Watching the Warriors in the regular season was amazing this
year. I've never enjoyed watching basketball that much. They played the game
exactly as it should be played. And I'm glad I watched all their wins. Steph
did things I’ve never seen before on the basketball court, and what they
achieved in the regular season was incredible.
The playoffs were once again marred by awful officiating and (most likely) corruption. The suspension of Draymond for game 5 was absurd, and there is no doubt it would not have occurred if the series was not 3-1 in the Warriors favor. At most, it merited a double technical, as Draymond made little to no contact in response to someone taunting him. The shifting of Kenny Mauer off game 5 was perhaps as consequential, as he officiated some of the cleanest games this postseason. This was the 1st time since 1998 the NBA didn’t take at least 2 officials, including the crew chief, from game 1 for game 5. Instead of Mauer, Monty McCutchen was given the game. His officiating in the third quarter alone was probably the difference. Not only was a home game stolen, Bogut was injured. Mauer was paired with one of the worst refs in the game, Scott Foster, for game 6, negating the chances of a clean game in any of the final 3 games. Monty, who was atrocious throughout the playoffs, got his 3rd game of the Finals in game 7, and he was awful in the 1st half, which single-handedly kept the game close. He decided the series. Straight up. The Warriors were 47-1 at home without him, 3-4 with him this year...and 0-3 in the Finals with him. The Dubs were 4-7 with Monty or Scott Foster in the playoffs, and 11-2 with everyone else. Either the Warriors were unfairly assisted by every other ref in the league or they got cheated out of a title by one or two refs. The possible corruption, aside from the Draymond suspension, is that these refs were given 5 of the 7 Finals games. The idea that the league has no interest in higher ratings or more dramatic, longer series is so foolish that it doesn’t really merit a response. Perhaps it is just sheer incompetence, but the lack of transparency and circumstantial evidence makes corruption a real possibility.
I don't know if I'll be watching much NBA going forward until there is reform that allows me to trust what I see on the court (probably not any non-Warriors games at all) and feel confident that there is not corruption. There needs to be a transparent system for ref selection and one that is clearly based on merit. If the refs are simply astoundingly incompetent, there needs to be a 4th ref (which the league might be thinking about) or some other changes to help them stop deciding games and championships. The league also needs to fix the officiating in the playoffs to allow for free off-the-ball movement. Players were getting literally hugged off the ball. JVG said it’s almost a different sport, and he is a strong proponent of physical defense. The quality of the basketball in the playoffs was simply terrible. I really can't enjoy watching games (even a game 7) if I don't think the results are fully legitimate and teams can't even run their offenses. I like basketball. With that much contact, it’s no longer basketball. It’s just some grabbing and pushing game, and I’m not that interested in watching.There needs to be a transparent, accountable officiating system.
I am proud of the Warriors for fighting through adversity, injuries, the officiating, Steph's injury (and limited lateral movement upon his return), and everything else. They almost won the title despite it all. If they hit a couple more open shots down the stretch, Barnes played better, or they played more small ball, they probably would have won. Steph’s injury narrowed the gap between the super-elite Warriors and the 3 other elite teams—the Spurs, Thunder, and Cavs—as he could not create offense off the dribble like he did all season before the knee injury. No team has ever had an MVP miss time in 8 games during the playoffs (or even close to that)—it was just terrible luck. But winning 73 games or being defending champ doesn’t inoculate you from bad luck. Injuries have cost teams championships before; that’s part of sports. If Steph was healthy, they almost certainly would have won, but that’s not how sports works. It was tough to see him lack the ability to get free from even Kevin Love down the stretch in game 7. If that was decisive, I could have lived with it. If Bogut’s injury or Iggy’s back is what tipped the series, I could deal with it. Same as if they just came up short or choked. My favorites teams, from the Sharks to the A’s to Stanford Women’s Basketball, have come up short and choked terribly. It’s sad, but it’s not too hard to move on after a few days. Losing is part of sports. It is just as important to lose well as to win with integrity. But when the officials consistently decide games—and my Timehop is full of me complaining about this for years, long before the Warriors were good and even when I was rooting for the opposing team—it is deeply frustrating and alienating. If the results are not legitimate—if the sport lacks integrity—it is hard to defend watching it at all.
As for the Cavs, Thompson played
really well. The game winner was a phenomenal, clutch shot from Kyrie, who was
sensational in the last few games. LeBron sacrificed his integrity when he
pulled Draymond down and stepped over him then literally begged the league
and used all his power and influence to get Draymond suspended for reacting (knowing
that the Cavs could not beat a full Warriors roster 3 times in a row and twice
at home), but he became the ruthless winner so many
wanted him to be. He is one of the best players ever...just as he was when they
were down 3-1. I’ve never disliked LeBron (I rooted for him to win titles in
the past), but I can’t respect him as I did after that. I don’t respect players because they win or
are talented, but because they respect the game.That was the most bush league move of his career. I do understand why he did it though; he is deeply insecure about his legacy, in part because of a moronic press corps that never stops putting out dumb hot takes and criticisms of him and pushing ridiculous narratives.
I'm just really glad the Dubs won last year. The Suns, Kings, and other teams got screwed out of titles and never won one. No one can ever take away last year's title. They faced terrible officiating and still won. It’s a shame they couldn’t do it again after this incredible season, but it is what it is.
I love basketball. I love the Warriors, whether they are the champs or in last place. But I really despise the NBA at this point. I hope they fix the officiating crisis and corruption concerns and we get real, not manufactured drama. A lot of people love late game dramatics, but I just like the sport itself--played by the rules with fair outcomes determined by the players. Until the league addresses the legitimacy concerns, I'm taking a step back.
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