As far as thankless jobs are concerned, being an NBA ref is up there near the top of the food-chain. A certain subset of hoops fans expect nothing short of perfection and have no qualms placing responsibility for the entire outcome of a game, or even a series, squarely on their shoulders.
Refs not only have to absorb a barrage of complaints throughout the game by players, coaches, and fans (and sometimes after the game as well); they’re subject to an ongoing transparency initiative that is ostensibly designed to create greater accountability. The Last Two Minute Report is no doubt problematic; for instance, it does nothing to posthumously change an outcome, but it also offers us a wealth of data.
The good people over at The Pudding, thankfully, have been working to organize that data in a way that is more digestible and potentially more useful. A quick glance at some of the info they’ve compiled confirms at least a few things we already know about the types of calls that frequently get missed.
It should come as no surprise that traveling is one of the most missed infractions or that 24-second violations are among the easiest to get right. What’s somewhat intriguing his how often offensive fouls are missed.
In recent days, we’ve seen a pair of high-profile teammates – Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook – charged with such violations, in which both were subsequently elevated to the level of flagrants, so we might be witnessing a bit of over-correction at the moment.
In any case, The Pudding has all sorts of categories and topics to pore over, including player bias, home-court advantage, which officials are the worst offenders, and much more.
It’s an excellent resource for NBA data wonks who might need a little statistical bump to reinforce their arguments about how bad the refs really are, but it’s also potentially a tool that could increase the accuracy and efficiency of NBA officiating, which is the collective goal of everyone involved.
