Are The Warriors Being Targeted by the Refs?
When the Golden State Warriors visited the Miami Heat on Nov. 1, Warriors guard Jordan Poole was called for three carries during the game.
Prior to this, Poole blew up on social media after his fancy move on his former teammate and Phoenix Suns forward Damion Lee. The “social media refs” cried for a carry, or a travel, or both but neither were called.
After the game versus the Heat, Head Coach Steve Kerr said the league sent a notice to all 30 teams about cracking down on carrying violations, but Kerr said he didn’t have time to read the email since the Warriors were playing that day.
“I finally did read the email today, and there was nothing in it about carrying violations,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game’s “Damon and Ratto. “So, I think the whole email thing was just a rumor.”
While the league was cracking down on carrying and traveling as a whole, the Warriors, specifically forward Drayond Green, said they felt like they were being targeted.
“I wear my badge of honor,” Green said. “It’s not that I’m saying [the refs] necessarily treat me differently. I’ve earned differential treatment. I enjoy that; I embrace that.”
While superstars like Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant are infamous for their carry violations, it seems like from a fan’s perspective that they’re not getting the same consistent calls that Poole or Warriors superstar Stephen Curry are getting.
Cracking down on these traveling violations are a good thing for the league. Though these players are becoming immensely skilled day-by-day with new tricks, players are toeing the line between what’s legal and what’s not.
This stat by basketball observer Guru on Twitter was shocking.
While it’s true that the Warriors play style has caused the team to get less calls than the average team, the Warriors have been playing this style of basketball for the past decade and the trend still stands. Time and time again, Warriors fans are frustrated at the inconsistencies of the refs and feel as if the Warriors are being targeted every time the game is on.
Curry is often regarded as the unluckiest superstar in the NBA when it comes to getting the favorite call. Even though, Curry and the Warriors as a franchise have generated billions of dollars in revenue for the NBA, Curry always seems to be on the short end of the stick when it comes to drawing fouls. One would think that the league would favor the Warriors since the team and their superstar generates so much revenue, but that’s not the case.
So far this season, Curry has attempted 4.8 free throws a game, while Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant attempted 7.3 free throws a game and Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid attempted 11.8 free throws a game, according to Stat Muse.
While one could argue the fact that Durant and Embiid center their games that might result in more free-throw calls for their style of play, but, the fact of the matter is that some superstars get calls consistently while others simply don’t.
As for leading the league in technical fouls, the Warriors have arguably one of the most polarizing players in the NBA with Green, who is always chirping with the refs and trying to understand a play. This season, Green is tied with Durant with the most technical fouls in the association, according to Team Rankings.
In that list, Warriors players such as Poole, Curry and even Warriors guard Klay Thompson have all been hit with plenty of technical fouls throughout the season.
Thompson is the most surprising out of the list, considering his usual well-mannered and relaxed demeanor. But, for whatever reason, Thompson already has racked up his first ejection of his career earlier this season and most recently picked up a technical on Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks that went viral.
All in all, it’s been a pretty frustrating season for Warriors fans as they continue to witness the glaring free throw disparities throughout the league. While it’s true that the Warriors unique system and floor spacing gives the team mobility and less focus on drawing fouls on the perimeter and interior, the data tells a different story. The Warriors simply aren’t getting any calls this season.
(Photo credit: Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)