Dallas is a mess. They have no bangers. No stoppers. No strong presence in the middle. That formula doesn't win championships. Clark on par with Webber? Webber was the leading scorer and rebounder...and his ankle was a mess. He was playing before the injury at about 65%. No way they can win against either the Lakers or Spurs if they get there, no way.
On calling Shaq (or other players in the low post or underneath the basket). Notice how much space is left for judgment on the Block-Charge rule: BLOCK-CHARGE A defensive player is permitted to establish a legal guarding position in the path of a dribbler regardless of his speed and distance. A defensive player is not permitted to move into the path of an offensive player once he has started his shooting motion. A defensive player must allow a moving player the distance to stop or change direction when the offensive player receives a pass outside the lower defensive box. A defensive player must allow an alighted player the distance to land and then stop or change direction when the offensive player is outside the lower defensive box. A defensive player is permitted to establish a legal guarding position in the path of an offensive player who receives a pass inside the lower defensive box regardless of his speed and distance. A defensive player must allow an alighted player who receives a pass the space to land when the offensive player is inside the lower defensive box. A defensive player must allow a moving offensive player without the ball the distance to stop or change direction. The speed of the offensive player will determine the amount of distance a defensive player must allow. If an offensive player causes contact with a defensive player who has established a legal position, an offensive foul shall be called and no points may be scored. A defensive player may turn slightly to protect himself, but is never allowed to bend over and submarine an opponent. An offensive foul should never be called if the contact is with a secondary defensive player who has established a defensive position within a designated "restricted area" near the basket for the purpose of drawing an offensive foul. The "restricted area" for this purpose is the area bounded by an arc with a 4-foot radius measured from the middle of the basket. EXCEPTION: Any player may be legally positioned within the "restricted area" if the offensive player receives the ball within the Lower Defensive Box. The mere fact that contact occurs on these type of plays, or any other similar play, does not necessarily mean that a personal foul has been committed. The offi-cials must decide whether the contact is negligible and/or incidental, judging each situation separately. http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_c.html?nav=ArticleList
CONTACT SITUATIONS 1. Incidental Contact The mere fact that contact occurs does not necessarily constitute a foul. Contact which is incidental to an effort by a player to play an opponent, reach a loose ball, or perform normal defensive or offensive movements, should not be considered illegal. If, however, a player attempts to play an opponent from a position where he has no reasonable chance to perform without making contact with his opponent, the responsibility is on the player in this position. The hand is considered "part of the ball" when it is in contact with the ball. Therefore, contact on that hand by a defender while it is in contact with the ball is not illegal. 2. Guarding an Opponent In all guarding situations, a player is entitled to any spot on the court he desires, provided he legally gets to that spot first and without contact with an opponent. If a defensive or offensive player has established a position on the floor and his opponent initiates contact that results in the dislodging of the opponent, a foul should be called IMMEDIATELY. During all throw-ins, the defensive player(s) must be allowed to take a position between his man and the basket. A player may continue to move after gaining a guarding position in the path of an opponent provided he is not moving directly or obliquely toward his opponent when contact occurs. A player is never permitted to move into the path of an opponent after the opponent has jumped into the air. A player who extends a hand, forearm, shoulder, hip or leg into the path of an opponent and thereby causes contact is not considered to have a legal position in the path of an opponent. A player is entitled to a vertical position even to the extent of holding his arms above his shoulders, as in post play or when double-teaming in pressing tactics. Any player who conforms to the above is absolved from responsibility for any contact by an opponent which may dislodge or tend to dislodge such player from the position which he has attained and is maintaining legally. If contact occurs, the official must decide whether the contact is incidental or a foul has been committed. http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_a.html?nav=ArticleList
Sorry to go on and on like this, but I've been basketball fan for decades, and I don't even remember ever reading the rules (whatever they were at whatever time). I have a feeling that I'm not the only one. Anyway, I'm surprised to learn that the officials are expected to modify their interpretations according to particular games and situations: This section stands at the top of the rules section: GUIDES FOR ADMINISTRATION AND APPLICATION OF THE RULES Each official should have a definite and clear conception of his overall responsibility to include the intent and purpose of each rule. If all officials possess the same conception there will be a guaranteed uniformity in the administration of all contests. The restrictions placed upon the player by the rules are intended to create a balance of play, equal opportunity for the defense and the offense, provide reasonable safety and protection for all players and emphasize cleverness and skill without unduly limiting freedom of action of player or team. The primary purpose of penalties is to compensate a player who has been placed at a disadvantage through an illegal act of an opponent. A secondary purpose is to restrain players from committing acts which, if ignored, might lead to roughness even though they do not affect the immediate play. To implement this philosophy, many of the rules are written in general terms while the need for the rule may have been created by specific play situations. This practice eliminates the necessity for many additional rules and provides the officials the latitude and authority to adapt application of the rules to fit conditions of play in any particular game. http://www.nba.com/analysis/rules_guides.html?nav=ArticleList
This is all well and good, but the bottom line: Do Shaq and Kobe receive preferential treatment in L.A.??? Do they receive favored treatment on the road??? Does their knowing this give them more confidence to be more agressive, especially in the 4th quarter, knowing that the odds favor them getting the better calls? Does the unknown opponent have less confidence, because they know they will not get the calls in a tough situation?
It's as though the NBA wants the officials to be more like MCs than like cops, or like cops who are judged more by their success at keeping order and keeping the community happy than at applying the "letter of the law." The rules, or how to apply them, is the subject of continuous negotiation. No wonder to some people it seems totally "political" or "fixed." It is a little bit like pro wrestling in this way (though there's an element of this in every pro sport). The difference is - or one difference is - that the teams really do have to make shots. From this perspective, winning the championship or major player awards matters even more: It puts the winners in a more powerful political position to define the game - not just how it's played, but how it's governed.
Michael Jordan often said that it was his winning basket in the NCAA championship game that gave him the confidence to become a winner. If a player thinks they are going to succeed, because they have succeeded on the basis of getting calls, it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Part of the Laker's mystique, is that they have won 3 in a row, for a variety of reasons...starting with Portland's collapse in the seventh game. My opinion remains that there is preferential treatment for certain "superstars" and this increases their confidence, in an unfair manner. This simply is not the case in other sports like Baseball, football, etc. Name one baseball player that others say always gets the balls and strike calls. Name a football player that always gets the calls (the last one I recall was Joe Montanna, "The China Doll" who refs protected). Name a golfer who get the calls, a hockey player who gets the calls, etc.