This strategy should apply to OKC and LAL before the Heat. Do you expect him to rest starters for OKC and LAL, too? It's a BS argument to say he is hiding his hand from Miami but not OKC and LAL. He's not making it to the Finals, anyhow. Also, he would be missing a major point of coaching. It's not just Xs and Os; they players have to execute that. Giving Parker and Gino and the younger guys serious burn against the Heat to test themselves and see the opponents reactions (rest Duncan if you need to) helps them execute your Xs and Os, coach. This isn't NBA2k13. Players need to live it. Not watch video only. Leave me out of the Stern part of this debate. I've been debating against Pops' decision before the Stern comment came out. I could care less about this "stick it to the man" part of the debate. If Pops was really a man about this, he would flat out say that he is protesting the NBA schedule...and not make a p***y excuse. I would defend him if he'd just say he is protesting the NBA Schedule of too many games. So yes, I do agree that Stern was stupid and should have stayed out of it. I can only guess that the league sponsors and TNT executives called Stern and yelled at him to do something. Regardless though, leave me out of that discussion. I'm not saying he doesn't have a right to do what he wants anymore than I think any p***y has I right to do what they want. Going ahead and back Pops right to be a p***y. I agree with that.
probable. it's also probable that Pop's decision was in a huge part an intentional statement to the league about the Spurs' schedule. but that's not important. what's important is can you afford to keep condoning it? If you keep screwing the broadcasters (national, local, doesn't matter), how does that affect your position in future TV deal negotiations? You as a league are going to lose millions, probably hundreds of millions. That's not to mention the fans who buy tickets locally.
Can we? It happens all the time nowadays at the end of the season. Also, the circumstances last night were different. In the 1990 article that Durvasa provided, the Lakers sat Magic and Worthy, and they lost by 42 points. Last night, it was a very competitive game, and the Heat were finally able to pull away with 20 seconds left. And since it was such a close game, it would be disingenuous for Stern to claim that the Spurs violated the "integrity" of the game.
I'm sorry, but that doesn't sound like being cheated. Most NBA tickets are sold either to corporate sponsors that don't really care, or to fans that want to see an exciting basketball game. Should the Rockets have been forced to make Yao travel to every road game when he was injured, just because Chinese fans wanted to see him? Should the Rockets have been fined for the sit McGrady on back-to-backs plan? We do have to try to please every single fan, rather than trying to win titles the way we see best fit. I'd actually be far more concerned about the sitting of players at the end of the season that we see every year in every sport, and often in games that have playoff implications.
Woj is my hero. This is beautiful. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--d...-culture-war-against-the-spurs-194828970.html
With regards to this post, we got it the first time. No need to spam. While I disagree with his logic in this situation, his job has nothing to do with "not being a p***y". LOL
Lol c'mon nig, I ain't that stupid no way would I really do something like that, them beers is way two expensive :grin:
Another paragraph I loved from Woj: [RQUOTER]There's a double-standard to how this league operates under Stern, and it won't change until Adam Silver takes over and makes it a priority to do so. When Yahoo! Sports uncovered a pattern of deliberate predraft rules violations that benefited the New York Knicks and penalized the rest of the teams, Stern did little. Brandon Rush blew out his knee in an illegal workout, Wilson Chandler was stashed for weeks in Atlanta so no one else could get access to him before the draft, and Stern fined that Cablevision empire essentially lunch money for a weekend shindig in the Hamptons with the Dolans. Teams had talked about these violations for years and complained to Jackson's office. Brandon Rush said the NBA had never once contacted him before the Y! Sports' investigation. For two years, the charges went uninvestigated. Had the Spurs been caught doing this, there likely would've been a loss of draft picks, suspensions and millions in fines. And rightly so for the Knicks, Spurs, or anyone who tried to get away with those things. That's the double-standard that Stern runs in the NBA.[/RQUOTER]
This. The commissioner doesn't have a leg to stand on. Is he going to start demanding X minutes per star? And he's not talking to the Wizards here, but one of the most successful of his franchises over the last 15 years or so. It's just idiotic, in my view.
Can anyone post the transcript or audio of JVG on ESPN? Here's my guess...JVG rips into Stern and the league and states how the NBA schedule is too much and how Pops' protest is valid. But then, if asked, he will separate himself from Pops and say that he would not have sat TMac and Yao for that game against the defending champs...nor Ewing, Houston, Sprewell...etc. That is: Coach would never tank any game ever for any reason.
You missed my point. If you look at it objectively, it's a wash for the Spurs and Heat to test each other during the regular season. Neither side gains or loses, necessarily. Regarding Stern, I'm sorry, but Napoleon has pushed Pop off the stage and made himself the primary issue. Like Woj said, he couldn't help himself.
No, I already defined this point several pages ago. You are the one missing my point...if this strategy is Pops strategy (which it isn't) then the same should apply to Spurs vs OKC and LAL. You see, A_3PO. If you look at this objectively and reasonably like me... you will see that the "hide the hand" strategy is not what Pops is doing. Instead, you are not objective at all...Yes, you are detached from this argument (you already admitted to having no take...don't make me quote you) but you are being subjective by your desire to laugh at people like me getting pissed off by this (you also stated that). You are not being as objective on this as me. Go sit down A_3PO.
If you were so objective and reasonable, you'd consider the fact that Pop may have wanted his second stringers to go up against Lebron/Wade/Bosh to see how they'd perform. I'm sure that right now, Pop feels more confident about playing the Heat in the playoffs than he did on Wednesday.
Bottom line: There is no benefit for Pop to play the 4. Whether resting his players or saying "thanks" to the NBA was his reason, a standing ovation to Pop. I agree to loving your reaction. Totally! I also love that it totally exposes Stern and he ends up looking like an out-of-control jerk. He ended up getting played.
lol...I have considered that for one second... you are the one not being objective at all...notice how you say "you'd consider the fact"...uh, what Fact is that. That is no fact, that is your subjective opinion claiming fact. sit down.
Bottom line: You are not being as objective in a pure basketball take as me. That is what you just said. You have ulterior motives in why you are even posting in this thread. Sit down A_3PO and go find a thread that you actually have a take in. In the immortal words of Jim Rome...have a take,,,and don't suck Case closed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>The hammer: NBA announces $250,000 fine for Spurs, for...well, you know</p>— J.A. Adande (@jadande) <a href="https://twitter.com/jadande/status/274649708687929344" data-datetime="2012-11-30T23:02:47+00:00">November 30, 2012</a></blockquote> <script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
