Credit: Anthony J. Causi
Why won’t these referees put some RESPECT on Kristaps Porzingis name?!
Porzingis hasn’t appreciated the way referees have been officiating him, and he let his frustrations be known on Friday according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday:
“It makes me super mad that those little touches on the elbow and arm, I know they’re small, but it affects my shot so much. I’m confused. I’m thinking about should I change my game because I shoot those shots so many times over guys. It just makes me mad that I’m not able to get those calls. I have to play through that. Maybe I’ll get them as we go forward.”
Certain players are hard to officiate for various reasons.
For example, LeBron James is stronger than most players he goes up against, and when he gets fouled driving to the rim, referees often miss the call because he shows no ill effects from the contact.
In Porzingis’ case, he may be hard to officiate because of his length.
Porzingis is longer than most players in the NBA, and when he takes that turn around jumper over smaller opponents, it may be hard for the referee to spot a foul on his elbow. Like LeBron, although the contact is different, Porzingis shows no ill effects from opposing players grazing his elbow. Therefore, it seems like there’s no foul, when in actuality there is.
This season, Porzingis has made strong strides in his development by averaging career-highs in points per game (24.3), blocks per game (2.2), and three-point percentage (38%). Recently, he’s been in a shooting slump, but if he continues his rate of production, he may be elected to his first All-Star game.
Being a budding star in the NBA may not demand the same respect as superstar players who have been performing at a high-level for years, but as long as Porzingis continues his projection upward, sooner or later he’ll get those calls he’s been yearning for.
