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Post by russ on May 14, 2018 9:25:21 GMT -5
Third round officials now available at thisiswhyweplay.nba.com. Conference Finals with 20 on court Officials plus 2 alternates just like the last 2 seasons. Up From Last Season: Phillips (returning), Lewis (new), Tiven (new) Down From Last Season: D.Crawford (Retired), McCutchen (Officiating Front Office), Garretson (Down a Round) Done After the Second Round: 6 Brown, 10 Garretson, 22 Spooner (Alternate), 45 Forte, 47 Adams, 56 Ayotte, 60 Williams (Alternate), 61 Kirkland Congrats to Lewis and Tiven on heir first time on the court for the Conference Finals. This is also the second time in 3 seasons Williams is a conference Finals alternate so I expect to see him on court for the Conference Finals in the next couple of seasons.
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Post by russ on May 14, 2018 9:30:01 GMT -5
Specifics from the Conference Finals Games Number of games at each position in parenthesis.
CC's: Scott Foster (3) Mike Callahan (3) Ken Mauer (3) Marc Davis (3) James Capers (2)
2 spot: ****Derrick Stafford (3) Ed Malloy (3) Zach Zarba (2) ****Mike Callahan (1) ****James Capers (1) Tony Brothers (1) John Goble (1) *Jason Phillips (1) Bill Kennedy (1)
3 spot: ***David Guthrie (2) **Eric Lewis (2) ***Derrick Stafford (1) ***Zach Zarba (1) ***John Goble (1) ***Jason Phillips (1) ***Tom Washington (1) ***Sean Wright (1) ***Kane Fitzgerald (1) Pat Fraher (1) Sean Corbin (1) **Josh Tiven (1)
Alternates: *****Bill Spooner (3) *****James Williams (3) Jason Phillips (1) Tom Washington (1) Sean Wright (1) Bill Kennedy (1) Kane Fitzgerald (1) Pat Fraher (1) Sean Corbin (1) David Guthrie (1)
Replay Center Number in parenthesis is days spent in replay center John Goble (2) Marc Davis (1) James Capers (1) Derrick Stafford (1) Zach Zarba (1) Tony Brothers (1) Jason Phillips (1) Tom Washington (1) Bill Kennedy (1) David Guthrie (1) Pat Fraher (1) Eric Lewis (1) Josh Tiven (1)
Notes *Returning to this Round after not working this Round last season **First Time on the Court for The Conference Finals ***The Official was a regular season CC's ****Was a CC in the First 2 Rounds *****Has not appeared on the court yet this Round
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Post by russ on May 16, 2018 0:14:32 GMT -5
With Stafford being the 2 with Callahan tonight it looks like Mauer and Capers will be the last 2 CC's in the Conference Finals joining Foster, Callahan, and Davis. That means either Davis or Capers, if not both, will be the new CC in the Finals this season. I said Davis would be it before the playoffs started and I am sticking to that.
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Post by wjl on May 28, 2018 8:20:19 GMT -5
All conference final assignments are in. The referees who worked 2 or more games in the finals are: 8 Marc Davis, 9 Derrick Stafford, 14 Ed Malloy, 15 Zach Zarba, 16 David Guthrie, 19 James Capers, 23 Jason Phillips, 24 Mike Callahan, 30 John Goble, 41 Ken Mauer, 42 Eric Lewis and 48 Scott Foster. Are these the finals referees?
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Post by tj on May 28, 2018 12:14:32 GMT -5
Looks like Davis, Mauer and Foster will be the crew chiefs. I'd be surprised with Lewis since he made the Conference Finals for the first time this year. It's pretty rare to see a two-level jump by the NBA but who knows?? There are two open spots in the Finals this year with Crawford and McCutchen retiring. Phillips figures to get one of them since he was out with an injury last year. So Guthrie is certainly a possibility as well as vets Washington and Kennedy. Will Brothers get knocked down to create another spot? Those are the questions.
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Post by wjl on May 28, 2018 12:26:43 GMT -5
Looks like Davis, Mauer and Foster will be the crew chiefs. I'd be surprised with Lewis since he made the Conference Finals for the first time this year. It's pretty rare to see a two-level jump by the NBA but who knows?? There are two open spots in the Finals this year with Crawford and McCutchen retiring. Phillips figures to get one of them since he was out with an injury last year. So Guthrie is certainly a possibility as well as vets Washington and Kennedy. Will Brothers get knocked down to create another spot? Those are the questions. Exactly the same questions I have.
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Post by russ on May 28, 2018 23:34:14 GMT -5
My Guesses: Foster (CC) Callahan (CC) Mauer (CC) Davis (CC) Capers Stafford Zarba Malloy Goble Phillips Kennedy Guthrie Washington (Alt) Fitzgerald (Alt)
The first 9 on my list are virtual lock for me. It gets pretty tough after that. I do think Phillips will get back on the court for the Finals having worked a Game 5 and been the alternate for West Game 7. I honestly think Brothers might be out. He only worked 1 game this round and was never even an alternate in Games 5-7 of either series. That tells me he is probably not in the top 12.
There are a number of candidates for the last 2-3 spots. Along with Phillips we also have Kennedy, Washington, Guthrie, Fitzgerald, and Lewis. I didn't list anybody who was not at least an alternate for Games 5-7. I am with TJ in that I don't see Lewis working on the court for the Finals just yet. Working a Game 5 on the court does not necesarily mean you will make the Finals. Last year Fitzgerald worked East Game 5 and was not even an alternate for the Finals, in 2015 Goble worked Game 5 West and was an alternate for the Finals. So witht that being said I think Lewis just misses it.
Even working a Game 6 doesn't guarantee you on the court for the Finals as Kennedy worked East Game 6 in 2016 and was a Finals alternate. That leads us to Guthrie who worked Game 6 West. I think that on court appearance at minimum puts him at an alternate spot for the Finals and with it being his third straight Conference Finals it is not out of the question for him to move up to the NBA Finals.
Fitzgerald only worked 1 game on the court this round but was the alternate for Game 7 East which very much puts him in play. Kennedy and Washington also only worked 1 Game on the court this round but were the alternates for each Game 6.
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Post by russ on May 28, 2018 23:38:07 GMT -5
For reference here were the full crews for the non guaranteed Games (5-7). These usually tell us quite a bit about who is performing well.
East: 5- Mauer, Malloy, Phillips, Williams (alt) 6- Callahan, Stafford, Goble, Washington (alt) 7- Davis, Capers, Zarba, Fitzgerald (alt)
West: 5- Capers, Zarba, Lewis, Spooner (alt) 6- Mauer, Malloy, Guthrie, Kennedy (alt) 7- Foster, Callahan, Stafford, Phillips (alt)
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Post by russ on May 30, 2018 11:15:33 GMT -5
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Post by russ on May 30, 2018 11:17:20 GMT -5
I don't know about anyone else but to me it is very troubling and has been for many years how little turnover there is from year to year in every round but especially the NBA Finals every season. It is like if you make it once you will always make it no matter how good or bad your season is with some exceptions of course. The last time someone was dropped from the rotation while still healthy was 2015 with Tom Washington. The only way you have lost your Finals spot since 2015 is if you retire or are injured.
I have no doubt that these are some of the best Officials in the game but there is no way the same 10-11 guys are the best 10-11 every season. No other sport has a system quite like this and I think it really hurts the development of young Officials.
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Post by FredFan7 on May 30, 2018 11:29:10 GMT -5
It has been that way for years. Back in the 70s your finals crews were the likes of Strom, Vanak, Gushue, Powers, O'Donnell and Murphy.
In the 80s we got Strom, Kersey, Evans, O'Donnell, Ed Rush, Madden, Vanak, Crawford and Garretson (who assigned himself to the Finals as officiating supervisor).
It HAS to be frustrating for the officials who always flame out in the conference finals or semi-finals.
Maybe an edict like the NFL and MLB where there are no repeat appearances?
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Post by impz45 on May 30, 2018 11:30:07 GMT -5
My Guesses: Foster (CC) Callahan (CC) Mauer (CC) Davis (CC) Stafford Capers Zarba Malloy Goble Phillips Guthrie Fitzgerald over Lewis based strictly on being regular full-time season CC
I still think we maybe surprised, time will tell as Stafford, Callahan and Mauer are all at or approaching 30 years seniority and maybe retiring between this year and the next year or two and league likes to add one or two new Finals Refs when presented with the opportunity, hence Guthrie, Fitzgerald and Lewis strong possibilities.
Or they can go with the experience route choosing between Brothers, Washington and Kennedy. Before the start of the Playoffs I thought both Fitzgerald and Sean Wright might be making their debuts in the Finals.
Interesting to see the route Monty McCutcheon goes with his first opportunity in assigning the Final Round.
Brothers (Alt) Washington (Alt)
Good Luck to all selected.
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Post by FredFan7 on May 30, 2018 11:31:19 GMT -5
The last time someone was dropped from the rotation while still healthy was 2015 with Tom Washington. The only way you have lost your Finals spot since 2015 is if you retire or are injured. Going back 15 or 20 years, the last officials who dropped out of the finals and were still healthy were Jess Kersey and Dick Bavetta.
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Post by russ on May 30, 2018 11:47:34 GMT -5
It has been that way for years. Back in the 70s your finals crews were the likes of Strom, Vanak, Gushue, Powers, O'Donnell and Murphy. In the 80s we got Strom, Kersey, Evans, O'Donnell, Ed Rush, Madden, Vanak, Crawford and Garretson (who assigned himself to the Finals as officiating supervisor). It HAS to be frustrating for the officials who always flame out in the conference finals or semi-finals. Maybe an edict like the NFL and MLB where there are no repeat appearances? I don't even know if there needs to be an edict but there just needs to be a little bit more parity. I am not really a hockey fan but the NHL does it well. There are 2/3 guys who make it every year and the last 5 to 6 spots is pretty much up for grabs. You will also see guys return to the Finals after maybe having a year or two off. That is a good way to get a lot of guys NBA Finals appearances while still having the best out there. We don't need to go crazy like the MLB or NFL and have 3 to 4 new guys every year, but having the same 10-11 guys in the Finals every season is bad business IMO. I know it has been that way for years but that doesn't make it the right way to do it.
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Post by russ on May 30, 2018 11:53:32 GMT -5
The last time someone was dropped from the rotation while still healthy was 2015 with Tom Washington. The only way you have lost your Finals spot since 2015 is if you retire or are injured. Going back 15 or 20 years, the last officials who dropped out of the finals and were still healthy were Jess Kersey and Dick Bavetta. You will see guys replaced every so often but the fact that everyone who was on the court for the 2015 Finals that is still around is in the Finals is a farce. It was very bad from like 1998-2005 and then from 2006-2015 we would see occasional changes and now we never see anything again.
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