The NBA has been acting like a bad parent this season, starting with mismanagement of Kobe Bryant's "flagrant flails" and now escalating with the suspension of Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for coming off the bench in the Robert Horry-Steve Nash incident.That Cheap Shot Bob received a two-game suspension doesn't matter, because for the pivotal Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals, the Suns will be without their leading scorer and an invaluable sixth man.
Officially, the judgment was fair. The players came off the bench during a potential altercation, and they received in turn the punishment that league rules stipulate.
But in reality, the league's ruling bites. The NBA is acting like an impetuous parent who wants to be equitable but has no grasp on the concept of fairness.
Imagine for a moment two young brother get angry at each other, and one throws a punch. The second punches back. To punish the boys, the parents announce they are taking away the Legos for a week, because that's what always happens when the boys fight.
The problem is, the first kid -- the one who thre the initial punch -- could care less. He doesn't even like Legos, so the punishment is meaningless.
Of course, this is an imperfect analogy, but as Dilbert creator Scott Adams says, that's what makes it an analogy.
The point is, when the most important game of the series is played tonight, the Suns will be the second child, toiling away without their favorite toy -- or in this case, two of their best players. The Spurs and Robert Horry, meanwhile, will be the first child, reveling in the "fairness" of the punishment.
The league has made a ghastly mistake here, and I recommend that Stu Jackson be grounded for at least two weeks.
5 comments:
I feel like that story hit especially close to home!! Maybe it was because I was the first child who couldn't care less about legos! :) I'm disappointed for the suns, as I feel they definitely caught the short end of the stick. Hopefully there can be some restitution, but in the meantime, it will be up to d'antoni and nash to step up and lead a team needing a win. I hope that a senseless decision such as this does not knock a potentially great team off of their route to the conf. finals.
Kent, that's it EXACTLY. I know that the league felt the need to follow the letter of the law, but the result is an unnecessary chasm in the middle of the Suns' lineup. The Spurs, meanwhile, will find a way to manage without their 8th or 9th best player.
Kent, that's it EXACTLY. I know that the league felt the need to follow the letter of the law, but the result is an unnecessary chasm in the middle of the Suns' lineup. The Spurs, meanwhile, will find a way to manage without their 8th or 9th best player.
Of course the ruling was fair. If you are Stoudemire or Diaw you have to be smart enough to stay on the bench.
Kevin, I have never liked Horry. He has always been a disingenuous dirty player. In today's NYP, he said that Steve acted like he was dying and threw himself into the table. That is very lame.
If you are running full speed and don't expect someone to come in from the side and clip you, anyone would fall to the ground pretty hard. He's lucky Nash jumped back up and did not hit his head on the table.
The guy I really don't like is Popovich for making excuses for the foul. Someone should clip him.
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