NBA coaches can soon do what their counterparts are doing in other sports: Ruin their own games with useless video reviews.
Next season, on a one-year trial basis, NBA coaches can challenge fouls called against their team, out-of-bounds rulings and goaltending violations. Video review had been limited in pro basketball, specifically to validate three-point shots and late-game possessions. Now the coaches will also be involved, once per game, if they believe a call was incorrectly made against them.
That was the notion when the CFL, NFL, NHL and MLB decided to allow coaches’ challenges. Those leagues believed video review would correct egregiously bad calls. They somehow never realized how video review would disrupt games, destroy every sport’s momentum and, worse, not do what was intended — getting the calls right!
Pro basketball had been the last major holdout. Hopefully after a season of unnecessary disruptions and bad rulings, the NBA decides the one-year trial was a mistake and do what every league should do — eliminate all video reviews!