The NBA has fined Suns head coach Monty Williams $20K for his comments criticizing the officiating after a loss to the Lakers on Wednesday, the league announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Williams made the statements in question to reporters in a post-game press conference after the Lakers shot 46 free throws – compared to 20 for the Suns – in a game L.A. won by 11 points.
“I can sit here and rant and rave about what I feel like is not a fair whistle. It’s just not,” Williams said (Twitter video link via Mark Medina of NBA.com). “46 free throws. We’re attacking the rim. I’m getting explanations about (how) we’re taking too many jump shots, mid-range jump shots. We’re playing a physical game.
“They had 27 free throws in the first half, they end up with 46. When do you see a game with 46 free throws for one team? That’s just not right. I don’t care how you slice it, it’s happening to us too much. Other teams are reaching, other teams are hitting, and we’re not getting the same calls, and I’m getting tired of it.”
It wasn’t the first time Williams has complained about the whistle the Suns have been getting. He also griped about the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo went to the line 24 times last Tuesday and that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shot 19 free throws on Sunday. The Suns attempted a total of 40 free throws in those losses to Milwaukee and Oklahoma City, compared to 73 for their opponents.
Ever since that one foul not called the Lakers have been getting all the calls go their way.
Look at the cute little conspiracy theorist!
have you watched their games lately? The Refs are scared to call fouls on them.
Do the stats/facts support that statement?
How would you know Arc ? You don’t watch the games
Magic vs Lakers (1 game only)
Team Magic have 17 free throw attempts
Bench player Austin Reaves has 18 free throw attempts
Lakers have 32 free throw attempts
Austin Reaves has been treated like prime Michael Jordan. He is not just untoughable but also unclosable
Lakers won by 6 agianst Magic because of extra 15 free throw attempts
Edit
Reaves is un-touchable. Refs wants him to have bigger spaces
Monty Williams needs to remember this is the entertainment business. Not quite like wrestling but just as in football as in baseball there’s the Haves and the Have nots. Usually determined by location of the franchise. The Lakers win and the money follows. Phoenix, Arizona is not quite Los Angeles. Things like this are going to happen in this league.
Monty Williams makes big money from this entertainment business and all you can do is your best and roll with it.
It’s also getting a little old with all the complaining about the refs calls on the floor. Even Luka Doncic is becoming LeBron James Jr with all the complaining about the whistles, and even worse.., the non whistles.
He’s a horrible coach. Don’t fine me
There were some bad calls in that game, but not nearly to the extent that Booker, Paul, and especially Monty Mole think. Seriously. Monty has even called out the Suns as a team that fouls too much.
Also, CP3 complaining about someone drawing fouls when he’s literally the biggest culprit in the league is just funny.
On the year – Lakers have gone to the line the most
Phx ( jump shooting team ) the least
Lakers have fouled bottom 5 team ( good def )
Phx top 5 ( especially after cam and bridges left )
Throw in Scott Foster / Cp3 angle and well it’s easy to see how Wend night happened
Yes I agree and as a Warriors fan I suffer from the same reality. Basically a jump shooting team and doesn’t go to the line as often as the opponents. And when the Warriors do go to the line it’s a gift when someone might touch Curry’s finger or land on the edge of his foot after a three. Purely gifts.
Sure there’s some real calls where Curry gets hit or bumped pretty hard but the rest of the team is Jump Shooters and not enough points at the line. This will probably hurt in the playoffs unless they catch fire from three every other game.
All I know is after watching Giannis play against the the Suns and any other team he charges right into everyone like BRON BRON does and never gets a foul. Then when you get within 2 feet of either out comes the whistle. It has happened in the NBA forever. The league let’s the elite get away with it because they want their scorers on ESPN and to gloat about their stats. It diminishes the league but the NBA figures it is worth it. Me I gave up my season tickets as the post above said it has become “ entertainment” and not really a competitive sport, but rather a promotion sport.The NBA is making tons of dollars but you can’t really call it a Sporting event as it has become entertainment with mostly a predetermined outcome.
NBA is business which has sellers and buyers
Lakers are foul sellers
Warriors are foul buyers
This has been going on for decades. You see the Lakers getting 35, 40, 45 FTAs a game while their opponents get 10 or 15. That’s the way the league wants it. Williams is 101% correct.
Objective quality of ref’ing is rarely complained about, and almost never with anger. That’s a reaction that follows a feeling that the cause of bad calls isn’t the individual referee’s poor skills or judgement, but a league agenda that’s being imposed through their points of emphasis. Incompetence cuts both ways. Agenda’s don’t.