Will the replacement refs be better?

[Fabbs]

With all the paid off good ole bois current cast of incompetent refs, shoot will the replacements actually be better?

Or will it be in no time they are corrupted too and we'll just get more of the same?

[Dex]

Nope. While these guys ARE trained in the rules of the NBA down in the DLeague, they are not used to speed and physicality of the NBA game. I expect the same level of reffing that we saw in the Summer League games, which was not terrible, but questionable at best.

Some people assume that we'll see a lower level of star treatment, but I'm not convinced it won't have the opposite effect. Whose to say these refs, who are used to ruling the scraps of the NBA, won't be enticed to give big players a call? At least the old refs were used to dealing with all of these stars.

While it will be nice not dealing with the Crawford's and Bavetta's for a while, I'm with the majority when I think that there will be new names that you'll learn to love to hate.

Hopefully their learning curve will affect all teams equally, but I'd be surprised to see the new refs come in and take over with a level of consistency equal to what the old refs provided.

[LakeShow]

No they wont be better because the players are going to more and up the game. The players wont respect these guys. Imo

[TDMVPDPOY]

get the refs at the greece olympics, they are full of fail....

[Culburn369]

Sure. As long as they understand the reigning pecking order for hand downs:

1. Celtics.
2. Lakers.
3. Spurs.

[manufan10]

No they wont be better because the players are going to more and up the game. The players wont respect these guys. Imo

I'm thinking along the same lines as this.

[duncan228]

The good and bad about using replacement refs
by Charley Rosen

Referees are not my favorite people, and vice versa. In fact, I led the CBA in technical fouls ac ulated in each of my six years as a head coach there. At best, I've always considered the entire profession of officiating ballgames at whatever the level to be a necessary evil. Even so, I am unwilling to take sides in the latest financial jockeying between the refs' union and the NBA.

However, I am prepared to suggest that there would/will be positives as well as negatives should the season start with subs ute officials working the games.

The minuses are obvious:

* Too many incorrect calls will skew the games and occasionally cheat a team out of what should have been a hard-earned victory.

* The bad calls will also raise the temperatures of the players and the coaches and lead to more physical confrontations, which is precisely why an abundance of flagrant fouls will undoubtedly be called.

* Both the players and the coaches will try to intimidate the replacement refs, while the imposter refs will resort to a bevy of techs to try to establish their authority.

* The games will lack any semblance of consistency and continuity.

* Players who play poorly, as well as losing coaches, will blame the refs for any unsatisfactory results. This will only exacerbate NBA players' tendency to avoid taking personal responsibility for any and all undertakings that have less than optimum outcomes.

On the other hand, having games overseen by replacement referees might also have several surprisingly positive effects:

* The replacements' young legs would enable them to keep pace with fast breaks and breakaways. If an old coot like Bavetta (who will be 70 come December) couldn't shuffle quickly enough to out-pace the blubbery Charles Barkley in their match race, what kind of angles can he have on any abrupt change-of-direction sequences? Moreover, many of the more senior refs believe they are the stars of the show. (Bavetta again!) Forcing some of the arrogant, slow-footed old-timers into retirement would eventually be worth all of the turmoil.

* The new refs will not be burdened with any holdover grudges against players who might have dissed and/or embarrassed them in the past. Like elephants, refs do possess long memories and, like jilted lovers, are always looking for revenge.

* Veteran refs routinely permit veteran players to transcend the rules by letting them take extra steps, linger in the lane and commit fouls that are ignored. In addition, because refs always know how many fouls a star player is carrying, oftentimes fouls blatantly committed by these players — especially late in games — are commonly pinned on lesser teammates who happen to be in the vicinity. (More than any of his colleagues, Bavetta panders to the league's highest profile players.) It is to be expected the replacement refs will show no such bias and will indeed call them as they see them.

* Perhaps the players and coaches will transcend their frustrations and, for the good of the game, cooperate with the novice refs as a way of surviving the problem with dignity, grace, professionalism and good will.

* Since players are already used to altering their games to suit the inclinations of whichever refs are on the court, they should have little difficulty adjusting to the personal quirks of the replacements. This guy calls charges. That guy calls blocks. And so on. In other words, business as usual.

* If the participants are patient, the new refs will eventually get the hang of NBA action. And here's the best thing that a lockout of the refs would bring about: No matter who the newbies might be, none of them could possibly be any worse than Violet Palmer.

[angelbelow]

Probably not..

[eisfeld]

I actually think they will be better... despite the obvious mistakes they will make they are not biased in any way. There's no real money talk and they they are professionals none the less. I'm looking forward to it and I hope it will be a good choice.

[mogrovejo]

This is pretty much like asking if the quality of the game would improve if the NBA players were replaced by D-Leaguers.

NBA refs are so much better than the others (especially the elite ones, Javie and the likes) that it's not even funny.

[Morg1411]

[B][URL="http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/10101168/The-good-and-bad-about-using-replacement-refs"]

* Perhaps the players and coaches will transcend their frustrations and, for the good of the game, cooperate with the novice refs as a way of surviving the problem with dignity, grace, professionalism and good will.

* Since players are already used to altering their games to suit the inclinations of whichever refs are on the court, they should have little difficulty adjusting to the personal quirks of the replacements. This guy calls charges. That guy calls blocks. And so on. In other words, business as usual.

I agree with this.

* If the participants are patient, the new refs will eventually get the hang of NBA action. And here's the best thing that a lockout of the refs would bring about: No matter who the newbies might be, none of them could possibly be any worse than Violet Palmer.

Nice.

[iggypop123]

not even close. in fact people will try to pull more bs flopping and tricks to fool the refs