Crisis in the NBA

If you watch the NBA on a regular basis then you probably already now where this post is heading. There is a major problem in the NBA right now and it is with the one area David Stern never wants to talk about, the officials.

The officiating in the playoffs has been downright atrocious this postseason, and we keep getting closer and closer to the point where the fans are getting fed up. This is not a Tim Donaghy situation, where games are being fixed. It has to do with the actual quality of the officials and frankly as a fan I am feed up.

The biggest problem is the lack of consistency. During the basketball game that broke out during the foulfest that was Game 3 of Cleveland-Orlando, there was absolutely no consistency in the calls. Delonte West was trying to body up Turkalo on defense and was called for a foul every time, but on the other end when Lebron came off screens defenders were banging him the whole time with no foul. Its either a foul or it isn't and frankly I do not care how they call it because both would be considered fouls but it needs to be consistent.

The flagrant fouls and technicals have also been way to severe. In playoff basketball the fouls are going to be harder and while there have been some deserving flagrant at the end of the day the officials need to let the players play. Anthony Johnson's elbow was the typical example of this because there was no malicious intent it was just playoff basketball. The technicals are even worse because the refs are taking emotion out of the game. There seems to be no rhyme or reason and the fact that Kobe is two technicals from being suspended seems a bit ridiculous. The Denver-Lakers series has been overrun by technicals and flagrant fouls and eventually its going to result in someone being suspended for a vital game.

I know there is probably no way to fix this problem this postseason but in the off season this issue needs to be address for sure. I know I do not know if I can sit through another postseason marred by terrible officiating, and I have a feeling I am not the only fan who feels this way.