During Monday night’s game between the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons, frustration with officiating reached a boiling point. The Nuggets had lost in Cleveland the previous night, and coach Michael Malone was already vocal about his displeasure with the referees due to their low free throw rate. His frustrations carried over into this game, and he was ejected before the first quarter ended.

Before leaving the court, Nikola Jokic also expressed his frustration with the officials, yelling at them and getting ejected with a light second technical. The ejections of both Malone and Jokic were questionable, as they were simply expressing frustration that is common among players and coaches in the NBA.

The focus on refereeing in basketball has been brought to the forefront once again. Some argue that allowing players to show their emotions leads to more passionate and compelling play, while others believe that maintaining control of the game is essential. However, it seems clear that there needs to be a balance struck between these two approaches.

It’s important for NBA officials to remain impartial and maintain control of games while also allowing for passionate play from players. When important players are ejected due to emotional outbursts or perceived rule violations, it can detract from the entertainment value of the game and impact its overall quality.