The Rafters Pod Ep. 98: The NBA Has A Referee Problem

The NBA has a serious referee problem. Complaints from fans are at an all-time high and no fan base seems to get it worse than green teamers. A huge part of this issue stems from Bucks star Giannis Antetokoumpo. The Greek Freak’s playing style bodes well for drawing fouls. In the last two games of the series, multiple Celtics players have been in danger of fouling out between Giannis’ play style and the baby treatment of refs. The NBA has taken steps in recent years to resolve players foul drawing capabilities like James Hardens patented step-back move. No such correction has been made toward Giannis or the referee problems. Something must be done before this ruins the game of basketball. It’s the NBA’s responsibility to fix the referee problem.

The Rafters is back for another victorious week coming off a 116-108 win over Milwaukee. This win came on the back of 35-year-old Al Horford. Big Al poured in a 30 point perfomance turning back the clock to steal a win for Boston. Despite an uphill battle with the officials, the Celtics were able to tie the series at 2-2 going back to the Bean.

This series has been a slug-fest. Robert Williams missed the last game with knee soreness and is likely to be out for game 5. With Giannis’ physical style, many other players are liable for injuries in the remaining three games. This can’t bode well for Boston if they plan to make a deep playoff run. A demanding schedule already has them playing every other night, adding injuries to that tight shift leads to disaster. Justin brings up concerns about the Celtics long term health in the next series and potentially finals. Things aren’t looking great with their freshly paid young center missing valuable playoff time.