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The NBA’s primetime product has become increasingly difficult to watch, and Commissioner Adam Silver is finally waking up to the issue.
During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Wednesday, Silver confirmed the league is moving toward automation in its officiating, particularly for objective replay calls that routinely slow games to a crawl during the playoffs.
Or as we all know it: flopping.
“I think in terms of replay, we’re going to get to the point fairly quickly where, for example, on out-of-bounds plays … those kinds of calls will become automatic,” Silver told McAfee.
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“We’re going to move to a system like that where that whole category of calls will be automated,” Silver explained.
“Those calls will be handled by an AI automated system with cameras lined around the court. It’ll be instantaneous and automatic.”
Silver hopes automation will eliminate replay delays.
Additionally, fans have been increasingly frustrated with foul baiting, and flopping continues to show up on the hardwood during the Western Conference playoffs, specifically.
At the center of much of that criticism is Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
SGA’s playoff run has highlighted the NBA’s growing embellishment problem, where most drives seem to feature exaggerated head snaps or flailing arms.
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Silver also acknowledged the frustration around foul baiting.
“I would only say there’s a difference between selling a call, exaggeration, and a true flop,” Silver said.
“If they’re not fooling the referees, it’s more like players being taught to sell calls these days.”
“Because there’s often contact on every play,” Silver noted.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean there’s a foul.”
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“I think technology is really going to be helpful here,” he added.
For years, the NBA has tilted officiating rules toward offensive players.
Carrying violations are barely enforced, moving screens happen in plain sight and defenders often get punished for breathing in the same zip code as the ballhandler.
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Silver’s comments made it pretty obvious the NBA is looking for technology to clean up some of the chaos that has taken over its playoff product.
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