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It seems appropriate to offer this comment in this thread and let others chime in with their thoughts.
One of my colleagues whom I consider a mentor told me last year that one thing which separates the top-notch officials from the rest is that they aren't afraid to let a game get a little out of control. He then expounded upon that comment by explaining that the game of basketball is best when it is contested on the edge. The top officials have developed a good sense of what that point is and can let the players go right up to there without having problems. Of course, this can only be experienced by having the action cross the line a few times. That is when true game management is tested and the officials must be very sharp to bring it back quickly. In the end, he shared with me that certain officials will never make it to the top because they are simply afraid of having the game get beyond their control and so call it tighter than the players involved can handle. This displeases the competitors and they don't come away with the feeling that win or lose they were in a great battle.
In summary, what I took from his advice was that there is certainly an art to finding the right balance, and one must be willing to take the risk to get there, but once the game reaches that point if the official is strong enough to control it, it will be a fantastic contest.
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