GT #52: Wizards (25-26) @ Rockets (35-17) 8 PM CSN

[dangermouse]

We get consistently d***ed by officiating. Even when we are at home, we dont get the home cooking like the Rockets did here tonight. Absolute BS.

Teddy should step up, say something, cop a fine. Thats the best part about guys like Cuban, they arent afraid to voice their opinion to the media, something the fans like me would love to do but dont have the platform to do so. Whats a couple of grand fine to Ted, really. For someone who was meant to come in and be a great owner, he isnt doing the things he should be. Changing the urinal cakes isnt enough mate.

[jangles86]

Yeah I think we may not have deserved to win it from the amount of offensive boards we gave up, but I honestly think we should of won had it not been for a cheating ass bitch harden and terrible refs.

[Brenice]

WTF

They fine zillionaire players $500 for flopping like that is a deterrent. If the league was being genuine, they should fine these bogus refs for calling fouls for notorious floppers like Harden. Just like hot-headed players like Rasheed have reputations and get quick techs, Harden should not be getting the benefit of the doubt. Fine the refs, not the zillionaire players.

WTF

What Harden did makes me want to

But it wasnt a flop. He hooked him. Its a foul, not a flop. Refs are supposed to catch that. Smart play by him. Terrible miss by the refs. But there is nothing to fine him about.

I wasn't talking about one particular play. I'm talking about his constant flailing of his arms every time he is in traffiic...and he gets free throws every time it seems.

[Brenice]

there comes a point where your coach or owner has to make a statment. Call it crying or whatever but I honestly wouldnt mind hearing one of them publicly saying something about the way we are getting treated by the refs in these games. I know we havent made the playoffs in years and have a jump shooting system but its crazy how when we touch guys its a fould but when we get hacked its nothing. Im also sick of Glen Consor on the radio getting mad at Nene and guys for complaining.

There is a differnce from whiney guys like Harden & Paul then a guy like Nene who truly gets hacked a ton and gets no calls. He should let the refs know about it but it wont matter until your coach or owner starts addressing it Take the fine. Beleive it or not, that stuff does work and refs/league do start taking more notice. We will get clowned on some sports shows for awhile but who cares. We get clowned anyways. As long as we start getting more respect from the refs, its worth it

And then people wonder why the defense(over the years) is weak. That's what happens when a team is playing under a tighter whistle than the opponent. You get paranoid of picking up touch fouls.

[mohammed10]

Just check the standings.

Don't look now, but the# 7 seed is now one more loss away....

[AFM]

I wonder if this will catch on with the rest of the league. Your team is down by 2, few seconds left. Why even bother trying to hit a 3 when you can just flop during the inbounds play?

[Dat2U]

Just check the standings.

Don't look now, but the# 7 seed is now one more loss away....

Were only 3 games from the 9th seed. Cleveland is the 11th seed and only 5.5 back after making up 3 games on the Wiz this week.

Problem for the Wiz is that it's playoffs or bust for the 9th, 10th & 11th ranked teams in the East. Detroit, NY & Cleveland all won't be tanking as people are trying to save their jobs as Ernie & Witt are here in DC.

Were still a Nene or Gortat injury away from watching this crumble.

[jivelikenice]

Just check the standings.

Don't look now, but the# 7 seed is now one more loss away....

Were only 3 games from the 9th seed. Cleveland is the 11th seed and only 5.5 back after making up 3 games on the Wiz this week.

Problem for the Wiz is that it's playoffs or bust for the 9th, 10th & 11th ranked teams in the East. Detroit, NY & Cleveland all won't be tanking as people are trying to save their jobs as Ernie & Witt are here in DC.

Were still a Nene or Gortat injury away from watching this crumble.

A lot is going to be determined in those first games out of the AS break. Toronto/ATL. You know Ernie is watching the standings too. I wonder if a panic move is on the way

[jivelikenice]

While Ariza had a great game, can they please stop trying to post him up? I don't know if that's on John or Ariza asking for the ball but even Phil knew those plays had no chance of working...

[MikeTheKid]

There talking about the Harden flop on First Take, both said that Harden flopped and Bavetta blew it

[tontoz]

Ordinarily i would be pissed about the ending but i just feel indifferent. It isn't about just one game. The only reason we had a chance is that Ariza went nuts from 3.

Beal/Wall combined to shoot 2-14 on long 2s. Nearly half of their attempts were long 2s. That is just bad basketball and they will continue to lose games they should win as long as that continues.

Harden might be a flopping bitch but do you know how many long 2s he took? ZERO

[jivelikenice]

The long 2 has become habitual for those guys. It would help them if they could open the lane a little but I still think they'd settle for too many long 2s.

[Nivek]

I'm tired of hearing the whining about refs, and (in particular) folks citing free throw differentials as evidence. The Wizards don't give opposing teams much reason to foul them -- they do what the defense wants them to do (take 2pt jumpers) more than any other team in the league. Most shooting fouls get called near the basket. Go to there. 3pt shots come with that extra point. When you've drawn the defense to the paint, pass the ball to there. Take that 2pt jumper when the shot clock is winding down and you haven't been able to get a good shot.

[AFM]

I'm tired of hearing the whining about refs, and (in particular) folks citing free throw differentials as evidence. The Wizards don't give opposing teams much reason to foul them -- they do what the defense wants them to do (take 2pt jumpers) more than any other team in the league. Most shooting fouls get called near the basket. Go to there. 3pt shots come with that extra point. When you've drawn the defense to the paint, pass the ball to there. Take that 2pt jumper when the shot clock is winding down and you haven't been able to get a good shot.

Nivek, you're right of course, but some of the fouls on Howard were absurd. There were fouls called on Gortat where he was standing there with his hands up and Dwight was going right through him and getting the foul. What is Gortat supposed to do? If the offensive player is going to play that aggressively in the post, the ref has to swallow the whistle.
I wonder when was the last time 3 starters from one team fouled out in regulation?

[Nivek]

I'm not saying refs don't make bad calls. They obviously do. I don't see anything systematic in their bad calls, though.

I still think the refs should be taken off the floor. I think the game could be officiated better from the sideline using HD monitors. Have 2-3 guys out there as peacekeepers/game-runners, but without any foul-calling duties.

[Dat2U]

Harden might be a flopping bitch but do you know how many long 2s he took? ZERO

And some people say coaching doesn't make much of a difference.

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

Just check the standings.

Don't look now, but the# 7 seed is now one more loss away....

Were only 3 games from the 9th seed. Cleveland is the 11th seed and only 5.5 back after making up 3 games on the Wiz this week.

Problem for the Wiz is that it's playoffs or bust for the 9th, 10th & 11th ranked teams in the East. Detroit, NY & Cleveland all won't be tanking as people are trying to save their jobs as Ernie & Witt are here in DC.

Were still a Nene or Gortat injury away from watching this crumble.

In order, I'd prefer:

1. 3-6 seed
2. Out of playoffs
3. 7 or 8 seed

I'm so damn starved for the playoffs (or even relevance)... and really can't bring myself to root against the Bullets.

But scenario #2 would, finally, I believe precipitate the house cleaning we all know is necessary and would get us back our draft pick (Doug McDermott, anyone?)

[dobrojim]

I'm tired of hearing the whining about refs, and (in particular) folks citing free throw differentials as evidence. The Wizards don't give opposing teams much reason to foul them -- they do what the defense wants them to do (take 2pt jumpers) more than any other team in the league. Most shooting fouls get called near the basket. Go to there. 3pt shots come with that extra point. When you've drawn the defense to the paint, pass the ball to there. Take that 2pt jumper when the shot clock is winding down and you haven't been able to get a good shot.

Nivek, you're right of course, but some of the fouls on Howard were absurd. There were fouls called on Gortat where he was standing there with his hands up and Dwight was going right through him and getting the foul. What is Gortat supposed to do? If the offensive player is going to play that aggressively in the post, the ref has to swallow the whistle.
I wonder when was the last time 3 starters from one team fouled out in regulation?

I was particularly upset about the ending. First Harden arm locks Ariza for a FT, then
Howard sets an illegal screen on Wall grabbing him as he attempted to follow Harden.
There is a reason Harden was open for a layup. If the refs simply call the arm tackle
Howard made on Wall it's our ball and the game is over. Complete BS.

When HOU played here Howard got away with murder in that game as well.
He was consistently using his off arm to literally lift and thereby displace his
defender (usually Gortat) and get to where he could lay the ball in or dunk it.

[dobrojim]

I'm not saying refs don't make bad calls. They obviously do. I don't see anything systematic in their bad calls, though.

I still think the refs should be taken off the floor. I think the game could be officiated better from the sideline using HD monitors. Have 2-3 guys out there as peacekeepers/game-runners, but without any foul-calling duties.

I'd go along with that along with the ability to make/reverse a foul call in replay or
change a block/charge. Hoops is difficult to ref fairly. And the Wizards didn't
do a very good job of getting calls. But I often see a vicious cycle of non-calls
when drives are made. Then the player(s) adjust to the unfairness by not
driving.

I think better training is needed in avoiding expectation bias.

[dobrojim]

Re FT disparity

it's never proof of anything but it is suggestive of many things, not all of them good
from a variety of perspectives.

edit to add - the more extreme the disparity is, the more suggestive.