New Delay of Game Rule......

[THE HCP]

I would love to see how many have been called so far this preseason. I don't think it's a stretch to say that this will the cause of some team's loses this year. Seems to me it's been called 3 or 4 times a game on us.

ESPN

Blake Griffin had a not-so-bold prediction for the 2012-13 season: “I might lead the league in delay-of-games.”

It’s a safe bet, given the NBA’s new policy for calling delay-of-game violations for “interfering with the ball after a successful field goal or free throw.”
If he can find odds while he’s in Las Vegas for the Clippers’ game against the Nuggets Saturday night, Griffin should put money down.

Griffin had the most dunks in the NBA last season, according to basketball-reference.com and he should be among the leaders again. Scoring so often in such close proximity to the basket, he’ll have to fight off years of habit – or even instinct – that tells him to grab the ball after it drops through the hoop. But this season it will be a violation, even if he immediately throws the ball to the nearest official, as Griffin did following an alley-oop lob from Darren Collison in the second quarter of Friday night’s preseason game against Portland.

“It was coming down into me and I caught it and I just forgot,” Griffin said.

The officials didn’t forget the new rule. And because it was the second delay of game on the Clippers, and the Trail Blazers shot a technical free throw.

Griffin could joke about it afterward, but warned that the rule could have serious consequences at some point.

“A team’s going to lose a game off that, in my opinion,” Griffin said.

It’s not so far-fetched. With technical free throws shot on the second and all subsequent delay-of-game penalties, this rule could provide the winning margin in a one-point game.

The other unintended consequence from blowing the whistle on these previously uncalled violations: “It’s going to end up slowing the game down even more, [when] they’re trying to speed the game up,” Griffin said.

Unfortunately this is not a point of emphasis that’s open to interpretation, as was the lower technical foul threshold from a few years ago that was slowly phased out over the course of the season. This is a rule that’s in the books and has to be called consistently. Players will eventually adjust and leave the ball alone. But how many violations will be called – or even games lost – in the interim, based on a rule that no fans were clamoring to see implemented?

 

[Nate4Prez]

It doesn't seem to be working. The frequency in which it is being called is delaying the game.

 

[BLAZINGGIANTS]

Wahhhh waahhhh. Cry some more, Blake.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

I'd make one change: no delay of game after a made free throw. Even my wife thought the delay of game on Meyers was bullshit; you train these guys to box out and go for the board; if it happens to go in, you don't have time as a player to change your mindset to suddenly *not* want to grab the ball.

Other than that ridiculous wrinkle, I'm not so bothered by the rule.

 

[jlprk]

Assistant coaches watch tapes. They could time the seconds spent shooting the free throws.

Then we would know by how much the delay of game delays the game.

 

[Natebishop3]

It's quite possibly the dumbest rule I've ever seen. I saw at least two called last night where the ball fell through the net and hit a guy under the basket and they called the delay of game. We're not playing hot potato. The ball isn't a grenade. They're messing with what the guys have been taught since they were young.

 

[THE HCP]

I can't wait for this to happen with 1 or 2 seconds left in a tied game. NBA will get slammed!

 

[Nate4Prez]

I can't wait for this to happen with 1 or 2 seconds left in a tied game. NBA will get slammed!

Great. Now it's going to happen to us and we will lose the game. Thanks dick.

 

[jlprk]

Did Stern give the refs a raise, now that they have to run around more?

How about a foul for helping a player up from the floor? Often the downed player waits 5 seconds for someone to come and pull him up.

 

[Natebishop3]

I don't think the rule will last.

 

[handiman]

"Blake Griffin had a not-so-bold prediction for the 2012-13 season: 'I might lead the league in delay-of-games.'"

Lemme check the calendar real quick...

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Maybe change the technical to only come after 3 delay of games in a half...

 

[jlprk]

It should alternate for every other delay of game, to spread out the delays caused by calling the delay of game call.

The scorekeeper can tell the refs whether this is the every-other time to call, or the every-other time to not call. It will only take a few seconds.

 

[magnifier661]

If they would just stop the passing to the refs; it would be okay. I just don't like the instinctive catch from offensive rebounders. That's lame

 

[BBert]

Grabbing the ball, looking around for a ref, then lobbing it 20 feet to the ref so he can throw it to a player IS delay of game and should be called. Having the ball go through the net and hit a player in the head or hands: not so much.

Probably the refs are exaggerating the call in preseason in an attempt to partially retrain engrained behavior, and they plan to call it more reasonably after the first month or so of the season.

Or, maybe they don't like the rule and the criticism they are going to take making such a discretionary call, and they are purposely making a mockery of it.

 

[Pritchslap Madness]

I hate this rule. Are players suppose to let the ball hit them in the face instead of using their hands to protect them selfs when fighting for rebounds. This rule distracts from the game and is pointless in most situations. I really hope the NBA changes this rule a bit or drops it entirely.

 

[Pinwheel1]

The one against Leonard was a good example of how absurd it is. The only way he could have avoided it was to either jump out of the way of the ball or to of let it hit him in the chest without catching it. To simply catch the ball should not be a technical.

 

[mgb]

If it goes through the basket leave it alone. That's pretty simple. Sure it'll take a little getting use to, but it's not like you rebound out of the basket so I don't see that argument. If you are going up for a rebound you shouldn't be near the ball if it goes through the hoop. If it drops through like to Myers he just needs to control the habit of grabbing the ball. Take a little time, but that's it.