This is really surprising to me, because I always thought that the idea of taking a "T" for the team was BS, but after reading this
maybe it isn't.
http://www.nbcsports.com/nba/524942/detail.htmlPicture yourself as the head coach of an NBA team, suffering through a game of outrage:
--your players are not listening to you
--the refs have it in for you
--the crowd is heckling you
--the opposing coach is gloating about your sorry condition
--all the hours and hours you spent in preparations and game planning are out the window as your team seems headed for a disappointing result
In a word, you are frustrated. Sure you make a lot of money and have a seemingly glamorous lifestyle. You're under a lot of pressure though and having to wear this David Stern approved suit under the sweltering heat of the lights isn't helping any -- you're about to crack.
…'EFF IT REF, MY GUY GOT FOULED!
…YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WAS 3-SECONDS!
…OH COME ON! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS???
Then suddenly ~TWEET~ goes the whistle, the official makes the T-sign and points to you and you're in the box score on a personal level -- technical foul: Coach X.
A free throw is coming for the other team, and how is that going to play with your players when you've just been lecturing them on the importance of every point, every possession, and how "we" can give nothing away?
Ah, but it's widely believed that a coach getting a technical may not be all bad. Indeed you'll hear commentators on occasion remark "That's a good T to take" and a similar view is perhaps reflected in certain veteran coaches who seem more than willing to be 'repeat offenders' if the game calls for it.
First off, you have the supposed benefits of sticking up for your players and the team. Sure we may not win this game, but we're sending a message that no one is going to give us a raw deal and not get called on it. Next time out the league will give us respect.
More directly significant though is the notion that a coach getting a "T" can fire up his players for the remainder of the game, and perhaps steer the officiating back to a more shall we say favorable state?
Fortunately 82games can provide some substance to this debate. Searching through games for Technicals by the coaching staff (assistants included) and then tracking the ensuing outcomes for the rest of the game (or until the other team gets called for a coaching Technical) we found some interesting developments:
2005-06 Regular Season "Post-Coach Technical" Stats
(League Totals)
Coach Technicals Net Points Net Fouls Net FTA Net T/O
219 +183 -225 -48 -111
This is revealing: from the point a coach is whistled for a technical through the end of the game, or until his counterpart on the other team gets whistled, the "coach T'eed up team" was +183 net points on the year in the NBA last season.
Keep in mind also, that the above stats include the technical foul issued for the technical. So even giving up a point in most cases for the outburst, the overall move was a positive it seems.
Particularly significant you might argue is that there does appear to be some evidence that the officials do turn around and start giving some breaks to the T'eed up coaches team - the opposition was called for 225 more fouls the rest of the way (almost three more per forty-eight minutes).
While the opponents end up shooting slightly more free throws, that's again including the one from the technical, so taking away 219 there, the net after-effects from that is +171 more free throws for the angry coach team.
Turnovers likewise show a healthy boom for the T'eed up team with opponents losing the ball 111 times more often, which includes a number of ref-whistled violations as well as more general steals and lost balls (but even there the officials can have influence in whether they call the contact before the steal a foul and so on).
Of course this in no way proves any kind of officiating change, just suggests it. All the effects may be due to the players on the coach's team playing better, it could be a function of garbage time issues since often a technical comes in a game that's out of hand.
The surface conclusion then is yes, a technical can actually give a team a boost in the current game.
Looking into home versus away effects we find:
Team Coach Technicals Net Points Net Fouls Net FTA Net T/O
Home 118 -22 -48 -170 -21
Away 101 +205 -177 +122 -90
So it's actually an away coach getting T'eed up that seems to bring about the real beneficial effect. Indeed the net FTA difference is huge when you again consider that the away sides are giving up 101 extra off the bat from the technical.
Home coaches getting whistled still show less turnovers and fouls than their opponents the rest of the way, but at a slight net points loss overall.
One final thought would be that some coaches may, ahem, wield a little more clout than others. Which teams were the best and worst following a bench T?
Net Points following a Coaching Technical
+45.....Philadelphia
+42.....San Antonio
+40.....Detroit
+38.....Boston
+32.....Phoenix, Utah
+25.....Miami
-16.....Chicago
-22.....New York
-29.....Seattle
-38.....New Orleans/Oklahoma City
-42.....Milwaukee
-48.....Toronto
The teams bouncing back off the technical certainly include some of the strong contenders (Detroit, Miami, San Antonio, Phoenix was almost the final four last season) and along with the powerhouse coaches guys like Jerry Sloan and Mo Cheeks may get extra respect from the refs.
On the other end you have some of the teams that already made a move to replace last year's coaches (Seattle in midseason, New York…well however you want to describe the Larry Brown mess) along with two coaches most on the hot season this year in Stotts (Milwaukee) and Mitchell (Toronto).
Once again we have to add the disclaimed that the samples on specific teams are tiny indeed, but overall yes, if the game is not going well get a little vocal coach!
Roland Beech is the founder of 82games.com and is a regular NBA contributor to NBCSports.com.
