2006/07 NBA Thread

[Maxx]

It shouldn't be an iron clad rule though. They didn't do anything. Its not like they started brawling, it was a particularly vicious foul, which probably shocked them so they got up out of concern. Now they're suspended for doing nothing and the series is fucked.

This is playoff basketball, you can't have stupid shit like suspension for standing up messing with your premier series. Especially when the NBA needs the best ratings it can get as its popularity is on a slow decline

[Quom]

I agree with Maxx. Playoff games are a bit different to the regular season. Especially since they didn't cause/get into a fight. I can't really see why they didn't just fine them.

[Trey]

It was a hard foul, but I didn't think it was "vicious". Nash didn't even try to do anything but flop to the ground, and if Amare/Diaw would've stayed put or even just stood up, I doubt anything would've happened. But they didn't, they got up and ran towards the shoving match until their coaches pulled them away.

I like how they put it at halftime of the Bulls-Pistons game. If a fan is running onto the court in that situation to get involved but is stopped right before he gets on the court, shouldn't he be kicked out of the game rather then just returned to his seat?

Yes, it's a different view, but the rules are very clearly enforce and very well known.

[Quom]

It was a hard foul, but I didn't think it was "vicious". Nash didn't even try to do anything but flop to the ground, and if Amare/Diaw would've stayed put or even just stood up, I doubt anything would've happened. But they didn't, they got up and ran towards the shoving match until their coaches pulled them away.

I like how they put it at halftime of the Bulls-Pistons game. If a fan is running onto the court in that situation to get involved but is stopped right before he gets on the court, shouldn't he be kicked out of the game rather then just returned to his seat?

Yes, it's a different view, but the rules are very clearly enforce and very well known.

[Trey]

Big difference between a rape and a shoving match. Also, the rule is ironclad and Stern has always been someone who enforces the rules. With the series as rough as it is, there is no reason Amare and the rest of the team weren't informed of this in a team meeting.

[Green Demon]

What happened to Detriot I thought that they had their series wrapped up and were going to sweep and now they are going back to the United Center for game 6. Obviously I want this series to go as far as possible since I am a Cavs fan but I am surprised that the Bulls are back in it, if they can take the next game at home which I think isnt that big of a hurdle all the pressure would be on Detriot for game 7. All I was hearing before this was how was going to be cruising to the Finals but now they could be in trouble all the pressure the rest of the way is on Detriot and even though they are a vetern team who really knows what is going to happen.

[Quom]

Big difference between a rape and a shoving match. Also, the rule is ironclad and Stern has always been someone who enforces the rules. With the series as rough as it is, there is no reason Amare and the rest of the team weren't informed of this in a team meeting.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Quom

[Green Demon]

It seems to me that the only reason this is as big an issue as it is, is because it was Amare a All-star player that is the one getting suspended. If the 12th man on the bench for the Suns was one of the guys that ran on to the court and got suspended everyone would agree that what he did was against the rules and he should be reprimanded accordingly.

Amare went on to the court when he should not have and he should have known that doing so could lead to himself getting in to trouble like he eventually did. What ever you think of the rule, the rule is in the books so it is going to being enforced no matter who it was breaking the rule. If the league decided to give him a free pass since it is the playoffs and they didnt want to change the intergrity of the series, you would have tough appeals in the future when a player did the same thing and use this incident as a reason they shouldnt be reprimaned. I know it is an over used phrase but if you dont want to do the time then dont do the crime, however stupid the crime may be.

[Quom]

I disagree. I don't care that it was Amare, I don't like him that much and I don't like the Sun's that much. What upset me is the fact that he got suspended for doing something that caused no harm. He didn't throw a punch, he didn't bring the game into disrepute. In fact he didn't heally do anything other than get up because his team mate just copped a big hit. I can see justification to have ejected him from that game (if they wanted to save face because of their shi rule). I could see them giving him a large fine. But to suspend someon in the playoffs for that is fucking stupid. Is it any surprise that basketball is drooping in popularity.

[Green Demon]

After some of incidents that have happened in the past such as the Fight in Detriot or the fight in New York this year, the league has been more strict about enforcing the rule to prevent anything like that from happening again. Who knows if neither of those incidents happened, Diaw and Amare may have just gotten off with a slap on the wrist. The fact is however stupid the rule is it is still a rule and until it is take out, it will be enforced.

[Maxx]

How is a suspension a slap on the wrist? Thats the harshest penalty they could give them. You're still acting as if they actually did something besides stand up and walk. Rule or no rule, a suspension for an act as irrelevant as that is ridiculously harsh.

[Trey]

He said if the brawl(s) in Detroit/New York (was it in New York or Denver?) hadn't happened, they probably wouldn't have gotten suspended.

And if you watch the video, Amare isn't walking over there. He (and Diaw) jump off of the bench run that way until there's a crowd, then walk with a purpose until the coaches pull them back. Hell, Amare even tries to get around the coaches so he can get over there. I don't agree with the rule anymore then you guys, but I also don't think there is any excuse for them to leave the bench. They knew what was going to happen if they left the bench and they still did. You can say it's retarded and basketball is losing popularity, but basketball is getting a lot more fans in America and have a bigger following abroad then the NFL, so there are plenty of new fans coming in.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Trey

[Trey]

Bulls get eliminated tonight by the Pistons, somehow they didn't lose by 30. They shot horribly and the referees refused to call any push-offs, giving the Pistons tons of second chance opportunities plus the fact that the Pistons avoided foul trouble all game. The referees called a good game outside of the paint and gave the Bulls the extra possessions after the push-off plays. The ball would go out on the Bulls, but because of the no calls against Webber, McDyess, and Sheed, they at least gave us the ball. Still, if those guys had gotten in foul trouble, the game would've been different, at least in my opinion.

[VerbalPuke]

I don't think you should really bring up the officiating, because game four can be cited as having being a different game if the officiating was different. Just look at the FT and total foul comparison.

The Pistons advance, and now are in their fifth straight Eastern Conference finals. It's nice, but it's not enough, not for me, not for Detroit, and not for the Pistons players. We wont be satisfied until we're drinking the blood of a Western Conference opponent while celebrating a championship victory. So I say, bring on Cleveland or New Jersey, and let's get this show on the road.

[Trey]

If you're argument for the Pistons not having the officials on their side, games 1 and 2, the blow outs, would be a better choice. In game four the Pistons only got called for 9 more fouls and shot 8 less free throws. Like, 6 of those extra free throws for the Bulls were whenever you guys were doing the Bang-A-Ben late in the fourth.

And Detroit was the better team for most of the series. The officials cost us game 3, I won't sway from that. And the Bulls should've won game 6, I place the blame on the shooting as the biggest problem, the officials were second. Like I said, they were fine except for the push-offs, and when you can only complain about that, they did a good job overall. It was just frustrating watching the Bulls give away opportunity and opportunity and then when we'd play good defense, not get the rebound because the officials would swallow the whistle.

[livid]

The Pistons better hope this is their year again, otherwise they'll not only lose that, but also lose Billups in the offseason (especially if they don't want to pay him what he thinks he's worth), but then again, one could argue that it doesn't really matter who wins the East anyways. With how well the Jazz are playing, with how well the Suns and Spurs can play, I'd be scared if I were any East opponent perhaps barring the Nets because if they're on, they could be a very dangerous team, it's just a matter of them being on, which doesn't seem to always be the case.

[Maxx]

Hmm well the Spurs barely beat the Suns without Amare and Diaw, so I can't imagine they'll beat them when they return rather pissed off tonight. I'll be very disappointed if this doesn't go 7 games

[Lowerdeck]

Final four...

Detroit vs. Cleveland

San Antonio vs. Utah

The only real surprise here is Utah.

[JStarr]

I'm surprised too by Utah, but I think even if they had been playing Dallas, they would have won there. Houston really should have had their number, as Yao should have been able to impose his will on them. So, I guess what I'm saying is that them getting by Houston was the big surprise for me.

I'd love to see a Cleveland-Utah final, just for a change of pace. That and the prospect of Kirilenko guarding LeBron for six or seven games. (Y) Not that I'm convinced it'll happen, mind, just something that I'd find cool. I got Cleveland in seven and San Antonio also in seven.

[VerbalPuke]

The Pistons better hope this is their year again, otherwise they'll not only lose that, but also lose Billups in the offseason (especially if they don't want to pay him what he thinks he's worth), but then again, one could argue that it doesn't really matter who wins the East anyways. With how well the Jazz are playing, with how well the Suns and Spurs can play, I'd be scared if I were any East opponent perhaps barring the Nets because if they're on, they could be a very dangerous team, it's just a matter of them being on, which doesn't seem to always be the case.

I know that it's a moot point now, but that bolded statement puzzled me. The Nets wouldn't have had the man power to compete with anybody barring a first round Toronto. They have no size, and lack depth. It would have shown against the Pistons if they had managed to get through. Even if they were on, I couldn't have seen them taking more than one game, and a big maybe for two.

And honestly, the Pistons are nobody's push over. People seem to forget that this team won the championship only three years ago against a Lakers team that was supposedly unbeatable. If any team in the East can win the championship convincingly, it's the Pistons. They have the size, depth, defense, and offensive weapons to get the job done against any team in the league. Unfortunately, if they do get to the finals, they'll be matched up with (in my opinion) the two teams that pose the biggest problems for them. For some reason Utah has been an achilles heel for the Pistons, and the Spurs are much like the Pistons (talented veteran team with championship experience).