The Debriefing: Rules Are Rules, Even Dumb Ones

[hater]

The Debriefing: Rules Are Rules, Even Dumb Ones
Posted May 15th 2007 9:00AM by mjd
Filed under: Suns, Spurs, NBA Playoffs
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We're about to be treated to 24 minutes or so of Pat Burke on Wednesday night. The NBA has a dumb rule, they're going to have to live with it, and it's going to cost us 1/7th or more of the best playoff series that will take place in 2007.

You've seen the play by now, probably a dozen times. I think ESPNews is just going to run it on a continuous loop until 7 p.m. or so. I'll summarize briefly if you missed it. Robert Horry suffered a bout of temporary dementia and believed he was Ray Borque for a second, and he bodychecked the closest Canadian to him. It happened to be Steve Nash, who went flying into the advertising boards along the scorer's table. In Horry's defense, the Spurs did need to foul. They didn't need to maim, though.

But forget about the actual hit. It's not the kind of "tough" play I was taking about about yesterday, although I would argue that it never would've happened had the Suns shown any willingness to clobber someone before that. But that's a whole other discussion.

What is significant, however, is the decision the NBA's going to have to make regarding Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire leaving the bench during the ensuing scrum.

Here's the rule:
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.
Not a lot of gray area there. There was an altercation, Diaw and Stoudemire were not participating in the game, and they did not remain in the vicinity of their bench.

Stoudemire says he was getting up to check in to the game, and I hate to call someone a liar, so let's go with "fibber" instead. It was rather odd to see a man at the postgame press conference, sporting a "Black Jesus" tattoo on his neck, and telling blatant, obvious lies. You just don't see that every day. I hope there's a tattoo artist in San Antonio tonight who can do a quick touch-up on "Black Jesus" to change it to "Black Fibber" before Game 5.

If you watch what happened, you see Stoudemire's body language, watch his eyes, and see how he reacts. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, Black Jesus. You were no more getting off the bench to check into the game than Boris Diaw was getting off the bench to invade Germany.

I just don't know how the NBA could justify not suspending them. Say they announce sometime today that Diaw and Stoudemire aren't being suspended, and Gregg Popovich asks for an explanation. What do you say to him? "Oh, we didn't feel like enforcing this one"?

If the NBA doesn't enforce the law here, then they pretty much give license to any other player to jump off the bench and run into a fight. I don't see the league putting themselves in that position.

And if you're sitting there thinking that Stoudemire and Diaw didn't do anything wrong, and that a suspension would be unfair, and that the whole thing is Robert Horry's fault, and no one else should be punished ... Hey, I'm with you.

But the concept of fairness doesn't apply here. This is a rule, the players know it, the coaches know it, and it has previously resulted in idiotic suspensions for guys who did less than Stoudemire and Diaw. That's the reality.

Unless I'm wrong, and I really hope that I am, the end result here is going to be a Game 5 that's more of a novelty than the heavyweight fight it should be. Which brings me back to Pat Burke, the only big the Suns have left to put into the game.

What are they going to do, put Burke in alongside Kurt Thomas and play the Spurs at their own game? The Suns might as well go gimmicky. Put five guards and Thomas on the floor, run like , and try to take 100 shots. Screw it, be the Warriors for a night. If that's the way it goes, the most likely outcome is that Tim Duncan scores 114 points and the Spurs cruise. But you never know.

It's a travesty that that these are our choices, as opposed to what should be another installment in a legendary series. Boris Diaw, Amare Stoudemire, and every single one of us are about to be screwed by a dumb, dumb rule.

[Supergirl]

Stoudemire says he was getting up to check in to the game, and I hate to call someone a liar, so let's go with "fibber" instead. It was rather odd to see a man at the postgame press conference, sporting a "Black Jesus" tattoo on his neck, and telling blatant, obvious lies. You just don't see that every day. I hope there's a tattoo artist in San Antonio tonight who can do a quick touch-up on "Black Jesus" to change it to "Black Fibber" before Game 5.

If you watch what happened, you see Stoudemire's body language, watch his eyes, and see how he reacts. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, Black Jesus. You were no more getting off the bench to check into the game than Boris Diaw was getting off the bench to invade Germany.

Classic.

[greensborohill]

Yes!! Suspend Stat & Boris!! I Lvoe It!!

[nkdlunch]

"The Debriefing" is becoming my favorite column. funny

[SpursWoman]

What are they going to do, put Burke in alongside Kurt Thomas and play the Spurs at their own game? The Suns might as well go gimmicky. Put five guards and Thomas on the floor, run like , and try to take 100 shots. Screw it, be the Warriors for a night. If that's the way it goes, the most likely outcome is that Tim Duncan scores 114 points and the Spurs cruise. But you never know.

I don't know what the they should do...but I'm willing to bet there's a lot of cursing going on the NBA HQ right about now.

[GrandeDavid]

I finally got to see a good replay of Amare and Diaw going on court and have now reversed course. I think they have to be suspended for clearly breaking that rule. I had initially thought they had just stood up and stepped briefly on court. Amare had to be restrained and even that a-hole Javie turned around and yelled at him to get back. He was going in to scrap. Whether I agree with it or not is irrelevant, he broke the rules. The Spurs don't deserve this gift, but I'm sure they'll take it!

[cheguevara]

and Gregg Popovich asks for an explanation. What do you say to him? "Oh, we didn't feel like enforcing this one"?

[cheguevara]

Free Black Jesus!

[cheguevara]

Don't with the jesus!

[Kevin Blackistone]

Funny, exactly what I've said all along, yet most people here seem to think rules are arbitrary to feeling.

If you break the rule, you pay the price. Others before you had to pay the price so you do too.

[Bandit2981]

Anyone remember the game a few years back where David Robinson was suspended for stepping on the court? I forget what game exactly, but I do recall him taking like one step and then catching himself and going back to the bench. The league suspended him regardless, and Spurs fans were adamant because it was obvious Dave wasn't going to throw down, he was just concerned about our player(the look on his face showed as much as well). Rules are rules though, the author has it right on.