Draymond Green is going to leave a powerful legacy in this league, not just with his versatile defense and boisterous personality, but how referees officiate the game.
For years now, players have been flailing limbs after shot attempts to try to draw contact. Green isn’t unique in this regard. Reggie Miller was famous for doing this, and it’s really just a process players have undergone to try to help their teams gain an extra edge.
The action was highlighted these past playoffs when Green kicked Steven Adams in the groin during the Western Conference Finals.
Replays didn’t prove any intention on Green’s part, but it’s certainly a reckless action that needs to be curtailed.
The problem has been getting worse for years now, but Green has brought the issue to light after far too much toleration from officials.
The NBA senior vice president of replay and referee operations is Joe Borgia, and he has noticed the problem escalating to the level Green and other players have taken it.
“Now all of a sudden legs are coming out in different directions at weird times, they’re coming higher,” said Borgia.
The role of officials is not only to police the game to make it run smoothly, but also protect the players.
“Well, for the protection of the players, we’re going to stop it,” said Borgia, referring to players flailing their legs after shot attempts.
This “War on Flailing” is long past due, although I don’t believe you can ever blame players for trying to gain an extra edge for their team within the guidelines of the rules.
Safety is first and foremost, and the refs are correct to crack down on this because of what happened to Adams.
Far too many players resort to impulsive tactics like this, and it’s up to referees to properly police the game to protect the players from preventable injuries. Good for them for making this a priority.