Apr 29 2009
NBA Playoff’s Problem
It is always a great discussion that gets notice from even the most novice of NBA fans, what is considered a hard foul and what’s just a flagrant foul? This question has been put to the frontlines today after two controversial plays were made yesterday.
The first play has already cost Orlando Magic C Dwight Howard a one game suspension in which he will serve during game 6 of the Magic’s series with the Philadelphia 76ers. Howard was seen getting tangled with 76ers C Samuel Dalembert and afterward Howard threw a cheap elbow at Dalembert.
What really got plenty of people upset was the fact that Howard was not thrown out of the game and instead was hit with a technical foul. This kind of play should not be allowed, nor should the referee’s feel affraid to throw out a top player from a game.
That brings us the the Boston Celtics vs Chicago Bulls game last night where Celtics PG Rajon Rondo tried to clothesline Bulls C Brad Miller. In all honesty, there was no ill intent on the foul and Rondo was trying to play the ball but it still could have been called a flagrant foul.
Miller was seen on the sideline and you can immediately tell that he was at least a little dizzy from the hit to his head. My question is what qualifies as a hard foul and what is a flagrant foul? How can there be something such as a hard playoff foul, but not a hard mid-season foul?
These are questions that always have a fine line, for instance you can smack someone on the side of the head and not have a flagrant called against you, but then you throw an elbow at someone and only get suspended for one game. Whether its the playoffs or not, the NBA must serve justice to any person who deserves it.
J.M.Saucedo
