I guess it must be time to move on from 2002 but the game last night is still topical. I think Bavetta is too old to ref games anymore and the "Company Man" should have been forced to retire in disgrace from all the allegations and circumstances surrounding him. I, for one, will be glad to see him retire. I think he is a big black stain on the NBA, and when he is gone the NBA can move toward removing the stain with better training for officials and working on taking the bias out of officiating. There has never been a more biased official than Dick IMHO.
But officiating is NOT what lost the game last night. It wasn't the most evenly called game but that's not why the Kings lost. Hawes's poor performance, bad overall team offensive production in the second half, missed free throws, and defensive miscues at the worst possible time were to blame. If the Kings were up by 20, there wouldn't be any talk about officials. Up by 11 at the half, if the Kings had come out and stepped on the gas pedal and they score 10 unanswered, they pull away from Portland for good. They didn't do that and so they lost. They came out in the third lackadaisical, and they lost their lead. I think reinserting the starting lineup that had proven they could not compete in the 1st quarter to start the 3rd was a rare mistake by Westphal. The momentum of the game was changed at that point and the Kings went from winning to fighting to stay in the game.
But I think most would agree that Hawes's performance was the deciding factor in this Kings meltdown on the road. Road games are difficult to win. Making mistakes on the road is lethal. Having a Center that is soft in the NBA is a disaster. They Need to get Hawes to play better or he has to ride the pine. It's that bad and that obvious. Hawes has a lot of tools and he hasn't had any games where he has played well to build confidence, but even so he can't continue to play the way he has and still START. He has the Capacity and Capability to be a good center, but so far he hasn't shown the drive or inclination to be a starting center in the NBA. Either he comes out and plays hard, starts fouling on layups, plays decent defense in the post, and starts scoring on put backs and the occasional jumper OR he is not helping his team win. Right now, starting Kenny Thomas at the 4 and JT at the 5 is looking pretty good. At least KT gives you some production and defense. That would be a small lineup but Hawes isn't playing big anyway. Hawes doesn't have to play like an ALLSTAR, but he can't keep playing like a rookie in his THIRD season anymore either.
