Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Patrick Beverley WCF

[Cheesebeef]

If the NBA was rigged, why would it eject the MVP, at home, in a series deciding game when they’d probably rather not see a sweep?

 

[Hoop Head]

If the NBA was rigged, why would it eject the MVP, at home, in a series deciding game when they’d probably rather not see a sweep?

Because they had no choice based on what he did. They didn't want to do it but it had to be done. They reviewed that play for quite some time trying to find another way to twist it.

If it was Aaron Gordon committing that same foul, he would have been tossed quickly, without review.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Because they had no choice based on what he did. They didn't want to do it but it had to be done. They reviewed that play for quite some time trying to find another way to twist it.

If it was Aaron Gordon committing that same foul, he would have been tossed quickly, without review.

Dude, how much does your back hurt from the pretzeling you’re engaged in here? Cmon . . .

 

[Hoop Head]

Dude, how much does your back hurt from the pretzeling you’re engaged in here? Cmon . . .

No pretzeling at all. Jokic was ejected because of the play he committed. He had no history of that sort of behavior and I'm sure the league didn't want to toss its newly crowned MVP but they really had no choice.

If it was another player,I doubt they review it that long and call it the flagrant it was and toss him with little to deliberation.

I'm not saying the league is rigged or its not. I just find pointing to Jokic's ejection as evidence its not is super weak.

 

[AzStevenCal]

No pretzeling at all. Jokic was ejected because of the play he committed. He had no history of that sort of behavior and I'm sure the league didn't want to toss its newly crowned MVP but they really had no choice.

If it was another player,I doubt they review it that long and call it the flagrant it was and toss him with little to deliberation.

I'm not saying the league is rigged or its not. I just find pointing to Jokic's ejection as evidence its not is super weak.

I think most refs would rather not toss any player but if the officials had a conscious desire to avoid tossing the MVP they could have just called it a common foul and moved on. Regardless, I've seen a lot of reviews that took as long as that one that didn't involve a big named player so I just don't think the "who" was a factor.

 

[Larry Schweikart]

It sure seems there is always one team that plays that way.

The Spurs were always doing something in the playoffs, e.g. Robert Horry knocking Steve Nash into the scoring table and subsequent ejections of Amare and Diaw for leaving the bench area.

That is because usually the more skilled teams are less thuggish. It was the precise formula Detroit had with Lambeer, Rodman, Salley, et al. They simply bullied Jordan into submission with the "Jordan Rules." Every time he touched the ball he was to get hit. Their strategy involved carefully calculating how virtually every member of the team would use up all six fouls by the end of a game. Read "The Franchise." But it worked.

 

[AzStevenCal]

That is because usually the more skilled teams are less thuggish. It was the precise formula Detroit had with Lambeer, Rodman, Salley, et al. They simply bullied Jordan into submission with the "Jordan Rules." Every time he touched the ball he was to get hit. Their strategy involved carefully calculating how virtually every member of the team would use up all six fouls by the end of a game. Read "The Franchise." But it worked.

Sure but there was more to it too. Daly knew that the refs would be reluctant to foul out an entire team and if you fouled the other guys often enough the officials would start overlooking many of them. Once it becomes accepted as your style of play, the refs would then ignore most of them. So, sure, they'd use up most of their fouls but the number called would be only a small fraction of the fouls they actually committed.

Pat Riley and other Head Coaches successfully adopted a similar approach. This eventually led to the almost league-wide boring physical play that ruined the game so badly in the 90's that the NBA had to form a committee (led by Jerry Colangelo) to try and figure out how to save the game.

 

[Mainstreet]

That is because usually the more skilled teams are less thuggish. It was the precise formula Detroit had with Lambeer, Rodman, Salley, et al. They simply bullied Jordan into submission with the "Jordan Rules." Every time he touched the ball he was to get hit. Their strategy involved carefully calculating how virtually every member of the team would use up all six fouls by the end of a game. Read "The Franchise." But it worked.

The rules are supposed to be different from 1989-1990 although this is exactly the type of physical play the Clippers are using on Devin Booker and the way the Spurs played Steve Nash.

As someone mentioned, Monty needs to stand up for his players. The Suns do have some players that play physical like Crowder and Carter but they are not a thuggish team. Chris Paul does know a few tricks of the trade and the Suns will need them.

 

[Vacard]

Bev should’ve been ejected for that but obviously the refs are calling for the Clips and to extend the series. They can eject the league MVP for a swipe but didn’t eject him for the headbutt??

 

[Mainstreet]

Bev should’ve been ejected for that but obviously the refs are calling for the Clips and to extend the series. They can eject the league MVP for a swipe but didn’t eject him for the headbutt??

I agree, Beverley should have been ejected for the head butt but apparently it's depends on if there is any plausible deniability. The referees are buying what Beverley and Cousins (who threw Booker down) are selling. At least Jokic didn't try to disguise it. He even apologized to Payne.

One of the problems with the Suns returning the favor, the referees won't let a defender touch George without a foul whereas the Clippers can rough up Booker with little or no consequence.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Bev should’ve been ejected for that but obviously the refs are calling for the Clips and to extend the series. They can eject the league MVP for a swipe but didn’t eject him for the headbutt??

Beverley did his usual solid job of masking intent on the play. Jokic's move was done out of frustration, it was intended as a statement. I don't believe injuring Payne was his goal so he made no attempt to hide what he was doing. So they really aren't the same thing.

IMO Pat's move was clearly dirty but even here, amongst mostly Suns fans, a lot of posters are just calling it tough defense or reckless or even worse, simply careless. Watch the guy play, Beverley has incredible control of his body. I find it difficult to believe that anyone can still justify his actions when he does stuff like this so regularly.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Beverley did his usual solid job of masking intent on the play. Jokic's move was done out of frustration, it was intended as a statement. I don't believe injuring Payne was his goal so he made no attempt to hide what he was doing. So they really aren't the same thing.

IMO Pat's move was clearly dirty but even here, amongst mostly Suns fans, a lot of posters are just calling it tough defense or reckless or even worse, simply careless. Watch the guy play, Beverley has incredible control of his body. I find it difficult to believe that anyone can still justify his actions when he does stuff like this so regularly.

With a player such as Beverley I consider intentional and reckless play the same because they both lead to injuries which provides his team an unfair advantage.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Beverley did his usual solid job of masking intent on the play. Jokic's move was done out of frustration, it was intended as a statement. I don't believe injuring Payne was his goal so he made no attempt to hide what he was doing. So they really aren't the same thing.

IMO Pat's move was clearly dirty but even here, amongst mostly Suns fans, a lot of posters are just calling it tough defense or reckless or even worse, simply careless. Watch the guy play, Beverley has incredible control of his body. I find it difficult to believe that anyone can still justify his actions when he does stuff like this so regularly.

With a player such as Beverley I consider intentional and reckless play the same because they both lead to injuries which provides his team an unfair advantage.

 

[GatorAZ]

I agree, Beverley should have been ejected for the head butt but apparently it's depends on if there is any plausible deniability. The referees are buying what Beverley and Cousins (who threw Booker down) are selling. At least Jokic didn't try to disguise it. He even apologized to Payne.

One of the problems with the Suns returning the favor, the referees won't let a defender touch George without a foul whereas the Clippers can rough up Booker with little or no consequence.

I can’t stand Beverley but there’s no way you can eject him for that. It was basically the same play where Nash went into Tony Parker’s space and collided.

 

[Mainstreet]

I can’t stand Beverley but there’s no way you can eject him for that. It was basically the same play where Nash went into Tony Parker’s space and collided.

Beverley reached-in and gave Booker a headbutt.

I don't know what else you need.

 

[GatorAZ]

Beverley reached-in and gave Booker a headbutt.

I don't know what else you need.

If you eject everyone that bites on a head fake you’d run out of players. Beverley is a dirty player but that wasn’t one of them.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If you eject everyone that bites on a head fake you’d run out of players. Beverley is a dirty player but that wasn’t one of them.

and even if it was, it was disguised well enough as an accident that there’s no way you could have kicked him out of the game.

 

[Mainstreet]

If you eject everyone that bites on a head fake you’d run out of players. Beverley is a dirty player but that wasn’t one of them.

We see things differently.

If a Suns player does something questionable I hope you are similarly understanding.

 

[GatorAZ]

We see things differently.

If a Suns player does something questionable I hope you are similarly understanding.

It’s a basketball play. You can’t expect a defender to never impede another player’s space.

You must be registered for see images

 

[Mainstreet]

It’s a basketball play. You can’t expect a defender to never impede another player’s space.

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Nash was clearly reaching in and going for the ball. See the extended arm.

Now go back and look at the play with the Beverley headbutt. Note Beverley's head was upright and then goes forward into Booker's head. Also he was not reaching or looking for the ball.

 

[AzStevenCal]

Nash was clearly reaching in and going for the ball. See the extended arm.

Now go back and look at the play with the Beverley headbutt. Note Beverley's head was upright and then goes forward into Booker's head. Also he was not reaching or looking for the ball.

Not only that but Parker moves his head forward into the play far more than Nash does. Not that Parker is trying for contact but Nash has no reason to expect Tony's head to be where it is when the contact occurs.

 

[Mainstreet]

Not only that but Parker moves his head forward into the play far more than Nash does. Not that Parker is trying for contact but Nash has no reason to expect Tony's head to be where it is when the contact occurs.

I think Parker was trying to get low to protect the ball.

 

[GatorAZ]

Nash was clearly reaching in and going for the ball. See the extended arm.

Now go back and look at the play with the Beverley headbutt. Note Beverley's head was upright and then goes forward into Booker's head. Also he was not reaching or looking for the ball.

I’ve watched the slow mo replay 15 times. Even it was with malicious intent there’s no way it could’ve been deemed suspension worthy. If you pause it at contact it’s 50/50 who would end up with the broken nose.

 

[Covert Rain]

This is the most ridiculous and overblown thread I have seen in this forum in some time.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I think Parker was trying to get low to protect the ball.

He was, it was a legit basketball move. Common foul on Nash, and that's it.