The NBA recently issued the San Antonio Spurs a $250,000 fine for sending their best 4 players home before an upcoming prime time game of against the Miami Heat. The players included were Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Danny Green. Commissioner David Stern was quoted as saying that Gregg Popovich and the Spurs were doing a "disservice to the league and our fans." Now no one can really be quoted as saying that this move was a surprise. Gregg Popovich has been known for two things during his tenure with the Spurs: 1) Resting players in big regular season games, knowing health for playoffs is more important than regular season winning percentage, and 2) doing crazy unexpected things, much to the displeasure of fans and the league. So the question can be asked: Whats the big deal?
Most of the arguments lately that side in favor of the league on the issue of fining the Spurs over their actions goes along the lines that the players have a responsibility to the league to play and also that the Spurs violate a part of the league policy that prohibits resting players in situations that are contrary to the best interests of the league. Honestly, what a bunch of bull. For one, the players play almost 40 minutes a game, 82 games in the span of 6 months, not including the playoffs, and practice every single day for most teams with little rest in between. Some of these games are back-to-backs, even some including ending games early in the morning of the day of the next game and flying a plane in order to get to the next one. Secondly, the coach has full control over how much he wants to play his players and the strategy he wants to use in order to not wear out his best players. So what does the league have to do with this?
To give a little background on the situation, the Spurs were at the end of a 13 game span that included 10 away games, 3 back-to-backs (all of them away and away), playing major playoff contenders that included: the Clippers twice, Boston, New York, Denver, and the Lakers and close games against Toronto and Portland. Three of the players, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli are all over 30 years old with Duncan being 36 and Ginobli being 35. The Spurs were playing away against the Heat, a team that lives on transition buckets, running around, and playing at an overall high intensity. The whole purpose of every NBA team ever existing is the playoffs and the strive for a championship. So with this in mind, How actually wrong was Popovich in sitting his players?
Gregg Popovich is one of the greater coaches in recent NBA history, being able to constantly keep his Spurs in the playoff picture, winning 4 championships in the last 13 years, second only to the Lakers who had 5. His players are loyal to him and no one else because of how he coaches, his personality, and his ability to make the right decisions. So when he had the chance to rest his best players on the end of a grueling set of games, he took it.
The NBA league should be ashamed of itself. The leagues stance is that it is the most important entity in this sport and that all player under its jurisdiction. However, the league is sorely wrong. The league doesn't go to the game and support their favorite team. The league doesn't pay the players, the owners do. The league doesn't play the game, the players do. So when asked who is in the wrong in this situation, its the NBA. The NBA has overstepped its bounds on this one. As much as fans might not like it, they pay the prices for the tickets with the knowledge that there is a potential chance they might not see their favorite players, but most fans want to see the team win, regardless of how. So whats the problem Stern?
Steve Kerr, former player for the Bulls, recently said " If the NBA punishes the Spurs for sitting players, it opens a huge can of worms." The can of worms has been opened and only time will tell on how all this effects the game going forwards.
(Credit: basketballreference.com)
(Credit: ESPN and AP)
No comments:
Post a Comment