Oklahoma City Thunder: Ref Ken Mauer offers insight

NBA referee Ken Mauer conducted a short seminar for the media on Tuesday night before the Thunder-Bobcats exhibition. Mauer told us about points of emphasis and areas of continuing emphasis. It was educational and enlightening.

I’ve long said NBA officiating is first rate. There might be a game or two a year when I think the officiating gets shoddy, but not more than that. It’s an incredibly difficult sport to call, yet the officials have reasoning and explanations for everything they do. These guys are well-trained. They’re not just out there calling whatever they happen to see.

San Antonia Spurs head coach Gregg Papovich, right, reacts to a call by official Ken Mauer, left, during the first half of Game 3 in their first-round NBA basketball playoff series, Saturday, May 5, 2012, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Colin E Braley)

Mauer showed us a 20-minute video going over the points of emphasis, and he sat by me to watch the video and offered all kinds of comments. The block/charge dilemma seemed to perplex him the most. Example: if the defender is set, easy call. If the defender hasn’t established position, easy call. But if a defender sets his feet, then gently moves into a driver who is trying to go around the defender, it’s a tough call.