How often do you see this???
 

4:30 remaining in the 1st quarter of the Heat/Mavs game tonight (Game 3). Dwayne Wade gets a pass right under his basket, reverse dunks it, holds the rim and lifts his knees. Ref T's him up for it!

I can't remember the last time I saw a T for hanging on the rim in an NBA game. It happens all the time and is NEVER called. But in the Finals, they decide they have to grab it? I'm scratching my head over that one, to be honest.

2:05 left in the first period, Wade is called for traveling!

anyone else
 

who else is watching the game and this board at the same time?

Sounds like Wade pissed somebody off :D

The travel was a pretty obvious one. He ended his dribble then jumped to pass, but didn't have anybody open. So he dropped the ball to the floor and grabbed it again.

But I think you're right; he made somebody mad to draw that T.

I'm watching Game 3, this forum, and the Sox/Twinkies game. It's 1-1 in the top of the 9th.

9:35 left in the 3rd quarter, a carrying violation against Dallas. Somebody tell these guys to enforce the rules tonight? LOL

They called 5 travels in games 1 and 2 also...It's the old veterans making those calls. Also have seen lots of off-ball offensive foul calls. It's a breath of fresh air.

If you actually watch an NBA game, you would see a lot of travels being called. I do not see any less traveling called in NBA games as I have seen in a D1 game. I have watched just one quarter of other playoff games and not only was traveling called, but it was called several times in just a few possessions. I think some of you are buying into what the media tells you than seeing the game for yourself.

Peace

I don't understand the current preoccupation that officials have now about emphasizing travelling, carrying and off ball fouls such as marginal bad screens. These violations are game interrupters that put the focus of the game squarely on the officials. Travelling and carrying should be called when obvious and when they cause an advantage IMO. If you gotta replay the tape 5 times to see the travel, it's not a travel. If a player palms the ball while dribbling in the open court, why stop the game and call it? Also, officials who become "travel officials" are so focused on the violation that they cannot effectively referee the defense. Call the obvious, call what matters, it just leads to a much better game.

As for the off ball offensive fouls, same principle. If there's an advantage, it's obvious or non-basketball, get it, if it's marginal, or there's doubt, why stop the game? If these fouls aren't obvious, the game will get out of hand very quickly, putting a negative focus squarely on the officials. For the record, every one of the NBA off ball fouls/travels were obvious and had to be gotten, they were quality calls.

To sum up, and I know a lot of people will disagree, the emphasis should not be the number of off ball calls or violations, but the quality of those calls, especially considering the context of the game. Too many people wrongly justify weak calls by claiming to "preserve the integrity of the game." Hogwash, consider the context of the game and the spirit and intent of the rules and call the obvious, it leads to a better game and less trouble.

Maybe traveling, carrying and off ball fouls get called because they're <b>rules</b>. Maybe they also get called because all three have been and still are concerns of both the NFHS <b>and</b> the NCAA; all have been repeated POE's in the last few years. Maybe they're finally getting called too in the NBA because viewers are sick of watching streetball with no rules and the ratings were going south. People, including posters here, weren't complaining about "marginal" calls in the NBA; they were complaining about very <b>obvious</b> and <b>blatant</b> calls that were being ignored. I'm in that camp btw.

Advantage/disadvantage was never meant to apply to violations. You're not describing "game interrupters"; you're describing rec league and AAU ball at it's finest.

And, as for putting the focus of the game squarely on officials, personally I'll take the official who's got the balls to make a tough call over the one who doesn't have that particular attribute. An official who is <b>not</b> afraid to make the tough call is naturally gonna get some attention for making a tough call.....and that attention doesn't both them one bit.

This series has seemed closely called from game one. The players were upset at first, but they have adjusted, as smart players will. The NBA thinks it is on the world stage now and muat have wanted the officials to follow the rulebook closely so the world perceives an evenly officiated series. I watch NBA throughout the year and this is the best officiating I've seen in years.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world is watching the World Cup, so the NBA is wasting it's time.

The fans are seeing the NBA game at it's finest. If you don't like what you see, don't bother tuning in to the NBA anymore, because it don't get any better. I'm enjoying watching the Dwyane Wade legend grow, the Shaq legend reach its denouement, and Dirk Nowitzki making a bid for the Hall of Fame.

Chuck:

Shaq was called for traveling in the second game too.

MTD, Sr.

SMEngmann
 

Extremely well stated!!

First off, let me say that in principle I agree with the gist of your post...my one disagreement however is that the fouls off-ball must be "obvious" in order to call them. Obvious to whom? There are any number of things which will not be seen by the coach/fans, but absolutely have to be called in order to protect the game and the players and to keep things from getting out of hand. Example - HS summer league Varsity Boys last Saturday - forward for white team being blocked out quite nicely by forward from red team decides to pinch red forward in the side of the stomache...I can pretty much guarantee you that I was the only one who saw it, called it, and when the coach does the "What did he do?" routine, told him exactly what happened and he sat the kid down. That was not "obvious" but it definitely had to be called...so I think we need to be careful about the phrase "call the obvious fouls" to the exclusion of all other fouls...