I saw that replay 10 times. It was a borderline flagrant. It definitely wasn't a flagrant 2. I see people make hard swipes all the time. You guys are basing your reaction on the fact that rudy is hurt. If rudy landed correctly or was built like lebron or was bigger, then this would barely even be a discussion.
More kudos for the impassioned pleas against Ariza, I feel them right here in my heart. Next step is to write to David Stern about this travesty.
Some players are better at disguising dirty plays. *cough* Bruce Bowen *cough* Josh Howard *cough*. I have little doubt that Ariza was trying to inflict some pain on that play even if some people will argue he was going for the ball or also going for the ball.
Let see if the NBA is really in the pockets of the Lakers or not. That deserves a suspension and Odom needs to be suspended as well.
The lakers were down by 28 at the time. Ariza knew that, and decided to make a dangerous play on a defenseless player. He should be out for however many games fernandez misses. The bottom line is regardless of how hard the foul was in your mind, there was no need for it and he put another player at risk in the process. Defending Ariza is really weak here.
Doesn't look like he's eliberately going for his head in the vid. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oefOOK8K_wY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oefOOK8K_wY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
I thought he swiped at the ball. It's easy for people to say it's dirty, but you are not on the court playing at a fast pace like these NBA players.
I'm not even a fan of Fernandez's game and I like Ariza's play this season, but that was definitely a dirty play. Flagrant 2 and a fine and suspension. He whacked Rudy in the head and grabbed his arm, held it, and yanked it to make sure that Fernandez fell to the ground hard. I'm not sure if he was frustrated that Lakers were losing by almost 30, but it was definitely a dirty and unecessary play. He made no play on the ball. Props to Brandon Roy for stepping up for his teammate. Both Ariza and Odom need to be suspended.
i agree. i hate the lakers and the only time i like them is when they are playing utah or the celtics. rudy was too quick for him. clearly he was goin for the ball and got rudys head instead. yeah you can say he was going for a decapitation of the ball out of his hand and almost decapitated his head. it looked like an accident to me. hopefully odom will be suspended
I don't even think that is even much of a flagrant foul, much less a flagrant 2. Ariza went for the ball, hard, and caught Fernandez's arm (just below his hand), which "spun" Fernandez out of balance so to speak. It was a hard foul, but not dirty or flagrant by any means. I have seen much, much worse.
\ WTF does that mean? If you play basketball at all, you know the difference between the head and the ball. It has nothing to do with pace, and everything to do with what you are aiming for...he hit him IN THE HEAD.....not the ball....the HEAD ! Man.....you guys apologizing for this clown are simply wrong...... 28 point game and he makes a frustration foul at his head...it is dangerous and the NBA has to act to protect it's players from another Rudy T type of moment. DD
I've watched the replay many times, and what Ariza did was swing his arm across and above Fernandez's head where the ball would've been, and to be fair, he did get a good chunk of the ball (and hand). When he follow through-ed on his swing, he caught Fernandez's left forearm and caused him to lose his balance in mid-air. (I do disagree with the previous poster saying if it's Lebron it would've been a non-issue. When someone drag your arm like that in the air, you really can't do anything to prevent yourself from a hard fall, Lebron or not.) However, the NBA has to protect its players, and so I can see that a flagrant 1 being appropriate here. I don't think the contact was unnecessary AND excessive on Ariza's part, because he did make a play on the ball. It was a frustration foul on Ariza's part, and he did commit a hard foul. But he swiped at the ball and did NOT go for Fernandez's head, so I just don't see how a flagrant 2 can be called here.
I hope Ariza is out of the league completely, and Roy should have beat his a$$. I hope to GOD someone fouls Ariza and they hurt him bad!
that's the most irrational statement of the year, kick someone out of the league for a hard foul? IT WAS AN ACCIDENT YOU MORON
Flagrant 1 - that's it. Things like that happen when you have two high flyers going at the basket. You have to look at reputations too when judging malicious intent. Ariza has not had a propensity for committing cheap fouls. No malicious intent there from where I'm sitting.
