Huge FT disparity between beginning of season and currently

[TokeBulls]

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Absolutely pathetic by the refs. The early season calls were good for my team personally, with Caruso and Ball being great wing defenders. It's obvious it dropped off and they're giving certain players every damn call. Such a complete shame. They gave into the complaining of certain players.

[pipfan]

I agree, the beginning of the year was much better. Let them play

[Wolfgang630]

Yep. The year started off so great. People were loving how the game was being called. And well that didn’t last long

[DaddyCool19]

Yep. The year started off so great. People were loving how the game was being called. And well that didn’t last long

And everyone predicted it. They call it for a month and then stop doing it.

[Karate Diop]

Will be interesting to see if the referees reevaluate for the playoffs and clamp things down again... There are a few teams that will greatly struggle if that's the case.

[Deivork]

A real shame that makes for a far worse viewing experience and a smaller chance to compete for teams that want to defend

[TokeBulls]

Will be interesting to see if the referees reevaluate for the playoffs and clamp things down again... There are a few teams that will greatly struggle if that's the case.

They always do it tbh. Harden and Embiid will get a dose of reality once again.

[UcanUwill]

Were refs changed or did players just adapt?

[kuclas]

Will be interesting to see if the referees reevaluate for the playoffs and clamp things down again... There are a few teams that will greatly struggle if that's the case.

I’m ok with embiid going to the free throw line less even if he’s getting hacked

If they let thybulle hack/maul perimeter 3 point shooters and not get called for fouls. Let’s call it even. Ok? After all it was those two idiotic 3 point fouls on thybulle which really cost the sixers games 5/7. Fouls called on thybulle.

[KembaWalker]

I was so excited at the beginning of the year, hadn't been interested in watching 2-3 games per day in a long time. Shame they folded. With how they spam ads during free throws now it makes sense

[The Rebel]

Were refs changed or did players just adapt?

They are back to calling offensive initiated contact against the defense, which was supposed to be the big change.

[goodboys lats]

76ers aren't going to be effective in the playoffs after the first round if the playoffs are officiated like normal. Don't worry.

[bisme37]

I was ready to scoff at this but it really is a huge difference from the beginning of the season. And I agree that it's not good.

A few thoughts... offensive players have likely figured out how to get more calls under the new rules. And defensive players likely figured out that more contact is allowed, so they've raised their level of contact to push the envelope on it, and that increased level of contact is what's getting called now. (I hope I said that clearly enough.)

And the refs probably need a refresher course on what they should and shouldn't call. They're human so it's perhaps easy to fall into old habits or get mentally worn out in the dogs days of the season and blow the whistle more than they should.

(Personal bit: It just occurred to me yesterday that at times when I'm modding the forums here I'll find a couple posts that legit break the rules and require moderation, and then that sometimes puts me on higher alert than really need be and I find myself perhaps overmodding on stuff that I could have let go. So maybe it's similar for the refs. You just get caught up in wanting everyone to settle the heck down and then realize you need to take a chill pill haha. I'm working on it!)

Anyway, the increase in foul calls is likely a combination of the stuff I mentioned, and probably other stuff I haven't thought of. Hopefully they dial it back because the officiating at the start of the year was dope.

[spanishninja]

Were refs changed or did players just adapt?

They are back to calling offensive initiated contact against the defense, which was supposed to be the big change.

notable example in the Warrior-Nets game when Steph CLEARLY lunged into Nets defender and yet got the FTs.

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[Tor_Raps]

The whole world loved the way the refs called the game to start the year with the exception of a few foul baiting stars that most already hate. Silver and the refs are complete idiots for reverting back here.

[Nate505]

The game was so much better at the beginning of the season. Of course the refs decided they must be the more focal point of the action, and the star wusses complained up a storm, so here we are.

[CIN-C-STAR]

Yep and the product has suffered for it.
Let them know that watching guys shoot FTs all game for minor, incidental contact is boring and stupid, especially when offensive players are allowed to initiate contact on defenders all game.
I am.
https://contact.nba.com/contact-nba/

[zeebneeb]

I was so excited at the beginning of the year, hadn't been interested in watching 2-3 games per day in a long time. Shame they folded. With how they spam ads during free throws now it makes sense

That is exactly where the old adage "follow the money" comes from.

Unbelievably, I hadn't even thought of this until now.

This is the leading contender as of now, without question. Now of there was a way to take a deep dive into how refs are paid, and see if there is a correlation.

[jfs1000d]

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Absolutely pathetic by the refs. The early season calls were good for my team personally, with Caruso and Ball being great wing defenders. It's obvious it dropped off and they're giving certain players every damn call. Such a complete shame. They gave into the complaining of certain players.

Hell no. Stop fouling .


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[sp6r=underrated]

Were refs changed or did players just adapt?

They are back to calling offensive initiated contact against the defense, which was supposed to be the big change.

Yup, but I'll say something for the refs. It took the NBA several attempts to kill the deadball era style defenses. Eventually in 2005 the NBA adopted rules/consistent enforcement to kill it.

It is probably going to take several attempts to kills the current problem with FTA were the offense can foul the defender and get FT. But if fans keep complaining like they did during the Rileyball era it will eventually be killed.