Dub Hub: How should the NBA deal with poor officiating?

Jan 30, 2023 - 3:05 PM

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Good Morning Dub Nation,

Officiating has always been a hot topic of discussion in the NBA, but this season in particular feels like it has become more prevalent than ever. The Golden State Warriors know this well as they have been on the receiving end of several questionable calls/non-calls throughout the season.

Over the weekend, officiating came under fire once again after a controversial non-call occurred at the end of regulation in the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Lakers superstar LeBron James drove to the basket and was clearly fouled on a last-second lay-up attempt, however no whistle was blown and the game went into overtime where Los Angeles would eventually go on to lose.

The whole ordeal prompted this statement from the NBA’s Referee Union where they admitted to missing the foul the following day.

Aside from producing a couple of viral reactions to the call (including a legendary technical foul given to Lakers guard Patrick Beverly), the Lakers — having already used their coach’s challenge — were essentially powerless to the referee’s decision in the moment.

While this certainly won’t be the last time an official gets a call wrong, the entire fiasco highlights the lack of accountability for NBA referees. Fines, suspensions, public record-keeping of correct calls vs. incorrect calls, and many more have all been suggested as potential ways to hold them accountable, but it remains to be seen if anything can or will be done in the future. Although officiating is a difficult job, it must be held to a higher standard if it is going to be this impactful towards outcome of the game.

Here are the rest of today’s stories:

In case you missed it from Golden State of Mind:

• The multifaceted value of Donte DiVincenzo
• Player grades: Warriors vs. Raptors
• Splash Brothers score 64 in Warriors 129-117 victory over Raptors
• A complete breakdown of the Warriors All-Star starter votes
• Steve Kerr ‘feels bad’ for James Wiseman’s circumstances with the Warriors

Other Warriors News:

• Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins probable for Monday game against Thunder (San Francisco Chronicle)
• Stephen Curry fined $25K for throwing mouthpiece into stands (NBA)
• James Wiseman has one-on-one chat with Steve Kerr amid uncertain NBA future (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Donte DiVincenzo’s fearless play endearing to Warriors fans, Steve Kerr says (NBC Sports Bay Area)
• Steph Curry parades to the rim and the Warriors roll over the Raptors at home (The Athletic)

NBA News:

• NBA referees’ union: Missing foul on LeBron James ‘gut-wrenching’ (ESPN)
• Leroux: Myles Turner’s unusual deal could be a win-win for him and Pacers (The Athletic)
• Patrick Beverley Got Hit With a Legendary Technical Foul After He Brought Out a Camera To Show The Ref The Foul He Missed (Barstool Sports)
• NBA Refutes Viral Reddit Conspiracy Theory About Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr.’s Stats (Bleacher Report)
• NBA Twitter reacts to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 50-point game: ‘Best player in the world’ (Hoops Hype)