NBA Playoffs 2007: Conference Semifinals

[Just John 0]

There's nothing inherently wrong with getting off the bench, and players can probably restrain other NBA players better than the wimpy/elderly officials. If a player off the bench continues or escalates the problem, he should receive a harsher penalty than someone on the floor doing the same thing.

No more judgment call rules. No. Cut and dry is good. You get up, you sit in the next game.

 

Let's not allow the league to make judgment calls on such behavior. They can't call fouls right.

 

That sounds nice, but Barkley made a good point about the emotional reaction from players after an incident like that. Your idea sounds a lot like the NBA's policy on complaining about calls at the beginning of the year. Anyone remember that?

[randomguy 0]

Awesome. Let's review:

 

Kneeing someone in the balls purposely - no suspension.

Kicking someone's legs as they make a jump shot - no suspension.

Grabbing someone's legs as you lie on the floor - not even a penalty.

Walking onto the court in the middle of play when players are about to fight - no suspension.

Walking slightly onto the court after play has stopped when players are about to fight and you are the Suns - suspension.

 

Funny how that works.

[Guest]

Charles Barkley was only making those comments because he had shown over the course of his career that he could not control his behavior, and that others who also can't control their behavior should not be blamed for their own actions. He's full of shit on this subject. I'm not going to take the word of a man that spit on a little girl because someone was saying a few mean things to them, that's for sure.

 

Lost in everything is the fact that THIS IS THE RULE. It has been around for long enough for everyone to know it, it wasn't like the complaining about calls policy.

 

You can argue the merits of the rule, but the way the rule is written, Amare deserves his suspension. WHO GIVES A FUCK if the Suns become undermanned due to this. I could see this coming all postseason. Amare plays with such a fire that he was bound to get in trouble at some point, and he did.

 

As for the above post, like I said. Judgment calls SUCK.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Hey, don't look now, but the Bulls are up by 20 with about 6 left. That United Center crowd is gonna rock the house on Thursday night.

 

They did what I asked, winning on the road. Good job. Whatever happens from this point is fine with me, knowing they didn't tuck their tails between their legs and hide after Game 3.

[Just John 0]

I know it's the rule, but I think the rule is stupid.

 

There IS going to be emotional reaction to an incident like that. You'd have to have ice water in your veins (or not be paying attention) to not stand up and take a couple steps toward the action after seeing a teammate get body checked into the scorer's table, much less when the victim is your star player. Like I said, it's like that terrible attempt at cracking down on players complaining. When you play a competitive game, you get testy. That's no excuse for fighting or gooning, but reacting to big incident like that is only natural. It's not just players who "can't control their behavior." I mean, what other incidents like this has Boris Diaw been involved with?

[SteakGrowsOnUecker 0]

So why was this "rule" ever a suspension really? Why not a huge fine? How are these situations not open to interpretation? So Nash was bodychecked by Horry. There were no punches thrown, just players separated (OK so Horry sorta forarmed Bell big deal) It was not violent, just tempers rising after a close, hard fought game. And with these other hard elbows and knees to the groin getting just fines and no suspensions, to suspend in this situation is whats bullshit. I can't see why fines to Diaw and Stoudemire could'nt have sufficed since this incident was not even a real fight. This is where standing by "the rule" is bullshit and it should be open to interpretation, as it should've been since it was first created. Good job NBA.

[Gert T 0]

Looks like another good one in GS-Utah. Hope the tornado avoids us so we can hear Barkley at halftime. As long as Stern is an arrogant bastard and does not buckle at the questions, the NBA will be fine. Its horseshit, especially since they had to answer the Bowen-Duncan question, but rule with an iron fist Stern!

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

The NBA has had this rule for years and every damn time someone breaks it they get suspended

 

So why are so many bitches crying about it now?

 

Get over it

[Just John 0]

I think most bitches are crying about the consistency with not suspending Duncan and Bowen for coming off the bench earlier.

 

I still maintain the rule itself is stupid, much like the insta-tech for reacting to a foul call.

[cabbageboy 0]

This rule is idiotic because it simply punishes everyone for coming off the bench, which in and of itself is a harmless act. While I thought the 1997 Heat/Knicks series was amusing in the way it went down, the Knicks were completely screwed there. The difference is that it didn't really matter since the winner of that series was mere jobber fodder for the Bulls anyway, and the winner of this Spurs/Suns series is likely to win the NBA title.

 

It's time to differentiate this stuff. If a guy comes off the bench and gets involved in a fight or escalates a situation, then suspend him. If a guy comes off the bench briefly and does nothing or is quickly restrained, then let it go.

 

What I don't understand is why these guys don't realize "Oh shit, I am on the court!" and then know they'll be suspended and just get their licks in. As in Horry knocks Nash down hard like that, if they're going to walk on the court at least beat the fuck out of Horry.

 

If I'm D'Antoni I send in a goon next game to knock the crap out of a major Spurs star, or at least beat the piss out of Bruce Bowen. Do the Suns even HAVE a goon though? But playing Mr. Nice Guy isn't getting them anywhere.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Do the Suns even HAVE a goon though?

Raja Bell? Shawn Marion?

[Guest]

What I don't understand is why these guys don't realize "Oh shit, I am on the court!" and then know they'll be suspended and just get their licks in. As in Horry knocks Nash down hard like that, if they're going to walk on the court at least beat the fuck out of Horry.

Yeah, let's go get 25 games so that we can fuck my team over for the rest of this postseason and for the beginning of next year. That's real smart.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Enough talk about the Spurs-Suns silliness, guys. You're just repeating yourselves.

 

In other news, GS and Utah are having a foul war of their own in the 3rd. Warriors on the verge of being eliminated here, which scares me since that'll just leave Phoenix and Chicago for me to cheer for. And neither of them have a great chance, although the Bulls aren't going down easy, which is nice.

[USC Wuz Robbed! 0]

Not to count the chickens before they hatch, but supposing the Bulls made the NBA finals, it would be ironic if the Western Conference finals pitted the Jazz against the Suns seeing they were the two teams the Bulls beat in the final years of their two three-peats.

[Ripper 0]

Charles Barkley was only making those comments because he had shown over the course of his career that he could not control his behavior, and that others who also can't control their behavior should not be blamed for their own actions. He's full of shit on this subject. I'm not going to take the word of a man that spit on a little girl because someone was saying a few mean things to them, that's for sure.

 

Lost in everything is the fact that THIS IS THE RULE. It has been around for long enough for everyone to know it, it wasn't like the complaining about calls policy.

 

You can argue the merits of the rule, but the way the rule is written, Amare deserves his suspension. WHO GIVES A FUCK if the Suns become undermanned due to this. I could see this coming all postseason. Amare plays with such a fire that he was bound to get in trouble at some point, and he did.

 

As for the above post, like I said. Judgment calls SUCK.

 

You aren't going to find a time Charles came off the bench in a fight. He always came off and was a peacemaker. He was a hot head in the heat of battle but off the bench, he never got into a battle, so he isn't full of shit at all. Plus, Barkley hardly ever got a second tech, because he could control himself.

 

I understand THIS IS THE RULE. But it is being selectively enforced when the same thing happened in the SAME GAME. I ask for consistancy. If it is such a automatic rule, then were is the automatic punishment for everyone?

[alfdogg 0]

Also, not that it makes it any less wrong, but Barkley was trying to spit on the girl's father.

[Ripper 0]

Also, not that it makes it any less wrong, but Barkley was trying to spit on the girl's father.

 

 

And he moved. What kinda pussy dodges the spit meant for him and lets his daughter take it.

[Just John 0]

Does anyone want to win this Utah/GS game? Lots of terrible play from the late 3rd quarter on.

 

And Doug Collins needs to stop blowing Derek Fisher. It got out of control when he gave him all the credit for that fast break steal when it was plain as day that AK47 created the whole thing. At least other frequent announcer BJ recipients like Kobe, Nash, etc are actually great players.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

The last few minutes of the Jazz/GS have been pure entertainment

 

It's like watching a pick-up game between people that don't know how to play

 

Turnovers, missed lay-ups, mad scrambles, and chuckers

[Bored 0]

That was a Grade-A flop by AK-47 to get Barnes tossed.

 

Bah, blowing Game 2 pretty much killed the Warriors chances in this series. Oh well will always have the Dallas series.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Well, GS couldn't make a shot tonight and didn't take advantage of all the freebies Utah gave them. I've been pretty convinced throughout this series that whoever moves on is going to get killed in the WCF. At least if the Suns and Warriors played it would've been fun to watch the high scores, but Utah isn't going to beat Phoenix or San Antonio.

[Kurt Angle Mark 0]

Finley, Fisher and Cassell are on my short list of players who I expect to hit every shot they take in the 4th quarter

 

Once again he came through, seen him do it many times for the Lakers

[alfdogg 0]

"Mommy, come on TNT with me and tell everyone that I'm not a bad person!"

[MFer 0]

Finley, Fisher and Cassell are on my short list of players who I expect to hit every shot they take in the 4th quarter

 

Once again he came through, seen him do it many times for the Lakers

Which makes me wonder why the Warriors weren't doing everything they could to cover Fisher on those 3's. I'm no b-ball expert but with Fisher's experience coupled with the emotions of his family situation, you could just feel him taking and making those shots. Also, J-Rich assumed his role as the Warriors star who disappeared in a big game (every team seems to have one).

 

In other news, the Pistons got fat, happy, complacent, and cocky once again as they got embarrassed at home. I'm not trying to take anything away from the Bulls cuz I know they played hard, but as a person who follows this team, I'm sure that Detroit expected Chicago to roll over for them at the Palace. This is nothing new for them.

[Matt Young 0]

Did anybody call Utah in the conference finals? I sure as hell never saw that coming when the playoffs started. I figured they'd be ousted in the first round.

[Guest George's Box]

That's two games in a row that they've done that, and the fact that the Bulls have been let back into the series is part of why I can't stand the Pistons: they're the best team in the league and yet they're always content to just coast when they don't feel like winning.

 

Did anybody call Utah in the conference finals? I sure as hell never saw that coming when the playoffs started. I figured they'd be ousted in the first round.

Nope, most people surely had them losing to the Rockets or the Mavericks. Though I'm always happy for Jerry Sloan, I can't really care one way or the other about this iteration of the Utah Jazz. They won't make the Finals, though.

[MFer 0]

I know I had Utah losing to Houston so it's a surprise to see them make it this far (although you have to wonder how they would've fared against Dallas). I did think the Jazz would be a dangerous team earlier this season but they faded a little down the stretch and I forgot about them. They do have a real shot against SA/PHX though.

 

As for the Pistons, that mentality was probably what cost them in the playoffs last year. They messed around with Cleveland and as a result, they got softened up for the Heat. I think their recent reign over the East has led them to believe that they're better than they really are. They're not a great enough team to just throw away games against the 2nd or 3rd best teams in the East

[Matt Young 0]

I'd love to see a Bulls/Jazz Finals. It would be a rematch of 1997 in 2007.

 

On another note, Czech, I agree with you. I used to be obsessed with basketball growing up. I'd never miss a Bulls game, and I frequently watched other teams. Now, aside from the few Bulls games I get out here, select few marquee matchups, and the playoffs, I hardly even watch the NBA.

[ANKLELOCK 0]

How wouldn't the Jazz stand a chance against the Suns when they've had their number the last two years and the Suns are basically a slightly better version of the Warriors? They play a style very condusive to being exploited by a team like Utah.

 

San Antonio, I will concede, would be in pretty good shape against Utah.

[Matt Young 0]

Calling the Suns "slightly better" than the Warriors is a slap in the face to the Phoenix franchise. Nothing against Golden State, but Phoenix is clearly superior.