NBA playoffs illegal screens

[Nevadaref]

Originally Posted by Multiple Sports

No more than three a game......they do a great job of finding the ball relative to the screen, time and score, fouls on screener, etc. Some of you might not like those factors but that is the NBA.....

Originally Posted by Kelvin green

i would venture to say that the player's skill is not in the same galaxy either...I have officiated some of these guys. They are bigger, faster, stronger... They can play through things... The league has some very good videos on their website about Ilegal screens.

When you look at illegal screens, I believe this is one of the areas that requires the most judgment on the floor. What advantage or disadvantage was caused, was the official officiating the defense... Etc. When I officiate I look at screens as legal, marginal, or illegal. The ones you have to pay attention to the most are the marginal ones. The marginal ones are the ones that are not completely legal but don't cause one player or another to get an advantage or be placed at a disadvantage. My bet the 50 or so illegal screens you see would fall into my marginal category. I call as many or more illegal screens as anyone but I also can articulate to a coach why I let the ones go I do...

If there really are 50 illegal screens that's a lot of whistles... And delays...even in a high school game we don't call every foul or violation.

These two posts illustrate the problem with how the NBA game is called--there aren't any clearly-delineated standards. What exactly is a foul or a travel changes for each game, for each quarter, and perhaps for each play (some would claim based upon which players are involved). All of the factors listed by these posters should have no impact on the decision. Why would the time left in the game matter? Why is the score relevant to contact? Why is a screen away from the ball different from one near it?

Contact or footwork is either legal or illegal. All of those other factors are just excuses for not calling the plays properly.

[Raymond]

Ummmm, who in here determines if NBA refs are calling it properly? Is someone here privy to their correspondence and individual feedback?

The NBA doesn't answer to anyone in here, so to whom exactly are they making excuses?

Some folks just can't fathom that their individual opinion is just that, their individual opinion.

[BryanV21]

Chances are the best players you will officiate won't make it to the NBA. The game is so much different than most of us will ever need to officiate. Not to mention the reasons others have given, such as what the NBA wants their officials to concentrate on, and the fact that the NBA is more about entertainment/making money.

Please stop talking about officiating at the NBA level as if it's the same as what most of us do.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Ummmm, who in here determines if NBA refs are calling it properly? Is someone here privy to their correspondence and individual feedback?

The NBA doesn't answer to anyone in here, so to whom exactly are they making excuses?

Some folks just can't fathom that their individual opinion is just that, their individual opinion.

We can expand that comment to college and even high school. No one here can speak for what should or should not be called by anyone in any other region of the country or areas in which they are not familiar. I know that if I call the game like many people here suggest, I would be still working sophomore basketball most of the time.

Peace