[eroe39]

Tough question. I would probably go with game manager although no game manager can make up for being an absolutely terrible play caller. I think players, coaches, and fans get pissed off when they believe the calls are stacking up against them and I don't just mean the foul count. The perception of whether a game is called fairly or not is very important. When the players, coaches, and fans leave the game they want to feel like the officials gave them a fair shake, not so much that every play was called correctly.
Please don't think I mean that if a play is absolutely missed that we now have to make up that call. I don't mean that at all. We just chalk that up as miss. What I am talking about is if my partner has a drive to the basket with borderline contact on one end of the floor that I think should of been a foul and he passes I need to remember that and if a borderline contact drive occurs on the other end I need to pass on it as well.
If I notice Kenyon Martin getting too rough in the post on a couple of possessions the next time he gets rough I need to call a foul to settle him down. However, a referee with no game management skills might look at the play I called a foul and say that was too cheap. He or she would not understand that you need to take into account what happened before because if you don't Kenyon will continue to play rough and that player he is matched up with will start to get pissed off and retaliate. Now you might say why don't you get a foul on him from the start. Well, let's say if you go black and white it is too cheap to call a foul the first time. However, referees need to use the accumulation theory. Several touchy contact plays equal one foul. The same follows for handchecking with me. If a player does it a couple of times and I pass on it the next time he does it, although it might be light, I am going to call a foul just to send a message to him to get his hands off so I don't have to make tough decisions all night. The official with no game management skills would look at the play I called a foul and say it was too cheap.
Game management to mean also means that on borderline plays that occur in the last two minutes when the game is out of reach should go the team's way that is down. Again, I am not talking about black and white plays. I am talking about plays that you are not sure about that are tough that could go either way.
Similarly, late in a close game I would not want a tempo setting handcheck or off ball foul called unless it involves an advantage/disadvantage. Now if you looked at the play by itself not in the context of the game you would say it is a foul.
When your partner has had several calls go against team A you need to recognize it. When you have a double whistle with him or her and the foul is against team A you need to take it. Similarly, if their is a foul against team B let him or her take it even if in your primary.
Getting the ball in play quickly after a tough call or after a techncial foul is good game managing.
If a game is going smooth and there is no problems you can pass on borderline plays. If the game is getting rough and out of control you need to call it tighter. I think it is very important to not look at plays just by themselves. You have relate them to what has been called earlier, what the players are doing and how they are adjusting, and what the time and score is. You can't take each play on it's own merit even if by itself you get play after play right. The key to managing a good game is the tough borderline plays. Too many people think game managing is about evening up the foul count or schmoozing the coaches. That is not what it is about to me. OK, I know I went too long. This is a tough argument though with strong points on both sides.