If Stern decides to go with the Garnett suspension, which its feeling like it might happen, will be a very negative precedent to put forth. It basically rewards a team for sending a scrub after another teams best player in hopes of angering them and drawing a suspension. This will be two very ugly instances, the first being the Horry foul on Nash.
The Suns get penalized for having their best player being blatantly taking out by a bench player. This is exactly the same thing, where Pachulia, no disrespect, but is in fact a bum, went after KG, knowing it will rile him up and it couldnt work out better for the Hawks. If a teammate of yours gets into an altercation or you feel hes getting threatened, I feel the natural reaction is to attempt to help them. If i were in that position, I would probably leave the bench as a natural reaction, even if i figured out i was oding the wrong thing shortly after and went back to the bench, id be suspended.
This gives light to an entirely new and dispicable strategy. Why not send one of your worst players after a star. Hit him and hope he hits you back. If that happens you get rid of their best player, and hopefully any player on the bench who feels something for their teammates. Its a win win for your team. Why dont we send Scal after Josh Smith? Whats the worst that could happen? Scal gets tossed and Smith doesnt fight back? But hey, if Josh actulaly defends himself, we get him tossed and a suspension out of it. With most great players, there is a pride factor, and personally if somebody is stepping up to me im going to come right back. With a player of KG's caliber and intensity, which he needs to be as great of a player as he is, of course hes going to react.
That incident cost the Suns a championship. The play of the series was Robert Horry tackling Nash. Sad but true. Horry was MVP of the series. That was the best possibly way to defend Amare. Get him thrown out. And while I do feel its up to the Celtics to handle their business against the Hawks, who they should have steamrolled by now, I'm hoping Stern doesnt help them out, and create this new strategy.
If I'm the coach of an awfully undermatched team, what do i have to lose? Why shouldnt I send Pachulia out there to try and hit Garnett? I lose Pachulia for the game? Who cares? I know Garnett is going to react, and I can get him out of the game. it gives my team a chance. Its a terrible strategy, but if this goes through, thats going to be a legitimate worry in my opinion. Its also a health risk as well, sending a lesser player after a star, whats to say one of these times they go after him a little too hard?
Looking back, i feel like the Raja Bell clothesline of Kobe might have been a failed attempt at this. It was so blatant and wrong, im thinking Bell was possibly hoping Kobe would get in his face and fight back. Kobe didnt, which im compltely surprised at, but how mayn other instances would he have looked the other way. Him or another player...probably not too many.
I think its bushleague tactics waiting to happen. and I hope the office looks at this and re-evaluates the way they handle these things, as well as the leaving the bench rule. if you leave the bench and your nowhere near the incident, i cant blame you. your teammate is being attacked, wouldnt you want to at least see whats going on? In a fight in real life, your going in there to help your friends, your not going to be sitting in your seat and thinking about reprocussions if the cops see you and you get arrested. its a natural human reaction. The game should be decided on the court. not by arbritrary rules that a power hungry commissioner is too stubborn to change. Just ask the Phoenix Suns.
Topic: Possibility of KG and Perk suspensions (merged) (Read 35809 times)