The NBA has seen a decline in scoring since February 1st. And it's a hot topic across the league. Conventional wisdom is that the league told referees to swallow the whistle a little, and they did. Less foul calls (on the ball, off the ball), fewer free throws, defensive 3s, and a lot of other things as well. -Second call.
“Don't look at us,” the league said in a memo to teams obtained by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
According to a memo obtained by ESPN, the NBA told teams that while the league office did not issue a directive to reduce points at Tuesday's competition committee meeting, “this trend will continue to be monitored.” . “The slow pace, the style of play, the intensity of competition, the refereeing…
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2024
The NBA shared with teams that one of the league's focuses during the competition committee meeting was on offensive players trying to foul or veer off defenders. And how recent emphasis has affected league scoring declines, according to…
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 15, 2024
NBA scoring this season was at its highest level since Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were in the league, but there has been a noticeable decline in scoring since February 1st, which is due to a decline in free throw attempts. is partially related. Since February 1st, there have been 5.2 fewer free throw attempts per game than before. According to Seth Partnow, writing for Dunc'd On Prime:.
The league can deny involvement, but no one around the league will support that. Umpires seem to be calling games differently, but that's only happening at the behest of the league.
