Playoff Officiating

https://www.si.com/nba/2023/04/21/doc-rivers-warns-nba-settling-dangerous-precedent-with-officiating-joel-embiid-kick-draymond-green-suspension?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab



Doc Rivers Warns NBA Is Settling ‘Dangerous Precedent’ With Officiating



FRANKIE TADDEO19 HOURS AGO


In addressing the media on Friday, 76ers coach Doc Rivers didn’t mince words in regards to the Game 3 Joel Embiid kicking incident, the recent suspension of Draymond Green and the overall state of NBA officiating.

Although he admitted he shouldn’t be speaking about the situation, the Philadelphia leader did not hold back about his fears that the league could be headed down a dangerous path.

“Listen, I’m gonna say this, probably shouldn’t. I didn't think Draymond should have been suspended and I think the league is setting up a very dangerous precedent right now,” said Rivers. “And this is not me campaigning.”


Doubling down on Embiid’s post-game comments, Rivers believes that star players are being singled-out by opponents. “Teams are targeting the better players trying to instigate them to get thrown out. If we’re going to start punishing the retaliators and not the instigators, then we’ve got a problem in this league.”

The outspoken coach was candid about growing up in a different era, where questionable actions wouldn't take place on playground courts.


“If I was at a park, and you stood over me, we’re gonna have a problem. I didn’t grow up in the sticks and stones era, I grew up in the break the bones era,” added Rivers. “I’m not picking on Nic Claxton, but I don’t think at a park you’re standing over Joel."


Bob


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Doc is just creating noise to generate an advantage from anywhere. Embiid is the biggest instigator and then he complains that he is being targeted.

This is playoff time and all eyes are focused. NBA can't engage in selective officiating. Let Doc and Embiid deal with it.

Who does Doc think he’s kidding? This ain’t the damn playground. It’s professional basketball that pays him a ton of money.
Maybe he should go back to the playground and play or coach for free.

He thinks he’s half way slick but caping for War Criminal Green and his War Criminal Apprentice, Embiid, tells us he’s either trying to incite a Malice in the Palace 2 or is making excuses because he knows his team is going to get its ass kicked next round.

I have always liked Doc but his act has been wearing thin for quite sometime.
Doc’s an excuse incubator and he’s come up with some great ones in the past like-

“They never have beaten us when our starters are healthy and playing”

Or-

“I was never comfortable. I just wasn't. I just knew condition-wise, like, we had guys that just couldn’t get minutes.”

How about this diddy:

“We lost the lead because our heads weren’t right”

When asked if he could win with Ben Simmons:

“I don’t know the answer to that” In other words, ‘no and you can guess why we lost this series and it ain’t because of me’.

And then there is this:

"Well, it's easy to use me as an example, but I wish y'all would tell the whole story with me," Rivers said on Wednesday. "My Orlando team was the eighth seed. No one gives me credit for getting up against the Pistons, who won the title. That was an eighth seed. I want you to go back and look at that roster. I dare you to go back and look at that roster. And you would say, 'What a hell of a coaching job.' Really. 

Look, Doc is a good coach, not Great, just good. Doc is also a great human being but he either needs to stop making excuses or change his name to “Alibi Ike”

The talk everywhere is, "if Draymond got ejected and suspended, what made that obvious kick by Embid just a flagrant one?" So...Doc is doing everything he can to defer the attention, when he knows he has a loose cannon on the floor in Embid. So he sits him down for a game? Big deal, they were not going to lose, (though I truly wish they did) What's the next excuse he will come up with. I guess that is what a coach is supposed to do. The ref'ing has been extremely inconsistent, but it has been that way all year. We should just stop complaining about it and adjust. period.