Alston Suspended (merged threads, suspension on page 9)

[Section 87]

"Making statements" throwing elbows above the chest, pushing people to the scorers' table or hitting the head belongs to the playground in the ghetto, I suppose.

I don't think that stuff belongs on the playground, and I don't think the "ghetto" comment belongs on CelticsBlog.

[Section 87]

... I'm glad Pierce got in foul trouble last game, because he really was getting nothing done, and seemed in slow motion again.

A lucky break for us all the way around.

I think the lucky break was that Pierce got a lot of rest. A strong win, but still, he got a well-deserved break. He really needed the rest, and it will benefit the team. Foul trouble isn't the way Rivers or Pierce would have drawn up the play, but it was very useful nonetheless.

[celticinorlando]

i think we will see more than johnson:

PG hedo/johnson
SG lee/redick
SF Peitrus
PF Lewis/battie
C howard/gorat

i expect we see orlando go very big with a lineup of hedo, lee, lewis, battie and howard....

[cordobes]

I don't think that stuff belongs on the playground

I don't know. On the court, it doesn't belong.

I don't think the "ghetto" comment belongs on CelticsBlog.

Huh? Why?

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

I don't think that stuff belongs on the playground

I don't know. On the court, it doesn't belong.

I don't think the "ghetto" comment belongs on CelticsBlog.

Huh? Why?

TP for Section 87.

Why? Cause it is ridiculous stereotyping. Do you really have no clue as to the insinuations of that comment, or do you want it spelled out?

As I said in a post on the main page to someone who claimed Alston will always be "a street baller, not a champion", tell Earl Monroe that being a street ball player and a world champion are mutually exclusive.

[Jon Niednagel]

I think it's clear a lot of people posting on this topic never played basketball.  Rondo's foul on Heinrich was a player shucking someone who was riding them.  Kobe's foul was a player creating space when another player was riding him with an elbow close to the head.  Neither deserves a suspension as they are things that often happen within the flow of the game and go unnoticed.  Fischer was a player making a statement that they were not going to set any hard picks on him.  His problem was in doing this he went for the head.  He will be gone.  I hate the Lakers as much as the next but Kobe was the one who kept his cool, Artest lost it.  Watch Phil Jackson and how he plays these things out.  He is the master at getting his players to react in the right manner at the right time.  Last year I lost some respect for him seeing how he can result easily to these tactics.


Now Alston's foul was totally uncalled for and has nothing to do with basketball.  They should consider themselves lucky if he is only gone one game.  As a fan I'm not sure this impacts the game a whole lot.  Alston is a backup at best filling in for an injured Nelson.  Johnson probably will be close to if not as good.

What I loved most in the Chicago series was how chippy the Bulls got and instead of being ****ed at Mmiller for missing the foul shots they blamed Rondo.

I knew the series was over then.  Let's hope the same happens with Orlando.  Let them make excuses before they even lose.

My thoughts exactly. TP!

This "flow of the game" theory is becoming frequent but is a deeply flawed reasoning. Being in the flow of the game cannot serve as an excuse or attenuating circumstance. One of these days, someone will push a player in mid-air, our take a swing from behind at the head of someone, there's an unlucky moment, a young man dies, and then some will keep saying "oh, but it was in the flow of the game".

I've played plenty of basketball and I know the rules. Basketball is a game where only certain degrees and types of contact are allowed even "in the flow of the game"; it's not wrestling. Pushing people around violently, even if "in the flow of the game", is not allowed and it's wrong in every single circumstance. There are certain type of moves that shall not be tolerated in a basketball court.

"Making statements" throwing elbows above the chest, pushing people to the scorers' table or hitting the head belongs to the playground in the ghetto, I suppose.

I'm not sure what you are arguing here. Are you saying that the predictions, and reasoning behind these predictions, brought up in the statements by goz won't be used by the NBA to determine who gets suspended, or are you agreeing with the prediction and just have a disagreement with the reasoning the NBA will use? If the NBA would like to be consistent, then the points made by goz are completely legitimate. With that said, I agree with you that a dangerous act, whether in the flow of the game or not, should be looked at closely and punished accordingly if it is likely to result in serious injury. What did you think about fouls on Ariza and Bynum earlier in the season? They were not suspended and resulted in serious injury to players. I took some issue with those plays and would have been okay seeing them suspended (but I wear green glasses so I'm biased anyway). Are those the examples you are talking about? Still, guys throw elbows every time they come down with a rebound to clear space. We can't go around suspending people every time they do that. But it makes some intuitive sense that if, after the play, someone throws an elbow, he should get suspended. So, I see merits in the way things are now as well. Where do you draw the line?

[guava_wrench]

I don't think that stuff belongs on the playground

I don't know. On the court, it doesn't belong.

I don't think the "ghetto" comment belongs on CelticsBlog.

Huh? Why?

Because 'ghetto' is referring to a social class, and is irrelevant to how people act in sports. Are people saying that upper or middle class individuals don't do the same when playing sports? The 'classy' players often come from the same areas as the not so 'classy' players.

Some might also think that the 'ghetto' comments have racial connotations since ghettos usually include particular ethnic groups.

[Finkelskyhook]

The National Ballet Association is acting foolish by their lofty standards.

That doesn't merit a technical, let alone a suspension. 

[Atzar]

i think we will see more than johnson:

PG hedo/johnson
SG lee/redick
SF Peitrus
PF Lewis/battie
C howard/gorat

i expect we see orlando go very big with a lineup of hedo, lee, lewis, battie and howard....

I don't think that would work.  Johnson will have enough problems with Rondo as it is, but Hedo on Rondo would be a nightmare from Orlando's standpoint - he might make a run at a quadruple-double if SVG tries this.

[celticinorlando]

i think we will see more than johnson:

PG hedo/johnson
SG lee/redick
SF Peitrus
PF Lewis/battie
C howard/gorat

i expect we see orlando go very big with a lineup of hedo, lee, lewis, battie and howard....

I don't think that would work.  Johnson will have enough problems with Rondo as it is, but Hedo on Rondo would be a nightmare from Orlando's standpoint - he might make a run at a quadruple-double if SVG tries this.

hedo would run point in the offense...on defense..lee picks up rondo...hedo plays pierce...

[Atzar]

i think we will see more than johnson:

PG hedo/johnson
SG lee/redick
SF Peitrus
PF Lewis/battie
C howard/gorat

i expect we see orlando go very big with a lineup of hedo, lee, lewis, battie and howard....

I don't think that would work.  Johnson will have enough problems with Rondo as it is, but Hedo on Rondo would be a nightmare from Orlando's standpoint - he might make a run at a quadruple-double if SVG tries this.

hedo would run point in the offense...on defense..lee picks up rondo...hedo plays pierce...

That's what I'm talking about - Hedo might bring the ball up well against other forwards, but not against a point guard, and especially not against a point with Rondo's length and quickness.  Also, I wish Orlando luck in trying to switch assignments everytime up and down the floor - if the Celtics push the tempo, Orlando's defense would be scrambled like an egg.

[Roy Hobbs]

That doesn't merit a technical, let alone a suspension. 

I can maybe understand the argument about the suspension, but you think it doesn't deserve *any* sort of discipline?  I don't want to watch a league where players are allowed to slap each other upside the head.

I'm glad to see Reafer get suspended, because the guy is a thug, and I hate seeing guys like that get rewarded by getting playoff exposure.

[cordobes]

I don't think that stuff belongs on the playground

I don't know. On the court, it doesn't belong.

I don't think the "ghetto" comment belongs on CelticsBlog.

Huh? Why?

TP for Section 87.

Why? Cause it is ridiculous stereotyping. Do you really have no clue as to the insinuations of that comment, or do you want it spelled out?

As I said in a post on the main page to someone who claimed Alston will always be "a street baller, not a champion", tell Earl Monroe that being a street ball player and a world champion are mutually exclusive.

Geez. I wasn't thinking about racial issues and stuff like that while writing that. I'm an European. There was no derogatory intent on my statement. And no insinuation whatsoever. Ghettos have been around well before the foundation of the US. Lighten up. Case closed.

[goz421]

I told you so, and anyone who thinks this shouldn't be a suspension is blinded by bias. 

IMO, when they determine the offense they look closely at the intent of the player.  As an ex player each incident is very clear to me.  Rondo was just trying to get free to run up the court and it was Heinrich who overreacted.  Probably because of the media driven hype as they choose to use the cheap shot card in the previous game.  This was their undoing.  In the old days one would just expect Miller to step up and make his shots.  Rondo in that game was simply trying to stop him from scoring,  not punching him.  It was a stupid play on Rondo's part in that Perk would have blocked the shot anyhow.  Yet Chicago wanted an excuse.  Same way Orlando wants one.  The weaker team often tries to swing momentum by building negative public sentiment.  We see that with the Pats.  That is normal.  When a team uses it as a crutch though they have a built in reason to loose which leads eventually to just that.


If the C's want the series they need to take it. 

Look at KG.  He has always been the same KG just now everyone wants to hate on him.  If you look closely at most cases it is not justified.

IMO,  Stu Jackson has been pretty consistent and just in handing out his decisions.  Can't always say the same for the refs.

[RebusRankin]

Alston's play was dirty and intentional. Clearly a frustrated reaction and an attempt to start something. In light of that a suspension is warranted.