Spoelstra ready to put NBA’s new coach’s challenge to test
The new coach’s challenge was a popular subject of discussion at the NBA Coaches Meetings last month, but Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is ready to put it into action.
As part of a one-year trial, coaches have the opportunity to challenge one officiating call per game this season.
They are allowed to call for one instant replay review each game (regardless of whether the challenge is successful) for a foul charged to their team, a called out-of-bounds violation, or called goaltending and basket interference violation.
No other call may be challenged, and teams can’t challenge non-foul calls.
“We’re daily going through scenarios as a staff,” Spoelstra said in advance of Tuesday’s preseason opener against the Spurs at AmericanAirlines Arena, which marks the first time he will have the opportunity to officially challenge a call. “We had our head coaches meetings in Chicago three weeks ago, where we talked about it. I would say the majority of both days was about that challenge.”
Coaches can challenge foul calls charged to their team at any time during the game, but called outof-bounds or goaltending and basket interference violations can only be challenged during the first 46 minutes of the game and the first three minutes of overtime.
In the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime, out-of-bounds and goaltending/basket interference call reviews will be triggered by oncourt referees.
To challenge a call, a team has to call a timeout prior to the ball being given to a free-throw shooter or a player inbounding or prior to a referee tossing a jump ball. The coach must then signal for the challenge “by twirling a finger toward the referees.”
“There’s a lot of moving parts to it,” Spoelstra said. “There’s a lot that everybody is going to have to learn to get comfortable with it. I think the experience during games will be the way that all of us learn it the quickest, unfortunately. But the rule is there and we’ll figure it out and find a comfort level with it.”
If a team attempts to challenge a call with no remaining timeouts, the team is charged an excessive timeout. The penalty is a technical foul, and no challenge will take place. Also, if a team calls a timeout to challenge a call that may not be reviewed, the team will be charged a timeout but retain its challenge.
Decisions on foul call reviews will be made by the on-court crew chief, while decisions on other challenges will be made by the Replay Center referee. In order to overturn a call on the floor, there must be clear and conclusive visual evidence that the call was incorrect.
“We’re just looking at all the possibilities and not limiting it to what people may think is obvious,” Spoelstra said. “It’s not just the end of games, it might be just as important during the course of the game.”
New Heat wing Jimmy ●
Butler said he doesn’t call teammate Dion Waiters by his “Philly Cheese” nickname.
“I call him Swiss Cheese,” Butler said with a smile. “There’s a lot of trash talk that goes on with me and that guy. To tell you the truth, none of it is about basketball. It’s always about football or soccer . .... It’s all fun and games. But great dude. Philly guy, tough as I don’t know what and a hell of a hooper.”
As expected, Waiters was ready with a response.
“It’s Philly Cheese,” he said. “Don’t ever play yourself.”
Forward James Johnson
● is still away from the Heat as he works to get to his predetermined weight goal from the team, but Heat president Pat Riley
said Monday he expects Johnson back soon. Johnson has been away from the team since the Oct. 1 start of training camp.
Center Kelly Olynyk
●
was also ruled out for Tuesday’s preseason opener due to a bone bruise on his right knee — an injury sustained playing for Team Canada in August.
“He was doing things every day while we were up at camp,” Spoelstra said of Olynyk, who has yet to be a full participant in a Heat practice this season. “I would say he’s right on schedule. We don’t have a timetable for him. But he is doing more. I think everybody is encouraged by the workload he has been able to put in.”