Quote:
New NBA rule aims to curb complaining
By Ira Winderman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted October 7 2006
MIAMI · It hasn't been labeled the Dwyane Wade Rule.
But, in some respects, an impending crackdown this season on demonstrative displays of displeasure with referees could place plenty of focus on the Heat guard.
LocalLinks
Never one to hide his frustration over the lack of a foul call, Wade will find less tolerance this season than last season, when his nine technical fouls tied him for eighth in the NBA.
"They're going to be very conscious of player complaining," coach Pat Riley said of the dictate handed down by the league at a recent coaching meeting. "That's one of the big things with them. Every call, there's always 10 guys complaining to the official and they're just telling them to cut it out."
Wade acknowledged Friday that the zero-tolerance approach was made clear at a Tuesday officiating seminar at AmericanAirlines Arena.
"It'll be an adjustment for everybody in the league," the fourth-year guard said. "I think the main adjustment will be for your reaction after you make a mistake yourself or miss a shot yourself.
"A lot of times, you might say something loud, maybe a cuss word loud, or kick the ball or throw it against the basket support. And now that's a tech. I think that's going to be the biggest thing for me."
Riley, who grew agitated at times last season when Wade's displeasure with the officiating would leave the guard trailing a play defensively, said he will talk to his floor leader.
"It's how you approach them and how many times you approach them, and what you say to them," Riley said. "They're going to be open, always, to very positive dialogue. But if you come at 'em and you do things that sort of mock and humiliate them or you cuss at them, it's going to be automatic. They're not waiting."
Wade said one factor that remains in his favor is being a team captain.
"A lot of times, if you're a captain, they will listen to you after the fact," he said. "You can't go to them in the heat of the battle. You have to wait until things calm down."
ALTERED APPROACH
Riley said with such a relatively short offseason for his championship team, he has changed his slant at the start of camp, downplaying repetition during these early sessions.
"Next week, we're going to get back to drilling," he said. "The first week has been really about conditioning, putting all our core stuff in. And then next week, when they're in better shape, we'll start drilling 'em."
Other than point guard Jason Williams, who is recovering from offseason knee surgery, Riley said every player has participated in each session.
"I think if we started drilling," he said, "I think I would have lost two or three guys, because that gets pretty intense and guys start breaking down after two or three days, even if they're in the best of shape."
LIGHTER SIDE
Bucks point guard Maurice Williams said the complaints about the new composite basketball by Shaquille O'Neal have been overstated.
"This ball is lighter and Shaq's already strong," Williams told Milwaukee's Journal-Sentinel. "The other ball was probably too light for him. I can imagine this ball feels like a balloon to him."
EARLY VIEW
Riley said he has not completely decided how to approach Tuesday's exhibition opener in Puerto Rico against the Pistons. "I'm sure we definitely want to give our point-guard situation a lot of attention, all the young guys, get 'em out there," he said, with Antonio Burks, Chris Quinn, Robert Hite, Daniel Horton and Vincent Grier battling for the roster spot that should be open at least until Williams' return. ... Tonight's public scrimmage at AmericanAirlines Arena is open to season-ticket holders only.
|
GET FREE HEADLINES BY E-MAIL
See full image
Pistons vs. Heat
Tip-off: 8:30 tonight, Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan
TV/radio: Channel 20/ WDFN 1130
Related Articles
Notebook: Time is the essence
Pistons weblog
Sound off in Pistons talk
Printer friendly version
Comment on this story
Send this story to a friend
Get Home Delivery
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- You had to know the Pistons were going to take it personally.
The NBA, in an attempt to cut down on the incessant complaining by players to officials, has instituted what amounts to a zero-tolerance rule this season.
Where in the past the referees might look the other way when Rasheed Wallace threw his arms in the air or made some other wild gesture after a questionable call, or when Tayshaun Prince put his hands on his hips and shook his head in disgust after a call, this season, such actions could bring a quick technical.
"It's just another 'Sheed Wallace rule," Wallace said, shaking his head. "It just means I must be doing something right. Any time they change the rules of the game for one specific player, you must be doing something right."
Commissioner David Stern would disagree. Stern has long been fed up with what he perceives as the non-stop histrionics and complaining by players.
He has instituted a fine system, starting at $5,000, every time a player or coach makes a public criticism of an official. He has stiffened the consequences on multiple technicals -- $1,000 fine for the first five, $1,500 for the next five, $2,000 for the next five then $2,500 for the ones that followed, plus a one-game suspension for every other technical after the 15th.
"What happens if I am one of the captains?" Wallace asked. "Does that mean I can't talk to them? You can't talk back to them like they're your mom and dad. It's like they're saying, 'If you say something to me I am going to put you on punishment.' That's how it is. I will come up with some way to tell them how I feel."
Wallace earned 16 technicals last season and a one-game suspension. He could easily double that total.
"I don't understand it, man, especially for a team like ours," Chauncey Billups said.
"They know we are a very emotional team. I feel like this is a Pistons rule. It just gives them easier access to have us open up and get emotional and then, boom, they bust our bubble. It's like they are trying to take the emotion out of the game."
Billups said it will be interesting to see how referees enforce the new edict.
"I plan on having conversations with all of them," Billups said.
"I am going to say, 'Come on, you can't take emotion out of the game.' This is an emotional game. There are highs and lows over the course of 48 minutes. If I am not playing good, or if we don't have some stuff going our way, I am going to be frustrated. You can't expect us to not be emotional about that.'
" 'Now, if I'm cussing you out and I am showing you up for real, then I deserve that tech. If I am not, then it's not right.' "
Heat coach Pat Riley doesn't think referees are fooling around.
"They are going to be very conscious of player complaining," he told reporters last week. "That's one of the big things with them. Every call, there's always 10 guys complaining to the officials. They're just telling them to cut it out."
Riley thinks players will still be able to express their opinions to the officials, but will have to watch their body language and tone of voice.
"It's how you approach them and how many times you approach them and what you say to them," he said. "They're going to be open, always, to very positive dialogue. But if you come at them and you do things that sort of mock and humiliate them, it's going to be automatic. They're not waiting."
Prince sees it as another attempt by Stern to control the league's image. It started with the institution of the dress code last season, the automatic technical, ejection and fine for kicking the ball or throwing anything (gum, wristbands, headbands) toward the crowd, and implementation of the fines and suspensions for technicals.
And all of that, in one way or another, leads back to the brawl at The Palace in 2004. It was from that point Stern vowed to take stronger, more proactive approach toward player conduct on and off the court.
"The NBA is always going to do something to be more controlling," Prince said. "That's what they're doing. They are taking the fun out of the game, basically."
[/quote]
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...52/1004/SPORTS
<--- Lotame Behavioral Tags --- >
<--- Lotame Behavioral Tags --- >
NBA issues a 0 tolerance on player complaining this year.
