NBA ‘investigating’ David Vanterpool’s deflection

David ‘The Deflector” Vanterpool?

The Nets assistant coach and the team are apparently “under investigation” for Vanterpool’s deflection of Wizards pass at the 5:45 mark of the fourth quarter vs. Washington. The deflection was not caught by any of the game’s three refs but YES Network cameras showed clearly Vanterpool’s had striking the ball.

Kristian Winfield of the Daily News broke the story Thursday.

The NBA is investigating a live-ball interference between Nets assistant coach David Vanterpool and a pass from Washington Wizards’ Spencer Dinwiddie on Wednesday.

The expectation is that the league comes to a decision in the next 24-to-48 hours and Vanterpool or the Nets could face discipline in the form of a fine or a suspension.

The question for the league, of course, is whether Vanterpool deliberately sought to alter the ball’s path or was it simply inadvertent. It seems unlikely that a coach as experienced as Vanterpool let the game action get the best of him but the video particularly when slowed down, makes it controversial at best,

As Frank Isola said post-game, he had never seen anything like it other than in biddy basketball.

The incident could very well have altered the outcome of the Nets 119-118 win over the Wizards in Washington. The score was 106-103 and the time and the Nets were able to gain possession, go down the court and score.

Kyle Kuzma was so incensed that he took a foul so he and Spencer Dinwiddie could argue with the refs. But non-calls can’t be appealed and the Nets went on to win. If the refs had called it, Vanterpool would’ve been called for a technical foul and possession would have gone over to the Wizards.

In a post-game pool report, the refs admitted that none of them saw the deflection.

Nothing the NBA does however is going to alter the outcome of the game. What’s done is done.