"It would be very difficult on our players, on our …
"It would be very difficult on our players, on our coaches, most certainly on our referees, if the intensity of a seven-game series that we see in the playoffs exhibited itself over 82 games," McCutchen said at the NBA draft combine. "NBA playoff basketball is one of the great spectacles of all sport in my opinion. You get the combination of the passion and strength of our players and coaching staffs in tight spaces over seven-game series.
And I think that that absolutely makes for a different game. " Playoff referees study tape after games, just as they do in the regular season. Every call is evaluated, and McCutchen has said several times in recent years that the league's referee corps is constantly striving to do better.
Given the stakes of the postseason, it's only natural for every play to come under more scrutiny and for emotions to run hotter. ESPN This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: "It would be very difficult on our players, on our …