League suspends Horry, Stoudemire, Diaw

NBA did the right thing
May 16th, 2007

(Sports Network) - The ruling was right, but the law is wrong. The Phoenix Suns were hurt more than the San Antonio Spurs when the NBA handed down its suspensions for an incident in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

San Antonio veteran forward Robert Horry was suspended for two games, while Phoenix forwards Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw both received one game for their actions late in the fourth quarter on Monday night.

The 36-year-old Horry, who has six championship rings, received his punishment for flagrantly fouling Phoenix's Steve Nash and striking Raja Bell above the shoulders with a forearm. Stoudemire, who is averaging 23.9 points and 12.1 rebounds in this year's playoffs, and Diaw were suspended for leaving "the immediate vicinity of their bench" during an altercation.

Stoudemire and Diaw will both miss the pivotal Game 5, while Horry, who has collected 6.4 points and 3.9 boards per game in the postseason, will not play in Games 5 and 6.

The NBA knows the effect its decisions could have on the series, which has been entertaining and is tied at 2-2. Stoudemire, who played in his second All-Star Game this season, has been a force, while Diaw can play multiple positions and is a key reserve for Phoenix. Horry has knocked down countless big shots in the playoffs throughout his career, and is known as one of the most clutch players in NBA history. Unfortunately for Horry, he may have ruined his legacy with his unnecessary actions in Game 4.

Even though this specific ruling is harsh, Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations, and commissioner David Stern followed the letter of the law with their punishments. Players know when they leave the bench during an altercation there will be consequences. They have to be smarter.

Assistant coaches have to almost be babysitters, and keep order on the bench when hard fouls or a scuffle takes place on the court. The head coach deals with the officials and his player involved. Players need to stay under control.

Jackson and Stern did what they had to, but they need to alter the rule. The fact remains that Stoudemire and Diaw did not confront any player from San Antonio. They did not make the incident grow, and basically acted on human instinct.

There is no defense, as the replay does not lie. Stoudemire and Diaw did leave the bench after Horry's cheap foul on Nash. They violated an NBA law and have received the proper penalty.

Had the league found a way to say there was no major infraction and not levied the suspensions, there would have been a major outcry from fans all over the league, especially in New York.

Back in 1997, the Knicks lost a number of their top stars, including Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson, after an incident with the Miami Heat. The suspensions for those players changed the nature of the series and enabled the Heat to eventually win it in seven games.

During the offseason, the NBA will surely take a strong look at this specific rule. There needs to be some change and allowances during an incident such as this one. Different things, such as human reaction and what actually occurs, need to be considered.

The good thing is that this can be corrected for the future. The bad thing is that the penalties are going to most likely have a major impact on what has been a great series between two of the top teams in the league.

The Phoenix Suns were hurt more than the San Antonio Spurs when the NBA handed down its suspensions for an incident in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

During the offseason, the NBA will surely take a strong look at this specific rule. There needs to be some change and allowances during an incident such as this one. Different things, such as human reaction and what actually occurs, need to be considered.

I agree 100%