The Los Angeles Lakers have been stuck at home watching the 2022 NBA Playoffs and they must be disappointed they are not in the mix to win their 18th championship.
LeBron James has now missed the postseason twice since coming to Los Angeles and the organization has to feel the pressure of winning now while he is still donning Purple and Gold. This offseason is going to be one of the most crucial in franchise history as they look to get past their failure of a 2021-22 season and hopefully keep James past the 2022-23 season.
As far as the playoffs go, there have been the usual complaints about the officiating as nearly every game in each series has had questionable calls. The Lakers star has been intently watching the games and he pointed out one aspect of the game that he believes needs more attention, via his Twitter account:
The illegal screening in our game is crazy!! Needs to be a point of emphasis
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 20, 2022
James has not been shy to let his opinion be known publicly, especially when it comes to officiating. In this case, it seems watching the illegal screening in the playoffs caught James’ eye and it was enough for him to speak about it though there is no specific instance he referenced.
The inconsistent officiating is a major source of frustration for fans and teams though that is nothing new considering how much referees will let players get away with. However, to the NBA’s credit, they have been receptive to feedback from coaches and playoffs so perhaps James’ gripe with screening will prompt some change in the near future.
League officials have widespread support for changes to take fouls
Another irritating facet of the game that has gotten more attention in recent years is the use of the take foul to stop fastbreak plays. Taking intentional fouls is a popular tactic in international play, and it has gained more popularity in the NBA game as teams look to save points where they can.
It has gotten to the point where the league office is finally taking a look at it and it seems that officials are already receiving plenty of support when it comes to changing the rule.
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