Thomas: 'Referees have to be held accountable too'

[Tr1boy]

I understand Thomas is tired of losing but this statement will do nothing but possibly give you a slap on the wrist by the league (fine)

Thomas is regularly driving against 3 guys under the basket.   Nobody in the nba is that good to finish regularly over/around 3 guys.   So when Thomas can't he is looking for a foul call. 

or even yesterday after he made a tough basket he gave the refs a cut eye before going back the other way. 

I think he needs to calm this annoyance down a little before it might eat him alive.  Because nothing will change (and players have been complaining for years and refs prob just laugh it off)

on another note, Thomas is hot dogging the ball quite a bit.  Team passing is pretty brutal.  Thomas himself is like averaging 3 assists per game.   Everyone else is out there setting picks or ready to be spot shooters. 

KO for example last night should of shot the ball at least 5-7 more times..... if IT and Turner passed the ball more 

Just a little tired of seeing Thomas and Turner dominating the ball, especially late in games.

I still prefer that better Thomas comes off the bench.  Team passing will improve then

[86MaxwellSmart]

He is correct though---those refs last night were pretty awful. Lots of missed calls--and Non Calls---except for the home team.

[hpantazo]

IT's going to have to open his checkbook, and deal with even more missed calls for him for a while now.

[Smartacus]

The amount of complaining to the refs that this team is capable of between Crowder, Smart and Thomas is a bad look for how the team is perceived nationally and typically leads to worse treatment from the refs.

Do we want to be known as the Spurs or the Clippers of the East? One team lives at the line and is rarely caught complaining when they don't get the calls. The other team's best players and coach are constantly trying to influence the calls by showing up the refs.

[cltc5]

The refs suck!   And are incompetent! BThey need to be called out!

[Tr1boy]

The refs suck!   And are incompetent! BThey need to be called out!

Everyone can whine and complain but nothing will happen

Thomas has actually made it worse for the team and himself.  Possibly get less calls the next few games

[Big333223]

That's frustration showing from Thomas.

[Alleyoopster]

There are a few things working against Isaiah in regards to getting calls.

1.It used to be that if a player's shot was blocked and there was body (or hand) contact, a foul was called. For the most part that rule either no longer exists or it is not enforced in a consistent manner. Many times defenders either come close to blocking Isaiah's shot or actually block it while making contact. Since refs have a lot of latitude in judgement they can decide whatever they want. This may be a league decision in order to speed up the game.
 
2. Isaiah often drives through the lane and draws some contact along the way. This too used to be an automatic foul. It is not anymore. Defenders are generally given a lot more leeway in  initiating contact when someone is aggressively attacking the basket or moves into their space.

3. Isaiah's height works against him. The refs probably cannot see all the contact that takes place because he is hidden from the action. I reffed one game in my life. I couldn't tell what was going on in the lane with all the bodies mixed together. Maybe if I did it for a living it wouldn't be as difficult as I believe? 

4. And finally, even though Isaiah often ends up on the ground after driving to the hoop, refs now take that for flopping or part of his shooting routine even if he ends up plowed into the crowd. Could also be psychological to the refs, making them feel that they are in control by not making too many calls. (just a guess on my part)
 
Someone like James Harden is going to get a lot more of those driving-the-lane calls because he's taller and harder to miss the contact. And, he's not in the middle of the lane as much as Isaiah. Plus, Harden has longer arms and his herky-jerky moves to the hoop throw defenders off balance. Isaiah depends more on speed and body dynamics to draw contact.

In any case all he can really do is have Danny send videotape to the league if he's really not getting the calls he should be. Complaining to the refs isn't going to help him.

[chilidawg]

What I see from Thomas is that he is the one initiating contact, looking to draw the foul.  Refs don't give him the call, which I think is correct.  I just wish Lebron and Harden were treated the same.

[mctyson]

He is absolutely correct.  NBA refs are pathetically inconsistent and their favoritism for certain players is disgusting. 

[Tr1boy]

There are a few things working against Isaiah in regards to getting calls.

1.It used to be that if a player's shot was blocked and there was body (or hand) contact, a foul was called. For the most part that rule either no longer exists or it is not enforced in a consistent manner. Many times defenders either come close to blocking Isaiah's shot or actually block it while making contact. Since refs have a lot of latitude in judgement they can decide whatever they want. This may be a league decision in order to speed up the game.
 
2. Isaiah often drives through the lane and draws some contact along the way. This too used to be an automatic foul. It is not anymore. Defenders are generally given a lot more leeway in  initiating contact when someone is aggressively attacking the basket or moves into their space.

3. Isaiah's height works against him. The refs probably cannot see all the contact that takes place because he is hidden from the action. I reffed one game in my life. I couldn't tell what was going on in the lane with all the bodies mixed together. Maybe if I did it for a living it wouldn't be as difficult as I believe? 

4. And finally, even though Isaiah often ends up on the ground after driving to the hoop, refs now take that for flopping or part of his shooting routine even if he ends up plowed into the crowd. Could also be psychological to the refs, making them feel that they are in control by not making too many calls. (just a guess on my part)
 
Someone like James Harden is going to get a lot more of those driving-the-lane calls because he's taller and harder to miss the contact. And, he's not in the middle of the lane as much as Isaiah. Plus, Harden has longer arms and his herky-jerky moves to the hoop throw defenders off balance. Isaiah depends more on speed and body dynamics to draw contact.

In any case all he can really do is have Danny send videotape to the league if he's really not getting the calls he should be. Complaining to the refs isn't going to help him.

Nice observations

[mmmmm]

Thomas himself is like averaging 3 assists per game.

Thomas' assists have been down during this stretch because the team shooting has been abysmal.

[mgent]

He is absolutely correct.  NBA refs are pathetically inconsistent and their favoritism for certain players is disgusting.

I agree.

[MBunge]

Someone like James Harden is going to get a lot more of those driving-the-lane calls because he's taller and harder to miss the contact. And, he's not in the middle of the lane as much as Isaiah. Plus, Harden has longer arms and his herky-jerky moves to the hoop throw defenders off balance. Isaiah depends more on speed and body dynamics to draw contact.

The problem is that there now exists literally MONTHS worth of video on Harden flopping and making non-basketball moves only to draw contact.

Mike

[Denis998]

Did he get fined? I didn't see anything on it.