OT: Westbrook fined but not suspended

[THE HCP]

Yes. And he got suspended because he left it.

But I don't think Westbrook was on the bench.

 

[KingSpeed]

The thing is, why was he fined? Either he broke the rule or he didn't.

 

[Boob-No-More]

But I don't think Westbrook was on the bench.

He wasn't in the game, because he had not been beckoned into the game by an official.

Here is another video that shows the entire altercation from multiple angles. Two of the officials are trying to break up the scuffle. The third official is holding the ball with his back to Westbrook when Russ charges onto the court and takes a swipe at Gobert. Pay close attention to the comments starting around the 3 minute mark. They specifically say Westbrook had not been motioned into the game by an official.



From the NBA rule book:

"During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the
immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be suspended, without pay, for a minimum
of one game and fined up to $50,000."

In the video Richard Jefferson calls it a "gray area" and says it didn't effect the outcome of the game. I disagree, the rules are very clear. A player may not enter the game until beckoned in by an official. Therefore, Westbrook was not participating in the game. As a player not participating in the game, he did not remain in the vicinity of his team's bench and, according to the rules, should have been suspended. Again, no gray area.

Jefferson's comments are complete bullshit. Did C.J. taking one step onto the court during a preseason game effect the outcome of the game? Of course not, but it didn't matter then and it shouldn't matter now. Not only did Westbrook rush into the court, he took a cheap shot at a player who had been hit in the nuts. He was not participating in the game, but he most certainly participated in the altercation.

BNM

 

[Boob-No-More]

But its all good. OKC is going to lose this series and I'd prefer Westbrook be on the floor when it happens.

BNM

 

[Nikolokolus]

If I'm Quinn Snyder, I'm relieved they didn't suspend him. He's like Utah's sixth man.

 

[Strenuus]

But I don't think Westbrook was on the bench.

It's all dependent on if the ref let him in.

You've seen before where they wont let someone in after the 1st free throw. If he wasn't let in, then he's still "on the bench".

And judging solely off of the NBA not letting the refs speak, I suspect that he was not let in.

 

[Boob-No-More]

It's all dependent on if the ref let him in.

You've seen before where they wont let someone in after the 1st free throw. If he wasn't let in, then he's still "on the bench".

And judging solely off of the NBA not letting the refs speak, I suspect that he was not let in.

Watch the video I posted above. Listen to Matt Winer's comments starting at the 3 minute mark.

"Well, he hadn't been called into the game. So, that part of it is not gray. He was on the sideline and he's supposed to stay there until he is called into the game."

BNM

 

[dviss1]

Watching that video, the horn sounded which signifies a dead ball. He was at the table waiting for a dead ball to check in. He did. Now he might deserve a T for walking up to Gobert and talking shit, but not a T for "leaving the bench". He was IN the game.

No. Until the referee beckons you in, you aren't in the game. He is a substitute until he is beckoned in.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

From the NBA rule book:

"During an altercation, all players not participating in the game must remain in the
immediate vicinity of their bench. Violators will be suspended, without pay, for a minimum
of one game and fined up to $50,000."

In the video Richard Jefferson calls it a "gray area" and says it didn't effect the outcome of the game. I disagree, the rules are very clear. A player may not enter the game until beckoned in by an official. Therefore, Westbrook was not participating in the game. As a player not participating in the game, he did not remain in the vicinity of his team's bench and, according to the rules, should have been suspended. Again, no gray area.

Jefferson's comments are complete bullshit. Did C.J. taking one step onto the court during a preseason game effect the outcome of the game? Of course not, but it didn't matter then and it shouldn't matter now. Not only did Westbrook rush into the court, he took a cheap shot at a player who had been hit in the nuts. He was not participating in the game, but he most certainly participated in the altercation.

BNM

The rule you quoted says they must "remain" in the immediate vicinity of their bench. However, Westbrook wasn't already in the immediate vicinity of his bench--he was at the scorer's table--so he couldn't "remain" there. The rule doesn't state that players at the scorer's table must remain at the scorer's table or return to their bench. Therefore, gray area.

Also, I'd like to state that since the rule only says "immediate vicinity of the bench" and doesn't precisely define the term (eg, "not stepping onto the in-bounds area of the court"), it was arguable that CJ who took one step forward and then immediately went back never really left the "immediate vicinity" and shouldn't have been suspended back in the beginning of the season--but that's old news...

 

[BBert]

He 100% should've been suspended. When he confronts Gobert there are 6 Thunder players on the court. That is leaving the bench. If the player he went in for was to the bench or even close to it then that is different.

BTW, I don't know if this was mentioned in the game thread of Game 2 in the Blazers series but there was a play where the Blazers were inbounding the ball and Anthony Davis subbed out but he purposely walked really slow and wouldn't get off the court and the refs handed the Blazers the ball and he wasn't even close to getting off the floor. It should've been a technical foul for 6 players on the court or at the very least they should have given him a delay of game before handing the ball to the inbounder.

I said the same thing: Either a Tech or a Delay of Game. Then soon after, there was a similar situation and another Pelican player did the same damn thing, just not as egregiously.

 

[dviss1]

He 100% should've been suspended. When he confronts Gobert there are 6 Thunder players on the court. That is leaving the bench. If the player he went in for was to the bench or even close to it then that is different.

BTW, I don't know if this was mentioned in the game thread of Game 2 in the Blazers series but there was a play where the Blazers were inbounding the ball and Anthony Davis subbed out but he purposely walked really slow and wouldn't get off the court and the refs handed the Blazers the ball and he wasn't even close to getting off the floor. It should've been a technical foul for 6 players on the court or at the very least they should have given him a delay of game before handing the ball to the inbounder.

6 players on the court is 33% the referees fault. You'd never call a tech for that unless actual play started with 6 players playing. Even then it sucks to call that tech.

Anthony Davis was delaying the game.

 

[Natebishop3]

In the end, this is just more evidence that the NBA is a joke, and that the rules are different for different people. And that's why it's so hard for me to care anymore. It feels like we're supporting professional wrestling.

 

[hoopsjock]

6 players on the court is 33% the referees fault. You'd never call a tech for that unless actual play started with 6 players playing. Even then it sucks to call that tech.

Anthony Davis was delaying the game.

Normally I would agree with you and I even said it should have been a delay of game. However there was just something about the way AD did it like he was doing it on purpose to protest a call. Sheed would have been thrown out of the game for that (Whack! You're OUT!). For the refs to just hand the ball to the Blazers while he was still not even close to leaving the court, nor did it look like he was going to completely leave, was just ridiculous.

 

[dviss1]

Normally I would agree with you and I even said it should have been a delay of game. However there was just something about the way AD did it like he was doing it on purpose to protest a call. Sheed would have been thrown out of the game for that (Whack! You're OUT!). For the refs to just hand the ball to the Blazers while he was still not even close to leaving the court, nor did it look like he was going to completely leave, was just ridiculous.

Even so it's not worth a tech. It's worth a warning and that's exactly what the delay of game warning does. It lets him know "do that shit again and it will be a tech".

Like it or not, his actions didn't warrant a tech.

As a referee, you never want to leave a game saying either of these 2 things:

I should've T'd his ass UP!

Dammit, I shouldn't have T'd him.

 

[Lanny]

He either did something wrong or he didn't. He came on the court during a scuffle. That has been a suspension for the last 20 years. They're saying he was already at the scorers table about to check in. But if they are saying he did nothing wrong, well then why was he fined? This is shady. If it was Raymond Felton, would he have been suspended?

I'll vote for fining or suspending that turd any chance I get.

 

[Lanny]

Even so it's not worth a tech. It's worth a warning and that's exactly what the delay of game warning does. It lets him know "do that shit again and it will be a tech".

Like it or not, his actions didn't warrant a tech.

As a referee, you never want to leave a game saying either of these 2 things:

I should've T'd his ass UP!

Dammit, I shouldn't have T'd him.

Yep, it's important to get it right in that circumstance.

 

[Lanny]

The NBA must want OKC to lose if they didn’t suspend Russ.

LOL

 

[Boob-No-More]

Here's eth NBA's official comment on the situation:

"NEW YORK --Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $10,000 and assessed a postgame technical foul for initiating a confrontation with Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, it was announced Tuesday by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred after Westbrook came onto the court as a substitution following a stoppage in play due to a foul with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s 113-96 loss to the Jazz on Monday, April 23 at Vivint Smart Home Arena."

The say he "came onto the court as a substitution following a stoppage in play...", but unless he was beckoned into the game by an official (which he was not), he was not "participating in the game" and should have been suspended.

Oh well, it is what it is. Hopefully, Russ will get his triple double and OKC will lose. That's a total win:win:win:win scenario. The NBA will be happy because they will get their ratings. Russ and his fanbois will be happy with the triple double and his detractors will be happy because he lost.

BNM

 

[Lanny]

Here's eth NBA's official comment on the situation:

"NEW YORK --Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $10,000 and assessed a postgame technical foul for initiating a confrontation with Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, it was announced Tuesday by Kiki VanDeWeghe, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred after Westbrook came onto the court as a substitution following a stoppage in play due to a foul with 7:55 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Thunder’s 113-96 loss to the Jazz on Monday, April 23 at Vivint Smart Home Arena."

The say he "came onto the court as a substitution following a stoppage in play...", but unless he was beckoned into the game by an official (which he was not), he was not "participating in the game" and should have been suspended.

Oh well, it is what it is. Hopefully, Russ will get his triple double and OKC will lose. That's a total win:win:win:win scenario. The NBA will be happy because they will get their ratings. Russ and his fanbois will be happy with the triple double and his detractors will be happy because he lost.

BNM

Count me as one who would be happy because he lost.

 

[jlprk]

"NEW YORK --Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook has been fined $10,000 and assessed a postgame technical foul

How is that determined the next day? The team isn't even in the same city. Does the coach designate a player to shoot a wad of paper toward a wastebasket? Does a referee have to witness it? What are the required specs for the wastebasket?

 

[jlprk]

If there is no shot taken, they don't just give a whole point, do they? The chances are 70%, so they should give .7 of a point. The final score will be something like 103.7 to 102.

 

[Boob-No-More]

If there is no shot taken, they don't just give a whole point, do they? The chances are 70%, so they should give .7 of a point. The final score will be something like 103.7 to 102.

They should let UTA shoot a technical FT to start the game tonight and then get the ball out of bounds on the side.

But they won't...

BNM