A regular general managers meeting was held on Tuesday, in which the top executives of NBA teams discussed a number of subjects that was relevant to the future of the league. According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, one of the proposals that was seriously discussed was the addition of a coach’s challenge.
Multiple sources say the liveliest topic of discussion centered around the possibility of implementing a coach’s challenge at some point soon. Some in the room favored a more limited challenge system focused on black-and-white rulings: out of bounds plays, goaltending, and the like — but not fouls. Others argued coaches should be able to challenge foul calls.
If implemented, this would be revolutionary to the sport, as it will give coaches the power to contest calls that they may not agree with. However, this does come with a lot of caveats; some of which were also covered in the GM’s meeting.
The league would likely favor the more restricted concept, if anything. Allowing coaches to challenge fouls is something of a Pandora’s box. Should they be able to challenge non-calls, too? There was also discussion of whether a challenge should cost a team one timeout regardless of whether the coach “wins” or “loses” the challenge. Some in the room were wary of coaches using the challenge to create an extra timeout. Also: What if a team is out of timeouts?
In line with the recent implementation of the video review rule, this proposal does seem to be another step towards more fault-free in-game officiating. Then again, the league must definitely be wary of its potential drawbacks, so this is something that cannot be rushed by any means.
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