Elbows, Bodychecks...Basketball?

The NBA has always shielded its star players, a very well known fact. These players clearly receive preferential treatment, as is often noted by commentators, writers and analysts alike. That certain players have earned specific rights and omissions from rules of the game by officials, whereas others have not yet reached that level of respect, is part of professional basketball.

So on that note, if Dwight Howard’s suspension in the First Round is an indication that this time honoured tradition of shielding superstars no matter what might be changing, then maybe Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher should pay the full effects of their actions in last night’s Lakers game against the Houston Rockets.

Derek Fisher took a run to deliver a body check to Luis Scola, knocking the Houston Forward to the ground, that had such a long lead up to it it would have been a charging penalty in hockey. And Kobe Bryant delivered an elbow to a highly disputed region (above the shoulders? below them?) on Ron Artest while jockeying for position – a play where Artest was actually the one called for the foul. Nothing says equal bearings like being penalized for receiving an elbow yourself from a superstar player.

Fisher was assessed a Flagrant 2 Foul so he was ejected from the game and now faces a possible suspension for the following game as well. Kobe was not penalized at all and Artest was ejected from the game for arguing the play. I'm sure Artest won’t receive any further punishment since replays show he was actually in the right to argue the missed elbow call. The entire game was quite vocal and physical too but there’s a point where a line has to be drawn, regardless of who committed the offence superstar or not, to maintain a level of sanity in the game. Howard faced the music, might it be time Fisher and Bryant did as well?

The loss of Fisher would be a significant blow to the Lakers team in itself, however combine that with Kobe and the NBA is pretty much handing the win in this closely fought series already over to the Houston Rockets. But that may very well be what should happen with regards to the Melee in LA (patent pending) last night, regardless the impact on the series itself.

A few decades back this type of rough play was a lot more common across the Assocation however they did not have the technology, with countless replays coming from every possible angle, and heavy scrutiny of each and every call that today’s game employs. So for this reason this foul has been examined and re-examined relentlessly. The game was more raw years back but recently the level of play has been clamped down on a lot more in the NBA - even if pick-up is still just as rough, a concerned effort has been present in the pro ranks.

Suddenly reverting back to the physical play of that lost time period is not the easiest of things to do. Sure this level of physicality certainly adds a tremendous element to the games themselves, similar to how fighting in hockey attracts viewers. A promise of punches, elbows, shoving and heated exchanges on an almost nightly basis has to be a draw for sports fans and so far this postseason the games have rarely disappointed in this respect. However the NBA, trying to keep control over its game, has to be careful in the decisions they make right now. What message would they like to send about their game? And not only to the teams competing in these playoffs but also to the young players growing up with dreams of going pro as well.

Kobe Bryant should at very least receive a retroactive Flagrant 1 Foul for his elbow to Ron Artest. In response to letting Rajon Rondo off the hook without a Flagrant the NBA said there was no wind up to the foul; with Kobe there appears to have been such a delivery. A good signal to send to keep order might be suspending Bryant a game; dealing with the public relation repercussions might be a nuisance however it would tell every player that no one is exempt. Howard's a star and he was caught, so it wouldn't be totally unprecedented to punish Kobe.

Something has to be signaled anyways, the NBA has to let us know what path it wants to take the rough or the regimented. Both can work but it's time to come to that decision and make it known which way the game will be taken, especially considering the way this postseason has gone thus far.

Kobe Bryant-Ron Artest, Derek Fisher fouls being reviewed by the NBA (ESPN)
The Kobe Bryant Suspension Watch (True Hoop)

NBA hands down decision: Howard sits Game 6

The NBA's Executive Vice President Stu Jackson has passed judgment on the Dwight Howard flagrant foul last night, the result being a one game suspension.

(Dwight) Howard received a one-game ban for an elbow he swung at the head of 76ers center Samuel Dalembert in Tuesday's Game 5, and like teammate Courtney Lee -- who was later felled by an unintentional Howard hit -- will be absent when the 76ers try to force a Game 7 in the teams' tight first-round series.

From a statement released by Howard himself:

"I'm very disappointed but I have to respect the NBA's decision," Howard said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "I didn't intend to hurt anyone. I have complete faith in my teammates that they will come out and get the job done tomorrow night."

There has been no comment yet on the Rajon Rondo foul, which appears to be the more controversial since there was little disipline given during the game - it was just a regular, personal foul. John Hollinger from ESPN takes a hard look at the state of the playoffs

And as a result of those two plays, the focus is once again right where the league doesn't want it -- on the officials. Through four games and 52 minutes, 58 seconds of a fifth, all anyone could talk about was how entertaining the Celtics-Bulls series was and the theatrical battles between Gordon and Allen, or between Rose and Rondo, or between Del Negro and logic.

One smack to the head up north and one elbow in an ear down south, and all that has changed. We can only hope it's an isolated incident, yet all of us fear it won't be.

Stay tuned, there's certainly more to come...

Howard out for Game 6 (ESPN)
'Flagrants' foul up playoff picture (ESPN)

Where Anything Happens...

Rajon Rondo has been one of the most highly criticized point guards in the entire NBA since joining the superstar laden Boston Celtics last season as a rookie. Being placed in charge of leading that team, with such high expectations, could not have been easy! However right now, with the departure of emotional team leader Kevin Garnett, it’s Rondo that has picked up the slack to fill the void, and it's Rondo who has been the main reason the Celtics are still surviving by the skin of their teeth (last night was yet another Overtime thriller between the Celtics and Chicago Bulls, with the C’s BARELY squeaking out the win at home).

Averaging a triple double so far in the playoffs with a line 24 ppg, 10.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists through 5 games it’s hard to dispute that Rondo is crucial to Boston’s success, especially since it’s pretty clear that Garnett will not return this postseason. That and the play of the other two corners of the trifecta, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, are rather streaky and inconsistent to date. Rajon Rondo will pretty much do anything to win – and as of last night I can clearly say he really will do ANYTHING!

Something funny happened last night as we as fans saw that generally reserved for the other playoffs going on right now, that being questionable shots to the head. In the dying seconds of overtime Brad Miller of the Chicago Bulls had the ball wide open and drove, seemingly to an easy, game tying lay-up. This plan was foiled by Rondo however with a clearly intentional foul as he tried to take Miller’s head off. After receiving stitches inside his mouth as a result of the shot from Rondo, the somewhat reliable Free Throw shooter Miller missed his first shot. Miller intentionally missed the second one in hopes of a rebound by his team that they could score off of the rebound but to no avail, the Celtics hung on for the important victory on home court. Once again the little Point Guard that could made his presence felt in deciding the game in Boston’s favour.

The defending champs are reeling as a much lesser team in the Chicago Bulls are making both units look equal strength, if not reversed at times throughout this series. It’s taken this team all the way to brutish behaviour to ensure victory. However the amazing thing is that one cannot simply blame the Rondo for this questionable behaviour right now!

In another series where the favourites were being given all they could handle the Orlando Magic met with the Philadelphia 76ers last night, and the manchild superstar Dwight Howard of the Magic also imposed his physical with an elbow to Philadelphia’s Center Samuel Dalembert. While not as crucial a play, and while rightly called a technical foul (unlike Rondo’s which was called just a personal foul), it was still a very significant play that opened things up for the remainder of the game for the one they call Superman.

There are conspiracy theories abound in regards to Rondo’s foul, as a technical foul call would have allowed the Bulls to choose the shooter of their choice for the shot and then given them the ball back out of bounds as well. But whether the always-catering-to-their-superstars Association did allow the Celtics to slip away with one is of lesser concern than the point made by TrueHoops today in their blog write-up of the incidents:

Not to read too much into unrelated plays by Howard and Rondo, but certainly today the ball's in the NBA's court. Having been so careful in recent years to make the game less about brutish defense, and more about offense and the beauty of the game, are these the new rules of engagement? Are heads fair game? And if so, as it works so well, can't we expect more of the same?

In the same week that Donald Brashear was handed out a 6 game suspension mid-playoffs for a head shot in an aggressive, physically based sport, another sport which actually outlaws any physical contact between players is left to look at itself in the mirror and decide what happens next.

Dwight Howard was already punished during the game for his foul, adding on to that punishment would not be as hard as with Rajon Rondo who was essentially dismissed of any major grievance by the officials not elevating the severity of the call. Perhaps it is worth a second look by those in command of discipline in the NBA though?

What will remain a point of contention for the rest of the series no doubt, the level of physicality needs to be addressed by David Stern right now before things really get out of hand. Last night the names on the jerseys may have staved off such a move, that should never be the case but alas it's the standard operating procedure within the NBA. At what point, however, will that no longer matter? And will it be far too late?

Winners, Apparently, Hit People in the Head (TrueHoop)
When All Else Fails, Just Punch Brad Miller In The Face (Deadspin)
Tim Legler: Spare Rondo (ESPN)
Jalen Rose: Suspend Superman (ESPN)

Roko's Ballin' Life: Raptors rookie breaks out

One game does not make a season but heading into the All Star break an all out, scrappy effort from the entire Raptors team to upset one of the best in the NBA cannot be understated. A high level of play from deep down the depth chart is a nice perk as well.

Last night that is exactly what they got all around, with big game efforts from Jason Kapono, Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker, and most notably from the often-overlooked rookie, Roko Ukic.

If there’s anything that personifies the Raptors season it could very well be the play of Ukic. As a late, second round draft pick (41st overall) in 2005 by Rob Babcock, the lanky Croatian Guard had many of the Raptors faithful touting him as a diamond in the rough, his arrival was highly anticipated for years.

Since his NBA debut however Roko has appeared lost on the court at times, the brimming confidence of the young man overshadowed by inconsistent perimeter shooting (now 9-for-40 in 3 pt. shooting on the year) and wild turnovers that have appeared in games. A decent slasher with the ability to control a game from the Point, it has been Ukic’s shortcomings that have always stolen the headlines when describing the rookie. Obviously the Raptors led into this year with great expectations which have failed to materialize to date, to the point where the term “most disappointing team of the season” has been used by critics to describe the Toronto outfit as of late. But this team can surprise and remind you that there is a chance there is enough talent to not pass over, and that was Roko last night.

The pessimists will look at this game and call it a fluke. Yes, Ukic he hit a couple from beyond the arc (including a critical shot with under a minute left to play), but it was more luck than talent that his shots were falling (had he missed that off balance shot at the end he would’ve been vilified). And the only reason there was ever a chance anyways was due both to San Antonio’s long road trip and the fact that this was the last game before the All Star break for them as well.

The optimists will sing another tune however, seeing what they thought all along reinforced yesterday. They have defended Ukic at times using the Jose Calderon debate, stating that the first season the Spanish guard spent in the NBA he too looked out of place, and that it wasn’t until he saw increased playing time that his game and talent emerged. A depleted roster heading into last nights game, compounded by an injury to Joey Graham early on is what allowed Ukic to tally up the minutes and a career high in scoring as well (9-for-13 for 22 pts). Now there’s more ammunition to argue that it really does just come down to giving the young Guard more time before he surprises and flourishes in the way that Calderon has did in the 2007/08 season, and therefore he deserves the shot.

Whatever way you look at it, Roko Ukic beamed with the same confidence that everyone in the organization has praised him for since his arrival last night against the NBA dynasty that is the San Antonio Spurs, and finally delivered with a Raptors performance to match their opponent. The final layup came over Tony Parker and you get the feeling that names did not matter one bit to Ukic, there was a job to do and he did it and that was all.

"I really like live play and trying to make something happen. I didn't feel much
pressure. I just took him to the basket because I saw nobody was helping and the
lane was pretty much open and I just tried to go all the way to the basket."

Always willing to learn, even staying after practice to work on the lesser parts of his game (something that has left an impression with the Raptors organization seemingly from the start of the season), one can see the desire is present in Ukic. Last night he took his chance to show that the hype, the investment, all of the anticipation was not necessarily wasted. Last night “Rockin’ Roko”, as Matt Devlin likes to call him, did not disappoint, and neither did the Raptors. Last night needs to come about more often, for all parties involved.

Congrats to the Raptors, and especially to Roko Ukic, and thanks for leaving Canadian hoops fans on a positive note before the All Star break. Now just remember to pick up where you left off after your return from the long weekend.

Ukic spurs Raptors to win (Toronto Star)
Toronto’s no-stars get job done (National Post)

Garbage Minutes: basketball fills the void before this weekend

The question posed - which was the better fight? Was it Matt Barnes bodycheck on Rafer Alston that lead to a melee involving Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and the Big Aristotle himself laying down the law? Or a recent scrap in Russia with cheapshot haymakers reigning down?

So Deadspin has covered both of these brawls already, but what I find interesting is that they ejected 16 players from the game and finished things up 3-on-3 in Russia, even though the scrap really was relatively minor save one cheapshot, and only a couple people were heavily involved (although somehow the one most guilty, former Arizona Wildcat Joseph Blair, apparently remained in the game after a huge sucker punch!).

It's interesting, the NBA still appears rather paranoid about any fracas taking place but as fan as I can tell that means I can only buy up to a medium size beer at the ACC (large is available only for Leafs games). Limiting the size of beers really going to stop any trouble in the future? Maybe it's time to adopt a far more strict approach by the NBA? Two were ejected from the Suns-Rockets skirmish that involved a larger number of actively jostling players than that in Russia, and yet the suspension friendly Association hasn't even sent down any fines as of this moment in time for those involved! (but criticizing officials warrants a $25,000 fine nice and quick, which one is more "ridiculous"?).

Is this a case of not wanting to come down hard on a big number of its superstars (T-Mac, Shaq, Yao and Nash were all guilty parties), or has the NBA actually lightened up on their fighting suspensions? My guess is the former, but anyways both scraps are posted below:

Suns-Rockets
Russian League

Rough Ride for the Raptors

The loss to the Sixers was not the main story of the night last night in Raptorland, Philly's revenge was unfortunate but there were other matters to attend to. Toronto is facing its first obstacle of the season, it's just now a matter of finding of how significant it will actually be.

Two injuries last night haunted Raptors fans - they both came around the same time, at some point throughout the 2nd quarter. Both absences were telling, there were glarring omissions as the game went down the stretch. The extent of both of these losses have not been revealed as of yet, what impact this will have on the team and the organization as a whole, so for now Raptors fans just have to wait for the results to come pouring in. They could be minimal distractions or big concerns, but for now here's a summary of what took place in the ACC on Wednesday night.

Jose Calderon, the winner of last seasons battle for point guard surpremacy in Raptorland, limped off the court in the First Quarter of last night's game, a horrific sign to see for the Toronto faithful. While he returned in the Second Quarter he certainly didn't look like himself out there and then, he had slowed down and was makinguncharacteristic turnovers. Tragically, he was done for the night before halftime. The Jose Watch will be a main concern of so many around this city that there is no need not to worry, the media will most definitely keep everyone updated as this plays itself out!

The lack of depth at the point was pronounced after Calderon left the game, as Will Solomon was unable to establish anything and Roko Ukic looked a little too inexperienced at times. Both did alright at times, but then also looked quite lacking at others. Down the stretch Coach Sam Mitchell actually had Anthony Parker playing the point, going with a bigger line-up of Parker, Jason Kapono, Andrea Bargnani (who played a good game with great intensity last night, a definite bright spot in the loss), Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal. A starting 5 of this make-up cannot happen consistently though, Jose will be needed to make a return and as pronto for Toronto's sake. With all hopes the tightness in his hamstring is nothing to be concerned about, nothing more than a cramp or at very worst a tweak (fingers crossed)

I mentioned two injuries, it seems the other injury was just an added insult on top of everything rlse. On a attempted trampoline dunk the Raptor, well, the Raptor missed...his leg went right thru the coils as he made his first approach during a stoppage in play. He shook it off and bounced back up after he was untangled, got ready to go again - which could make one question initially if that was a staged miss or or not (but really that would have been beyond impressive for a staged failed dunk!). But alas staged it wasn't, the Raptor made a second approach and hit the mark but missed the dunk, landing on his side. Quickly getting to his feet the Raptor hobbled off the court in a hurry, clearly in pain. Much like Calderon his presence was also missed, especially down the stretch when the 60 seconds of madness - which occurs at the end of the Third Quarter - lacked its usual intensity. Just as with Calderon the Raptor made a brief return, this time towards the end of the game in the Fourth Quarter, hobbling out to the courtside, trying his best to pump up the crowd to help rally the troops. And just like Calderon, fans hope they will see the Raptor, in all his inflated and non-inflated glory, back in action soon!

The bright spots were certainly overshadowed by bad luck last night, and unfortunately the bad luck mainly dealt with injuries. With a roster lacking depth heading into the season this was a concern for the Toronto unit, now there's a bullet to be dodged to return to full strength and right back into the thick of contention in the East. Stay tuned for the latest updates on the Raptors...

Kids Do The Darndest Things!

Well this looks oddly familiar, does it not? In a Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic Athletic Association (HWCAA) Football semi-final game at Ivor Wynne Stadium this past weekend, the St. Jean de Brebeuf Braves were down 15-10 with only 2 seconds remaining in the game. Trailing the Cardinal Newman Cardinals, apparently the Brebeuf players actually talked about this one in the huddle before the play! While trying their best to imitate Trinity University, a homemade video captured the play that these players will likely never stop talking about for the rest of their lives!

Brebeuf head coach Steve Alfano was still hyperventilating after.

"I don't really want to see that one again, because that was just too much," he joked as he regained his composure. "It was at least six touches of the ball, maybe more.

"You want to get the ball into the hands of your skills players, just not usually all of them on one play."

Longest Yard: Brebuf Braves big play against Cardinal Newman
Brebuf's "Hook and Ladder" one for YouTube

No Lights Go! OR The NFL is STILL human

Alright so I've been M.I.A for a while but I am back, and thankfully have been catching enough sporting events (Raptors preseason tilts, CIS and NFL games) to provide some content around the site. The first thing to touch upon however is quite a unique experience that I experienced this past weekend.

As everyone knows by now balloons got the best of the Buffalo Bills this past weekend. I heard that the television coverage was very spotty, I was fortunately there at the game so luckily I didn't miss a snap. And while there were a couple short delays, for the most part the Buffalo-San Diego game was just played for the most part with a bipolar scoreboard. Well, they also lacked a game clock for a period in time as well - there was a couple bursts of anger from Phillip Rivers, the Chargers QB, on a few Delay of Game calls when they was no clock countdown but rather just the ref yelling, "5...4...3...2...1...", which was obviously drowned out by the fans (rather easily too).

It wasn't really that bad though - well, alright, having the lights go out in an overpacked washroom TWICE was less than favourable, but beyond that the overall game experience was not really hampered too much. But what struck me was that this happened at an NFL game, and while it's unavoidable and out of their control does it not seem unacceptable for something as large as an NFL game? It was for this reason I was very excited to be in attendance!

For starters It DID make me feel a lot better about a gaffe during a playoff game at University Stadium a few years back in the playoffs, where Laurier's scoreboard went on the fritz for the entire second half. I shook my head thinking "man, this is so bush league!", but you know what we DID have a working time clock, so we were instantly one better than an NFL franchise!

I am fully aware that this isn't the first time a power outage has come into play, although it is more suited to arena sports - which is, yes, far more troublesome since there's no option of playing at that point in time period! But I did enjoy the setback because it made even the most powerful and successful sports league in the world seem a bit more human. While outages happen every now and then in the NBA and NHL, they NEVER happen in a football stadium really. So in celebration of the momentus event I instantly went and bought an overly priced beer in celebration of my new found companionship with the National Football League! (sadly that overly priced beer was still better priced than the ACC, but that's another matter altogether...)

It was a great game on the field, the Bills re-establishing themselves as AFC contenders, and Trent Edwards reaffirming his MVP contending status. It was also exciting to partake in such an odd and random happenstance as that of an on-again, off-again football stadium. And as long as the guy peeing in the corner missed your shoes as you exited the washroom, an overall fun experience not to be forgotten soon!

Oh, *that*'s what they were playing!

Adding to the list of "better things to change than the team name"...

Slip of the Site OR You ruined everything! You big ruiner!

Kudos to the guys over at Deadspin for pointing this one out: despite their best attempts to keep things under wraps and secretive by trademarking a variety of names, the Oklahoma City basketball consortium may have had their party spoiled!

As this screen shot posted on Deadspin reveals, upon the release of the NBA schedule yesterday the league site, nba.com, the top banner on one page read, "2007-08 Oklahoma City Thunder Schedule."

And so now let the debate begin on whether this is a new NBA or a WNBA franchise! (although really, when you drop off the "Super" the "Sonics" could go either way as well). Although it was assumed before, the management group did try and throw people off with their trademark bonanza of 6 potential names. I personally preferred the "Barons," but apparently I was wrong. Since nothing official had been released this can be categorized under the pretty awesome blunder heading, and you have to love it when this sort of thing happens and it gets caught and put out in public!

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE!!

I've figured out -- Wimbledon was nothing less than a showdown of 2 Highlanders! And obviously, since the victory, Nadal took all the power that once belonged to Roger Federer, with a pending claim to supremacy not far behind.

Ok but c'mon, you try and provide a better answer to explain Ferderer over these last 2 tournaments! So the First Round exit at the Rogers Cup here in Toronto - as awful as it was for both organizers and fans alike being robbed of the much-anticipated Federer-Nadal rematch - was excusable for Roger since it was his first match post-Wimbledon epic battle to the death. However, after losing his Third Round match in the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters today to 16th seed Ivo Karlovic, his third loss in his past four matches mind you, then we enter question period. It's not too rash to reach this point either because Roger Federer does NOT lose 3 of 4 matches, EVER! Not to the best of the best in the tennis world, and certainly not to lower/unseeded players. Federer had become the Tiger of tennis, but even an injured Tiger still has what it takes to at least make it respectable at his tournaments (if not win it all). Therefore it's clear that something is rotten with Roger.

If Rafael Nadal takes this tournament Roger Federer, for the first time since February, 2004, will no longer claim the #1 Men's Seed. There Can Only Be One!