I'll be at Game 6, making sure that my Lakers do what they are supposed to do. So y'all can just relax.

I was toying with bringing a TJ favorita to the game who has a visa and happens to be a pretty big Lakers fan (Lakers the basketball team, that is). She says that if I take her to a beeeg Lakers game, everything else that evening will be "pro bono." I dunno, but the thought of bringin' a puta to the game sounds kinda fun, actually. Even if the Lakers don't get good penetration and take it to the hole repeatedly, I will. (Unlike some other posters here, who are obsessed with "backcourt violations." Go figure)

I mean, I should add that the Staples Center is crawlin' with call girls as it is, many very high-class. (Anybody ever notice that the opening day at Del Mar racetrack is crawlin' with call girls, too?). I mean, they don't have "hooker" tatooed on their foreheads, but it IS pretty obvious. I overheard a group of 8 professional hotties talkin' to each other outside the Staples Will Call Office, talking about who was payin' their way that evening (vs. who payed their way in the past). Lots of pointing and waving and winking and handing out phone numbers, etc. Kind've like CC on megadoses of steroids. My guess is that Jerry Buss knows how to throw a party.

Kobe is a great clutch player. He pulled out a variety of clutch offensive and defensive plays last night before missing the final shot by a little. Yeah, he's been a little out of synch lately (in part due to the poisoning thing), but if you've been paying attention over the last two championship seasons, you know that he's delivered when it counted on numerous occasions. Like Jerry West, like Magic Johnson, like Larry Bird, and like MJ. All the great ones miss sometimes. By the way, for all you wannabe experts, game 5 is not truly "clutch time." Clutch time starts now.

Yours in whoring and basketball

Justdan, i will try to make it out there..need to save up some money... I guess Kobe can be arguably the best player out there, but with Duncan, Kidd, Shaq, Iverson, Carter, etc..yeah , well I would put Kobe in the top eight or so...Remember, isnt this guy like 23 or something?? Jordan didnt get his first ring until he was like 27.. Kobe has two, and has A LOT OF BALLIN to do....
Anyone notice CWebb got all defensive in the game 5 postgame conference?? The media asked him about how he felt setting up the pick for Bibby, and Webber went ballastic.... Webber said how the media doesnt respect him, he doesnt make the clutch shots, blah blah... Coming from me, a big Sactown fan.. hey CWebb, i know your GF is hott and all, but how about MAKING A CLUTCH SHOT sometime, eh?

i think kobe should be considered one of the best in the game today. shaq is the man in la, but kobe is a youngster and has progressed nicely at letting it be shaq's team. not a lakers fan, but i do have a nice investment in kobe rookie cards so i hope he will continue to flourish.

btw--i'm trying to find the line on this series before it started. have seen two listings one of lakers -230 and another of each team -120. which one is/was right? any help would be appreciated.

imho--the lakers lost game 5 because they refused to take the ball to the hole in the fourth quarter. i'm no laker fan, but i'll give them credit for playing d down the stretch and getting the loose balls and rebounds---just to many wasted trips at the offensive end. this is rarely the case in the nba---even when shaq was in the game they settled for 18-20 foot jumpers or 3's. suprised they only lost by one. will guess that phil will have them penetrating a bit more in game 6.

Biggest difference between this year and last is that last year everyone guarding Shaq was getting in foul trouble and sitting on the bench. I remember just counting the fouls and waiting for Shaq to have his way against the second stringers. This year it seems like everyone is just running at Shaq trying to make contact and it's Shaq thats piling up the fouls. The Lakers need to punch it inside and get some fouls on Webber and Divacs. I also noticed that Kobe drew fouls on Webber and Christie when he would go to the hole. Forget the threes, win the series.

I think fouls are the key. If Shaq and Kobe can stay out of foul trouble it's still their game to lose.

I agree, being down a game at the end of the series is Clutch time. I think the Lakers can do it, and if they do, all the doubters will have to acknowledge their greatness. On the other hand the Kings in six over the Lakers does give them pretty solid credentials. No asteriks this season....

I'll never be one to call Chris Webber a clutch player, but he showed me something in Game 2 when he helped stifle the Lakers' rally by hitting some huge shots down the stretch. I never for a second thought he would hit those shots.

Game 2 remains the most important game in this series -- despite Dogster's laughable claim that "it meant nothing." Game 2 showed Sacramento they could beat the Lakers. Despite the fact they had the best record in the NBA and an edge in every important statistical category, the Kings did not truly believe until they won game 2.

It's sad hearing the local sports talk radio shows blame the officiating for the Lakers woes. The fact of the matter is Shaq commits an offensive foul on virtually every move to the basket (he buries his shoulder into his man's chest and pushes off with it). This offensive foul is called maybe 1 of 10 times. Does Shaq get fouled a lot? Yes, but if the officials called the game with zero tolerance, Shaq would rarely even make it to halftime. This fact alone gives Laker fans nothing to cry about. As much as people bitch about the officials, nobody wants a game called strictly by the book.

I'm still wary of the Lakers, and agree the series is far from over. Sacramento's achilles heal is their free throw shooting. They nearly choked game 6 away with their pathetic foul shooting. Luckily, Peja is back, and despite the fact that he is far from 100 percent, he is a great free throw shooter.

It's amazing that two lopsided offseason trades have directly led to the likely finals matchup of Nets Vs. Kings this year. Mike Bibby for Jason Williams looks like a cruel joke of a trade right now, and Jason Kidd for Stephon Marbury is even worse. Who could have forseen these results?

-Superman-

In sports reporting, there is a sort of "run with the pack" mentality where everyone's "analysis" and predictions begin to blend together. And then, all the sports fans start providing their "analysis" and predictions, but of course this doesn't differ from the prevailing groupthink. It is like a ripple effect, or an echo. Everybody starts blathering about what they think, and it isn't original cuz it is just parrotting what they've heard some ex-jock or sports "reporter" blather to the masses on the great brain shrinker. I mean, anybody who wants to can sound just like Bill Walton or some other overpaid mouth if they want to. That's one of the reasons that listening to sports talk-radio programs for long periods of time is sad, period. And that's why anybody can feel smuggly (if erroneously) knowledgable if they listen to enough sports radio.

Better to watch the game carefully and generate your own original analysis. The group can be substantially and predictably wrong sometimes. Successful gamblers know this, and they love betting against the run-with-the pack people who are assimilating group analysis rather than really carefully watching the game. But beyond that, it is just more enjoyable this way. I often find it more enjoyable to actually WATCH the game, or watch it on TV with the volume turned down, as opposed to listening to some talking head.

Kobe had a wonderful game 5 going down the stretch, hitting many key shots but unfortunately missing the one at the buzzer. Shaq is hurting, and his play has suffered relative to previous years because of this. I think even the talking heads must know this. Whatever. The Kings are good, and are playing at a high level, especially for them, and considering that there are no teams from the '80s or early '90s around. Expect Shaq and Kobe to rise to the occasion for game 6, and to win that game. Expect the supporting cast to show up, too. If the Lakers play to their potential, and there's no reason to believe they won't, nothing else matters.

If the unlikely happens, and the Lakers go down, what will be the legacy of this series? Will they remember a talented, determined Sacramento team? Or will they remember Phil Jackson's lonstanding, amazing run of playoff successes, and the memorable dominance of the Lakers? My suggestion to Sacramento fans: Don't bet the farm.

And one more prediction: Next year, the cowbells will be prohibited, or significantly modified, next year. A footnote.

I don't know nothing about nothing, but it will be sweet if the Lakers get these two. There is a look of fear all the Kings get when the Lakers are in their groove. The Lakers know they can win 2 and the Kings know they can lose 2. Can't say its a shoe-in but definitely doable. I guess we will see. The money is saying Lakers by 6 on Friday night.

Thinkin’ about the Lakers’ offense.

It has been interesting watching the Lakers’ offense evolve. It is, as everybody knows, a triangle offense at its heart. The triangle is an offense that requires patience and has a rhythm somewhat slower than some modern teams like to play with their very up tempo style of play. But as players (especially Kobe, Fisher) have made it their own, they’ve added an up-tempo flavor to the offense that they use periodically, and is definitely not exactly consistent the classic slower-paced, methodical triangle. If the Lakers try anything new during game 6, my guess is that it will include an even more “up-tempo” approach at times, to match Sacramento, and to let Kobe do his thing. But most of the time, it will be a return to basics, with special attention paid to remaining more attentive to passes and passing options. That’s a key place where there’s been something of a lapse in the Lakers’ approach. Moreover, that seems to be one place where Sac has hit them hard, anticipating their spacing and sophisticated movements. With all systems, but especially the Triangle Offense, the team must been able to pass and execute ball movement without turning it over on a consistent basis.

The Lakers have always struggled a bit with the triangle offense, relative to most of the Chicago Bulls teams. Part of that has to do with the fact that Chicago’s best players (Michael, Scottie) bought into the system, and made it work seamlessly most of the time, as did many of the supporting players. They pretty much incorporated the entire arsenal of Winter’s offense into their game, when it counted, which opened things up for everyone, especially MJ, to shine, and create. In contrast, the Lakers have taken their time accepting, learning and implementing the system, and they haven’t integrated the system as completely as the Bulls.

Kobe, for instance, fought the system at first, in favor of his own up-tempo, high-energy, self-centered game. But last year in the playoffs, and this year, he has in many ways immersed himself in the system, integrating himself into the team concept. But I think something paradoxical is now happening. Kobe, having immersed himself in the system, and more of the team concept, now needs to cut himself free from the traditional sideline triangle a bit, do what he’s always felt he could do best. The coaches, perhaps even more than Kobe, seem aware of this, and are encouraging him to do his own creative thing at times, even if it means a few challenges to the general triangle concept, and some confusion on the part of his teammates. And that means a faster paced, less predictable game.

The lapse in offensive productivity of the rest of the team (besides Kobe, Shaq) has been costly against Sacramento. The Triangle Offense requires at least three skilled scorers and your team must been able to pass and execute ball movement without turning it over on a consistent basis. But although “third options” are clearly in place on this team, they’ve been a bit unreliable, unfortunately.

Actually, even if there is some additional “up-tempo” time, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jackson turns to the seasoned vets more in Game 6 than previously. These are the dudes who have the most tools, and are most able to think and move and cut in response to their teammates and the defenses’ movements. And because age and injuries seem to melt away during key games, Phil is likely to gamble on the vets, and their abilities to deliver when it counts. Look for Shaq to have an especially huge game – he won’t be thinkin’ about his toe. Expect the Lakers to look like the champions they are.

I sure hope L.A. plays more up-tempo. If they do, Sacramento will blow the Lakers right out of Staples. Maybe the Lakers should try to play full-court Showtime with the Kings. LOL.

-Superman-

In response to Supermans comment about referees calling the game by the book.

It would be nice wouldnt it. Shaq would be called on for all his bulling his way to the basket, just as it was in his years in Orlando.
However if the referees called the game (straight up) we would probably be watching a Golden State vs. Cleveland final. Dont think the execs. at NBC would ever allow that.(not that I think NBC and the NBA are in collusion or anything hee hee).

Thats why I'm a college basketball fan, cant beat March Madness. Although I wonder about the referees and Duke. They seem to swallow their whistle when they play.

A former LA Laker fan (Magic Johnson era) back when the NBA was entertaining.

justcallmecynicaljd

Totally. If the refs called it by the book, we'd be seeing that loser white guy and Mitch Richmond all fourth quarter for the Lakers. Speaking of Mitch, how sad was it seeing him play in Game 5? Two instant turnovers, and booed by SacTown. It sucks seeing a former great player like that just sucking ass now. Retire already dude. Have some dignity.

As a Sixer fan, this day has the potential to see my two most hated teams get eliminated ... L.A. and Boston. Rooting against the two teams I dislike the most is not nearly as fun as pulling for my own team, but it will still be satisfying ... it's only a matter of time ...

-Superman-

If Magic Johnson had been called for palming, how many titles would he have won?

and if Michael Jordan had been called for traveling how many titles would he have won?

we can go on making excuses for players we dont like till the cows come home.

well, Shaq took over the game... I kind of wished the refs would make up their minds on how they want to call the game.. The Kings went to the foul line in the first half, the Lakers in the second half... Game 7 will be a battle to the end.... Lakers have the advantage as far as clutch shooting and experience..

Here comes Robert Horry

Lakers need a third guy to step up for game 7. Shaq played a lot smarter in game 6 (he banked about 6-7 shots instead of trying to drive through Divac).

Jarocho

Wow. The Lakers were very impressive yesterday ... especially Shaq and Kobe. I don't want to hear any more excuses about Shaq being "injured" because he's not. Injured players don't dominate like that.

As great as L.A. played, they still barely won the game. All the bullshit fouls the Lakers cried about after game 5 went against the Kings in game 6. 20 fouls on Sacramento's big men and only 4 on Shaq! What a joke! LOL. I guess the refs made up for Shaq only going to the line one time in game 5! How about Kobe smashing his forearm into Bibby's nose with 30 seconds to play and the Lakers up by one? How do the refs miss a game turning call like that?!

Sacramento played all season to have game 7 at home, and now they've got it. I seriously doubt Shaq and Kobe will combine for 24 of 28 from the line in Sac Town. Like I predicted from the beginning of this series ... Kings in 7. Too bad this series has to end though.

-Superman-

The NFL has GOT to adopt instant replay to correct the obvious BAD calls by its referees. Almost every bad call favors LA.

The most agregious: The wild shot by LA just before halftime that went in for 3 points. Instant replay showed the ball still in the shooters hand when the red light was on. A game damning call by a referee who likes LA.

Yes, I live in Sac Town!

With all my passion raging, I posted NFL and not NBA.

You all knew what I meant!

Watched parts of the games last night at various Monterrey strip clubs. The best was the second half of the Kings-Lakers game on the big screen in the back of a club called Matehuala. Oh, and my seat happened to be right next to the privado dance area, so I got to see the chicas coming and going from the privados. Lots of fun trying to see them put their clothes back on before heading back into the club!

Anyway, Superman's right about the refs, the calls were horrible in the second half. Think the NBA had a vested interest in the series going 7 games? NAAAAH... In this regard, I'd also like to point out that the NBA has a vested interest in seing Shaq, Kobe and the LA MARKET in the finals too, as opposed to Webber and the cowtown crew. Kings are indeed better than I thought. Must be Adelman's doing, right YB? I do know that I have a new favorite player: Bobby Jackson. Dude plays HARD!

And re: the East, Jason Kidd has become amazingly good. I wrote him off as a loser early on in the Dallas days, and he still has some nights where his shot disappears completely. But to see him on this team it amazes me that his team's have been so ordinary in the past. Van Horn and Kenyon Martin are nice players (offensively, anyway), but Kidd makes them a team. I know it won't matter much in the finals, but they looked good last night coming back from that halftime deficit. Dog Antoine and Invisible Pierce helped. Amazing what a little Pitino remover can do for NBA teams fortunes, though, huh? The Knicks had a nice run with Riley, now the Celtics w/ their 'coach of the year'. How could By Scott not have won THAT award? Hmm, guess making the playoffs w/ guys like Kenny A., Stiff Battie and Eric Williams is more impressive, now that I think about it, but NJ's reversal of fortunes has been even more dramatic.

Whether they're the better team or not, I don't think the Lakers lose game 7. Of course I never thought it'd go this far, either... Vamos a ver!!!

Interesting stat I saw today ... the Lakers are 0-6 in game seven's on the road. History means nothing though.

-Superman-

Wow, supes, didnt know about that one.. I think the Kings will prevail, they HAVE to prevail, i have a hat, tshirt, and jersey riding on this!! lol..... I cant see the refs calling the same amount of fouls on Divac and Pollard, and I cant see the Kings shooting 41 % from the floor...The KEY player for the kings, I believe....will be PEJA.... yeah PEJA, he will shoot the lights out tomorrow... I hope he starts....

I hope so. Peja's shot is off bad, though. He's nowhere near what he was before the injury. Even worse than missing his stroke, he's a defensive liability right now. I'm pissed he made me look bad by bricking those two free-throws in game 6. If he can regain form, that's just another weapon Sacramento has.

Sacramento is the better team. It's on them to prove it. I think Sacramento wins, maybe even easily. Anyone can win a game 7 though. My lingering nightmare is a close game with 15 seconds left and the ball in Chris Webber's hands ... let's just pray they have timeouts left.

-Superman-

An even worse nightmare is having Horry with the ball, 1 second left, on the 3 point arc.......ugh....

BUT HORRY MISSES!!!! KINGS WIN !! KINGS WIN!!!

NO THREE PEAT, JUST DEFEAT...

I attended game 6 on Friday at Staples Arena.

I delayed getting to my seats by a few minutes, as I relished in the satisfying conclusion of the Nets-Celtics series. Kudos goes to Byron Scott for creating Lakers East, and for enabling mini-Magic Jason Kidd, and the amazing Nets, to dispose of the Celtics. You old Celtic blowhards must’ve noticed Red Auerbach arterially sclerosing in front of the camera in Boston. He can’t seem to stop bitching and moaning about Phil Jackson’s successes. Red has always been annoying, but his bitterness is tarnishing his remarkable legacy, IMHO. Hasn’t he noticed that the parade passed by his doorstep many years ago? Red could do wonders for his image if he simply had a stroke or died, or something positive like that. That way he could rightfully become a legend without his poisonous personality toxifying things in the present moment. But it would be nice for him to live a couple more years and see the Lakers surpass the Celtics in total numbers of NBA championships. Well, Red. Sleep well, you senile old fart. Someday I’ll meet you in hell.

I had excellent seats, 8 rows from the floor, across from the Lakers’ bench. My esteemed entourage and I had great views of the game, the celebs, the Laker Girls, and the press section. I might add that some of the most beautiful women on the planet were in attendance throughout the arena, and wearing delightfully revealing apparel. Someday, someone should put a banner in the Staples Center that pays tribute to the beautifying effects of anorexia, bulimia, and plastic surgery. I mean some of these babes were choking down skyscraper hot dogs like there was no tomorrow…

The place was electric. Some Lakers employees sat near me, and pointed out to me something you probably don’t hear about on TV/radio. They pointed out that the Laker Girls actually had a negative effect on the crowd’s cheering. Whenever a time-out was called, the girls ran onto the court and did another number. They were great to watch, but the effect always was to quiet the crowd. And sure enough, the effect was very striking. There was no sustained cheering during timeouts. Compare that to Sacramento, where the noise level supposedly remains at 100 to 120 dB during key breaks. The focus in the Staples Arena is on entertainment during breaks, not noise. I dunno what is worse—the numbing noise in Sac or the histrionics and image-dominance in L.A.—but I do know this. Too much of either can turn yer brain into some wicked spew consisting of Velveta cheese and melted Tupperware.

Anyway, Game 6 was an excellent game, with both teams playing well and the Lakers clearly prevailing.

The two stars stepped it up as expected, with plenty of help from the supporting staff. It is a time-honored truism in the NBA that injuries and age melt away during crunch time, as I mentioned in a previous post. Scholars of the game understand this, while others are perennially amazed and confused when the mature stars step it up a few notches during crunch-time. Shaq powered gracefully through his primary injury (toe/foot) during this game, and made shots that he had been missing in previous games. This was formidable to watch, especially when you consider that the dude plans to undergo risky surgery at the end of the season. There’s some chance that the surgery could spell the end for Shaq as a dominant force, because it could limit even further his ability to run and move so well. The word is that Shaq will go under the blade as soon as the season ends, and that there’s a considerable chance that the surgery won’t work. (Those who do not understand the nature of Shaq’s longstanding and worsening medical condition need not comment…). Enjoy the moment, my friends. Enjoy the moment.

Kobe was clearly back in his groove, and back to his usual high-energy self. I chuckled smugly to myself as he (and a few others) tossed in some up-tempo stuff a few times. This unexpected stuff clearly worked. (By the way, if you want a quick and easy summary of the triangle offense, check out the following link: http://www.bbhighway.com/Talk/Coaching_Box/Clinics/Triangle/triangle_intro.asp)
And the Kings’ hot hands weren’t hitting shots as reliably as they had previously. They remained on fire, but nothing like previous games.

The old Hack-a-Shaq strategy was familiar enough. Seeing Shaq make his free-throws in this familiar situation was highly satisfying. Shaq’s free-throws have been improving to the point that the Hack strategy isn’t as prevalent as it used to be, and so lots of y’all seem to have selective historical amnesia here. Seeing coach Analman and the hackers complain about blatant hacks on Shaq was a somewhat new twist to an old strategy.

All this blaming of the officials is a bit off. It is like blaming the messenger, or blaming your problems on mommy and daddy because they weren’t quite perfect. I guess I’m gonna have to explain to all you basketball tourists the realities and intricacies of NBA officiating. Sheez… maybe in a couple hours…

It is hard to win an NBA championship. It is even harder to win two back to back. A three-peat is a monumental accomplishment because all other teams target you and come at you with supreme intensity. As such, defending champions fight a battle of attrition and risk being knocked off by lesser teams. But fear not. The Lakers are within striking distance if only they can find the juice.

Man, I hope someday I TOO can know EVERYTHING!!! You're my idol...

Great Post Dogstar!!

I’ve been listening to all this talk about the low quality of NBA officiating. Not to be totally arrogant about my SUPERIOR level of knowledge or anything, but all this referee bashing by “sports analysts”, dumb-ass ex jocks, armchair sports nuts, and sports-psycho-whore-mongers is pretty pathetic. Referee quality has undoubtedly improved over the years, as anyone who understands refereeing can attest.

Let Uncle Dogster educate y’all tourists about NBA officiating. I’m not trying to be rude. I wouldn’t dream of being rude. I’m just trying to help my fellow whoremongers/sports enthusiasts stop being utter bozos. I have only your best interests at heart. I wouldn’t dream of insulting anyone, especially considering that angry people tend to be stupid people, and vice versa.

Of course, blaming officials has been a major part of all sports. Ref-bashing by coaches has its place, in terms getting refs to pay attention to specific things, and in terms of motivating players and manipulating the hometown crowd. Beyond that, blaming the refs or the umps is a global pastime. If you think about this, making the ref a scapegoat only makes sense. I mean, why hold yourself, or your team, or any or your allies accountable when there’s an easy target nearby? When it comes to blaming the refs, this easy target is typically the sanest, most mature, most unbiased person in the building! What irony! Basically, the refs are the perfect neutral blank screen. Morons and even normally reasonable people project their own anger, blind bias, and pig-headed stupidity toward the fairest, most impartial observers among us. When people are mentally weak, something about sports rivalry activates the primal, primitive, delusional “us against them” portion of the human brain.

Now the NBA is very mindful of finding quality refs and keeping quality high, reasonably accurate, unbiased and consistent. First off, it is worth noting that they have a huge pool of people to pick from when they hire referees. There are lots of people out there refereeing games out there at the non-professional level. Through interviews, and sophisticated testing, they pick people who have good reputations and who are the sorts of people who are especially concerned with fairness and justice. These aren’t the control freaks or people who relish the limelight or the greedy takers who populate other pockets of humanity. And these aren’t people who claim to be perfectly unbiased, because such bullshitters are known to be especially biased. These are the humble working stiffs who are the most consistent and non-flamboyant amongst us. They are the kind of dudes who can handle being yelled at by irate fans but who HATE making mistakes. Being scrupulously concerned with honesty, they are the sorts of dudes who ALWAYS pay their income taxes. Well, almost always…

The NBA realizes that even the best referees can sometimes drift into bias, inaccuracy, and inconsistency. So they have a rating and calibration system that the average sports bozo knows little about, and is generally kept out of the public eye. But it is quite intricate and beautiful in its sophistication. It is nothing like the referee rating systems that one sometimes sees in print. Referees are provided rating and constructive feedback.

The NBA uses a “signal-detection” model that originates in the engineering and signal processing worlds. Basically, for each game, the NBA tallies up ref’s responses to various situations, especially situations where there might be some controversy. In each case, based on video, the various events are rated.

For instance, an instance could be labeled a “violation” or “not a violation.”

For the instances that were actually deemed to be violations, the ref’s response is recorded as either a “hit” or a “miss”. A “hit” is recorded when the ref makes the seemingly correct call, based on the available data. A “miss” is recorded for seemingly incorrect calls. This leads to an estimate of “Hit Rate,” or the probability that a violation will be called when a violation actually occurs.

But the hit rate is only half the story. If an instance is recorded as not being a violation, the ref’s response is recorded as either a “false alarm” or a “correct rejection.” This leads to a second estimate, called the “False Alarm Rate”

Using Hit Rates and False Alarm Rates, the evaluators then go on to compute both “accuracy” and “bias” statistics. For instance, a particular referee could be found to be highly accurate, but also have a tendency (bias) to call all sorts of fouls, even minor, inconsequential ones. Another referee might be less accurate, or have a different bias.

The whole idea is to make sure that refs are generally accurate (up to a point), and also that they have a consistent level of bias.

The stats are compiled not only for specific refs, but for specific games, specific players, for home vs away teams, or for one team vs. another, etc. So if a particular ref exhibits a bias in favor of a particular team, a particular player, or for the home team, the league knows this, and provides feedback to the official(s) in question.

So, every official knows that his evaluation is based on his accuracy rating and his bias ratings. He knows that he will be rewarded for keeping his accuracy rating reasonably high, while keeping his bias ratings within an acceptable range. If he exhibits any trends toward inconsistency, inaccuracy, or bias, his ratings suffer. Obviously, he and the other refs working on his team can’t pay attention to everything in this fast-paced game, and mistakes are inevitable. But if he keeps his ratings within the necessary ranges, he knows that he’s doing his job well, even if he makes the inevitable horrible call periodically.

Hell for a referee is making a bad call that influences the game adversely. Heaven is establishing a clear track record of accuracy and impartiality. For referees, having the most favorable accuracy and bias scores is akin to winning the NBA championship! That’s what makes these dudes tick! GET IT???

When the league puts pressure on referees, it has nothing to do with encouraging them to favor a particular team, or player, or home court. It has everything to do with making sure that the refs are paying attention to felonies more than misdemeanors, and with making sure that the most necessary calls are made without calling too many or too few violations.

There’s much more to ref evaluations, but that is enough for now. With the point I made above in mind, lets examine the most credible challenges to officiating available. These are the assertions made by Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavs. Although he’s been criticized for being so vocal, I believe that he’s fairly sophisticated in his view of refereeing.

Cuban's five main assertions are:
1. The NBA game has gotten too rough.
2. A "star system" discriminates against losing teams and non-stars.
3. Referees are interpreting the rules too subjectively, on Rush's orders.
4. Rush, a former referee, is not qualified to manage the officials.
5. Some college referees are better than some NBA referees.

Cuban’s first assertion has merit. He’s discussing a form of “bias” here.
He’s saying that referees should call MORE fouls; that they are biased toward ignoring some rough fouls. Calling more rough fouls doesn’t inherently help one team more than another. It simply makes the game less violent and dangerous at the expense of slowing it down. If you don’t like all the hacking and chopping and injuries, and you’d like your favorite players to play longer, then Cuban’s ideas make sense. He wants to minimize the thug factor. The league addressed this issue a number of years ago, when they increased the number of refs officiating per game. And if the number of injuries to key players continues to be a problem, expect Cuban’s criticisms to be addressed.

Cuban’s second assertion has some merit, but is a bit ridiculous, IMHO. Of course, the refs know who the stars are, and who the thugs are. And like any normal human beings who have benefited from years of evolution, they will anticipate that the stars will do star-like things and that the thugs will do thug-like things. And so, there will be an anticipatory bias that can’t be helped. To the credit of the referees, they meet frequently with teams to discuss what they will and won’t call, and to hear their comments in this area.

Cuban’s third assertion is perhaps the most serious criticism. I think it probably doesn’t have much merit. The problem is that the rules change frequently and dramatically from year to year, and the refs have to struggle to keep ambiguous changes clear while simultaneously trying to call a fast paced, unpredictable game. Most of the “subjectivity” centers around this, and the need to fend off increasingly blathering, arguing, insulting players and coaches. The refs need to have some discretionary power. The point is not to make them robots, or powerless eunuchs.

Cuban’s fourth assumption is the most odd. Rush clearly knows his stuff. Of course, there are ways to improve Rush’s somewhat old boy approach to running things. Evaluations of officiating can get even more high-tech than they are, and Rush isn’t completely savvy about this high tech stuff. So I think the gist of Cuban’s comments center around the fact that he envisions an even more high-tech system for evaluating refs and calibrating things.

Cuban’s fifth assertion may be true. I’m not sure it is important. This is most likely an attempt to weaken the ref’s union, following some contract disputes. If fans are angry at the refs, then the owners are in a position to fire some refs, or to pay them less, etc. In some ways, the NBA is conducting a subtle PR war against the refs, in order to keep them in their place!

Well, that’s about it. I’m gonna enjoy game 7 between the Lakers and the Kings. I’m hoping that the officiating portion of the game goes well. I’m not gonna let it be a distraction.

THANK YOU for setting me straight. What would I do without you?

buy more lap dances?

Ha! Just remember our resident pseudo-expert, know-it-all predicted an easy series for the Lakers. L.A. in 5 ... errr 6 ... ummmm, make that 7. He still has time to get in a "Sac in 7" pic to cover all his bases. The question is, can he do it in 50 words or less? LOL.

-Superman-

This dude can't really be Superman. The real Superman is paralyzed BELOW the neck. LOL.

LOL at Dogster. How many times are you going to try that same, um, joke? You've used it already. Get some new material and try again ... you're disappointing me, son.

-Superman-

Dogster. Not sure if you have ever played organized BBall or not or even refereed a game but you are slightly delusional and too trustworthy. Referees develop relationships with coaches and players over time and their subjectivity comes to the surface in big games. Hugh Hollins is a Knicks fan and Dick Bevetta is a Lakers fan. Their subjectivity clouds their judgment, even their pure, moral judgment..lol. The pressure is on them from the top to see to it that the stars and big markets make it to the finals. They may not admit that there is pressure but it exists.
The Lakers shot 29 4rth quarter free throws in their deciding game. That was no accident. I have some sour grapes with the men in stripes as they decided to swallow their whistles for an entire quarter when Portland had the ball in a deciding game 7. Portland was a better team then and the Kings are a better team now. Officiating has become a strong part of all post-season games. Samaki Walker's shot should have been nullified in game 4. The Kings should be warming up for New Jersey right about now but the NBA will see to it that there is no Kings vs. Nets just like they made sure that there was no Portland vs. Indiana.

Hi
Of course the Lakers win.
My next prediction is the lakers in 1 game over the Nets.
They do not need to play any more than that to prove they are the champions once again.
Now you tell me Phil Jackson is not a good coach !

milkman

Good call Blazers. Maybe Sacramento will spend the entire summer learning the easiest shot in basketball -- free throws.

Go Nets.

-Superman-

Dogster: It turns out that your belief in the invincibility of the Lakers is well-founded...

Congratulations to the Lakers on a hard-fought series victory...Obviously, two wins up in Sacramento is not an easy accomplishment, and I hereby give credit where credit is due...

YoungBrig

I'm neither a Laker fan nor a Kings fan so this is an objective post.

This was a classic case of a challenging team not being able to rise to the occasion and take the title away from the championship team.

The Kings were guilty of so much "unchampionship" behavior in this final game that it is a testament to how good they must really be that they were still able to push the Lakers to a Game Seven overtime.

They didn't deserve to win! The Kings free throw shooting was absolutely miserable and atrocious, two of their key shots in the closing minutes missed the rim completely (an airball and a glass only), Webber looked like he had a "deer in the headlights" look the entire night from the locker room to the end of the game, Christie was embarrassing the whole game (Addleman should have had Bobby Jackson play most of the game when it became obvious that Christie didn't have it), and nobody seemed to want to take the big shot except Bibby.

I'm mostly disappointed in Webber because he did not display the championship fire which would have made a difference in this game despite all of the other Kings shortcomings that I just mentioned. He was guilty of the same timidity that Patrick Ewing displayed in Game Seven of the NBA Championship at Houston years ago. I was just about to feel sorry for him until I remembered that he'll be boinking Naomi Campbell tonight; hell, maybe that's what he was thinking about the whole game.

The Lakers know they could have been had. But you gotta knock out the champion to win it all.

It was a great series to watch, especially if you were an objective viewer. I hope the Lakers-Nets matchup can be as exciting, but unfortunately I'm not sure it's going to be much of a contest.

A telling it like it is kind of guy,

Out-of-Towner

The Lakers didn't win...the Kings lost, plain & simple!

I hate the Lakers but this was some f. game, best playoff game I have seen since Dr J, Bird and Magic days. Shaq was the man while Webber is a pussy leaving Bibby, future star, on his own. What the fuck was Christie doing shooting air balls in the 4th and OT? I am sick to my stomach. Lakers should have been had. Game 6 was the worse refereeing I have ever seen, like game was fixed.
Do the Nets have a center?

I give it up to the Lakers....they did it again, in a game 7 on the road, and in OT...The Kings didnt take care of the free throws, Christie had a horrible game, the Kings shot like crap,...and Shaq and Kobe did their thing.. Shaq was amazing on the free throw line, getting the clutch shots.... by the way, Ootie, i think Chris Webber is banging Tyra Banks, not Naomi Campbell...lol... like it really makes a difference..!!

NETS IN 7!!!!

Just a few words before I head off to sleep. I offer them to you for our mutual enjoyment, as we spend time away from our shared hobby. If you believe that game stats capture all the relevant information, and have a limited sound-bite oriented mind, then you may wish to read only the shorter passages by other posters. But for the majority of you, I hope you enjoy this passage, whether you agree with me or not!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

By Dogster on Monday, April 01, 2002 - 03:45 pm:
“…If you *hate* the Lakers, I'll understand. I'll even extend sympathy when my team beats the crap out of your team."

Allow me to extend my HUMBLE sympathies to all the Sacramento Kings fans, just as I did with the Blazers and Spurs. Bibby and team were clearly worthy and played like they could be champions. The Lakers didn’t beat the crap out of these prizefighters, but as I’ve noted previously the Lakers were fated to overcome any adversity and pull it out.

Despite the extra weight of (1) being two-time defending champions, (2) food poisoning, (3) arthritic feet, (4) 100 dB numbing cowbells, (5) the lack of a home court advantage, and (6) facing the best opponent to come down the pike in at least 5 years, the Lakers proved their mettle again.

Competitive, quality, championship-style basketball has returned to the NBA. All the griping and whining that we tolerate foreshadows this simple fact. And the final series promises to be a comfortable Laker-fest without the stench of the aging, impotent, puke-green Celtics franchise. Perhaps the Lakers will cede the Nets a game or two in honor of their esteemed alumnus, Byron Scott. But don’t bet on it. There are forces on the current Lakers team who feel no nostalgia toward Lakers alumni (Byron Scott), mini-Magic Johnson (Jason Kidd), and mini-Showtime (the Nets). So don’t blink.

Such stirring season-ending losses as the one this evening are often the kiss of death for all but the greatest teams. Witness, if you will, the toxic attempt to make Chris Webber the scapegoat, despite the fact that he played a solid series. Pray to the ghost of Bill Buckner that bad press does not spell the demise of Webber’s competitive spirit, for there remains the possibility for this team to galvanize itself for the future rather than be overcome by the outcome. It was the entire franchise that maintained championship-level composure through 6.75 games. It was the entire franchise except Bibby that faltered in the final minutes. Bibby, Bibby, Bibby… This star has risen, and now he’s a free agent who will command considerable dinero if he wishes. Depending on his view of his teammates in the final moments, he may decide to stay or go…

This was an agonizing, life-changing loss for Sacramento. Of course, the nucleus of this team, if not dismantled, has a chance to return next year and triumph, and perhaps not. Even as the initial shock of the loss fades, the fact that things could have been different will haunt them eternally, in their quiet moments, as they strive to make sense of their lives. For this was their shining moment and it slipped away FOREVER.

For the Sacramento Kings, those last few sacrificial moments of fading life must have been painful and horrifying, But for the Lakers it was a comfortable, satisfying, tasty, good kill. A good kill… And that is something that we all can be proud of.

For those of you who enjoyed and appreciated the magnificent sporting spectacle, I salute you. We have been entertained well, and have not forgotten that this competition was first and foremost a game played for our mutual enjoyment (while we blindly listen to advertisements during commercial breaks). Pity the perpetually angry observers, who stake so much of their identity on the outcome of sporting events. For many years to come, as they stare into the dark shadows of the lonely rooms of their lonely homes, they will hallucinate a referee’s call, a fantastic move to the hoop, a blatant foul, an agonizing air ball, or the victory celebration that never was to be. Perhaps they will even fantasize that THEY themselves were the superstars who came through in crunch time, rescuing the game for… dust, nothing but dust.

And now back to the business of sampling and reporting on working girls

Yours in whoring and basketball,
Dogster.

Again, my hat is off to you Dogster, an excellent post! I agree with you about the Lakers. No one can sit and say that the Lakers didn't win. They did. And, they did it with heart, poise, and patience. This game 7, indeed, was a challenge. They played the game in the belly of the beast. They played the game on their opponent's home court, in a building that is rated the loudest and unfriendliest to the visiting team. And, they won. But, why do I feel that this will be Shaq's last season?

Thanks, Sam. I don’t think he’s close to retiring. The threat is to his mobility. Shaq was maybe 300 pounds when he came to L.A., and now he’s pushing 400 pounds, I think. The added weight slows him down and causes cumulative damage to his feet, ankles, and knees. But as his feet and ankles worsen, proper conditioning becomes more difficult. His feet are compromised and hurting after a lifetime of pounding on them. The surgery to correct the claw tow deformity (little toe) apparently was successful, but surgery to correct an arthritic big toe comes with a lower probability of success. His podiatrist, the chief of podiatric surgery at UCLA, has tried to avoid surgery, which could involve a 3-4 month recovery period, but Shaq is now saying that he’s “80%” sure he’ll have the surgery. I’m not sure if he’s had any recent problems with abdominal strains he suffered 4 years ago, but that has the potential to end a career, too. So that’s why I say, “enjoy the moment.”

Of course the series could have gone either way but I'm with Kobe. This is what's it's all about. Coming back from being 2 down proved that the Lakers were the better team. It's just incredibly tough to stop the freak of nature that is Shaq.

Hats off to Bibby and Webber. Bibby made so many clutch shots that I was amazed when he finally missed one. Talk about automatic.

Webber's been taking some flak but he stepped up and stopped Laker runs throughout the series. He also demonstrated remarkable strength of character to me. When he was asked in game six about how important it was to get Shaq in foul trouble he said that he wanted Shaq "IN" the game, that he didn't want anyone to have any excuses for the Lakers losing. Contrast this with my own attitude.. I always count the fouls on the big men on the other team and wait for them to sit down so that Shaq can thrash the subs. Vlade sitting down was the pivotal point in both game 6 and 7.

There was a lot of talk throughout the series about how it was Shaq and Kobe against the team play of the Kings. But when it came right down to it, it was two on two and nobody still in the game could stop Shaq.

How are the nets going to do it???

Offseason trades galore. I'm resigned to the Lakers never having a good power forward but I do see them embarking on a major manhunt for some reliable long range specialists.

3PEAT IN FIVE

Sacramento Kings fans in denial? No way! All 5 Lakers starters scored double figures and Fox was that third guy I was looking for. Horry drop a bomb on Sac-Town to help the Lakers go up by 1. Shaq's free throws were going down and Kobe just has to much heart. The only Sac player that wasn't too bitter about being eliminated was indeed Bibby who gets all my respect. Webber who?
Sac free throws 16/30. Sac 3-point shooting 2/20. Vlode? Good trade L.A.!

Sorry Kings, but no blink! blink! for you this year. Well, just look at it this way...it's just a game :-)

Pro basketball has become even more staged than pro wrestling. I can't believe you guys buy into this horseshit.

What do you mean Kendricks you crazy bastard ?>
Are you one of those guys that think they prolong the series for mas pesos ?

I don't think so sorry
I do agree about the reffs being nuts on the calls but both teams got hosed on calls


Milky

Yeah, milky, what incentive could the NBA possibly have to draw out the series, and ensure that a highly popular team three-peats? How silly of me.