Whistles have been put away

Dozens of NBA coaches and players have noted the officiating has changed dramatically since the All-Star break. Games that used to be filled with whistles, ticky-tack calls, and official reviews are moving along quickly, quietly, and with less interference.

The prime example was the Celtics’

April 9 game against the Bucks. Although two high-level and physical teams played hard for 48 minutes, just two free throws were attempted, by Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Celtics became the first NBA team to finish a game with zero free throws attempted. The Celtics attempted to pass it off as an aberration, but reduced foul calls and increased physical play could be a staple in the postseason.

“Just coming out of two days of meetings with our teams, our teams are very happy with the state of the game, as am I. I think we’re seeing fantastic competition on the court,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said.

“[The Celtics-Bucks game was] obviously an anomaly. But when you look at the data for the season, it’s true as the season went on, foul calls came down. Roughly two fouls per team per game.

“As we’ve said now along the way [the NBA operations staff ] are constantly meeting with the competition committee. I participate in that meeting, and we get feedback from our teams and we calibrate as we go in terms of how people view the game.”

The first half of the season was filled with high-scoring games and stellar individual performances, and the perception that the NBA favors offense became a reality. Silver wants to change that belief.

“I think there was a sense earlier in the season that there was too much of an advantage for the offensive players, whether — I think Steve Kerr said offensive players were using themselves as projectiles or hunting for fouls,” Silver said. “So that was a point of emphasis on behalf of the league. We were transparent with our teams about that.

“Everyone can see what’s happening on the floor and make their own judgments about the calls being made. So, yes, there was a bit of an adjustment made along the way. But, again, the context is two fouls per team per game, and the end result, most importantly, we think is a better game. It’s all about competition.”

The playoffs are usually more physical and intense than the regular season and it will be fascinating to see how this adjusted officiating will affect offensively gifted teams such as the Celtics.

“I think that if you look now at sort of what we’re hearing from our fans, I think the fans want to see great offense, but they want players to be allowed to play defense, as well, and I think that’s what we’re seeing,” Silver said. “So I’m very happy with the state of the game, and my expectation is as we move into the playoffs, we’re going to continue to see great competition.”

Thoughts of expansion

Silver has maintained the league will begin the process of expansion once it signs a new television contract, and negotiations are expected to be tough with expanded interest from several outlets. Once that is completed, Seattle is expected to get the first opportunity for an expansion team, according to industry sources. Silver is still vague about the prospects.

“We haven’t set that process yet, but just based on historical precedent, generally we formed a committee of our governors,” he said. “Often, it’s either an expansion committee or sometimes an existing committee takes jurisdiction of the process. But one of our goals is to be very clear and transparent, because we’ve received inquiries from many different potential buyers in many different cities. I just want to make sure everyone feels fairly treated here. It’s why I’ve gone out of my way, when I’m asked, to say this is only on one track.”

Las Vegas, Kansas City, and Louisville are among other cities interested in a team. Las Vegas is a prime candidate because of the success of the Aces, Golden Knights, and Raiders. If Las Vegas and Seattle are added, at least one Western Conference team is expected to move to the East. The most likely candidates are Memphis and New Orleans.

“There aren’t private conversations happening right now,” Silver said. “No one has an inside track to getting a deal done, that at the time we will, with our committee, look at the cities that are interested, talk to the groups that are interested, and then go from there.

“But we’ve really drawn a bright line here to say to potentially interested parties, ‘Thank you, but we’re not ready to start that process yet.’ We do think it’s important that we finish this set of media deals, in part so that any possible potential buyer, and we understand what the economics are so nobody is guessing as to what — and media is our most important form of revenue, so that will be known as we’re assessing what the value is of a potential expansion team.”

Layups

The Timberwolves ownership situation remains in limbo as a group led by former Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez claims current owner Glen Taylor reneged on an agreement to sell the team. Taylor, who has taken the team off the market, claimed the Rodriguez group didn’t meet agreed-upon criteria and he decided to keep the team. Rodriguez claims Taylor had seller’s remorse and never intended to sell. So the matter is expected to go to court. Taylor has claimed the Rodriguez group was going to slash payroll, meaning trading top players, and Taylor believes the Timberwolves’ championship window is now . . . A couple of recent home wins ensured the Wizards won’t the worst home record in NBA history. The 1993-94 Mavericks were 6-35 at Reunion Arena and the Wizards picked up their seventh home win April 2 against the Bucks. The club is expected to begin an extensive coaching search following the season after Wesley Unseld stepped down and accepted a front office role and was replaced by Winchester native Brian Keefe on an interim basis. A familiar group of quality assistants, such as the Celtics’ Charles Lee, Miami’s Chris Quinn, and Sacramento’s Jordi Fernandez, are expected to be candidates. The Wizards rattled their loyal fans with a plan to move the team (along with the NHL’s Capitals) to Northern Virginia, but that plan has been scrapped and the Wizards will stay in downtown D.C. until at least 2050. Charlotte also has a coaching vacancy . . . The NBA got exactly what it wanted for the final day of the regular season: major intrigue for playoff seedings. Of the 15 games Sunday, 13 could have playoff implications. The NBA arranged for every Eastern Conference team besides the Pistons (who are out of playoff contention) to play at 1 p.m. while all the Western Conference teams play at 3:30. This was the primary goal when Silver helped devise the Play-In Tournament system, which allows 20 teams to occupy playoff spots.