Ranking the NBA's Top Refs

C'mon, man. Quit complaining about the refs.

Here we are, smack dab in the middle of the playoffs and instead of talking about Carmelo Anthony breaking through to the second round or the demise of the San Antonio Spurs, we're talking about officiating.

Hard foul here, flagrant foul there. That one is and that one isn't.

Should Rajon Rondo's last-second clubbing of Brad Miller have been a flagrant? Why was Dwyane Wade's virtually clean block on Maurice Evans' dunk attempt called a flagrant 1? Should Dwight Howard really have been suspended a game for his elbow on Samuel Dalembert?

We're dwelling on a few plays, when the fact of the matter is the officiating has been pretty darn good. The best officials are coming to the fore, just like the best players are.

You want to lament about the officials? OK. But we're going to praise them.

Here are the six officials I'd like to see if I were coaching in a Game 7 situation:

1. Joey Crawford: Passionate and competent, Crawford runs a game like no other. Some might not like the way Crawford goes about his business. That's fine. It doesn't change the fact he still might be the best ref out there and will be remembered as one of the greats. To see Joey Crawford tossing up the opening tip is to know that the game's outcome will be decided by your team's players.

2. Steve Javie: Remember the early days of Javie? If you don't, he was said to have a short fuse. Basically, he was very quick with the "T." Have you seen him recently? The guy is the picture of calm, brilliant at diffusing a situation. When you picture Javie in your mind the vision is of him with an acknowledging hand, as if to say: "You're absolutely right and that is registering with me. But right now, I can't change the call."

3. Danny Crawford: Crawford gets a lot of respect among players and coaches and it's because he's earned it. His handling of the hard foul by Glen Davis on Brad Miller, and subsequent altercation, in Game 4 of the Celtics-Bulls series was perfect. He initially ejected Miller for what he likely perceived to be a punch. But using the replay, Crawford probably saw what most hadn't seen the first time around: A little acting by "Big Baby." No ejection for Miller. Right call.

4. Ron Garretson: The complaint about Garretson is he can sometimes come off as aloof or maybe even arrogant. But he's far more approachable than he was earlier in his career, and regardless of how you cut it, he's a hell of an official.

5. Greg Willard: I like the way Willard officiates a game. He does things by the book, doesn't bring attention to himself and commands a certain kind of respect because of his sheer size. If you're not quite sure who Willard is, that's exactly my point. He's good enough that you don't know.

6. Zach Zarba: He might be the best young official in the league – depending on how you define "young." Zarba has a terrific demeanor and a feel for the game, and he's growing into an officiating staple. He's now six years in, and he's going to be around for a lot longer.