And there’s a zero percent chance a competitor like JJ is going to say “we might as well give up, we have no chance against OKC and the refs” when his team is in the middle of a playoff series.

I love how all these Thunder flairs are always out here acting like criticizing the officiating = “we would have won otherwise obviously” every time someone says it

They love to misconstrue what people say to make false outrage.

Do the Lakers fans honestly feel like Reaves and Smart are not flopping?

It’s so irritating that the media keeps trying to laugh it off. “Lol, the Lakers have more problems than just the officiating”. Everyone knows that

What do they want? Okc was 17th in FTA. I know you’ll say “it’s beyond FTA”, but if okc was getting a friendly whistle they’d at least be top 10, not bottom half lol. Stats have to back it up at some point. It’s a case of squeaky wheel. Okc’s coach and players rarely get super demonstrative with refs over missed calls. Lakers were whining all over the court last night, which is a worse look than “flopping” in my opinion. Sga literally got flagrantly fouled and it was ruled common foul. A dangerous play that almost injured 2 star players. Yet people want to complain about LeBron not getting a continuation on a flop of his own. Stop it. 

This was my complaint for the first couple games of the Suns series.

I’m under no delusion that we were capable of beating OKC in any game. But the refs can quickly make games vs the Thunder completely uncompetitive and uninteresting. If by some miracle your team manages to start outplaying OKC, you can bet your bottom dollar that they’re going to start foulbaiting and whining to the refs to kill any momentum you may get.

They’re good enough that they don’t need the extra help. Not to mention it just makes for a terrible, really unentertaining product

The third true thing is what makes everything funny tho: 99% of the fans are also fed up with how Lakers get the calls most of the times.

It’s the same when they beat the shit out of us last week. Yes, they foul a lot without getting penalized. No, it wouldn’t have made a difference. It’s just nice to play fair you know.

Because nearly half of all Americans are illiterate and can’t comprehend the notion of nuance. They live in a black or white world

Most people here are incapable of understanding nuance smh

99% of people who comment on the internet are babies—no surprise they are complaining about something stupid

Nuance is dead. On social media, there’s only one stance you’re allowed to take.

But you honestly believe that Lebron isn’t the worst? And AR was foul acting all night. Leflop had another one of his TOP 20 of all time, like Jon Jones hit him in the face with no one around. Luckily the Rockets challenged, and the whole arena saw. And Leflop was shooting his eyes around his whole bench embarassed. Happens all the time w him. Its j crazy yall won’t admit what’s under your nose. The whole league sells fouls. I dont like it. But some do it when not touched all the time. Like Leflop consistently. 

I don’t get why the nba doesn’t just charge flagrant flopping on teams when they flop and it gets overturned. 1 free throw and the ball. Bet it’d stop as many flops.

People would rather cry about the Lakers instead lol

*Insert gif of LeBron saying “not you” to Alperen Sengun.*

That’s why.

Nuance died with robin williams

The play where Caruso drew a charge on LeBron was especially infuriating

The reality is the argument extends to..do you play OKC differently because of the flop sentiment? Any adjustment to that begs the question of what happens if that approach isn’t needed. They may have legitimately lost, but if the problem is as real as most observers are saying, it may have affected the game just generally without actual bs FTs being called.

No comprehension. It’s either black or white for them

They will play physical but also flop around when you give it back. It’s hard to balance it out.

I don’t think a team with Austin Reaves on the roster gets to complain about flopping.

Another thing that can be true:

Just because someone flops doesn’t mean he wasn’t fouled.

Lol 99%

YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE PHYSICAL TOLL THAT 3 GAMES AGAINST THE OKC THUNDER HAVE ON A PERSON

gold

This got me. Well played.

Why would the refs calling the game as objectively as possible hurt gambling revenue?

Bad reffing isn’t a problem - it’s a feature!

If the reffing was fair and consistent, then the big-market teams would be reffed the same as small-market teams. Which would mean that small-market teams would win more - which would lower the NBA’s revenue!

If the reffing was fair and consistent, then the superstars would foul-out far more often (and have lower-scoring games all around). Both of those things would cost the NBA tons of money.

NBA referees have been blatantly cheating and calling games unfairly for at least half a century now. At least. And, they keep getting away with it, because the cheating is a feature that makes the league money.

If a player flops the penalty should not be a tech it should be no whistle

Even if there is some contact if there is any exaggerated reactions to what is happening on the court then just act like you didn’t see anything

That’s how you get them to stop

It’s done by not rewarding any attempts to sell anything

Once all of the acting gets cleaned up then you can focus on just calling the game

One of the only flopping calls I’ve seen live was them calling Gobert after he got elbowed in his recently injured sternum. I’m positive the refs are just stupid, unqualified, and unable to avoid manipulation by people who are actual professionals at their craft.

The ref talent pool is crap and it leaves you to wonder if it’s incompetence or malicious intent. I’d like to hope they’re just too dumb to not get outsmarted by every other person on the court.

Where was this outrage when Luka Doncic and the Lakers lead the league in FT per game while winning the most close games in the league?

Are you outraged the refs gave the Lakers more regular season wins?

They did get the most egregious flop right though… they reversed the call on Chet.

I don’t think there was many flops in the last game to complain about.

This is my biggest issue. Last night they had a PRIME opportunity to call a flopping tech on Holmgren after reviewing(and reversing the call mind you) and they just didn’t do it.

WHY does the league even have the rule? To selectively enforce it? Is it just another parlor trick for the refs to use when they need to game the game itself to get the score to reflect whatever they want? It’s absurd and has no rhyme or reason to it

He also literally said “They have a few guys that foul on every possession…they’re hard enough to play. You gotta be able to just call it if they foul and they do foul” in the same interview
Don’t get it twisted. He can say they didn’t lose because of the whistle alone but don’t try to use it to pretend like OKC doesn’t have a ref advantage too

Edit: full quote

“Yeah I mean I sarcastically said the other day they’re the most disruptive team without fouling. They have a few guys that foul on every possession and all the good defenses do. You know SGA gets like a, I don’t even know, a touch foul on a dive. There was a stretch where 4 straight possessions where our guys got absolutely clobbered trying to make an entry pass to Jaxson and Jaylin Williams is grabbing his jersey with both arms. That’s a turnover. They’re hard enough to play. They’re hard enough to play. You’ve got to be able to just call it if they foul, and they do foul.”

The “and all good defenses do” is just a small deflection that OKC fans are desperately grasping onto but missing the point

Next game will start with Steph Curry entering and shooting 40 free throws

Brother, several players and coaches have complained about your team lmao.

Just be happy your team is good and ignore the hate.

Serious question: what is the theory here?

The NBA specifically wants OKC to win because the league makes more money when small market teams win over legacy large market teams like the Lakers? And they not only want them to win but they want them to win in four games rather than make it a 6-7 game series where they can sell more tickets and get more TV revenue?

Someone please explain what you think is happening here?

Yes because most people on Reddit are black and white thinkers and don’t think 2 things can be true at a time

Not surprising. Good coaching. When I was in middle school my coach would get on our asses if we started whining about the refs. It’s poor sportsmanship and loser mentality.

I don’t know why we’re surprised when adults making millions can do the same thing?

Not really. This is standard Redick

Chet would’ve been ejected in the first quarter

Officiating a random peewee little league game and the highest level of basketball that is their job are two completely different things. And you’d expect the refs to do their jobs accordingly when they are doing it in college, NBA, FIBA, etc. The complaints can be annoying but in this instant with Suns/Lakers I can see why they will question the refs with how okc plays

Bro thinking his shitty kid game and the NBA is the same magnitude

Yeah but your kids game wasn’t a product with drastic circumstances. If this is suppose to be the best product available, you’d assume the officiating is done in a way that’s the best possible.

Does being rich somehow invalidate the emotional response to unfair treatment?

Didn’t Will Smith already go over this 30 years ago?

Reaves kicked Shai in the groin and got the call, man knock it off

Ok and? They called that a flagrant on Shai.

But meanwhile Reaves kicked Shai in the nuts and didn’t even get a foul call

Weirdly similar reply to this comment

The agenda has hit a speed bump, but that won’t stop r/nba 

Yeah it doesn’t make any sense. If you can never lose because of refs, why does he always complain about refs? Why do we even have refs if they have no influence over the outcome?

Yeah it’s like a baseball ump with a really shitty strike zone, you’re a pitcher who specializes in painting the corners. There’s a huge difference in the approach between a 3-1 and a 2-2 count on both offense and defense.

They’re about to tell the opposing team’s coach he’s wrong LOL

Im a Laker, we are losing regardless of the refs. OKC is the much better team by far. Doesn’t change the fact the calls have been absolute ass and the flopping is ridiculous, they don’t even need to do it to win.

you guys care too much about all this

anger is what gets engagement these days online.

Yeah you don’t seem miserable at all. Lol

That flop shit isn’t basketball

I don’t see anyone saying lakers could win if the ref called it fairly. The problem is that shit is just unwatchable with how it’s called. But whatever man this sub somehow decides to defend okc to death.

typo. my bad

NBA coaches know that the media stuff is a political game. He can’t afford to alienate the refs and to spend his complaint capital by the second game. He also needs to balance thata gainst making his team feel supported.

If you think any of these coaches are speaking purely from the heart you are crazy, just like we need to mind our words in our own working lives.