Is it okay to target an opposing player's injury?

[guava_wrench]

Sports (and games, like chess) that involving competing directly against an opponent (basketball, football, tennis, etc.) are all about exploiting your opponent's weaknesses. If the opposing team has a slow PG, you exploit it. If you're playing tennis and your opponent has a terrible backhand, you exploit it. The exploitation of weakness is what makes these sports so great, in my opinion.

Injuries are no exception. But you have to draw a line somewhere, which is what you're asking, I guess. Intentionally trying to aggravate an injury doesn't seem quite right. But you can't go easy on a guy either. I say play your game and do what you always do and don't worry how it might affect the injured guy - let him deal with it. If the result is that you cause further strain to a bad elbow, so be it.  

Taking advantage of a player's injury is different from trying to hit the player where they are injured, especially if you wouldn't be hitting any uninjured player there.

The original question was about actually hitting the elbow, like on screens. I am never for taking shots at people, but I am always for hard picks. Especially since hard picks are hard because of the defensive player's momentum, not because of any movement by the pick setter. I would be against setting a pick where you jam an illegal elbow into his elbow.

[Roy Hobbs]

I would be against setting a pick where you jam an illegal elbow into his elbow.

Man, I'm much more cutthroat than most fans on here, I think.    He has a bruised / strained elbow.  Hitting him hard there isn't going to injure him permanently, but it's going to hurt.  I'd absolutely target it if I thought I could get away with it.

[Hoops]

I would be against setting a pick where you jam an illegal elbow into his elbow.

Man, I'm much more cutthroat than most fans on here, I think.    He has a bruised / strained elbow.  Hitting him hard there isn't going to injure him permanently, but it's going to hurt.  I'd absolutely target it if I thought I could get away with it.

If we take the question from the hypothetical to the more concrete, it's easier for me to answer. If we're talking specifically about LeBron's elbow, I'd be fine with trying to smack the elbow around a bit - lots of opportunities to whack his arm when he shoots. Not only will he feel the pain in his elbow, but maybe it'll force him to shoot more left-handed free throws.

[Fafnir]

I would be against setting a pick where you jam an illegal elbow into his elbow.

Man, I'm much more cutthroat than most fans on here, I think.    He has a bruised / strained elbow.  Hitting him hard there isn't going to injure him permanently, but it's going to hurt.  I'd absolutely target it if I thought I could get away with it.

I can't say I like it when its done to players I truly like, but this is the NBA playoffs.

How many times have we all seen opposing bigs come down hard on Perk's shoulder when he's been having issues with it recently? Or Pierce's wrist, etc.....

I still think this injury is overblown.

[jdpapa3]

I think it's fair game. Pierce probably has the best opportunities to exploit this going for offensive position. Lebron has the ball a lot on offense, and the refs are likely to notice anything that is excessive.

I'm perfectly fine with this and would have no problem with another team doing it back to us. Sure, I'd want a little Perkins retribution, but it's still fair game. On that note, would Pierce expect a little Shaq retribution if he did mess with Lebron's injury a bit?

[nickagneta]

I would be against setting a pick where you jam an illegal elbow into his elbow.

Man, I'm much more cutthroat than most fans on here, I think.    He has a bruised / strained elbow.  Hitting him hard there isn't going to injure him permanently, but it's going to hurt.  I'd absolutely target it if I thought I could get away with it.

I'm with you Roy. This is big boy sports.

That means if you have to swear and belittle and talk crap to someone to get into their head to effect their game negatively, you do it. That means if you have to purposely go after a guy's weak area that is injured, you do it. That means if you have to make a statement foul to set a tone, pick a fight, shove someone, you do it.

The stakes, money and prestige and reward gained from winning the championship is worth it.

At lower levels of competition, I say it's not sportsmanlike and shouldn't happen. Here, different set of rules.

[Jon]

Yes.  They should target it.  It happens all the time. 

However, regardless of that, they should absolutely exploit LeBron if the elbow affects his shot.  LeBron is a mediocre shooter when he's 100%, whoever is guarding him should just stand 3 steps off him and dare him to shoot jumpers. 

[PosImpos]

In a word, yes.

There are only two things off the table:

a) risking giving him a career-altering injury.  that's a no-no.  nothing over the top and stay away from the knees and the ankles.

b) anything "below the belt."  you don't elbow / knee guys in the nuts on purpose.

Otherwise, I say take advantage of whatever you can.

[indeedproceed]

If his elbow is strained and people bang it around, I don't care...I encourage it.

If his elbow is strained and people wrench it to aggravate it, that's ridiculous. It's scummy.

I find the second one more likely to happen...especially when some big unsmiling fellow is jostling for a rebound.

[reggie35]

I don't know if it is wrong or right. I do know that one of our big guys is going to get ejected for fouling LeBron... mark it down.

[indeedproceed]

I don't know if it is wrong or right. I do know that one of our big guys is going to get ejected for fouling LeBron... mark it down.

This is true.

[j804]

Ughh was just watching sportscenter and they were talking about " King James" elbow 

They said "....we have yet to see, if this elbow is going to effect LeBron James"

The excuses are already being made. This made me sick.

[Celtics17]

If the intention of the 'target' is to make the opposing player less effective then yes. If, however, it is to injure him further then no. You never want to target an opponent to injure them more but, hey, if they are a little sore then making them more so wont help their game any. Would you foul Shaq in the last two minutes of a game? Of course.

[ManchesterCelticsFan]

Ughh was just watching sportscenter and they were talking about " King James" elbow 

They said "....we have yet to see, if this elbow is going to effect LeBron James"

The excuses are already being made. This made me sick.

It seems like LeBron is preparing for the possibility of a loss to the Celtics.

The Celtics and any team for that matter, should do whatever they have to do to win in the playoffs except for ruin a guys career or end his season to injury. I'd like to observe LeBron's elbow hurting with #18 at stake! Just win, baby!

[dark_lord]

i have absolutely no problem with it.  if a player makes the decision to step on the court, they run the risk of some1 injuring them.  if they dont want to risk it, they shouldnt play.