| 02 October 2009
Just close your eyes and imagine you are at the circus watching a clown who is riding a very tall unicycle. Not just one wheel with a little height - but something eye catching - a tall piece of art with a seat that may be near the 10-feet of an NBA regulation basketball rim. Your mind races - how did he get up there? Then you start trying to look away - but can't.
No, tell the truth, there is part of your brain that just can't get away from the man on that truly Big Wheel. And, why not? Because that part of your mind keeps wondering if the clown on the nosebleed size unicycle is going to fall. And if - just if - he does, what will happen to the poor clown?
Well no one went splaaaat when the sub refs took the court to officiate over the mix of scrubs and pros that have picked up the ball and ran with it for the NBA's first two pre-season games and David Stern, the NBA's big boss, was surely left smiling. And the beat goes on, Stern must be saying with at least some justification.
But the court action in the 103 - 87 Utah Jazz victory over the Denver Nuggets showed a team of officials that were trigger happy in the best spirit of drunken bar fights in the Old West as they called a total of 69 fouls. The musical accompaniment of the refs whistles could be heard about every 42 seconds on average making them more rapid than an egg timer. Despite our catcalling from the cheap seats, the only real dust-up on court during the two games happened when Jazz coach Jerry Sloan engaged in a little jaw-jaw action with an official in the third quarter but the league had cautioned everyone to keep it light. And folks did what they were told.
So how do we expect the Suns reinvigorated run-and-gun offense to handle playing on a court where the refs are as involved as Big Bird? A hard called game often deters the defense and we know that isn't our strong suit. But if they're going to hit the offense for traveling, charging and various ugly screens it could get in the way of the Suns reaching the magic 117 points they averaged when Gentry was in the coaches seat during the last regular season.
And can you imagine Robin Lopez - the man who set the land speed record for fouling out back during the summer league games in Vegas - staying on court for more than a few minutes if the refs are calling bushel loads full of fouls? Brace yourself - it could be entertaining.
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