Damian Lillard Blasts NBA Officiating Following Rule Change

Damian Lillard is not a happy camper over the quality of NBA officiating since the beginning of the season.

The Portland Trail Blazers star talked about his displeasure with NBA refs after Portland’s 117-109 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night.

Lillard was critical of how the referees have been handling the new foul rules. Refs this season have been instructed to stop calling fouls on non-basketball related moves.

“I feel like the way the game is being officiated is unacceptable,” Lillard said via NBC Sports. “I don’t want to go too deep into it so they make a big deal out of it, but the explanations, the s*** that’s getting missed, I mean, come on. I felt like coming in, the rule change wouldn’t affect me, because I don’t do the trick the referees, I don’t do the trick plays, and it’s just unacceptable. Then the explanations and the remarks in return when you tell them is just like [Lillard shrugs]. I don’t even have nothin’ else to say about it.”

Damian Lillard: “I feel like the way the game is being officiated is unacceptable” https://t.co/A3R40NC2AY

— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) November 10, 2021

Lillard is averaging four fewer free throw attempts per game than he was last season.

Largest dips in FTA/g:

Lillard: 7.2➡️3.2 (-4)
Beal: 7.7➡️4.0 (-3.7)
Young: 8.7➡️5.3 (-3.4)
Sexton: 6.4➡️3.5 (-2.9)
Harden: 7.3➡️4.6 (-2.7)
Embiid: 10.7➡️8.6 (-2.1)
Mitchell: 6.0➡️3.9 (-2.1)
Doncic: 7.1➡️5.1 (-2)
Grant: 6.4➡️4.5 (-1.9)
LeBron: 5.7➡️3.8 (-1.9)
Fox: 7.2➡️5.5 (-1.7) https://t.co/x1H6BuaRds

— Brenden Nunes (@BrendenNunesNBA) November 10, 2021

Lillard is currently mired in one of the worst shooting slumps of his career, so he’s not exactly in a good mood as of late.

Wouldn’t be surprised if the NBA fines him for his comments…

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