Blazers, Meet the “Scab” Officials…

I wanted to do a quick post to see what folks think about the NBA lockout of referees this season.  Unless there is a dramatic turn in the talks between the NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association (NBRA), the season is going to start with “scab” referees.  These replacements are going to be pulled from all sorts of pools, with the most qualified being referees that the NBA actually fired in previous seasons.

I think this could actually have an interesting set of effects on the early NBA season.  For one, the officiating is going to be worse than ever.  I expect even more blown calls and frustrating missteps by officials.  You also have to wonder if there might be more allegations of tampering by odds-makers, since these replacement officials would be much easier to buy off – they have less to lose than seasoned, tenured NBA officials.

It’s been notable since the Jordan era that Superstar players often seem to get special treatment from NBA officials.  The most common thing cited in recent years is the seeming immunity that players like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant have when it comes to traveling violations.  Will those sorts of violations be whistled more often now?  I think it will be case-by-case.  Some of the replacements may be sticklers when it comes to these rules, even for the stars, while others might be even more biased towards the marquee players.  Overall, this is a loss for the league and the fans, as the officiating will be much less consistent from game to game.

What do the “scab” officials mean for the Blazers?  I think it could mean some early season headaches for Greg Oden and Nicolas Batum.  Both young players had a lot of trouble staying out of foul trouble last year.  Oden in particular was tortured by the referee’s whistle.  His slow lateral movement and tendency to drop his arms had him in constant foul trouble.  If he hasn’t worked on those problems over the summer, he’s not going to have much more luck with the replacement officials.  By mid-season, you had the distinct sense that Oden was getting “picked on” by officials because of the reputation he had gained for racking up quick fouls.  I really don’t see that getting any better with replacement refs.  More likely, it will get worse, as the less experienced officials will probably “stare down” the hot spots on the floor like a rookie quarterback stares down his receivers.

There is one positive effect that I might see for Portland, and that has to do with their already formidable home-court advantage.  When the Rose Garden gets to rocking, the momentum tends to carry along the officiating.  I think these inexperienced refs will get even more caught up in a raucous home crowd, making the benefit even greater for the hosts.  Portland has one of the best crowds and arenas in the league, so they stand to profit a little more in this respect.

Overall, I think the “scab” referees are going to take away from the upcoming NBA season.  Officiating had enough problems already without inserting second-stringers and those who are less vested.  Here’s one fan who hopes that talks between the NBA and NBRA take a sudden turn for the better, getting us the best referees back as soon as possible.

What do you think?

Tags: Dwyane Wade, Greg Oden, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, NBA, NBA Officials, NBRA, Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers