You make the Call

[tmp44]

FWIW, according to the OP, the foul occurred while the ball was in flight. From the way I read the post, the push/displacement thus occurred prior to the ball entering the hoop. If this is the case, then the official would have no idea of the advantage/disadvantage of the ball going in when he observed the foul. IMO, if the contact warranted a foul, with the ball still in the air, cracking the whistle is the right move.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by tmp44

FWIW, according to the OP, the foul occurred while the ball was in flight. From the way I read the post, the push/displacement thus occurred prior to the ball entering the hoop. If this is the case, then the official would have no idea of the advantage/disadvantage of the ball going in when he observed the foul. IMO, if the contact warranted a foul, with the ball still in the air, cracking the whistle is the right move.

Normally, on a small push (very little displacement) like this, if there's no rebound, there's no call. If the displacement is significant, it's often best to get it, especially early in the game.

This is when a patient whistle comes in handy. Sort of like letting the hack go at the top of the key because the ball handler played through it and had a layup.