Tayshaun Prince Teaches Replacement Refs a Thing or Two

When the NBA announced that it was going to have replacement referees to start the season, it didn't make that big of news.  I touched on it, but I felt like it wasn't going to be that big of a deal.  

Boy, was I wrong (so far at least). 

Even though it's only been two preseason games, and that's nothing to really get worked up about, the replacement refs have had a couple rather noticeable gaffes already (in addition to an absurd 126 foul calls in two games).  

In the first game they sent the wrong Piston to the free throw line.  They sent Will Bynum to the line when it should have been Maceo Baston.  Bynum had already made both free throws when they corrected their mistake.  Baston wound up missing both.  

Wednesday night they tried to go back in time and change a call. Luckily, veteran Tayshaun Prince was there to lend a helping hand.

The replacement referees caused confusion in the first quarter. Ersan Ilyasova was fouled while shooting a jumper and awarded two free throws. During the next timeout, more than 90 seconds later, the officials decided he had been taking a 3-pointer, and gave him another shot.

He made it, but Prince pointed out that the error was only correctable within 24 seconds, so the point was taken away from Milwaukee.

"I told him that they couldn't change it after five minutes or whatever it was, and he said 'yeah, you're right," Prince said. "Then I had to remind him to tell the scorer's table to take it back off the board."

It's like a student correcting the teacher.  The very new, not that smart teacher.