Alston Suspended (merged threads, suspension on page 9)

[cordobes]

Rondo also pushed Hinrich to the scorers table out of frustration. I don't see much of a difference between the two plays.

If it was me, I wouldn't suspend players for this kind of plays - as long as the situations don't escalate. In my view, plays like, say, the one from Bynum on Gerald Wallace are much more deserving of a suspension, in spite of looking less serious: they can be merely reckless, but they are also much more dangerous.

Anyway, if the league suspended Garnett for that skirmish with Bogut, how can they now justify not suspending Alston? The same for Kobe. Fisher I think they will suspend him either way.

They should start being more consistent though.

[CelticsWhat35]

The refs messed up on this one.  They should have ejected him right there.  The game was already pretty much over, and then there would be no controversy.  He would play in game 3.  But since Alston slapped House in the head, and the two got the same penalty, there needs to be SOMETHING done, and a $25,000 fine for a guy who makes millions just doesn't cut it.  I still think a suspension would be too severe, but maybe they up it to a flagrant 1 and rescind Eddie's technical.

Speaking of that, has anyone heard if Perk's technical in game 7 was rescinded?

[crownsy]

Rondo also pushed Hinrich to the scorers table out of frustration. I don't see much of a difference between the two plays.

If it was me, I wouldn't suspend players for this kind of plays - as long as the situations don't escalate. In my view, plays like, say, the one from Bynum on Gerald Wallace are much more deserving of a suspension, in spite of looking less serious: they can be merely reckless, but they are also much more dangerous.

Anyway, if the league suspended Garnett for that skirmish with Bogut, how can they now justify not suspending Alston? The same for Kobe. Fisher I think they will suspend him either way.

They should start being more consistent though.

the main diffrence is rondo got a flagrant 1, and it was handled in game by the officals.

The league has been pretty consitant that if you skate on a hit to the head play during the game, you pay the price the next.

I agree though, they need to be more consistant on whats a suspension and whats not...thats actualy why i think both alston and kobe will get a game today. stu seems to be tryign to eliminate the grey area.

[fairweatherfan]

It wasn't a hard punch or elbow with intent to injure, just pure frustration and anger, but still very stupid.

What if a player threw an elbow at another player's head, but it wasn't hard enough to injure?  I'm hearing the "intent to injure" standard a lot, and I think that's way too subjective.

Yeah, but the difference is that the league rules are explicit that any elbow that connects above the shoulders is an automatic ejection/suspension.  They aren't explicit about an open-handed slap, so it may be fair to assume that the intent of the swing, as determined by how hard he wound up and hit him, could be taken into account.

[crownsy]

pre brawl it might have been considered.

post palace brawl, the league has been very clear that anything that could lead to a fight above the head and your gone.

[the_Bird]

pre brawl it might have been considered.

post palace brawl, the league has been very clear that anything that could lead to a fight above the head and your gone.

Exactly.  That was the kind of swipe (especially how disrespectful it was) that can easily lead to a fight.  Frankly, I don't care; Alston doesn't scare me in the least on the court.  He's a punk, he's always been a punk since he's been in the league, and he's always the first to lose his composure in the heat of battle.  Keep him out there; when the C's start building a lead in game 3, he'll be the first to start playing like an idiot.

Have to say, though - the new nickname, "Skip to Game Four" - whoever came up with that is genius!

[Thruthelookingglass]

This is my least favorite topic after a great win. (We're not Bulls fans after all...) That said, I'm hoping the league office just hands down a fine. If they want to send a message and suspend someone, they can suspend Kobe Bean for the elbow at Artest's throat...

tp. alston was a play that gets fined. kobe throws elbows and gets the other guy ejected? what? that artest ejection was absurd beyond belief. i still fail to see how alston's play was worth a suspension. an ejection from that game maybe but no way he deserves a suspension for that. so sick of the baby rules of the new nba.

The League is certainly going to have headaches over last night.  It's going to be very difficult to explain any further punishments in a consistent manner. 

[PosImpos]

 Kobe should be suspended for an elbow above the shoulders, per league standards, but he won't be, because he's Kobe.

Fisher might be suspended, and Alston might be suspended.  Both are question marks.

[droopdog7]

Basically, if Alston get's suspended you can expect a huge uproar claiming bias because of the Rondo incidents.  So really, I don't want him suspended.  I agree with a flagrant 1 and fine.  It wasn't an intent to injure, just frustation. 

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

no way he doesn't get 1 game for this...pretty similar to howard's elbow...no play on the ball whatsoever, just clearly going after another player's head.

except an elbow is an intent to injure and a slap is simply disrespecting. that is a HUGE difference. alston gets fined. there is a radical difference between posturing toughness and intending to injure somebody. nobody goes for stitches after a slap. in my mind alston gets fined, no suspension. basically its excessive taunting.

and seems like in 2009 its time to move beyond "thug" and "punk" labeling.

Here's the problem with your reasoning. Intent to injure is not what is required to be ejected and/or suspended. You are right, there was no intent to injure, just an intent to show that he was angered by what was happening and wanted to show his frustration and anger.

But take a look at the rules that Roy posted earlier in the thread for such occasions:

l. A player, coach or trainer must be ejected for:
(1) A punching foul
(2) A fighting foul
(3) An elbow foul which makes contact above shoulder level
(4) Technical foul for an attempted punch which does not make contact
(5) Deliberately entering the stands other than as a continuance of play
(6) Flagrant foul penalty (2)
(7) Second flagrant foul penalty (1)
(8 ) Participation in the game when not on team’s active list

Nowhere is intent to injure discussed. You can be thrown out of a game or suspended for simply throwing a punch and not connecting. Slapping is a form of fighting just as kicking and scratching and kneeing. Alston was attempting to provoke a fight with a fighting type foul.

That, my friend, means ejection.

i would actually disagree and say in those rules nowhere is a slap designated a fighting act. a closed fist is specified, an elbow is specified. that is still up to interpretation as it is not made clear that an open handed slap is considered a fighting foul. that, my friend, is not as clear cut as you make it out to be.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

It wasn't a hard punch or elbow with intent to injure, just pure frustration and anger, but still very stupid.

What if a player threw an elbow at another player's head, but it wasn't hard enough to injure?  I'm hearing the "intent to injure" standard a lot, and I think that's way too subjective.

except an elbow to the head is specified in the rules as worthy of an ejection. by the rules a slap would have to be considered under a "fighting foul" and that i would say remains subjective. maybe not best that is but so be it. a punch is stated in the rules, elbow to the head is...slap is not.

[cordobes]

Can you imagine if from now on players just start slapping each others on their heads, like Alston did, and never get suspended for it? It'd be hilarious.

Kobe should be suspended for an elbow above the shoulders, per league standards, but he won't be, because he's Kobe.

Fisher might be suspended, and Alston might be suspended.  Both are question marks.

I'm not sure Kobe's elbow was above the shoulders. Check by yourself:



It's not completely clear, but to me it looks the contact is made under the neck.

I think Fisher must be suspended.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

Nice find cordobes... I gotta agree. It certainly was close enough that the league won't suspend him.

bye bye Fisher though.


EDIT: fairweatherfan had it first... TP

[youcanthandlethetruth113]

So what would that leave for Orlando at PG?

I believe that leaves them with Anthony Johnson

[RAcker]

Fisher and Alston are goners.  Kobe the Ripper will probably get a fine or flagrant thrown in at the most.

That's my little prediction for whatever it's worth and it will probably be the closest thing to justice in the NBA's scrambled way of doing things.