While he didn’t complain specifically about the way that Nikola Jokic was officiated on Monday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr lodged a more general complaint about the officiating during his postgame media session after the Nuggets center made 18-of-18 free throws in a Denver victory, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN.
“I have a problem with how we are legislating the defense out of the game,” Kerr said. “We are enabling players to B.S. their way to the foul line. If I were a fan, I wouldn’t have wanted to watch the second half of that game. It was disgusting. It was just baiting refs into calls, but the refs have to make those calls … the players are really smart in this league. For the last decade, they’ve gotten smarter and smarter. We have enabled the players, and they are taking full advantage.
“It’s a parade to the free throw line, and it’s disgusting to watch.”
Prior to Monday’s game, the Nuggets ranked dead last in the NBA in free throw makes per game (14.9). Led by Jokic’s 18 foul shots, Denver converted 26-of-32 attempts from the line in Monday’s win.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Former first-round pick Mfiondu Kabengele is making a midseason move from Greece to Italy. The big man has parted ways with AEK Athens and has formally reached an agreement to join Reyer Venezia, the Italian club announced today in a press release. Kabengele appeared in 55 total NBA games for the Clippers, Cavaliers, and Celtics from 2019-23.
- Sharing their impressions from last week’s G League Showcase Cup, Jeremy Woo and Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com (Insider link) note that it hasn’t been a good year for the G League Ignite, whose top prospects Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland did little to help their draft stock. Conversely, the NBA Academy Africa made a strong impression in Orlando, according to Givony, who was particularly impressed by 7’2″ prospect Khaman Maluach. Maluach appears to be giving strong consideration to playing college ball next season, Givony adds, with Duke and Kansas aggressively pursuing him.
- Serbian prospect Nikola Topic, a projected top-10 pick, has spent the 2023/24 season so far on loan to Mega Basket, but he’ll be rejoining Crvena Zvezda and playing in the EuroLeague going forward, tweets Givony. The move will give the 18-year-old Topic an opportunity to compete in Europe’s top league for the rest of the season.
Jokic averages 4.6 attempts per game with usage rate of 30.6. That’s extremely low. Kerr may have somewhat of a point about defense being legislated out of the game but with Jokic come up with a better game plan than just fouling the hell out of him.
On top of that, the Warriors being foul-prone isn’t new. They’ve been like that since the beginning of their run in the mid 2010s. It’s just that they no longer have the shooting, defense, speed, and chemistry to make up for that. Same deal with their turnovers. The motion offense has its weaknesses like anything else, they’ve just been hidden behind success.
The problem they have, and I think its true, is that they dont get the same whistle as other teams. Blatant fouls against them dont get called and then the next time down the floor the other team gets the same call. Steph never gets the number of fouls he deserves since 60% of the time guys are playing illegal defense on him. Refs dont watch as they grab him off ball away from the play constantly.
curry shot ONE free throw yesterday. it’s comical
Curry shoots 30 footers. He doesn’t get a lot of FTAs. Either mix it up or drive to the hoop. There’s your free throws.
Curry gets fouled without the ball more than any other player in basketball. He also drives all the time and takes insane amounts of contact while doing it, he just doesnt dunk…
IM, watch every game. Obviously you don’t. Your post makes you look stupid.
Btw CV, are you hoping the vacuum signs with Giants. I am.
Not a Giants fan after the way the ownership blocked the move to Santa Clara for the A’s. They could have kept the Matts and stayed in the bay, providing another venue for the stagehands union I work for that covers silicon valley, but instead Fisher the Douche takes them to Vegas and the team is a joke.
I pretty much ended my baseball fandom with the A’s leaving and watched maybe 5 games all season by any team, and zero A’s, after watching every A’s game I could for years.
I feel for you CV and don’t blame you.
So what you’re saying is that 18 ftas was almost 4 times his average. Seems like Kerr has a point.
Kerr is complaining about the way GSW has been officiated vs Nuggets in a smart way by complaining about the number of calls the players are getting just by throwing their bodies in the defenders bc they are overprotected and they know it… Embiid going 20 Times at the line, Lillard throwing himself into Defenders After a screen, or falling down after a brick, AD Luka ans so on … Bring back 90’s defense stop the challenges it’s boring ad
When a player with the ball jumps at a sideways angle into a defender it should never be a foul on the defender its insane. If you initiate the contact it should be a no call every time no matter how bad the contact. I say the same for rip throughs that those arent real shot attempts so no foul. The “flopping” call on Curry from the other night where he gets fouled before the shot on a layup from behind falls from the un called foul and then instantly gets up and runs down the court not saying one word to the officials was beyond bogus.
That’s the rule now. Not often called.
No, that is NOT the rule. Funny stuff though if you were attempting sarcasm
hows that every dude in Serbia is Nikola !
It’s like John or Joe. Everybody knows a dude named John or Joe.
Don’t want to hear it. Gianna’s took 32 free throws last time he played the pacers
Modern NBA is SOFT
Curry gets fouled all the time off and on ball defense for him is to be physical. Which means foul him he is small and they won’t call it
Funny how Looney locking up Joker in the 1 half made him resort to foul hunting
Wow for once I agree with Kerr
NBA All Whine Team- Jokic, Doncic, Sabonis, James, Nurkic, Gr. Williams, Brooks.