NBA Officiating Under Fire After Draymond Green Tech Foul

NBA officiating crews are responsible for handling some of the highest-profile players in sports, and sometimes their decisions come under scrutiny - this incident being no exception.

Draymond Green's controversial stomp on Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis during Game 2 of their first-round series was met with outrage, leading him to be suspended without pay for one game Tuesday night.

Referees’ response

Officiating in the NBA has come under scrutiny this season. From Shaun Livingston and referee Courtney Kirkland clashing during an argument to LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and Anthony Davis being ejected from games by officials; relations have been severely tested between players and officials.

Draymond Green can often get out of hand during games. His tendency to argue over calls can result in technical fouls or even an ejection from officials.

Green first caused controversy this past Wednesday night when he was called for his eighth technical foul during the Warriors' loss to Dallas Mavericks. Enraged over a missed call on Steph Curry's layup attempt, Green began screaming at officials until Marat Kogut came up to him and asked if everything was okay - this allowed Green some much-needed relief during an otherwise heated contest.

Review of the play by Green's crew revealed no wrongdoing by him and did not find that he attempted to push Brown, which could have led to an extra technical foul being assessed against him.

Former longtime NBA referee Javie told ABC that referees had to consider what had occurred in prior games when reviewing incidents that involved pushing. It is common practice for players to try to push each other off of the ground when pushing is taking place, according to Javie.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is currently tied with 11 technical fouls in the league and it seems likely he will continue amassing them as long as his behavior continues to cause trouble. His altercations tend to be highly personal; often attacking teammates during games.

Green provided The Athletic with insight into his feelings regarding the volatile player-ref dynamic in the NBA. According to him, their relationship has grown increasingly "caustic and problematic" over the last decade.

Green has amassed 136 career technical fouls and most recently served a one-game suspension for his 16th technical foul in 2018. It will be interesting to observe whether referees and players react favorably to Green's comments.

Green’s reaction

Draymond Green has many qualities that people appreciate about him, yet he's known to get worked up when dealing with NBA officials and when an official makes a bad call on his game. When this occurs, Green can become angry and lashed out - sometimes physically while at other times verbally.

Green was involved in an altercation with LeBron James during the 2016 Warriors-Cavs finals that resulted in his automatic suspension for flagrant foul. That marked his fourth time being suspended due to unsportsmanlike conduct during that postseason.

Golden State was facing an uphill battle, trailing by three points with their playoff season on the line and they needed every advantage they could muster to beat Memphis and advance further in the playoffs. As it stands, this incident dealt a devastating blow to them and is one of the primary factors behind why Golden State lost that series and was quickly eliminated from contention.

As Warriors fans were looking for their team to end its three-year playoff drought, Green was involved in an incident when Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis attempted to shake loose of Green on a rebound attempt and appeared to grab Green by his leg as they both struggled for possession of the basketball.

Green was initially assessed a one-game suspension by the NBA following his win against Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday; however, its decision was reversed by Monday and he has successfully appealed 14 technical fouls this season, leaving two left for him before an automatic one-game ban kicks in.

As expected, the NBA's decision drew some criticism on both sides. Some argued Green shouldn't have been ejected while others demanded his suspension; there was no simple solution available to all involved parties.

Rapper 50 Cent also joined in, taking to Instagram to respond to Green's actions by asking: "Why did he do that?".

Many Warriors fans rushed to demand Green's suspension, while other players supported him and called him a hero. Even NBA great Shaquille O'Neal told reporters he would have done the same thing had it been him in Green's shoes.

Referee’s decision

Draymond Green has come under scrutiny for a controversial technical foul committed in Game 2 against Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis during their 0-2 loss, leading to NBA suspension for Game 3. This act of physical aggression garnered national media coverage and caused even further outrage within his community.

Green was ejected from Monday night's game due to an incident, and the Kings are investigating what transpired. On video from the game, Sabonis can be seen hitting Green on both his chest and ribs as they collided together.

Play may not have appeared to be illegal at first glance, but after review by referees they determined Green was given a flagrant two foul penalty for his action - though details on any additional technical fouls or additional sanctions against Kings remain unknown at this time.

Notable for Green is his league-leading count of technical fouls and two ejections tied for second among all players.

That being said, it is still vitally important to understand how technical fouls work and the potential repercussions if they do happen to you. Referees are responsible for deciding what constitutes an official foul, but there's much that goes into their decisions and potential outcomes of technical fouls.

Technical fouls occur when players either deliberately or unwittingly make physical contact with the ball using their hands while on the court, including touching it with either of their hands intentionally or unintentionally during play. They also cover multiple actions taken within one possession or movement that touch upon this action - such as pulling away from or throwing it towards an opposing player.

Although Green may have intended for his technical foul to have multiple interpretations, there's no denying his intention was aggressive and intended to send a message and potentially alter how the game is played.

Additionally, he was also trying to send a message to his team. He had become upset at how referees had officiated their game, feeling as though they were not doing enough to penalize his behavior.

Final word

NBA playoff games often surpass regular season games in terms of intensity and competition, making for intense contests that can test all your skills as an official or player. Refs need to stay up with the pace while players must control themselves from becoming overly aggressive -- both factors which make life challenging in these final contests.

With such a climate in place, it's no surprise that some fans have been questioning the credibility of officiating in key games. It is an understandable concern; one that the NBA takes seriously.

Considerations should be given when deciding if a player should receive either a technical foul or be ejected in a playoff game, with one common factor being their reputation; an aggressive streak often means the difference between one-game suspension and an automatic ejection.

Draymond Green has built up a reputation as being an extremely intense and aggressive player within the league, often engaging in heated conflicts both on the court as well as off it with players and people off it.

Green has used his reputation to get away with actions that would ordinarily result in technical fouls or suspensions; for example, when he poked LeBron James in the eye during Game 1 of the 2016 NBA Finals, many people felt this action was deliberate and did not receive punishment.

At 7 minutes remaining in the first round of playoffs, he struck again, this time by landing directly on Domantas Sabonis' chest, leaving him lying motionless on the floor while officials conducted their review of what occurred.

After reviewing the play, Green was ejected from the game - his fifth postseason ejection and second this postseason.

The Kings have now fallen two games behind in the series and must win Game 3 on Friday to stay alive; hopefully Green can stay out of their way and let his teammates perform at their best.