A Royal Pain
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Opinion: The NBA doesn’t a challenge rule

By Jonathan Roberts

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz yells at referee Sean Wright #4 in the second half of a NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 22, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - DECEMBER 22: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Utah Jazz yells at referee Sean Wright #4 in the second half of a NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Vivint Smart Home Arena on December 22, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr./Getty Images) /
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According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA Board of Governors has voted to implement the use of in-game challenges next season. That’s a bad idea.

In the 2019-20 season, one of the best aspects of professional football and one of the most contentious in professional baseball will be utilized by the NBA — that’s right, NBA head coaches will now have the ability to challenge calls in-game.

On the surface, this seems like a fantastic idea, and one that the league has lacked for several years. How many times have the league’s Last Two Minute reports detailed egregious, outcome-altering blown calls by referees? How many articles have been written this season alone detailing the struggles of officials this season? Like I said, on the surface, this is a brilliant idea.

The problem, however, is the same one Major League Baseball has struggled with since implementing their own challenge rule: It slows the game down.

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The NBA, of course, realizes this and has limited the rule to just one challenge per coach, and challenges can only be used after a whistle is blown on a foul, goaltend, basket interference or out-of-bounds call. Oh, and they must be used immediately. Sounds great, right?

But aside from the obvious pitfalls of not allowing challenges on call that aren’t made (which defeats the entire purpose of instituting the rule), the game doesn’t need to be slowed down. How many times have you sat and waited while referees reviewed an obvious out-of-bounds call one way or the other? How long can fans be expected to sit through a review of a personal foul call? Or a goaltend? That’s not to mention the issue with giving teams, essentially, another timeout if they win the challenge as well.

This could be doubly detrimental for teams whose offensive identity is built on fast-paced, transition basketball like the Sacramento Kings. Basketball is a game that’s played at an incredibly high speed, the last thing anyone should be doing is slowing it down. And if you are going to slow the game down, make it worth it.

A challenge that can only be “thrown” after a whistle is almost useless. Remember that time Giannis Antetokuonmpo clearly stepped out-of-bounds on a game winner against Oklahoma City in late 2017? Well, that still couldn’t be challenged under the new rule. What sense does that make?

Maybe the NBA is looking for a way to rebuild the public image of its referees after an awful season. Or maybe the Adam Silver and the rest of the league office believe this is truly best for the game — and it might be. But going half-and-half on it isn’t the way.

Next. We need to re-evaluate what success looks like for the Kings next season. dark

Either give coaches full ability to challenge any call, or don’t give them the ability at all. And, in my view, I think the league would be best served by expanding the officials ability to review calls, not by giving coaches the ability to contest them.

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