i see where you're coming from but respectfully disagree on some points.
Posted by firefly:
I just don't understand. Maybe its a different mentality. What is the big deal. Isiah was trash-talking off the bench. So what?
a coach trash talking? why should a coach trash talk? especially when his team is being plundered like that? even worse after IT's "karl should worry about his own team" thing?
IT's west side chicago schtick can't cover for a team blown out 3 of the last 4 games.
Collins' foul was a hard and blatant foul. Good. But it wasn't dangerous. He didn't let Smith get off the ground before he hauled him around, and caught him as he fell. Perfect hard foul. What KMart did to TT in the playoffs was much worse. He undercut him at the height of his leap, and then let him fall to the ground. That should have led to a brawl. This one should not have.
i mostly agree. mardy knew what he was doing. he threw the foul, scared the **** out of JR but wasn't looking to injure him. didn't complain to the refs. didn't back down from the jawing, but didn't do anything to get the fight going. until he got socked. especially given his Temple background, i think he was ready for a short suspension and would have taken it.
I watched the whole thing live and then many times after. The main fault lies with Smith, for jumping up and going at Collins. That let to Nate trying to pull him off his teammate. There was no reason in the world for Melo to do what he did, first shoving Frye to the floor, and then decking Collins. After that, Melo deserved whatever he got. Of course he ran like a little girlie, so he didn't get much. I only saw fault in Smith, Melo and maybe Nate. In Nates defense, while Melo was emulating the French Army he ran past Nate, and Nate showed remarkable restraint (for Nate)to not tackle him then and there.
IMO JR melo and nate are all responsible. the suspensions reflect that. they're all young, i hope they learn their lessons.
I got no problems with any coach ordering a hard foul, or jawing from the bench either. You don't like it, foul back. But do it in the context of the game, not in a brawl.
if he is going to order the foul to send a message, why in the last 90 seconds? if you do it to keep a team close when the game matters, if that's your style then OK. but to do it when it happened makes it not about basketball. then, it's about insults and pride and such, and you shouldn't be surprised if it escalates.
i dunno, it just smacks of sore losing the way it happened.
The Knicks come out of this with far more credit then the Nuggets.
[Edited by - firefly on 12-18-2006 2:24 PM]
i guess, except in the standings. but for what it's worth we were the second ugliest chick at that party.
