Fans are unsure about the application of replay in the playoffs

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged-in L.A. Clippers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

According to the most recent SB Nation Reacts survey, 82 percent of Clippers fans are confident the team is headed in the right direction. That’s down from 88 percent last week, but up from 73 percent the week before. Like the Clippers’ performance in the playoffs, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster, but mostly positive.

One of the biggest storylines through the NBA Playoffs has been the usage, and results, of official replay review. Officials are picking plays, without complete consistency, and dissecting the replay frame-by-frame. This has been a point of contention for the Clippers in particular, considering that the same out-of-bounds play that gave L.A. possession near the end of Game 2 was not reviewed in Game 4 when Nic Batum deflected the ball off of Cameron Payne.

Despite the consternation over when replay is applied, according to fans nationally, more than two-thirds of NBA fans still approve of the use of official replay reviews.

There is clear room for improvement, however, according to fans. More than three-fourths of fans around the country believe there needs to be a time limit placed on the official reviews, preventing the referees from looking at replays for extended periods. This definitely would have come in handy in Game 2 of the conference finals, when the final two minutes of game action lasted over half an hour in real time.

At the heart of the issue, for many fans, is what the desired result should be in actuality. The increase in amount of cameras and technology of them has given everyone from officials to fans at home the ability to see extreme detail. But is seeing, for instance, whose finger last brushed the ball what is most important?? Or should the decision be instead based on who caused the ball to go out of bound?

According to nearly two-thirds of fans, officials’ decisions should be based on the spirit of the rule instead of the strict letter of the law.

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