Metta World Peace elbow to Harden

[spearsy23]

really? so people screen on inbound play all the time? again never have I justified Artest actions, all I said was Harden could've avoided the contact all together, it was NOT a screen, a screen for what? there were 3 OKC Players that could've been inboudned to.

Actually, it's one of the smartest screens in basketball. Not that I think Harden was setting one. You screen a guy to create a mismatch, in this case it would have been Durant's defender.

What Harden was doing was moving towards the outside of the lane, which is where most guys usually go to get the inbound pass. Watch the damn video, Harden isn't even looking at Artest, he's looking at the inbounder and he puts his arms up in a natural defensive motion to keep from running into Artest. Then look at Ibaka in the background, he turns to throw the ball to Harden before he sees him get elbowed, everything points to Harden trying to get the inbound pass and just happening to be in front of Artest. This happens so many times every game it's one of the most common things to see, a guy goes to a spot to get the pass and happens to run into the guy that's there. Generally, no big deal. Since it's idiotic ****tard Artest, he decides to take a cheap shot.

[TheXFactor]

Some Lakers fans trying to somehow rationalize this is some of the biggest homer statements I've ever seen.

I think we all think Peace should get suspended, but we are just looking at the big picture. Harden side stepped his way on purpose to Peace, so Peace was just caught in a cause and effect mentality. When he slammed the dunk, it wasn't his intent to look for Harden and KO him with an Elbow, it just happened helped by Harden jumping in his way. Peace punishment should be reduced imo.

[Leto]

Some Lakers fans trying to somehow rationalize this is some of the biggest homer statements I've ever seen.

what is there to justify? seriously, all i said was it COULD'VE been avoided is that not true? I'm certainly not saying Artest didn't know what he was doing, he knew EXACTLY what he was doing but the SANE person could've avoided the issue altogether and again that was NO screen, Harden wanted a reaction from Artest just to bad for them both it was the wrong kind.

No. It is not true. Again, Harden, AND EVERY PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE, makes the same play every freakin game. Elbowing your way thru it is ILLEGAL!

[LApwnd]

Some Lakers fans trying to somehow rationalize this is some of the biggest homer statements I've ever seen.

what is there to justify? seriously, all i said was it COULD'VE been avoided is that not true? I'm certainly not saying Artest didn't know what he was doing, he knew EXACTLY what he was doing but the SANE person could've avoided the issue altogether and again that was NO screen, Harden wanted a reaction from Artest just to bad for them both it was the wrong kind.

No. It is not true. Again, Harden, AND EVERY PLAYER IN THE LEAGUE, makes the same play every freakin game. Elbowing your way thru it is ILLEGAL!

right, screen a guy who clearly had no intention of going after the ball....again who is saying Ron's elbow is legal here?

[carlosey]

Some Lakers fans trying to somehow rationalize this is some of the biggest homer statements I've ever seen.

I think we all think Peace should get suspended, but we are just looking at the big picture. Harden side stepped his way on purpose to Peace, so Peace was just caught in a cause and effect mentality. When he slammed the dunk, it wasn't his intent to look for Harden and KO him with an Elbow, it just happened helped by Harden jumping in his way. Peace punishment should be reduced imo.

THeres no rule that says harden cannot stand there and the elbow is delivered by artest in the end. The issue here is that vicious elbow. He cocked and swung after he felt contact. He was aiming at injury no doubt.

[droponov]

Some Lakers fans trying to somehow rationalize this is some of the biggest homer statements I've ever seen.

what is there to justify? seriously, all i said was it COULD'VE been avoided is that not true? I'm certainly not saying Artest didn't know what he was doing, he knew EXACTLY what he was doing but the SANE person could've avoided the issue altogether and again that was NO screen, Harden wanted a reaction from Artest just to bad for them both it was the wrong kind.

That's the basketball version of "maybe she was raped, but she was using a very short skirt. She was asking for it".

[Jan_Sobieski]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGzSNsPafY0[/youtube]


Harden is known for this, he doing the same thing to Peace to body him up, but this time Peace unloaded on his face .. Big guys don't like little guys rubbing up on them.

What a sell job on that one but i dont know about the other

[spearsy23]

Some Lakers fans trying to somehow rationalize this is some of the biggest homer statements I've ever seen.

I think we all think Peace should get suspended, but we are just looking at the big picture. Harden side stepped his way on purpose to Peace, so Peace was just caught in a cause and effect mentality. When he slammed the dunk, it wasn't his intent to look for Harden and KO him with an Elbow, it just happened helped by Harden jumping in his way. Peace punishment should be reduced imo.

You're right, I overlooked the part of the rule book that says 'It's okay to elbow someone in the head as long as they were standing in front of you.'

[Leto]

Harden has EVERY right to step in front of any player at any time during the game. The notion that he shouldn't, is flat out ridiculous.

yes,
he shouldn't provoke unnecessary contact, he got what he wanted(a foul or some sort of a reaction from the opposing player)

It makes ZERO difference that he was probably screening him off from THEIR BEST PLAYER, DURANT.

he wasn't screening for anybody, artest wasn't defending the ball or the players, he was celebrating and running back

funny how thunder fans accuse Laker fans(not that i am one, im not)
while they are exaggerating here and being homers themselves, if it happened to blake leto/thunderstuck&co would probably say 'he had it coming'

Im a Bulls fan.

It doesn't really matter if he was setting a screen or if he was just running to get the inbound pass.

No one is exaggerating the severity and maliciousness of Artest's elbow.

[PainKiller]

Players flops, refs play into it.. NBA only allows so much emotion to be showed while under a microscope. it seems so dictated and fake, but when someone gets fed up with being controlled all their frustration comes out due to floppers being protected by the league... i don't blame someone wanting to level some of those fakers.

[droponov]

Why the heck is r-a-p-e-d censored? Anyway, it's a blame the victim argument that, considering Harden didn't really do anything special, is even more egregious than usual.

[Gus McCrae]

I kind of relate it to a little kid messing around with a pitbull.

Except pit bulls aren't allowed to play basketball and basketball has rules.

okay, since you're not a big metaphor guy. Ron Artest /MWP is crazy. Harden is an instigator, he likes to get under people's skin, or at least he likes to get under laker's skin, we saw this last game when he was running his mouth at kobe and several other players.

Ron is capable of going nuts (like a pitbull) and Harden wanted to stand in his way when he was running back and ended up getting seriously assaulted. Like the little boy playing with a pitbull, it's not the boy's fault (harden) but you always need to be a little more careful around someone like Ron.

Ron's at fault, ban him, suspend him, whatever happens happens. But I'm not suprised Harden of all people is the guy who ended up getting it from Ron. If you told me before the game, someone on the thunder gets elbowed by Ron, my first guess would be Harden or Perkins. My last guess would be Durant or Fisher.

[spearsy23]

I kind of relate it to a little kid messing around with a pitbull.

Except pit bulls aren't allowed to play basketball and basketball has rules.

okay, since you're not a big metaphor guy. Ron Artest /MWP is crazy. Harden is an instigator, he likes to get under people's skin, or at least he likes to get under laker's skin, we saw this last game when he was running his mouth at kobe and several other players.

Ron is capable of going nuts (like a pitbull) and Harden wanted to stand in his way when he was running back and ended up getting seriously assaulted. Like the little boy playing with a pitbull, it's not the boy's fault (harden) but you always need to be a little more careful around someone like Ron.

Ron's at fault, ban him, suspend him, whatever happens happens. But I'm not suprised Harden of all people is the guy who ended up getting it from Ron. If you told me before the game, someone on the thunder gets elbowed by Ron, my first guess would be Harden or Perkins. My last guess would be Durant or Fisher.

You're overlooking a key difference. Pitbulls are not considered sentient beings. In your metaphor it is the owner's fault, the owner is the one who gets punished and the dog gets put down. I'm not opposed to putting the dog down in this case.

[Leto]

right, screen a guy who clearly had no intention of going after the ball....again who is saying Ron's elbow is legal here?

It doesn't matter. You can screen and move into a players way ANY FREAKIN TIME YOU WANT.

What exactly are you trying to argue? That he shouldn't get punished? That his punishment should be lessened? What is it? Because you are not making any sense.

[doctorfunk]

You're overlooking a key difference. Pitbulls are not considered sentient beings. In your metaphor it is the owner's fault, the owner is the one who gets punished and the dog gets put down. I'm not opposed to putting the dog down in this case.

[Gus McCrae]

Neither am I. Ron is a pitbull. capable of biting someone and he probably will get put down so to speak.

[doctorfunk]

That his punishment should be lessened? What is it? Because you are not making any sense.

perhaps

Provoked acts of violence are punished less severely than those unprovoked right?
Not sure if what Harden did was enough to warrant lessening of suspension but it may be.

Like someone else said he did the same with Chandler last year, so it's hard to feel bad for the guy unless he is hurt or limited in playoffs.

[SweetTouch]

The more I watch the replays u can tell Ron was mad that Harden came over and put his left fist on him during his celebration. 10 games seems good


This was done because of James Harden talking trash to Kobe and his style of play. Lakers ain't soft

It would be interesting to see if Harden changes his game

[spearsy23]

That his punishment should be lessened? What is it? Because you are not making any sense.

perhaps

Provoked acts of violence are punished less severely than those unprovoked right?
Not sure if what Harden did was enough to warrant lessening of suspension but it may be.

In no court of law/principle's office/any place of discipline is "he was standing in front of me" considered provocation.

[Leto]

That his punishment should be lessened? What is it? Because you are not making any sense.

perhaps

Provoked acts of violence are punished less severely than those unprovoked right?
Not sure if what Harden did was enough to warrant lessening of suspension but it may be.

If Harden had pushed him, you *might* have a case, but I doubt it. At least not judging by past NBA rulings. Either way, I don't think Harden did anything wrong. As others have said, guys run into eachother ALL the time in almost the exact same fashion.