Anonymous survey names the best and worst referees in the NBA

[Alexander The Great]

Joey Crawford is a divisive NBA referee. His fiery demeanor and legendary short fuse when it comes to handing out technical fouls can lead people to believing that the veteran official retiring at the end of this season is someone you don't want working your favorite team's games. That's not necessarily how some people around the league feel though.

In an anonymous survey conducted by Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times, three dozen players, coaches and assistants gave their answers for the top three and bottom three referees in the NBA. Danny Crawford, Joey Crawford and Monty McCutchen were voted the three best referees, although there is such a big distance between the Crawfords and McCutchen that you wonder who else was close to being in the top 3. As for the worst referees? Scott Foster, Lauren Holtkamp and Marc Davis were voted the three worst.

Nevertheless, according to our survey, here are the three best NBA referees:

1. Danny Crawford, who got 30 votes.

2. Joey Crawford (no relation), with 25 votes.

3. Monty McCutchen, with 13 votes.

And now the three worst officials in the league, according to players and coaches we surveyed:

1. Scott Foster, with 24 votes.

2. Lauren Holtkamp, with 14 votes.

3. Marc Davis, with 12 votes.

Aside from Joey Crawford's infamous nature, Danny Crawford might be most remembered for the Dallas Mavericks having a big losing record in games he officiated in the playoffs for years. Some wondered if he had something against the Mavs, while others assumed it was just random happenchance, which I suspect it was. McCutchen's wardrobe style also gets noted in the survey, which makes me wonder if players like him because he's a good ref or because they find it amusing he wears suits designed for Prohibition mafia members-turned-Las Vegas magicians.

The six referees highlighted in the results of the survey all had anonymous comments from the participants involved. Here's what they had to say about Joey Crawford, who is officiating his 39th and final NBA season.

Every player and coach knows that Joey Crawford, 64, can have a short fuse and is not to be crossed. But they all say Crawford, who is retiring after this season, is fair.

"Once upon a time, you couldn't talk to Joey," an NBA head coach said. "He's cleaned that up — big time. He runs it when he's on the floor now. For me, that's big. I don't care if it's at home or on the road, he's not going to get intimidated by the crowd. To me, that's big with officials. You have guys that are homers, where the home crowd can sway them. But not Joey."

"There's no nonsense when Joey is doing stuff," one player said. "When Joey says, 'Ya'll been warned,' everybody stops."

The people involved appear to like to know there will be consistency and a lack of being swayed by a home crowd. Crawford typically does a great job with a lot of calls on the floor, but his reputation for having a short fuse is something a lot of people hold against him. Most famously, he ejected Tim Duncan for smiling and laughing from the bench, which Crawford took as a sarcastic display of disagreement.

As for the referees voted to be the worst, Holtkamp being a new referee just in her second season appears to be working against her. It's fair whether or not she's being judged differently as a woman in the profession, especially after Violet Palmer was regarded as one of the worst referees during her career, but the comments seem to insist that it's just her lack of experience working against her.

Holtkamp, 35, is in her second season in the NBA.

"Take the female part aside, she's just new," a player said. "But with her, I thought she took it a little bit personal, thinking players talk to her the wrong way. When you're young, like an NBA player or a ref, you've got to come in seeking knowledge. You can't come in blowing the whistle. She came in like, 'I'm a female and you're not going to talk a certain way to me.' No one called her a bad name. No one disrespected her. It's her terrible calls."

"She's got no feel for the game and she's terrible," a head coach said.

As some may remember, Chris Paul was fined $25,000 for complaining about Holtkamp's officiating last season, but he tried to explain that it was about a bad call and not being about Holtkamp's gender. He was unhappy with a technical foul for questioning why she made a certain call. His comment of "this might not be for her" was taken by many as questioning whether she was fit for the NBA because she was a woman. Paul insisted that wasn't what he was saying.

 

[KOBE]

The female ref being called out won't go over well with the media and they will say that they're "attacking" her.


Genuinely surprised to see Joey considered the second best, even if it's only 25 players. That's a lot more votes than I'd ever expect for him. Foster being the worst isn't really surprising.

 

[Alexander The Great]

The female ref being called out won't go over well with the media that will say they're "attacking" her.


Genuinely surprised to see Joey considered the second best, even if it's only 25 players. That's a lot more votes than I'd ever expect for him. Foster being the worst isn't really surprising.

players have been voting crawford as the best or one of the best refs for years now...no matter how much some of us fans can't stand him

 

[inndaskKy]

I agree with Crawford being one of the best. He's understandably got a bad rep on here for being an attention whore but in regular season games he always seems to have things running smoothly. His experience does show.

Female ref can come off as awkward too.

 

[DonKnock]

 

[KOBE]

players have been voting crawford as the best or one of the best refs for years now...no matter how much some of us fans can't stand him

The shyt he gets is because of the amount of technicals he gives and how quickly he hands them out. I mean maybe coaches/players feel that's just part of the game and him trying to keep control, but that shyt as a fan is infuriating as no one wants to see the other team gifted a free throw off some quick T.

Second best thing after this:

 

[mbewane]

The shyt he gets is because of the amount of technicals he gives and how quickly he hands them out. I mean maybe coaches/players feel that's just part of the game and him trying to keep control, but that shyt as a fan is infuriating as no one wants to see the other team gifted a free throw off some quick T.




Second best thing after this:

We might need a top-ten of referees acting crazy

 

[Alexander The Great]

 

[Big Boss]

Lauren Holtkamp

 

[WOAHMYGOODNESS]

No shock she only got a year or so in. Hopefully in about 5 plus years she gets better

Wasnt there a black female ref before?

 

[DonKnock]

No shock she only got a year or so in. Hopefully in about 5 plus years she gets better

Wasnt there a black female ref before?

Still is

 

[Tunez]

 

[42 Monks]

three dozen players, coaches and assistants gave their answers

half-assed journalism strikes again

 

[L&HH]

three dozen players, coaches and assistants gave their answers

half-assed journalism strikes again

some sample size they've got there

 

[Big Boss]

Still is

She thick