I still don't think that that's a legitimate blocking foul. A defender is allowed to be in front of the ball-handler...that is the point of playing defense. The contact is initiated by James...he extends his off-arm into Pietrus' chest as he drives, just before he enters the paint, Pietrus falls backward and then James trips. I don't think it's an offensive foul, but it's also not a blocking foul, IMO. It might sometimes be called, but usually not. When it is called, it's generally considered a "bailout foul," saving a player who was out of control from a turnover. It should have been a no-call and it would have been a turnover.
the defender is allowed to be in front of the ballhandler, but it appears that lebron is going to have him beat and then pietrus turns sideways and throws himself in lebron's path and getting to that spot is when lebron trips on his foot. i don't know. i wouldn't be complaining if they hadn't called it, but i'm not complaining that they did call it either.
Howard did not turn to Varejao and flex.. he actually turned away and flexed. Regardless of what he yelled, he wasn't "taunting" Varejao. They let the players do whatever they want if they aren't clearly taunting someone by stand over them or starting at them and saying something to them.
[video=youtube;GTTzbpp2Y3k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTTzbpp2Y3k&eurl[/video] you sure about that? it seems to me like he definitely looks back down at varejao, yells, and does something with his arms.
I must not be seeing what you are seeing. Because I see him turn away. If he is facing Varejao it is for a split second while he was turning away..
i think he definitely looks down and yells at varejao before turning away. the league rescinded it which is fine, i just didn't understand the complaints magic fans had about the call. that's something that isn't called a tech every time, but definitely is something that can be called a technical any time it happens.
Oh yeah I agree that it can be called a technical. The thing that upsets me is the inconsistency of the call. Like in the LA - Houston series when Kobe got a tech for saying "he can't guard me" talking about Battier. I guarantee Kobe and other players do that or something similar multiple times a game, and the refs ignore it. To call that at a crucial moment like that is unacceptable to me, because they don't call it throughout the whole game. If he had lingered over him and it had been obvious then sure, but he was barely facing him.
You really think a guy getting pumped about finishing a play deserves a technical foul? That rule is absolute crap. I could honestly care less if by the letter of the law Dwight deserved a tech. The very existence of that rule is garbage. Varejao should consider himself very lucky he plays in the NBA during the pussification of the league. Back in the day Dwight would yelled motherfucker at him as he threw him into the 4th row.
The taunting rule is complete bullshit. It was never taunting that caused fights in the NBA. It has always been cheap shots and really hard fouls. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the anti taunting rule does nothing but actually remove intensity from the game. All players should have to worry about is simple. Don't talk shit to the refs, and don't get into a fight, and they shouldn't have to think about anything else. Any time they put more subjective calls into the hands of the ref, it is a bad thing. We talk about how we don't like this call or that call. Why doesn't somebody ask why some of these rules are present in the first place, and if it is really needed. No rule, no bad call. Transparency increases, fans are happy.
the thing is, they call that all the time. doesn't matter if i think they should or not, they make that call a lot. so it should come as no surprise that they would make the call there.
I agree. It looks like Dwight turned back towards AV and then yelled and pumped his fist in his direction. Howard could have turned clockwise, towards the center of the court, if he wasn't concerned with AV... but he turned counter-clockwise--towards the baseline and AV. Looks like a technical foul to me, given the way taunting calls are made. Ed O.
Agreed. It doesn't look like James had Pietrus beat at any given point... he leaned his whole body into the defender, it looked like, and was out of control. I don't know what else Pietrus could do as a defender, except just get out of the way, to not draw a foul. Ed O.
Completely agree. The column was fantastic. For those who hate Bill Simmons usually (like me, for instance), throw aside the bias just once and read this: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/090528&sportCat=nba
