I wouldn't unless I saw clear intent, which I STILL don't see in this. The Dwyane Wade kick had clear intent. This doesn't. Also, if three of our guys attacked someone like hyenas, threw him to the ground, no fouls were called, and one of them got slightly kicked in the nuts, I'd certainly think, "Oh, well, you put yourself in that situation...PLAY ON."
I agree. Takes balls. Speaking out against the league's princess is an automatic one-game suspension in the rule books. Maybe, that's why he misspelled so much of it, so he wouldn't be caught.
Huh? His intent was to kick him. What other intent do you need? I've seen players get suspended for less... hell, seen players get kicked out of games for less. In the grand scheme of things he will benefit more from the rest and the Rockets should be thankful he wasn't kicked out of the game as it would have then been a loss. Kinda looking forward to Brewer/Ariza/Terry flinging threes all over the place... also makes this team more like ATL tomorrow, as there won't be one player for the defense to try and focus in on.
He clearly intended to kick him. He may not have intended to kick him there, but I don't see how anyone can argue that he didn't intend "to kick".
I'd bench Ariza and Beverley, who did their jobs against the Cavs. D-Mo, Jones, and Smith didn't, so play them and demand they play to win this time. Brewer always does his job, so he deserves rest, but I'd like him to be available as a team spark. Start Prigioni at point and get him as many minutes as he'll take. The team needs to learn to play with a proper point guard as well. Start Dorsey at center and tell him to pull down 15-20 rebounds. He'll try. D-Mo can be PF again. Smith and Jones can anchor the bench bigs with Terry as bench point. I think McHale should use the opportunity to flip off the league (he won't, of course), but, at the same time, give the rest of the team the opportunity to prove themselves and get practice butting heads against a top-tier team. It could be closer than people think.
If that kick was worthy of a suspension, it should have been worthy of an ejection. Good thing he didn't get ejected or we would have lost.
If what James did was worthy of ejection, Lebron was worthy of ejection. Harden kicked James - yes. But they both should have been ejected. If for nothing else, Lebron should have had 2 T's. I think most of us are only annoyed that there is 0 accountability for Lebron. He was playing basketball like an offensive lineman. A small-forward version of Shaq.
Kinda weak for a suspension, but not ludacrious. Curry, LeBron (or any player) gets the same punishment.
I should have been more specific. I don't think he gets suspended if he gently kicks Lebron in the leg. I think everyone assumes he intentionally went straight for the nuts, which everyone agrees is more egregious. I don't believe that's true; I think he was just kicking anywhere in a split second towards the guy that just threw him to the ground. Obviously, the officials and the replay center after tons of review said it was a Flagrant-1, and then after the game the officials confirmed that if they'd seen truly malicious intent, they'd have called it a Flagrant-2 on the spot and ejected him. There's a tweet somewhere in one of these million threads about that. It feels like damage control by the league instead of an actual legitimate review. Everybody knows if the roles are reversed in that act, Lebron would not get suspended.
Yeah Stupid McHale, should use the opportunity to tank a game that could ultimately decide the standings by not even trying to win just to flip off the league. That would teach them! But nooooooo, McHale is too stupid to throw a game in a futile effort to teach the league a lesson in a way that makes no sense! If only we had a real coach! /sarcasm
Wow this thread has gotten homery. It's clear he wasn't trying to kick him in the nuts. But he obviously, deliberately kicked him. That's just a fact. It's not a "push", it is a kick, whether or not it's intended to hurt. The context within the play doesn't matter unless he was being attacked in a flagrant manner himself. He was being fouled in a manner that happens regularly (it's usually called, but hey) and responded by kicking LBJ. It wasn't dirty, it was just a snap bad decision and a 1 game suspension is totally in line with precedent.
So James attempts to crush Beverley to the floor earlier, then shoves Harden to the floor during the play in question, not going for the ball at all (reports that he was being bull****, as anyone could see who actually watched the play), Harden then gives a weak kick to keep that thug off of him after seeing Bev crushed by James while the officials were playing tiddlywinks, and this is the result? If the league pumped any harder on James's johnson, they'd choke.
I'm perfectly okay with the league suspending Harden one game, but I am not okay with not hearing a single thing regarding anything LeBron did. Even if it was simply rescinding the tech on Bev I'd be content.
I liked how the guys on first take were defending harden. They were straight roasting lebron, saying how if it was any other player they wouldn't even have looked at it, and that he deserves an oscar. They said the league was protecting there star investment and they even pointed out the whole "the league will take a look at it" The agreed that it just look like harden was more telling lebron to get of of him cause lebron was still coming at him even when he had already fallen Finally getting love on espn
Goes to show the league has gotten very soft. So lebron cries and ms union whines and the league accomodates. Wish other players could do the same. Rest up MVP, much needed rest.
wait ESPN First Take? Like Bayless and Smith? They defended Harden? Get out.........what.........................
The suspension couldn't come at a better time. We weren't going to beat Atlanta in Atlanta unless all the planets aligned in a certain way. Just hope we can keep the game somewhat close and not be embarrassed.
Skip Bayless has been harsh on LeBron on that game. He was on vacation but you check out his twitter. :grin::grin::grin:
