Would NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson have suspended Michael Jordan for one game like he did Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire?
Me and my brother (Team IG stand up!) were discussing this morning whether the suspensions to the two Phoenix Suns players were justified.
My initial thought was that they should be punished because they came off the bench when the Spurs' Robert Horry hipchecked Steve Nash into the boards like his name was Donald Brashear (MD/DC baby). Rules are rules.
But my brother said things should be taken on a case by case basis. It's the playoffs. They didn't get far enough away from the bench to make the situation worse. Stoudemire (averaging 23.5 points and 10.3 rebounds in the series) is one of the Suns' stars. If the Suns lose game 5 tonight that puts them down 3-2 -- on the verge of elimination.
So I asked myself, would they have suspended Jordan in the playoffs? The answer is no. IfJordan takes some steps away from the bench during a skirmish in the playoffs, there's no way they suspend him. (Another thought: Or maybe they do. Jordan was Superman, he could probably be down 3-1 and get his team back.)
This series is basically the NBA Finals. The team that wins this is supposed to win the championship, especially if it's the Spurs.
That's why the most interesting thing to me is this: The Spurs -- as dirty as they've looked with Horry, Bruce Bowen and Manu Ginobli -- are the team basketball purists would likely rather have win the championship. If the Suns win --with their fast-paced, wild, fan-energiziing ball -- it's a statement that teams can win a championship playing that way. What does that say about basketball? What does it say about the NBA? What message does it send to the youth, whose fundamentals are being ridiculed from every direction, every day? Did that have anything to do with the suspensions?
Some are likely jumping up and claiming that the Spurs are being protected as they did when ref Joey Crawford was suspended for tossing Duncan in a regular season game late in the season. After all Robert Horry, though having a history of hitting HUGE game winners, is averaging 4.8 ppg this series and not much of a loss.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, "Jackson also reviewed a play during the second quarter when Tim Duncan walked onto the court after Francisco Elson became entangled with Suns guard James Jones after a dunk. Duncan wasn't suspended because there wasn't an altercation on the floor at the time, Jackson said."
Said Jackson about the three suspensions: "It is not a matter of fairness, it's a matter of correctness ... and this is the right decision at this point of time."
He added this is the way the NBA has implemented the rule since 94-95. Does that mean it's time for change?
Here's the suspension breakdown via the Express-News:
SPURS-SUNS PLAYERS SUSPENDED
Robert Horry
Averages 6.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in playoffs; He has made 3 of 6 3-pointers in this series.
Amare Stoudemire
The biggest loss to either team. He leads the Suns with 23.9 points, 12.1 rebounds in the playoffs.
Boris Diaw
A key reserve, he averages 24 minutes, 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the playoffs.
Honestly, it was a cheap shot by Horry, but he's got the heart of a champion (H-TOWN Rockets Represent!!!) and knows what needs to be done to get the rings. Nash obviously flopped but he's got a sturdy chin and came back and played a great game. As for the suspensions, it's obviously a case by case basis. The NBA is a business first and foremost.