Ime: "We’re not going to be a team that cries the whole time [about ref calls]"

[ozgod]

He has told the team to stop crying to the refs after every non call and to let him be the one to worry about it. I wonder how some of our more passionate fans will react to this policy of turning the other cheek 

BRIGHTON — Ime Udoka has noticed several habits from last year’s Celtics team that he wants to discontinue in his first season as head coach.

He noticed there was too much one-on-one play after the first offensive action was derailed by opposing defenses. He noticed the Celtics weren’t always attentive and engaged on defense, and that the team may have spent too much time complaining about officiating.

That’s going to stop, he said.

The new coach is laying down new rules to his players, and one of them is to let him handle the officials. Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum finished 11th in the NBA in scoring last season but just 27th in free throw attempts per game and he consistently barks at officials after non-calls.

“I’ve stressed that to our team,” Udoka said after Wednesday’s practice at the Auerbach Center. “We got a little chippy in practice, guys getting after it and I said, ‘Let me [argue with] the refs. You guys play through plays and move on to the next thing and let me be the guy who complains to the ref.’ That’s not the team we want to be and that’s not who I am so I don’t want the team to start crying about every call.”

“I told them to play through things from Day 1 in camp,” Udoka said. “We’re not going to be a team that cries the whole time. That’s definitely not me.”

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/06/sports/ime-udoka-determined-break-celtics-some-bad-habits-last-season/

[hpantazo]

I've been waiting forever for a Celtics coach to say this! Since the days of seeing Pierce and Antoine whine non-stop all the way to last year's Celtics. Thank you Ime!!

I hope if he sees guys crying at the refs, he pulls them out of the game for a while.

[Roy H.]

I've been waiting forever for a Celtics coach to say this! Since the days of seeing Pierce and Antoine whine non-stop all the way to last year's Celtics. Thank you Ime!!

I hope if he sees guys crying at the refs, he pulls them out of the game for a while.

I’ll believe it when I see it.  It’s a good mentality for a team to have, but complaining to refs is ingrained in these guys.

[Ed Monix]

I've been waiting forever for a Celtics coach to say this! Since the days of seeing Pierce and Antoine whine non-stop all the way to last year's Celtics. Thank you Ime!!

I hope if he sees guys crying at the refs, he pulls them out of the game for a while.

I’ll believe it when I see it.  It’s a good mentality for a team to have, but complaining to refs is ingrained in these guys.

That is true, although I’m sure there is a reward for crying to the refs and applying pressure to them all game.

Laimbeer, Miller, Bryant, Wade, CP3, Harden, Trae Young, are all notorious whiners and it usually works to their benefit…even Jordan in his last few Bulls seasons understood that complaining to refs was a productive strategy.

[SparzWizard]

I mean crying to the refs has gotten LeBron 4 rings lol

[Ed Monix]

I mean crying to the refs has gotten LeBron 4 rings lol

This is just my opinion but with LeBron, it seems like complaining is a personality trait. However on the court, I view him like Shaq, as both players complain during a game, but both (LeBron much lesser extent) receive fair share of contact and refs do treat them differently because of their size.

I see guys like Miller, CP3, Young as players who go out to steal as many points as possible, using any means necessary.

[gouki88]

I'm dubious, but I'll give them a chance to show it!

I like the idea of Ime trying to work the refs as much as he can.

[ozgod]

I mean crying to the refs has gotten LeBron 4 rings lol

This is just my opinion but with LeBron, it seems like complaining is a personality trait. However on the court, I view him like Shaq, as both players complain during a game, but both (LeBron much lesser extent) receive fair share of contact and refs do treat them differently because of their size.

I see guys like Miller, CP3, Young as players who go out to steal as many points as possible, using any means necessary.

I would add Harden to that category. He's one of the biggest criers out there.

[Vermont Green]

Ime is right, that is not hard to see.  I suspect they heard the same message from Stevens, just not reported in the media.  I think it is OK that Ime has said this out load so to speak, just a difference in style.  Stevens would have been more protective of the private conversations.  Not saying either approach is better or worse, just that I don't think this is anything new.  The only thing new is that we are hearing about it.

[Moranis]

players complain because it works.  When it stops working, players will stop complaining.

[Rosco917]

Crying about fouls is a double edged sword. Do it too much and it looses its effectiveness. Never do it, and you get walked over by bad refs. Coaches need more challenges.

So far I like this coach. Some of these Celtics must be thinking, "Be careful what you wish for, you just may get it." 

[td450]

players complain because it works.  When it stops working, players will stop complaining.

That's just not true. It is not a fully rational response.

Players complain because of the intense competitive nature of the situation. I've seen thousands of complaints over the years at various levels, and most of them don't work, I can assure you.

[Moranis]

players complain because it works.  When it stops working, players will stop complaining.

That's just not true. It is not a fully rational response.

Players complain because of the intense competitive nature of the situation. I've seen thousands of complaints over the years at various levels, and most of them don't work, I can assure you.

They work for future calls. They point the ref to things they might not have seen.  They don't get the call overturned, but complaining absolutely works.  That is why they do it.

[SHAQATTACK]

He means

C P3 and LeWhinner teams 

[Ogaju]

working the ref is an art, crying to the refs is totally different. Star players can work the refs, it’s part of the game and the entertainment, Scrubs whining - not so much. The problem with Cs under Stevens is he did not work the refs effectively so his players were run over and resorted to whining. The other problem was soft play. Looks like Ime noticed that, and is intent on changing that aspect of team culture.