Referees, as usual, are under a gigantic microscope during the Playoffs and despite the average fan’s anger with their work, NBA commissioner Adam Silver says they’re doing a good job for the most part.
Silver argues that refs make the correct decision a “vast majority of the time.”
The commish also addressed the controversial “Last Two Minute Report” in an interview with ESPN:
“Roughly 90 percent — they get it right,” Silver said. “Now, of course, I’d like 90 percent to be 100 percent. And so would they. But what these reports also show, what fans already know is, human error is part of this game, and the best athletes in the world make mistakes. And coaches occasionally make mistakes. Officials do, too.”
Game officials have faced compounded controversy as a result of bad calls or non-calls in nearly every series of this season’s playoffs as the NBA’s “Last Two Minute Report” confirms what has often been made readily apparent not long after a play through TV and internet video, fueling a new round of headlines. […] “My goal is for it not to be a storyline. There’s no question about that,” Silver said. “And even if you ask our officials, their goal is to not be noticed.”
“Transparency is a key goal of mine,” Silver said. “And the nature of these LTMs — these ‘Last Two Minute Reports’ — is that it’s information we have already been sharing with our teams. They of course want to know if a particular play in the league’s view was correctly called. […] And in part, not even necessarily because they accept the league’s view over theirs. But they want to understand the basics of why we’re making certain calls. And my sense is, the media and the fans want to have that same understanding. And they want to see if we’re being consistent. […] Teams that are also playing in the regular season or the playoffs want to know when is it a block, when is it a charge, how are we calling traveling, for example.”
