No suspension for Smart; fined $35k

[Roy H.]

Good news. I figured he’d get a game.

[hwangjini_1]

yeah, smart was really, really fortunate on this one.

as i watched the video, after the talk with bembry smart taps bembry on the butt, a sort "it's all good. it's over now" motion. the ref a few feet from them did nothing.

in charges the other ref and calls the technical, which sets smart off.

i also think that NOT getting to bembry and NOT physcially hitting him may have been a factor.

whew, and yes, smart will be playing hard nosed basketball tonight. 

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Is this an admission of the poor quality of referring, including both of his techs?

[jpotter33]

Is this an admission of the poor quality of referring, including both of his techs?

At least a tacit one, I’d say. I figured there’d be at least a one game suspension for the thrown punch, but maybe the league was a bit more reasonable given how borderline those technical fouls were.

[Big333223]

Is this an admission of the poor quality of referring, including both of his techs?

At least a tacit one, I’d say. I figured there’d be at least a one game suspension for the thrown punch, but maybe the league was a bit more reasonable given how borderline those technical fouls were.

Same. I expected a game and seeing no suspension makes me wonder.

[Neurotic Guy]

I am pretty shocked.  Initially I thought 1 game and then was thinking maybe 2 or 3. 

It was only that he was restrained (by multiple people) that he didn't end up physically assaulting someone.  I get that he didn't, but he was pretty out of control for a while there -- probably should be a 1-game suspension.

[rondofan1255]

Not shocking
Rondo and Paul were only suspended 3 and 2 games

[glidersquirrel]

I am surprised he got off that easy and still  wonder if he wasn't going after the ref

[jambr380]

Is this an admission of the poor quality of referring, including both of his techs?

At least a tacit one, I’d say. I figured there’d be at least a one game suspension for the thrown punch, but maybe the league was a bit more reasonable given how borderline those technical fouls were.

Same. I expected a game and seeing no suspension makes me wonder.

Yeah, bad tech calls which also directly led to Smart being removed from the game may have been good enough (not a one game suspension, but a partial one). If the calls had never been made - or even just one - nothing would have happened. The refs being bigger than the game is the story here. Also, $35k isn't an insignificant amount.

[KGs Knee]

Is this an admission of the poor quality of referring, including both of his techs?

At least a tacit one, I’d say. I figured there’d be at least a one game suspension for the thrown punch, but maybe the league was a bit more reasonable given how borderline those technical fouls were.

I have to think that the NBA didn't consider anything Marcus did as actually throwing a punch.  I'm not sure the NBA has ever not suspended someone they felt threw a punch.

[PAOBoston]

Maybe they cut him some slack for the bad calls prior?

I’ll take it!

[nickagneta]

Is this an admission of the poor quality of referring, including both of his techs?

At least a tacit one, I’d say. I figured there’d be at least a one game suspension for the thrown punch, but maybe the league was a bit more reasonable given how borderline those technical fouls were.

Same. I expected a game and seeing no suspension makes me wonder.

Yeah, bad tech calls which also directly led to Smart being removed from the game may have been good enough (not a one game suspension, but a partial one). If the calls had never been made - or even just one - nothing would have happened. The refs being bigger than the game is the story here. Also, $35k isn't an insignificant amount.

Smart is making $11.6 million this year. $35K to him is the equivalent of a $350 speeding fine to someone making $116,000(or $2200 per week).

$35k in this context is pretty insignificant. I would bet that Smart has had at least one night out on the town that cost him more than $35,000.

[SHAQATTACK]

for me , yeah or most fans it would hurt .

So.....kinda tells you what the NBA thinks of wrongs.....not much

to make it hurt ,  maybe 125,000.00  for Smarts level

Curry , even more.

so the players are not hurt ,  and fans think 35 grand is a big deal......smoke n mirrors


He got off really good ...but i thought it was peanuts call anyway , give em a tech each and play ball . nothing compared to 70-80's ....this happened 10 times a game , and not much was said after a few mi utes , it was all forgotten,  unless there was blood and a fight like DA and Tree had....thats a fight ! 

[Neurotic Guy]

for me , yeah or most fans it would hurt .

So.....kinda tells you what the NBA thinks of wrongs.....not much

to make it hurt ,  maybe 125,000.00  for Smarts level

Curry , even more.

so the players are not hurt ,  and fans think 35 grand is a big deal......smoke n mirrors


He got off really good ...but i thought it was peanuts call anyway , give em a tech each and play ball . nothing compared to 70-80's ....this happened 10 times a game , and not much was said after a few mi utes , it was all forgotten,  unless there was blood and a fight like DA and Tree had....thats a fight ! 

Put aside the underlying point -- that society has changed and perhaps has become a little wimpier than you'd like -- I think that the Ron Artest in the stands incident stands out to me as the big game-changer.  The potential impact on the league when rage is triggered and not de-escalated became a different story after that incident. 

I don't think anyone was concerned about an all-out in the stands eruption when Bird and Dr. J went at it, when McHale clotheslined Rambis, when Tree bit Danny, or when Kermit punched Rudy.  After the Detroit incident, they had to clamp down on any risk of escalation, so they try to be proactive.  With that said, the Ref clearly escalated the incident unnecessarily -- and I think that the optics spoke for themselves.  Marcus looked pretty calm until the ref T'd him.  The NBA did not want to get into having to hold a mirror to the ref's role in this one. So they went light -- I guess.   

[nickagneta]

for me , yeah or most fans it would hurt .

So.....kinda tells you what the NBA thinks of wrongs.....not much

to make it hurt ,  maybe 125,000.00  for Smarts level

Curry , even more.

so the players are not hurt ,  and fans think 35 grand is a big deal......smoke n mirrors


He got off really good ...but i thought it was peanuts call anyway , give em a tech each and play ball . nothing compared to 70-80's ....this happened 10 times a game , and not much was said after a few mi utes , it was all forgotten,  unless there was blood and a fight like DA and Tree had....thats a fight ! 

Put aside the underlying point -- that society has changed and perhaps has become a little wimpier than you'd like -- I think that the Ron Artest in the stands incident stands out to me as the big game-changer.  The potential impact on the league when rage is triggered and not de-escalated became a different story after that incident. 

I don't think anyone was concerned about an all-out in the stands eruption when Bird and Dr. J went at it, when McHale clotheslined Rambis, when Tree bit Danny, or when Kermit punched Rudy.  After the Detroit incident, they had to clamp down on any risk of escalation, so they try to be proactive.  With that said, the Ref clearly escalated the incident unnecessarily -- and I think that the optics spoke for themselves.  Marcus looked pretty calm until the ref T'd him.  The NBA did not want to get into having to hold a mirror to the ref's role in this one. So they went light -- I guess.   

It's a good thing that the NBA has gotten away from the "hockey goonness" that was so prevalent for most of the 50's-90's. The NBA may be leaning a bit too far in getting rid of contact right now but it is still clearly better than what was going on for decades in the League.