Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick expressed frustration with how NBA officials are refereeing games, particularly concerning aggressive perimeter defense, following his team's victory over the Toronto Raptors. Redick argued that the officiating allows defenders to commit fouls while attempting to force turnovers, a tactic he noted the Raptors employed effectively.
"If you look at the team – and this is not like a shot, this is just reality – a lot of the teams that force turnovers, they foul a lot," Redick stated. "And so by fouling on every possession, the refs are just naturally gonna allow you leeway."
He drew parallels between the Raptors' defensive style and last year's Detroit Pistons, noting that both teams foul frequently. The Raptors entered the game leading the league in turnovers forced and defensive turnover percentage but also committed the most personal fouls per game and allowed the most free throws.
During the game, the Lakers committed 24 turnovers, which resulted in 30 points for the Raptors, who themselves were called for 26 personal fouls. Redick believes many of these turnovers were a result of fouls that went uncalled.
"I mean you guys can see it – some of those turnovers are because we’re legitimately getting fouled," Redick said. "I told one of the referees this ‘cause all these guys do it, all the on ball defenders [do it] now. What they do is they pick you up and then they grab the arm you’re not dribbling with and then they try to steal the ball from you."
Redick referenced a play involving Cason Wallace and T.J. McConnell in the 2025 NBA Finals as an example of this officiating trend. He acknowledged that while his team managed to overcome the defensive pressure, the officiating style makes it difficult.
Lakers star Luka Dončić echoed Redick's sentiments, observing that the game has become more physical in recent years, with officials allowing more contact. "They allow way more contact," Dončić said. "But obviously like you said, the refs can’t call everything. We just need to learn from them. We need to do the same things. Use that on the defensive end. You got to use aggression towards them. We just got to learn from that and we should do all the same on defense."