Stern, owners satisfied with current bench suspension rules

[ducks]

Stern, owners satisfied with current bench suspension rules
Associated Press

Updated: June 7, 2007, 9:17 PM ET
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SAN ANTONIO -- David Stern knows there are people who still think the NBA's bench suspension rule is unfair and needs to be scrapped.

None, apparently, runs one of its franchises.

Stern said Thursday night there has been "no proposal" to change the rule, which gives a minimum one-game suspension to a player who leaves the bench during an altercation.

The rule and its application came under fire during the second round of the playoffs, when the Phoenix Suns lost two players -- and perhaps along with them their chance to be in the NBA finals instead of the Spurs -- before being ousted by San Antonio.

"We recently brought the subject up for discussion at our compe ion committee meetings," Stern said before Game 1 of the finals between the Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.

"There was no proposal to change it. Our teams are satisfied with the enforcement and generally felt that any other enforcement would have been quite questionable given the past enforcement."

Phoenix lost All-Star center Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for one game after they wandered away from the bench following Robert Horry's flagrant foul on Steve Nash in the final minute of the Suns' Game 4 victory.

Without them, the Suns lost Game 5 at home and were eliminated in Game 6.

When the suspensions were announced, Suns owner Robert Sarver said getting the rule changed would be one of his top priorities for next season. And Stern and the league have heard plenty, particularly from Phoenix fans, that the rule isn't fair.

"There's certainly, geographically located, there is a very intense segment in the state of Arizona, and it concerns me that the enforcement of the rule gives them that impression," Stern said. "But it is what it is."

The committee also discussed the lottery format, which Stern said he wanted before it was held. The results of the lottery, in which Portland, Seattle and Atlanta vaulted over teams with worse records for the top three picks, angered teams such as Memphis and Boston, which dropped to the fourth and fifth spots despite having the worst records.

But Stern said there were no good ideas, and the committee plans to discuss it again in October.

"I don't think that there's anyone that's going to be happy with whatever the system is, and I don't mean that because anyone is unfairly complaining," Stern said. "It's just that there are choices to be made how you go, and any system is going to reject the choices that someone else would put forward."

The commissioner also said he hopes to complete extensions with network partners TNT, ABC and ESPN on extensions before the end of the finals.

Otherwise, Stern called himself a "pretty happy commissioner," pleased with the finals matchup and calling Tim Duncan a "certain Hall of Famer" and LeBron James "the future of this league."

"We're looking forward to the series," he said. "We think it's going to be absolutely terrific."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[Obstructed_View]

Welcome to last week...

[ducks]

the 7 is not last week

[Obstructed_View]

The compe ion committee meetings were.

[FromWayDowntown]

The compe ion committee meetings were.

Agreed. This is old news, even if it was somewhat underreported when it occurred.

[Fabbs]

I think its interesting the Phx Suns owner Robert Sarver raised no formal rule change requests.

[Dave McNulla]

there you go suns fans. no proposal from the suns to change it means that they accept it as a good rule.

time to let it go. amare can direct his complaint to mr. sarver and spare the rest of us.

[BlackFlagg]

amare can direct his complaint to mr. sarver and spare the rest of us.

But can the Suns trolls?

Nahh!! They love it here.

[milkyway21]

The commissioner also said he hopes to complete extensions with network partners TNT, ABC and ESPN on extensions before the end of the finals.

Otherwise, Stern called himself a "pretty happy commissioner," pleased with the finals matchup and calling Tim Duncan a "certain Hall of Famer" and LeBron James "the future of this league."

damn, ESPN shld not extend they are hurting the NBA for calling Duncan boring in the first place. And Duncan at 31, still is going to be a le contender for the next 5 yrs.

[judaspriestess]

comments from any suns of es fans? comments?

none of course

[Obstructed_View]

damn, ESPN shld not extend they are hurting the NBA for calling Duncan boring in the first place. And Duncan at 31, still is going to be a le contender for the next 5 yrs.

ABC and ESPN are the same company. If they lose the contract they'll bury NBA news under Arena Football.

[TDMVPDPOY]

nothing wrong with the rules imo

just the interpretation, some s need to understand the rules...

[tim_duncan_fan]

See, there's nothing wrong with the rule. Amare's just stupid.


Oh well.

[Displaced Spurs Fan]

Stern, owners satisfied with current bench suspension rules
Associated Press

Updated: June 7, 2007, 9:17 PM ET
Comment
Email
Print
SAN ANTONIO -- David Stern knows there are people who still think the NBA's bench suspension rule is unfair and needs to be scrapped.

None, apparently, runs one of its franchises.

Stern said Thursday night there has been "no proposal" to change the rule, which gives a minimum one-game suspension to a player who leaves the bench during an altercation.

The rule and its application came under fire during the second round of the playoffs, when the Phoenix Suns lost two players -- and perhaps along with them their chance to be in the NBA finals instead of the Spurs -- before being ousted by San Antonio.

"We recently brought the subject up for discussion at our compe ion committee meetings," Stern said before Game 1 of the finals between the Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.

"There was no proposal to change it. Our teams are satisfied with the enforcement and generally felt that any other enforcement would have been quite questionable given the past enforcement."

Phoenix lost All-Star center Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw for one game after they wandered away from the bench following Robert Horry's flagrant foul on Steve Nash in the final minute of the Suns' Game 4 victory.

Without them, the Suns lost Game 5 at home and were eliminated in Game 6.

When the suspensions were announced, Suns owner Robert Sarver said getting the rule changed would be one of his top priorities for next season. And Stern and the league have heard plenty, particularly from Phoenix fans, that the rule isn't fair.

"There's certainly, geographically located, there is a very intense segment in the state of Arizona, and it concerns me that the enforcement of the rule gives them that impression," Stern said. "But it is what it is."

The committee also discussed the lottery format, which Stern said he wanted before it was held. The results of the lottery, in which Portland, Seattle and Atlanta vaulted over teams with worse records for the top three picks, angered teams such as Memphis and Boston, which dropped to the fourth and fifth spots despite having the worst records.

But Stern said there were no good ideas, and the committee plans to discuss it again in October.

"I don't think that there's anyone that's going to be happy with whatever the system is, and I don't mean that because anyone is unfairly complaining," Stern said. "It's just that there are choices to be made how you go, and any system is going to reject the choices that someone else would put forward."

The commissioner also said he hopes to complete extensions with network partners TNT, ABC and ESPN on extensions before the end of the finals.

Otherwise, Stern called himself a "pretty happy commissioner," pleased with the finals matchup and calling Tim Duncan a "certain Hall of Famer" and LeBron James "the future of this league."

"We're looking forward to the series," he said. "We think it's going to be absolutely terrific."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Well, I didn' catch it last week, so...thx

[UV Ray]

In a follow up story, it was reported that Stern left some personal reading material behind that has left some owners scratching their heads.

[Trainwreck2100]

How ironic, cause it appears Amare has decided to use the library as well.

[UV Ray]

How ironic, cause it appears Amare has decided to use the library as well.

[Capt Bringdown]

Facialus Maximus to the Suns organization and their fans.

[ChumpDumper]

Stay. Good boy.

[T Park]

awwww

sorry suns fan

guess the other owners don't agree with your chicken winged moron owner.

Adios.

[HJNTX]

I think its interesting the Phx Suns owner Robert Sarver raised no formal rule change requests.

Even after all of Amare's ?? Interesting..
You think Amare needs to move on with his life??

[CharlieMac]

I missed it last week too. I didn't get the memo from the meetings apparently. Good post.