Most of the time when the League makes a high profile ruling, they have a saavy eye towards the pocket book. They did the exact opposite and probably hurt themselves financially in this case which makes me now wonder whether it was the right thing to do. One thing is for sure, I feel sorry for the San Antonio Spurs. Here was a team so dominant that a blind, deaf, half-wit would have confirmed they were pretty much a lock to win the Larry O'Brien trophy this year and now this Spurs legacy is forever tarnished. The Spurs were the better team, we knew that, the Spurs knew that, the Suns knew that, the world knew that, and they didn't need any perceived help from the league office to do what they were going to do anyways, right. Now they have the legacy of having advanced on a technicality. Its a shame.
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Stern, baby, Stern
By Sean Deveney - SportingNews
"I am sick to my stomach. The NBA can't be taken seriously anymore." -- Socks22
Oh, they were not happy, the blog-o-maniacs, the mavens of the message boards. Still, by the time the Western Conference semifinals were over, with the Spurs moving past the Suns in six grueling games -- all but one of which featured a close score and tense late-game moments -- there was little time to reflect.
Yes, San Antonio's series win over Phoenix made for compelling drama -- 13 days were packed with mudslinging, clawing, bruises, blood and, most memorably, suspensions, and it was widely agreed that the West champ, if not the NBA champ, would come from this series. But the league's schedule-makers left no opportunity for consideration of how lasting of an imprint the series had made on the league. "We play Utah in about three hours," Spurs guard Brent Barry joked.
It was more like 38 hours, but the Spurs did, indeed, tip off Sunday afternoon in the West finals at home against the Jazz, a young team reaching the postseason's third round for the first time since 1998. The series features intriguing matchups throughout, starting with venerable coaches Jerry Sloan of the Jazz and Gregg Popovich of the Spurs, who have 33 years of experience between them.
It also pits two of the league's best power forwards, Tim Duncan and Carlos Boozer, against each other -- a showdown that went decisively Duncan's way in the opener, as he scored easily over the smaller Boozer in the paint. With Duncan as their Game 1 anchor, the Spurs raced to an 18-point halftime lead before cruising to an 8-point win. There seemed to be no ramifications from the energy-draining Phoenix series.
Unfortunately, over the coming weeks -- and perhaps beyond -- the league figures to feel the ramifications of its heavy-handed suspensions of Suns players Boris Diaw and Amare Stoudemire, who left the bench after a dust-up followed a hard foul by Spurs forward Robert Horry on Suns guard Steve Nash in Game 4. Suspensions are automatic for players who leave the bench during an altercation, and commissioner David Stern insisted the league follow the letter of the law. Horry received a one-game suspension for the hit on Nash and another one-game suspension for a forearm to the Suns' Raja Bell. The Suns lost Game 5 by three points without Diaw and Stoudemire, which left fans to feel, at best, shortchanged and, at worst, outraged.
This is where Stern may have made a huge miscalculation. He was following the rule, but the perception remains that he rewarded Horry for a cheap shot. Worse, this all took place after Stoudemire called into question the Spurs' style, bluntly saying, "I think the Spurs are a dirty team."
Whatever the reality -- whether the Spurs are dirty, clean or only slightly grubby -- the perception remains that the playoffs have been tarnished, decided by men in suits in the New York office, not by players on the floor. The Suns did little to dissuade fans of that notion. "It's tough not to think forever what might have happened if this stupid rule hadn't gotten in the way," Nash said.
That stupid rule will overshadow the rest of the postseason, and the league is likely to pay a hefty price when it comes to television ratings. Remember the 2003 Finals, when ratings hit an all-time low? Next month's Finals figure to be in the same neighborhood, in part because would-be viewers now question the league's integrity.
This is of no concern whatsoever to the Spurs, who weren't -- and shouldn't have been -- making apologies for reaching the conference finals. Fact is, the team has the game's best postseason player, a guy who is, ironically, the NBA's Mr. Clean: Duncan. In Game 6 of the semifinals, he dominated the Suns by blocking a career-high nine shots. It's likely Duncan could have done the same had there been a Game 7. In the conference finals opener against the Jazz, Duncan held Boozer to 7-of-17 shooting, which is exactly why Boozer told reporters before the series, "He's probably the best post player we have in the game. ... What better challenge in basketball than to go up against Tim Duncan?"
Unfortunately, Boozer and Duncan are squaring off under a shadow. Boozer isn't the only one dealing with challenges leading up to The Finals -- Stern is, too.
