We reported yesterday how Phil Jackson has already started working the referees in the Lakers/Thunder series by doing his best Kevin Garnett imitation and complaining about all the calls Kevin Durant gets. You know, like the ones Kobe Bryant gets.
Kevin Durant told the Oklahoman he did not find this so funny.
Durant gets those calls because he is aggressive, he is the guy with the ball and he attacks the rim. If he gets some superstar calls, that’s because he’s an emerging superstar.
Jackson’s plan was really two-fold. One was to plant a seed in the minds of referees. Usually playoff games are allowed to be a little more physical than a regular season game, but Jackson would like a lot more physical. He will put Ron Artest on Durant, and the more physical he can be the better.
The second part of it is the Lakers can be a whiny team -- players standing and complaining to referees about a no call rather than getting back on defense. Jackson wants his team to start playing through those calls.
Durant said Jackson’s tactics should not work.