Tim Donaghy: Mavs have no chance of beating Miami and the refs

I agree that the game was called fairly. I also agree with the two bad calls against Dirk, but keep in mind that the swipe on Bosh came right after the Mavs got a three-point play out of Marion ramming his head into Mike Miller.

 

Dirk was very aggressive going to the basket last night, especially in the 4th quarter. If it were Wade 2006, it would have been foul call every single time.

 

I don't have video but I distinctly remember a couple other instances where LeBron traveled in that game. Traveling is a pretty easy call to make. Missed foul calls on occasion happen a lot, obviously, but missing a clear cut traveling call is absurd.

 

Do you think that Lebron cheats on purpose or is just fundamentally unsound basketball wise? Some of the travels he does would actually feel really odd/weird/out of sync/rhythm if I did it.

I played organised basketball in junior leagues as a kid and after a while (playing by proper rules) you know when you take 3 steps or lift your pivot foot. It just feels really odd to do it.

There was a play, can't remember which game. Lebron received a pass at the top of the key. He looked down at the floor and realised he was inside the 3-point line, so he takes 2 steps to get behind the arc to launch the 3. That play looked ridiculously weird.

This is what frustrates me about the NBA; refs not calling blatant violations of basic rules.

 

Are you trying to use that as evidence that the series is rigged or the refs are biased? Do you think it's unfair that the game isn't rigged in Dirk's favor the way it was for Wade in the Finals five years ago?

 

No, I'm just saying that Dirk wasn't getting the superstar treatment like Wade did in 06. I never said the series was rigged. I do think superstar treatment is rampant in NBA officiating. Wade is one of the guys who has been benefiting it a lot.

 

another reason why the NFL is better than the NBA

 

but too bad we suck at every sport lol

 

Wade has certainly benefited from superstar treatment in his career, but none of the star players were getting special treatment from the refs in Game 1.

 

DOES ANYONE REALIZE THAT LEBRON DOVE ON THE GROUND AND GOT BACK UP AND THE TRAVEL WAS NOT CALLED!!!!!!

 

Donaghy's a Bum.

 

When in possession of the ball while on the floor, an offensive player is permitted to stand up, establish a pivot foot and resume play. Here, the offensive player loses the ball and then regains possession after going to the floor. He then regains his feet, establishes his pivot and resumes play. This is a legal play. Since the ball was touched by an opponent creating a loose ball situation, the offensive player may legally dribble after recovering the ball.

http://www.nba.com/videorulebook/category.html?cid=108

 

It amazes me how many fans complain about unfair officiating, but don't even understand the rules in the NBA.

 

In the NFL also have the superstar treatment. Look Peyton Manning/Colts or Tom Brady/Pats. or Steelers in the Super Bowl XL (where refs already said they made bad calls).

 

Dirk did that exact same thing (switching pivot feet) from almost the exact same spot in game 2, lol

 

its a travel..no big deal.

would you guys be watching this if this is a clippers nets final? no,.

we're watching, and we're approving of these actions/calls by our own actions, whether they might be rigged or not.

 

Missing one extra step travel in a quick move is excusable. But this one is too obvious to miss, I am sure refs are instructed to tolerate such travel for certain star players.

 

Do you have a video of it?

 

Why not? If it's the Clippers-Nets finals, that means they beat the Lakers, the Spurs, the Celtics, the Heat, etc. They'd be very good teams to watch.

 

yeah that's a good question.

even when you're a kid you know when you take those extra steps and travel. first of all your coach or dad is going to stop you and tell you. same when you carry it. by the 2nd or 3rd year of playing ball you know in your heart when you carried or if you took that step or moved your pivot . just from a physical standpoint it feels mechanically different from how you are used to do it.

at the same time in kids leagues you do see the odd kid who carries the ball from bottom to top every time he dribbles, and often he just doesn't know he's even doing it wrong because no one's corrected him.

I think that Lebron is just so used to getting the call that he assumes that it's his right, and maybe even tells himself that in that situation other ppl walk as well and that it's never called. Many times privilege is so inborn that ppl are entirely ignorant that they have it.

For example Wade got a ton of **** for the flop and how he looked to the officials for the bailout but to me it seemed entirely something organic. Not that he'd done it calculatingly but that he honestly expected to get a bailout call if he missed, because he always gets that call. Maybe he felt a tiny bit of contact or near contact and in his experience it's legitimately a call he'd get 99% of the time. I mean if you're used to getting ticky tack fouls or imaginary calls, then you expect it... and if you ALWAYS get them you really do lack the frame of reference of how hard non-stars have to get hit for it to be called.

Stern would know how to market to weak-minded fans to get them excited WWE style. Do you not remember how he sold the All Star weekend on Blake Griffin's back? How ESPN hyped his dunking for 2-3 weeks straight?

Today's strain of American has a tiny attention span so they probably BARELY remember the push that Stern gave Rose prior to the MVP. I mean that was WEEKS ago and ppl are now firmly in the Dirk push. Griffin was TWO PUSHES ago MONTHS ago ppl obviously cant remember **** from way back then but he was getting major hype and ppl were buying it.

Off the top of my head some of the storylines that a Clippers Finals would generate:

1) Blake Griffin: best rookie ever? GRE??????? OMG

2) Clippers overtaking the Lakers in LA???????

3) Clippers and Nets: second franchises in their respective cities, now the Best in West and East?

4) Griffin in the West, Williams, Lopez in the East. Changing of the guard in the NBA???????

5) Prokohrov. Prokohrov. Prokohrov.

etc.

so many storylines Stern could push and that you all would be excited about.