Marcus Smart's "ejection"

[fairweatherfan]

I knocked a guy out with my elbow once.

I grabbed a rebound and came down and accidentally hit him in the head.

I once took an elbow to the head in a similar situation, but the guy was going back up after a rebound from a crouch with his elbows wide, presumably to clear space.  I wasn't knocked out or concussed but it split my temple open right on the corner of my eye socket and I bled like a horror movie victim all the way to the hospital.

The doctor said if the elbow had hit my eye directly I could've easily had a detached retina or permanent blindness.  I didn't get the chance to ask if it was a true elbow or not though, he was too busy putting the stitches in.

[jpotter33]

I knocked a guy out with my elbow once.

I grabbed a rebound and came down and accidentally hit him in the head.

Same thing happened with DHoward and Big Baby back during the Big 3 era, but those are totally different situations.  Actually, those are 12 to 6 elbows with large amounts of force, and they're banned even in the UFC. Smart's elbow was more akin to a "chicken-wing" that had only a couple of inches to move vertically, which produces much less force.

Those elbows have room to do some damage; this situation is hardly the same.

[D.o.s.]

That's true, jp, but surely you can appreciate the difference between what you expect to come away with in an MMA fight and an NBA game, regardless of era.

[jpotter33]

I knocked a guy out with my elbow once.

I grabbed a rebound and came down and accidentally hit him in the head.

I once took an elbow to the head in a similar situation, but the guy was going back up after a rebound from a crouch with his elbows wide, presumably to clear space.  I wasn't knocked out or concussed but it split my temple open right on the corner of my eye socket and I bled like a horror movie victim all the way to the hospital.

The doctor said if the elbow had hit my eye directly I could've easily had a detached retina or permanent blindness.  I didn't get the chance to ask if it was a true elbow or not though, he was too busy putting the stitches in.

As your description states, there's a big difference between the distance that guy traveled and the 4-5 inches that Smart's elbow traveled vertically to clear space.

[fairweatherfan]

#NotAllElbows

[jpotter33]

That's true, jp, but surely you can appreciate the difference between what you expect to come away with in an MMA fight and an NBA game, regardless of era.

Well I wasn't trying to compare the two, but there's no indication that anything even happened from the incident. EP wasn't even mad, and there's no report that he even suffered anything as simple as a fat lip from the incident.

People are just making a big deal out of something that isn't a big deal at all. Yes, of course you can get hit hard by elbows in basketball, i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otELjkc89gc. But to say Smart should know better or could really hurt someone in this situation is just asinine. Bradley, Smart, and probably even EP himself take these kinds of hits every game with their pressure defesne.

[jpotter33]

#NotAllElbows

#growup

[D.o.s.]

I think the Smart should've known better argument comes from the fact that it was a dumb play first and foremost.

[jpotter33]

I think the Smart should've known better argument comes from the fact that it was a dumb play first and foremost.

I honestly don't see it any different than any other foul.  Virtually every player that goes up for a layup or dunk that is contested uses their off arm at least a little bit to create contact. Smart happened to be holding onto the ball with both hands, so his off-hand wasn't free to create space thus necessitating him having to use his elbow instead.

So if the "should've known better argument" can be applied to any time a player fouls, then I can agree with that. However, I honestly don't see it any different than a guy going up for a layup and using his off-arm to create space.

It should be noted, though, that I don't agree with most flagrant fouls at all, especially the ones Sully was getting last year. I think that criteria needs to be changed for sure.

[Celtics4ever]

Elbow, knees and palms are all lethal when they strike the right area.   

I knocked a guy out with my elbow once.

I grabbed a rebound and came down and accidentally hit him in the head.

I ripped a guys arm of his socket once on a rebound.   I was going up and he put his arm in my path and I was a tad bigger than say Bass at that point in my life muscle wise and it pulled his arm right out of his socket.   It was a weird angle, I wanted the board badly and to be honest I was a little scared of his physicality as he was a big 240 guy and I am sure I was flushed with adrenaline.  I felt bad about it as it was a pickup game but he told me years later that he got 30% disability from the VA and it pays his car insurance for life.    They also moved him from a forward observer, dangerous job mind you, to an office job for the remainder of his service.

I am pretty sure that I have cracked ribs with an elbow strike before.

Look at the way he leans into it folks, he was trying to nail him not make space.  Trust me, I was a hatchet man/goon at times when I played.

[manl_lui]

Elbow, knees and palms are all lethal when they strike the right area.   

I knocked a guy out with my elbow once.

I grabbed a rebound and came down and accidentally hit him in the head.

I ripped a guys arm of his socket once on a rebound.   I was going up and he put his arm in my path and I was a tad bigger than say Bass at that point in my life muscle wise and it pulled his arm right out of his socket.   It was a weird angle, I wanted the board badly and to be honest I was a little scared of his physicality as he was a big 240 guy and I am sure I was flushed with adrenaline.  I felt bad about it as it was a pickup game but he told me years later that he got 30% disability from the VA and it pays his car insurance for life.    They also moved him from a forward observer, dangerous job mind you, to an office job for the remainder of his service.

I am pretty sure that I have cracked ribs with an elbow strike before.

Look at the way he leans into it folks, he was trying to nail him not make space.  Trust me, I was a hatchet man/goon at times when I played.

I cringed when I read your comment. Must have been EXTREMELY painful. I remember lifting 2 years ago and the weight got a bit too heavy and I forced that last rep. My friend who's in PT, told me had I not adjusted quickly, that weight would've yanked my arm out of my socket. 

[Nerf DPOY]

A. Sherrod Blakely ?@SherrodbCSN  15m15 minutes ago
The #NBA will dole out no additonal punishment to #Celtics  Marcus Smart after ejection in Sunday loss to Orlando, per league source.

[kozlodoev]

Elbow, knees and palms are all lethal when they strike the right area.   

I knocked a guy out with my elbow once.

I grabbed a rebound and came down and accidentally hit him in the head.

I ripped a guys arm of his socket once on a rebound.   I was going up and he put his arm in my path and I was a tad bigger than say Bass at that point in my life muscle wise and it pulled his arm right out of his socket.   It was a weird angle, I wanted the board badly and to be honest I was a little scared of his physicality as he was a big 240 guy and I am sure I was flushed with adrenaline.  I felt bad about it as it was a pickup game but he told me years later that he got 30% disability from the VA and it pays his car insurance for life.    They also moved him from a forward observer, dangerous job mind you, to an office job for the remainder of his service.

I am pretty sure that I have cracked ribs with an elbow strike before.

Look at the way he leans into it folks, he was trying to nail him not make space.  Trust me, I was a hatchet man/goon at times when I played.

Brandon Bass is listed at 240... so you were "slightly bigger" than that guy?

[KeepRondo]

I'm more disappointed that Smart has to chuck a player to get the separation he needs. He just doesn't have the lift needed when hitting the lane.

[kozlodoev]

How is it "clearly unnecessary contact"

What I see is smart trying to use his forearm to create space while he's going up for a layup - Payton just happened to be right where his arm hit.

No, that isn't at all what he's doing. He's got all the space in the world and he's looking to create contact for a three-point play -- but Payton is so far out that Smart actually almost has to lean towards him.