we would've been raining praise on that man. Kobe does get away with that, but that particular call I thought was fair. We lost because Kobe got into Artest's head, and not that one play.
The contact was very little, AND Battier got out of Kobe's area right away. How can that be a foul on either player? I am not saying that specific play was the reason we lost, but it did play a crucial role in it. If that play happened 10 years ago, that would NOT be a foul, maybe 2pts, but without a doubt not a foul.
Believe me when Von starts attacking the rim and hitting J's like Kobe he will get the same call. So the ball is in Von's court to step it up Oh God how I wish.
its not a foul on either one technically, it's just one of those calls that Refs started allowing and now a lot of scorers do it. Superstars usually get themost benefit. It's similar to the pump fake tmac does at the 3 point line, sometimes he does it perfectly where the defender really does jump into him, other times tmac has to lean in to initiate the contact, either way he usually gets the call.
So why join a forum a month ago dedicated to an NBA team? It's Kobe. Man it sure would be nice for Yao to get the Kobe/Lebron treatment.
If Yao was a guard sure... Being a center usually gives you unfair calls. For one... to initiate contact, you need to get the ball. And to a player like Yao, who has trouble sealing off his man, needs a PERFECT pass.
Maybe it should have been a no call, but Battier kinda ran into him. If that was one of our players, we would have been calling for the AND 1.
Exactly the same play just before halftime. Had it been the last minute of a close game, the referees might have given Von Wafer the call - but as it stood, they didn't want to put Wafer on the FT line in a 2 second spot before halftime because that would have given the opportunity to push the lead from 11 - 14. Fairly significant. In the referees defence, officiating the NBA is a pretty difficult gig - every call is based on rules that have so much elasticity. A 'non-contact sport' where the contact is pretty severe is a tough one to get right. And so many of the calls are 'subjective' and hard to apply any objectivity to... But I think too much plays on the minds of the refs - a superstar playing with 5 fouls in the 4th rarely ever fouls out unless they do something completely ridiculous and overtly obvious.
