Monty McCutchen knows the evidence better than you.



The NBA’s vice president of referee development and training is like a superstar attorney in that way, with a unique ability to use both his mind and his mouth to tell his side of the story. He’s a master communicator and a true expert in his field, a worthy representative for this refereeing cause who ended his quarter-century long run on the hardwood in Dec. 2017 to take on this role.



So when the time comes to debate the early season impact of the ‘freedom of movement’ emphasis that some believe is making the game too soft, to really discuss the change in officiating that has made it so much harder to defend in today’s NBA, there’s really nothing you can tell him that he doesn’t already know. Less holding, grabbing and pulling from defenders – as mandated last summer by the competition committee that is made up of owners, general managers, coaches, players and...