The Wall Street Journal tries to bring science to reffing the NBA…by calculating how many technical fouls would have been called in two big Lakers play-offs games last year.
We looked back at two NBA Finals contests from last season just to
see how often players committed what are now technical-worthy acts.
Based on complaints during those games, there would be about 10 times as
many technicals called under the new rules as were called per game last
season. To be fair, players certainly would curb their aggressive
gestures toward officials under the new rules, and players get bounced
from a game after two technicals, so anybody who did this more than
twice in games we watched wouldn't have been around to do so. An NBA
spokesman says the league declined to comment on this analysis.In games we watched, the Lakers' Derek Fisher would have had five
technicals in the two games, more than anyone else. And what about
Finals MVP Kobe Bryant? He would have had four.
Sounds about right. Both Derek and Kobe have made an art out of complaining with their hands, punching the air, whirling away, etc., etc. They've great at whining without words, but the act has gotten old.
Kit Stolz 