Actual officiating question - have you noticed?

[Obstructed_View]

Watching the games this year, it seems like the post players are getting really beat up without getting calls. I don't mean just getting a whistle whenever they go up for a shot, but I'm talking about when physical post guys go into defenders with the clear intent to draw contact. Nene got so little love last night against Chandler, he finally just stopped bothering to go at the basket by the middle of the third. Yao and Duncan have had the same troubles, so it seems like the officiating is at least consistent, which indicates it's by design. Anyone else get the feeling that the refs are changing the way they're calling low-post play, and what would be the reasoning behind it? Fewer free throws later on? More jumpers? Shorter games? There were years that Duncan would go to work in the first half getting the other team's bigs into foul trouble to soften them up for later. I'm sure he wasn't the only one doing it, and those days seem to be gone, at least this year.

It's possible that it's the old "playoff basketball is tougher" thing, but it seems like post players would at least get a trip to the line when they were hacked. Just curious what everyone thinks.

[ElNono]

It's a guard's game now. They get the benefit of the doubt, and the hand-check rule assured they get the ticky tacky fouls too. More outside shots mean less baskets and more opportunities for fast breaks. It's the only rationalization I can make.
I guess the NBA figured the game was more entertaining that way.

[Obstructed_View]

Those of us that grew up appreciating defense and post play are kind of left with an empty feeling. I really enjoy watching guys like Yao and Nene when I'm not watching the Spurs, and seeing them get beat up and settle for jumpers isn't fun.

[Double-Up]

I haven't watched many of the other series but I know Yao had Oden 6/Pryzbilla 5/Aldridge 5 all in foul trouble last game.

[in2deep]

NBA is discouraging post game because it slows down the game, which makes big fat america watch american idol instead. they encourage fast game, little guys and dunks

[FromWayDowntown]

I've noticed it and it's been true for several years now, in my eyes. It's part of the reason (to bring this back to something Spurs-specific) that Spurs fans get so enraged about the contact that Nowitzki gets called and the contact that ends up in no-calls on Duncan. If you're above the free throw line, hand checking and physical play isn't particularly tolerated. Big guys like Dirk who live out there get calls, I think, because they're not in the paint. Take Dirk down a few more steps into the paint and the allowable contact goes up considerably.

[z0sa]

This shit has been happening for a few years now. The other half of the equation regarding perimeter players and the 'no touch' rule changes. Big men have to explode over people (what the fans want) to get calls, guys like Tim or Yao who deserve calls, even falling when some guy has their elbow in their back every other shot get the short end nowadays.

[Obstructed_View]

I haven't watched many of the other series but I know Yao had Oden 6/Pryzbilla 5/Aldridge 5 all in foul trouble last game.

Was it fouls Yao drew in the post? Drawing touch fouls on jumpers or guards getting shot blockers in foul trouble isn't the same thing. Did Yao just stick to it? Maybe the trick is not giving up and just forcing the refs to start calling it. If Yao's getting the benefit of the calls then my theory goes out the window. :lol

[Double-Up]

Was it fouls Yao drew in the post? Drawing touch fouls on jumpers or guards getting shot blockers in foul trouble isn't the same thing. Did Yao just stick to it? Maybe the trick is not giving up and just forcing the refs to start calling it. If Yao's getting the benefit of the calls then my theory goes out the window. :lol

I know more than half of them came from him in the post fighting for position. He was fronted the whole game so it was pretty obvious when they fouled him in the paint.

You're right though because most of the time big's in the paint get away with murder.

[Matchman]

Was it fouls Yao drew in the post? Drawing touch fouls on jumpers or guards getting shot blockers in foul trouble isn't the same thing. Did Yao just stick to it? Maybe the trick is not giving up and just forcing the refs to start calling it. If Yao's getting the benefit of the calls then my theory goes out the window. :lol

my memory tells me that Yao only drew about 5 of those 15 fouls but Yao himself commited about 3 offensive fouls trying to get position on flopping Pryzibllia :bang
nowadays the NBA allow all sorts of illegal defenses like double-teaming a player before he catches the ball or fronting