Blazers announce consulting agreement with former NBA ref Don Vaden

Okay Mr Ref, is this a foul or just traveling?

 

The Portland Trail Blazers have hired Don Vaden in a consulting role to help educate the team on rules of the game and officiating, the team announced on Friday.

"He's going to be a resource for the coaches (and) the players," Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. "As far as understanding some of the rules, interpretations, knowing the referees, style of refereeing, I think he's just going to be a tremendous resource."

Vaden stepped down from his position as the Director of Officials for the WNBA in December to move into a new business venture, Interactive Consulting.

He previously served as the Director of Officials in NBA from 2011 to 2016 and was a NBA referee for 15 seasons, working 854 regular-season games and 59 playoff games before retiring in 2003.

Neil Olshey, the Blazers' President of Basketball Operations, had hoped to set up a formal relationship between the team and Vaden as early as last summer, but had to wait until Vaden stepped away from his position in the league office before completing the hire.

The Blazers are the first team to engage in a consulting agreement with Vaden, although he says he is open to working with other teams that are interested. This is a new enterprise for Vaden, but not completely new across the league. The Houston Rockets have also previously hired a referee to consult with the team.


While he was officially signed on Friday, Vaden has been working with the Blazers since the beginning of January. On game nights, he watches the action away fromt he court on televisions near the team locker room and coaches' offices, flagging certain plays for review.

At practices, he addresses the team to review video clips of specific calls and situations. Eventually he will head back to his home in Virginia and provide the same feedback remotely. For now, he's still figuring out how he can best serve the Blazers.

"It's a lot different because right now I'm just like a sponge," Vaden said. "I try to go to all their practices, all their meetings and I listen to what's going on because this is completely different for me; the Xs and Os of the game and trying to figure that piece out and how I can help them or anybody."

Vaden says players are constantly stopping him to get clarification on calls or sending him text messages about plays that happen on the road. What he can offer is specifics from watching the game itself and opinions backed by more than three decades of experience.

He has shown Ed Davis why he's being called for offensive fouls when he has been caught pushing defenders into driving teammates.


"I just told him the person the furthest away can actually see it the best," Vaden said. "If you get your hands away from your body and push the guy, it's gonna be seen by somebody on the crew."

When Damian Lillard tries to draw a foul during while shooting three-pointers - a technique the Blazers have taught their star guard - Vaden can offer insight into why some attempts are considered shooting fouls and others aren't.

Vaden has also offered advice to Zach Collins, telling the rookie big man that contesting shots vertically will eventually pay off even if early in his career he is drawing fouls in bunches.

"I kept telling him. 'You're okay. You're doing what's right," Vaden said. "'Continue to jump straight up. The more (referees) get to see you doing that the more they become used to you doing that and they'll start rewarding you.'"

Beyond the specifics, Vaden can offer explanations to help ease players' concerns. At least twice this season, complaints about officiating have lingered in the Blazers locker room after frustrating. Now players and coaches will have a resource to turn to for immediate explanation.

"Look it's a human game, referees are going to make mistakes," Vaden said. "I don't want players to be confused. A player doesn't need to be confused by something that's called when they thought they were right. I can actually go to them and say, 'Hey look the referee was right. You actually got him on the arm.' And it's like, 'OK, I got you.'"


There has been public discord between players and referees across the NBA in recent weeks with multiple players calling out perceived poor officiating and earning fines from the league office. What Vaden hopes is that his role can help the Blazers get clarification on rules and calls while fostering a better on court relationship between players and officials.

"I look at it this way we work in the same office," Vaden said. "They have to be able to work together and they have to figure it out. I'm helping them right now figure it out."

-- Mike Richman

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...rail_blazers_don_vaden_former_head_of_nb.html

 

I cant quote it on my phone... But dude just admitted they call rookie fouls. Lmao.

 

Evan Turner can't catch a damn break...that was a new fence!