Garnett suspended for Game 2

[lon3lytoaster]

I found the rule, under NBA Rule #12, Section 7, Part C:


c. During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be suspended, without pay, for a minimum of one game and fined up to $35,000. The suspensions will commence prior to the start of their next game. A team must have a minimum of eight players dressed and ready to play in every game. If five or more players leave the bench, the players will serve their suspensions alphabetically, according to the first letters of their last name. If seven bench players are suspended (assuming no participants are included), four of them would be suspended for the first game following the altercation. The remaining three would be suspended for the second game following the altercation.

Here


From some interpretations I've heard, stepping onto the court was considered not in the immediate bench area. Some gray area, obviously, but worth consideration, OMHO.

So, IMO Beasley and Magloire should be suspended, as well. If you're going to suspend Dwight Howard for throwing an elbow, then fine. Suspen KG. But if you're going to suspend Diaw and Amare after Robert Horry checked their teammate into a desk, and not suspend two Miami players that clearly got involved in things is just inconsistent, and consistency is something David Stern loves to preach.

Makes no sense to me. And how Jermaine O'Neal got nothing is beyond me, as well. I guess pushing a player into the seats where the fans sit is ok, as long as you're not punching them in the face. Something Jermaine also did.

[Andy Jick]

I think the part we may be overlooking is what the refs HEARD in that moment, and not just what we see...

Anybody want to guess that KG's colorful mouth might have gotten him into some trouble?  I believe that could largely be the case here.  We are only considering video evidence of what our eyes tell us.  I'm taking an educated guess that Stu Jackson questioned the officials involved and that played a big role in this as well.

It was KG who, by all appearances, would not shut his mouth...  This league is not going to suffer the embarrassment of another incident that involves fans, and they were walking a fine line in that moment due to the proximity of this mess to the fans...

I'm not saying I agree with this, but it's what the NBA feels it has to do.  KG did himself no favors by running his mouth and pointing fingers.  It's just unfortunate, but could have been avoided...

[Steve Weinman]

Lets not badmouth KG. This is just a retarded suspension -- he couldn't foresee the extent of the league retardation.

Come on now. IT's not bad mouthing to point out the truth.

He threw an elbow in the middle of a game. He was out of control. It was a brain fart, and a costly one.

We can all still love KG, which i do, while admitting this was an absolutely stupid thing for him to do.

Agreed. It was a mistake by KG and he basically admitted as much after the game.

I think if TA or Baby had done it, the reaction would be a lot different from the Celtics fanbase.

Or if the jerseys of the players involved had been reversed.

-sw

Steve, I agree with you entirely about some of the rhetoric surrounding the KG suspension around here. There is certainly some excuse making going on, some rationalizing that is a bit far fetched. As per the jersey being different, therein is my problem with the suspension. It has nothing to do with the jersey being green or red. Had the jersey been different I would hold the same position, that the suspension is unwarrented. Now, following the letter of the law, yes, I understand the suspension. To move from the enforcement of the rule to the rule itself I would argue that no player on ANY team should be suspended for what occured in game 1. This only shows the absurd level the over policing in The Association has risen to. Do I get that KG gets a game off for the elbow? Yes. Do I think he, or any player on any team, Celtic, Heat, Laker, or any team, should be suspended for that? Absolutely not. Now, I am not saying you hold that position, just using this as an opportunity to vent about the overdone nature of the leagues policies in the last 10 years or so regarding these kind of issues.

I understand where you're coming from on that, CSLD.  I should clarify that my problem is strictly with the over-the-top rhetoric.  As I've mentioned elsewhere, I've long since learned that when it comes to matters of altercation discipline, I only know that I know nothing.  Wouldn't have been surprised by a ruling either way, can't say I'm especially bothered by the way the ruling came down, except that it would obviously be nicer as a Celts fan if KG could suit up on Tuesday.

More importantly, nice to see you around and posting.  Hope all is well.

-sw

[Drucci]

Well, KG couldn't escape the suspension because he deserved it but Richardson should be suspended too... I hope the C's make his life miserable in game 2.

It will be tough without KG and the Heat could steal homecourt with a win but it's the perfect time for Sheed to show his "gru skills". I think we will be OK with Sheed starting and Baby coming off the bench. Beasley's quickness could give Sheed trouble but he can score at will on Beasley on the other end.

[MaxwellSmart86]

as USUAL, the NBA gets it WRONG....on the last replay angle, you can CLEARLY see Richardson's fingers wrapped around KG's forearm---KG was just trying to break free---Richardson DESERVED to be hit in the face.

Haslem should have been fined too---he elevated the ENTIRE incident....but Stern and his henchmen SUCK-!!

[CoachBo]

It's now open season with the mouth.

It'll be time to see exactly who can be goaded - particularly if we make it to the Chosen One in the second round.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Like a lot of the guys here said, Magliore wasup off the bench, ran 20 feet from the end to grab and hold KG on the opposite side of his "throwing" elbow, why was he doing that, why were people even ganging around him and a down PP, does the NBA think a gang mentality is now normal       (  ) KG was there innocently picking pp up, why was Q over there...the ball wasn't...Q was supposed to be ON THE FLOOR, in the game....Oneal, now on the floor, up from the bench, pushing BBD, and looking for an incident, because we know that ol peanut head was mad...always is...hey, if I only made 10 million a year to play a game most bball lovers have to do AFTER work, I'd be mad too  ...Miami was just as much to blame, its not like KG went over there to rough someone up...easy to agree with IF you saw the game, unless maybe some of us were yelling at our ma's to get us some more meatloaf...! 

[Greenbean]

Alot has been covered in this thread already but Ill throw my 2 pennies out there.

1. Unfortunately, the NBA called this in a black ad white fashion. The rules required them to suspend KG. They stripped away the surrounding circumstances (players grabbing at him, Q instigating etc), and zeroed in on that one beautiful camera shot of KG landing a blow to Q's jaw.

2. Rasheed can have a JD Drew 14 million dollar grand slam moment in game 2 tomorrow night. Let's go Sheed, I know you have a 20pt 10 reb 3 block game in you somewhere.

3. Standing up for each other and "skirmishing" can certainly have a galvanizing effect on a team. If there is one silver lining, I guess that is it. If only KG did what he usually does and just put his arms up and walk away and verbal jousting...

4. Someone needs to embarrass Q in tomorrow nights game. He is a terrible defender and we should be going right at him every time down the court. I cant even believe a playoff team plays this guy so many minutes. He has been in shape like one year in his career and he is one of the biggest punks in the NBA.

[greg_kite]

Alot has been covered in this thread already but Ill throw my 2 pennies out there.

1. Unfortunately, the NBA called this in a black ad white fashion. The rules required them to suspend KG. They stripped away the surrounding circumstances (players grabbing at him, Q instigating etc), and zeroed in on that one beautiful camera shot of KG landing a blow to Q's jaw.

If this was in black and white then they would have suspensed any Heat player that left the bench.  That was their excuse a few years back when they cost the Suns the title.  Why they don't use the same logic for the Heat players is beyond explanation.  KG wouldn't have needed to throw any elbows if he wasn't surrounded by a bunch of Heat players grabbing him.

Sort of like the car accident argument.  If someone hits your car but your car isn't registered, it's your fault because you shouldn't have been on the road.

[fairweatherfan]

I think it's hard to apply the "leaving the bench" rule in the same way when the altercation is right in front of the bench.  Hypothetically let's say Baby is falling over onto, say, Dorell Wright who's sitting on the bench.  If Dorell jumps up and runs a step onto the court to not get smushed, is that suspendable? 

That seems to be the reasoning being applied by the league - given the scrum that was developing it was OK for the Heat players to mill around the immediate area.

However, I don't see how someone like Magliore doesn't get suspended for getting involved while not in the game.  The whole point of the "don't leave the bench" rule is so confrontations don't escalate into a team vs team brawl.  Magliore came off the bench AND escalated the situation.  Should be automatic no matter where on the court it happened.

[Greenbean]

Alot has been covered in this thread already but Ill throw my 2 pennies out there.

1. Unfortunately, the NBA called this in a black ad white fashion. The rules required them to suspend KG. They stripped away the surrounding circumstances (players grabbing at him, Q instigating etc), and zeroed in on that one beautiful camera shot of KG landing a blow to Q's jaw.

If this was in black and white then they would have suspensed any Heat player that left the bench.  That was their excuse a few years back when they cost the Suns the title.  Why they don't use the same logic for the Heat players is beyond explanation.  KG wouldn't have needed to throw any elbows if he wasn't surrounded by a bunch of Heat players grabbing him.

Sort of like the car accident argument.  If someone hits your car but your car isn't registered, it's your fault because you shouldn't have been on the road.

Very true. I was seperating the two scenrios. That is definitely still a rule right?

Edit: Never mind I saw Lonely Toast's post. That rule sucks. Even the way it is worded is totally open for interpretation.

[droopdog7]

Dumb question regarding leaving the bench. Didn't the entire incident occur on the heat bench? I would guess the heat players have the right to move on the court if it is to avoid getting run over. Don't know about getting involved in the skirmish.

[Greenbean]

Dumb question regarding leaving the bench. Didn't the entire incident occur on the heat bench? I would guess the heat players have the right to move on the court if it is to avoid getting run over. Don't know about getting involved in the skirmish.

Exactly. This is why the rule wording stinks.

Next time we'll drag pierce in the middle of the court and continue the skirmish there

[Chris]

Dumb question regarding leaving the bench. Didn't the entire incident occur on the heat bench? I would guess the heat players have the right to move on the court if it is to avoid getting run over. Don't know about getting involved in the skirmish.

I think this is the gray area.  I would think that even if it takes place on the bench (and I don't think it was really on the bench, but in front of the courtside seats between the bench and the scorers table), guys who are not in the game should not be allowed to participate in the skirmish.  Apparently that is not how the NBA sees it. 

It certainly sets a new precedent as far as I am concerned, where that rule is not black and white anymore if it happens in the vicinity of the bench.

[Witch-King]

While I don't feel that Kevin should have been ejected at least we have Rasheed this year to fill in for him during our first-round match-up. I guess my biggest worry now is if Rasheed Wallace loses his cool for some reason next game and gets a technical himself  

Last season in round 1 of the playoffs we were subbing in guys like Mikki Moore and Brian Scalabrine so I can only look on the bright side as of right now. I also find it interesting how few 3-pointers we attempted in game 1. Last season Ray was putting them up like hotcakes and the Bulls were bothering him so much while he was coming off of screens that he was rockin' sleeves on each arm - the Ray Allen equivilent of Rip Hamilton's facemask.