Stern to fine Spurs for sitting players

[Finkelskyhook]

Maybe Pops thought under the circumstances that this was his best chance to win.

Would it have been more of a service to the fans...Based on the teams respective schedules...To put 4 exhausted aging players on the court ....Risking injury...And getting blown out by 30?

This scheduling absurdly favors the messiah's team...If Pops was sending some kind of message...It'd be hard to argue with.

[GreenFaith1819]

And then he goes and doesn't even notifiy the league about his plans?

Why should he have to? He's not obligated to do such a thing. 

Where's the league rule requiring that?

The more I think about this post, Don - there is absolutely NO WAY that a coach can just do whatever he wants with his players without prior notifying the league....

Did I say he could do whatever he wants? 

The country knew before the game that these guys weren't playing.  So the NBA also knew before the game.  Now it gets into this "timely manner" thing.  Evidently, the league office supposedly knows and there's even doubt cast on that.

I just see so many contradictory things from the league office on an issue like this that I have to question these sanctions as hypocritical at best.

Well, I see your point, but the whole thing just stinks, plain and simple.

Just suit up your best players and try to beat the Heat, plain and simple.

If Pop has an issue with Stern or the schedule makers or whatever - then sit down and have a cup of Coffee with them or something.

No need to publically thumb your nose at the league for an alleged schedule slight.

Just my take.

If you're that mad at Stern, then take it out on the Heat if you can.

Man your players up.

[blink]

I am looking forward to the Cs playing tonight, but I am wondering now whether or not Garnett, Pierce,Bass or Green traveled with the team.

See it is the NBA where I am told all I should expect when I turn on my TV are five players on the court with  CELTICS uniforms. Perhaps Doc may decide to take the day off too. No one promised our coach had to show up.

Well since Doc does occasionally rest our old dogs, yeah you might be in for some disappointment at some point in the season.  It is probably best for you to accept that or not buy any tickets.

If we follow your logic, there will be thousands of fans in an angry mob, boycotting games because their fav player wasn't at the game.  All because their coach, in trying to manage the minutes of an older team, decided to rest some guys from a game here and there.

Give me a break.  Resting players occasionally isn't some huge public relations nightmare with the fans.  It isn't going to stop people from attending NBA games.  I feel this whole issue is Stern, as always, trying to manage his own little personal vendettas.  This time it is against Pop.

[GreenFaith1819]

Look - I certainly understand what some of you are saying about the contradictions and such from the League.

But where does it all stop?

So teams vs The League will continue to go back and forth with this all season? Just because of alleged schedule slights...alleged "favors" for MIA with officiating and such?

Just beat MIA. There are several teams, when healthy, that can do just that and BOS and Spurs are among them, I believe.

Tim and Co could've and should've played last night.

[More Banners]

I am looking forward to the Cs playing tonight, but I am wondering now whether or not Garnett, Pierce,Bass or Green traveled with the team.

See it is the NBA where I am told all I should expect when I turn on my TV are five players on the court with  CELTICS uniforms. Perhaps Doc may decide to take the day off too. No one promised our coach had to show up.

Well since Doc does occasionally rest our old dogs, yeah you might be in for some disappointment at some point in the season.  It is probably best for you to accept that or not buy any tickets.

If we follow your logic, there will be thousands of fans in an angry mob, boycotting games because their fav player wasn't at the game.  All because their coach, in trying to manage the minutes of an older team, decided to rest some guys from a game here and there.

Give me a break.  Resting players occasionally isn't some huge public relations nightmare with the fans.  It isn't going to stop people from attending NBA games.  I feel this whole issue is Stern, as always, trying to manage his own little personal vendettas.  This time it is against Pop.

Is there no difference between resting a player now and then and

1) waiting until a nationally televised game to do so (when the league as a whole has a stake), or

2) Sending your entire starting unit, all of your stars together, home to sit out a game early in the season to "rest" when they surely don't appear to need it?

And if the Spurs didn't like the schedule, fine, but this isn't the way to protest the league.  The schedule's been out a while now.

This doesn't just affect the Spurs and the particular game.  Any team competing for playoff spots will be affected if the outcomes of games become affected by coaching decisions to essentially not play their best squad.  It affects competition, and Stern is right to step in.

[Ogaju]

I am looking forward to the Cs playing tonight, but I am wondering now whether or not Garnett, Pierce,Bass or Green traveled with the team.

See it is the NBA where I am told all I should expect when I turn on my TV are five players on the court with  CELTICS uniforms. Perhaps Doc may decide to take the day off too. No one promised our coach had to show up.

Well since Doc does occasionally rest our old dogs, yeah you might be in for some disappointment at some point in the season.  It is probably best for you to accept that or not buy any tickets.

If we follow your logic, there will be thousands of fans in an angry mob, boycotting games because their fav player wasn't at the game.  All because their coach, in trying to manage the minutes of an older team, decided to rest some guys from a game here and there.

Give me a break.  Resting players occasionally isn't some huge public relations nightmare with the fans.  It isn't going to stop people from attending NBA games.  I feel this whole issue is Stern, as always, trying to manage his own little personal vendettas.  This time it is against Pop.

Actually I will not be disappointed because you have now enlightened me that all I should expect are green uniforms and some suits on the sidelines. The names on the uniforms do not matter and were not promised.

[blink]

I am looking forward to the Cs playing tonight, but I am wondering now whether or not Garnett, Pierce,Bass or Green traveled with the team.

See it is the NBA where I am told all I should expect when I turn on my TV are five players on the court with  CELTICS uniforms. Perhaps Doc may decide to take the day off too. No one promised our coach had to show up.

Well since Doc does occasionally rest our old dogs, yeah you might be in for some disappointment at some point in the season.  It is probably best for you to accept that or not buy any tickets.

If we follow your logic, there will be thousands of fans in an angry mob, boycotting games because their fav player wasn't at the game.  All because their coach, in trying to manage the minutes of an older team, decided to rest some guys from a game here and there.

Give me a break.  Resting players occasionally isn't some huge public relations nightmare with the fans.  It isn't going to stop people from attending NBA games.  I feel this whole issue is Stern, as always, trying to manage his own little personal vendettas.  This time it is against Pop.

Actually I will not be disappointed because you have now enlightened me that all I should expect are green uniforms and some suits on the sidelines. The names on the uniforms do not matter and were not promised.

I never said that all you should expect is green uniforms.  Stop making up stuff.  I said that occasionally old players are going to be rested, and that fining a team $1,000,000 because of it is idiotic.

[blink]

I am looking forward to the Cs playing tonight, but I am wondering now whether or not Garnett, Pierce,Bass or Green traveled with the team.

See it is the NBA where I am told all I should expect when I turn on my TV are five players on the court with  CELTICS uniforms. Perhaps Doc may decide to take the day off too. No one promised our coach had to show up.

Well since Doc does occasionally rest our old dogs, yeah you might be in for some disappointment at some point in the season.  It is probably best for you to accept that or not buy any tickets.

If we follow your logic, there will be thousands of fans in an angry mob, boycotting games because their fav player wasn't at the game.  All because their coach, in trying to manage the minutes of an older team, decided to rest some guys from a game here and there.

Give me a break.  Resting players occasionally isn't some huge public relations nightmare with the fans.  It isn't going to stop people from attending NBA games.  I feel this whole issue is Stern, as always, trying to manage his own little personal vendettas.  This time it is against Pop.

Is there no difference between resting a player now and then and

1) waiting until a nationally televised game to do so (when the league as a whole has a stake), or

2) Sending your entire starting unit, all of your stars together, home to sit out a game early in the season to "rest" when they surely don't appear to need it?

And if the Spurs didn't like the schedule, fine, but this isn't the way to protest the league.  The schedule's been out a while now.

This doesn't just affect the Spurs and the particular game.  Any team competing for playoff spots will be affected if the outcomes of games become affected by coaching decisions to essentially not play their best squad.  It affects competition, and Stern is right to step in.

So exactly how did it effect competition in that game?  The Heat won by 5 and needed a late 3 by RA to help secure the win.  Spurs were up at the end of the 3rd quarter.  Sounds like there was quite a bit of competition going on that night.

Alright, I will give you that pop went a bit too far.  But the $250,000 fine is too much.  People claiming that it should be a $1,000,000 fine are just over reacting.  There is a greater context for what Stern is doing, and it is a Pop-Stern issue.  I personally think that the coach should be able to play whomever he wants.  The league shouldn't be interfering unless it is 100% completely obvious that a team is tanking for a draft pick.  In any other situation, it isn't impacting the league as a whole.

[GreenFaith1819]

Here is a link to the Boston Celtics 08-09 season:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS/2009_games.html

In those 1st 20 games, BOS played perhaps 4 maybe 5 very good teams...CHI, ORL, CLE, AT and perhaps Yao's Rockets.

That schedule, for a Championship winning team, seemed favorable for us.

That is why I have such an issue with Pop allegedly being upset with his team's schedule.

As much as I can't stand MIA - "to the victor goes the spoils."

On a side note, BOS would've repeated that year...I forgot that we were 62-20....it is sad to remember how much injuries have cheated this team.

[Finkelskyhook]

[quote author=GreenFaith1819
So teams vs The League will continue to go back and forth with this all season? Just because of alleged schedule slights...alleged "favors" for MIA with officiating and such?

[/quote]

Alleged??   

From Blink:
 Sending your entire starting unit, all of your stars together, home to sit out a game early in the season to "rest" when they surely don't appear to need it?

That's sort of like Obama during one of his class envy speeches telling us he's taxing the rich because they don't need the money.

Pops is their coach.  He apparently thought they needed the rest.

[GreenFaith1819]

[quote author=GreenFaith1819
So teams vs The League will continue to go back and forth with this all season? Just because of alleged schedule slights...alleged "favors" for MIA with officiating and such?

Alleged??   

From Blink:
 Sending your entire starting unit, all of your stars together, home to sit out a game early in the season to "rest" when they surely don't appear to need it?

That's sort of like Obama during one of his class envy speeches telling us he's taxing the rich because they don't need the money.

Pops is their coach.  He apparently thought they needed the rest.
[/quote]

So Tim Duncan's been playing like he dipped into the fountain of youth...TP and Manu's been playing well...the entire team's been on a roll.

Pop couldn't have played his players in this game? Because they needed rest?

Right.

And I guess if I call a skunk a dog long enough, that skunk will in fact become a dog.

Why sit his stars THIS game is all I'm saying....

And how in the world did President Obama get mixed up in this, lol? Next, we'll be discussing San Antonio and BOS seceeding from the League.

[chambers]

Stern should have hit them with a bigger fine.
At least they'll change the rules now to stop this garbage from happening.
Pulling your stars for a national TV game with barely any notice.
If I were a San Antonio fan in Florida, who'd paid to go to that game I'd be super p---ed too. One game a year when your team comes and they bail on you,
You get paid millions of dollars to play so toughen up and play the hard road stretch- just play half the minutes for those guys and give the bench a good burn.
Stern's 100% right to do this.

[GreenFaith1819]

And how in the world did President Obama get mixed up in this, lol? Next, we'll be discussing San Antonio and BOS seceeding from the League.

Wait - wasn't there a thread on some states wanting to "secceed" from the US a while ago?

Texas was in fact one of the states with enough signatures to secceed.

And San Antonio IS in Texas...don't do it Pop LOL! I want my Spurs basketball!

[blink]

[quote author=GreenFaith1819
So teams vs The League will continue to go back and forth with this all season? Just because of alleged schedule slights...alleged "favors" for MIA with officiating and such?

Alleged??   

From Blink:
 Sending your entire starting unit, all of your stars together, home to sit out a game early in the season to "rest" when they surely don't appear to need it?

That's sort of like Obama during one of his class envy speeches telling us he's taxing the rich because they don't need the money.

Pops is their coach.  He apparently thought they needed the rest.
[/quote]

Hey wait, I didn't say that!  haha I am on your side.

[Finkelskyhook]

Greenfaith...I was making the point that a blanket statement can't be made without knowing the circumstances.

Why sit his stars THIS game is all I'm saying....

Why did Rivers sit his best players until they "clinched" the 2nd worst record in 06-07?  I bought tickets to a couple of those NBDL games in advance.  Would've been nice if Stern didn't wait until the lottery to sancion us..I'll bet that if Stern would've fined Wyc $100,000 that Pierce would've found said fountain of youth.  Would've been nice to pay full price and see Paul Pierce instead of Kevinn Pinkney.

If Stern is going to indignantly start concerning himself with the integrity of the league....He might start with a review of the definition of traveling. For the record, Commissioner Stern:  The literal definition is the same whether it's Brian Scalabrine or your messiah.