That was in part what I was alluding to (possibly too subtly). If calls are all about respect, there's a couple of guys who are higher than they should be. Obviously, there's an element of style of play and style of defense, which is why the top ranks have mostly frontcourt players and slashers. But, just thinking of the list in those terms makes for a couple of head-scratchers as well. How is it that Andre Miller is higher on this list than Allen Iverson? Is it the fearless drives that Miller is always taking, sacrificing his body to hard hits on the penetration? Somehow I doubt it. And, more to the point, do you think it is likely that Yao takes less punishment than all these guys above him (Shaq excluded)?
It's about time to say this publicly, so at least to me it justifies in a little way why CAT and Stevie are outspoken, although that goes against us as well... Yao gets mugged everytime he ball's so Ref's, give him his due...
yao needs to give the refs mark cuban voo doo dolls before every game to get any preference from them.
I think it has more to do with the intiation of contact. Take Shaq as an example. He is probably, by the rule book, fouled on almost every posession. But if you called a foul every time, then the other team is going to run out of players and the game is going to last 4 hours. So in reality, those players, like Iverson and Francis, that tend to intitiate alot of contact, are probably just not going to receive the same % of foul calls that someone like a Miller would. IOW, when a player's M.O. is to constantly initiate contact, then they have to accept the fact that aren't going to get fouls called every single time, even if they are indeeed, fouled. Its all about leeway IMO. I don't expect the refs to call it by the book on every play. They just can't. BTW. Andre Miller is actually known as a penetrating PG. He gets into the lane ALOT.
Illegal defenders list (against Yao) according to degree of severity: Dampier > Rattlif > James (Seattle) > Voskuhl (Suns)
Finally JVG likes to pay fines for his complaints about officiatings. That is good news. I would like to see that JVG could pay 25,000 $ for SF3.
Either they should change the rulebook or call the fouls. It won't take long for teams to stop fouling. Shaq will dominate, yes, but that's because he's dominant. On the other hand, he would get a lot mroe offensive foul calls as well plus he pushes as much as the rest on teh defensive end.
Yeah, can you imagine what the paint would look like if Yao could take 2 arms and shove the opposing center out of position? They'd likely need an extra front row seat for Yao to sit him down. I like that idea. I also like the couple of fouls Oakley logged in the 3rd. He gave Zack Randolf a nice little shove, which was particularly nice. I didn't agree with signing him, but he earned his 10-day contract with that one. I wouldn't mind seeing more of that if the refs are gonna keep calling BS. Endanger our players with their swallowed whistles and we just may have to retaliate.
The Shaq comparison isn't apt. Why? Because the Rockets let Shaq get away with pushing. They've sort of decided "well, Shaq poses unique problems, so we'll let both the defender and Shaq get away with murder." However, with Yao, they've seem to have decided "Yao poses unique problems for a defender. They have to foul him to defend him, so we'll let them." But they haven't extended to Yao the same courtesy. IF they're not going to call the fouls on the defender, then they shouldn't call them on Yao. Someone already alluded to it, by I thought I'd make it more explicit.
You know what's funny though? When Shaq makes a move, it's an offensive foul every time, except they don't call it. So Shaq gets called both ways. When Yao makes a move, many times it isn't an offensive foul, he'll get called for one regardless. At the other end, if Yao jumps or if there's any contact, Yao's getting a foul. This is why I love stupid posts such as this. Yeah, we're homers because the refs call it one way and not the other. Let them kill Yao and not let Yao fight back at the same time. Lovely.
There is also the factor of # of shots. On that list, other than Shaq, pretty much everybody takes way more shots than Yao. How many FTs are you going to give a player? If they guy shoots say 40 shots like Kobe did last year, do you maintain the ratio and give him 18 FTs? Wait, nm, that's a bad example. But the point is, refs do not want to be seen as determining the game.
Yao should just start shoving his man in the back each time. When they call a foul, he can just tell them to call it both ways. That might earn a couple calls.
The logic that NBA refs officiate is B.S: If smaller players are allowed to push Yao because Yao outweigh them, then Yao should be allowed to hold and trip smaller players because they outrun him.
The thing is, Yao's game isn't predicated on ramming into people like Shaq. As long as he gets a little space to get off his hook/fadaway, it's money in the bank. So there's no reason for Yao to play the way Shaq does in order to be productive. But unfortunately, he's getting defended like Shaq. Which is where the inconsistency comes.
Well, someone mentioned that the Blazers' announcer declaied that the REFs took the game away from them
Not exactly! What I've seen is that NBA refs always have the bias against non-US players, be Europe, or Asia. This has happened to the late Drazen Patrovix(sp?), Sabonis, etc, before. I guess the jealous thing is not only exist among the players.
