Spurs Rest 4, Stern Threatens "Substantial Sanctions"

[corpgator]

He just needs to retire already. The Spurs made a decision to rest their players who had played 4 games in 5 nights and 3 road games since Miami even played. They are still keeping it close at half-time anyway.

Is Stern warranted in fining them?

[dakcman]

The NBA is a business - an entertainment business. People paid a substantial amount of money to see Spurs-Heat and they're delivered a vastly inferior product than what was advertised.

[gatorfansrule]

I have hated Stern for a long time. He is the NBA "Nazi". He has no place to punish teams or coaches for coaching decisions on players playing time.

[mac4lyfe]

Popovich has done this seven other times in the past. Stern didn't say a thing in the past. Who is Stern to tell a coach and a team who and how they should run their team. Is Stern going to start managing minutes every game too?

I think what happened here was that the NBA setup the Spurs. They purposely had them play 4 games in 5 days with the expectation of having a rested Heat embarrass them on a National TV night. Pop basically put up his middle finger and Stern is now pissed.

Curious what major sanction will he come up with? I don't see Stern winning this one.

[channingcrowderhungry]

Not sure what basis Stern has for sanctions. Next time the spurs can just say they are all injured. Stern needed to retire two years ago.

[sHiNeR2]

The NBA is a business - an entertainment business. People paid a substantial amount of money to see Spurs-Heat and they're delivered a vastly inferior product than what was advertised.

^^^^Agree with this. And Stern's stance.

[channingcrowderhungry]

And I really really hope the spurs win, and then Stern enforces sanctions. What a dolt

[dakcman]

And I really really hope the spurs win, and then Stern enforces sanctions. What a dolt

The outcome of the game has no relevance. The NBA is an entertainment organization. People paid money for tickets to see Duncan, Parker, Ginobili. TNT paid a lot of money to televise the game nationally. People put a lot of money on the game in Vegas well before it was announced the foursome didn't even travel with the team. This is bad business and the NBA, above ALL else, is a business.

[anstro76]

The outcome of the game has no relevance. The NBA is an entertainment organization. People paid money for tickets to see Duncan, Parker, Ginobili. TNT paid a lot of money to televise the game nationally. People put a lot of money on the game in Vegas well before it was announced the foursome didn't even travel with the team. This is bad business and the NBA, above ALL else, is a business.

and the reason i never watch the nba.

[mac4lyfe]

Who the hell is Stern to tell Pop who plays and who sits? He knows more about putting his team in a position to win then Stern does. Did Stern care when teams were tanking at the end of last season? Did he care when teams were sitting starters and bringing up Dleague players then? How does a commissioner think he can coach teams? This is beyond his duties.

To the fans that attend the games, they should know that the Spurs have a history of resting in the season. If you go to a Spurs game after they've played 3/4 straight games you should know the consequences.

Stern is going to look real stupid if the Spurs win this game.

The outcome of the game has no relevance. The NBA is an entertainment organization. People paid money for tickets to see Duncan, Parker, Ginobili. TNT paid a lot of money to televise the game nationally. People put a lot of money on the game in Vegas well before it was announced the foursome didn't even travel with the team. This is bad business and the NBA, above ALL else, is a business.

[channingcrowderhungry]

The outcome of the game has no relevance. The NBA is an entertainment organization. People paid money for tickets to see Duncan, Parker, Ginobili. TNT paid a lot of money to televise the game nationally. People put a lot of money on the game in Vegas well before it was announced the foursome didn't even travel with the team. This is bad business and the NBA, above ALL else, is a business.

So if the fans paid less and TNT paid less and gamblers paid less it would be okay??? What if tickets were $1 and TNT paid $5?? You're either against the principle of the matter or you're not, but arguing the cost is the wrong argument to make.

[Emmitto]

The outcome of the game has no relevance. The NBA is an entertainment organization. People paid money for tickets to see Duncan, Parker, Ginobili. TNT paid a lot of money to televise the game nationally. People put a lot of money on the game in Vegas well before it was announced the foursome didn't even travel with the team. This is bad business and the NBA, above ALL else, is a business.

What about Spurs fans? They pay their money too, and buy all the Spurs merchandise. They likely care about winning. And if Pop is resting players due to the absurd scheduling in order to increase their long term potential, so be it. So be it anyway. It's the coach who decides these things.

The ticket guarantees you entry into the venue (conditionally, at that.) Nothing beyond. I can't count how many games I've been to games where star players didn't play for one reason or another. Tough.

Stern is just puffing up to cover for the bad schedule. And that was indeed bad business.

[mac4lyfe]

The NBA only have themselves to blame. 4 games in 5 days and they play the Grizzlies on Saturday. That's ridiculous. Did the NBA forget last year in a strike shortened season where players got hurt and it was a safety issue? There is no reason to schedule all those games in one week, especially when other teams like the Heat are well rested.

Stern has zero legs on this one...

[gatorfansrule]

The NFL teams hold out players in week 17 and sometimes week 16 when the have their playoff spot secure. You don't see the NFL commish imposing sanctions. They have fans, TV networks, etc. It's just another example of Stern trying to micro-manage the NBA and keep himself in the news.

[GothamGator]

The point that this is an entertainment business is a good one, but ultimately isn't enough to justify Stern's threats in this case. He's got to let coaches decide what's best for their teams to win over the course of a season. It's not like Popovich was purposefully trying to tank a game to improve his draft or playoff position. This is all part of his plan to maximize the Spurs victories this season.

Once a commissioner tries to second guess honest coaching decisions, he flushes the integrity of the game down the toilet. That's much worse, even from a business perspective, than pissing off a few fans one night out of the year.

[demosthenes]

Here's a thought Stern, cut the schedule down to 60 games...

[MiracleMax]

This is a joke. If the league is a well run business, they can't have one team playing 4 games while the other team sits.

Last year my GS Warriors started 5 rookies for the first time since the merger on their way to tanking to a lottery spot. That was worse.

[akaGatorhoops]

The NBA is a business - an entertainment business. People paid a substantial amount of money to see Spurs-Heat and they're delivered a vastly inferior product than what was advertised.

I disagree. This is not a Broadway show in which the headliner is suddenly pulled from the performance. This is a sporting event, in which a coach's job is to put his team in the best position to succeed. If Pop thinks resting some players serves that purpose... that takes precedence over what the fans want. I understand it is "entertainment", but the underlying component to that entertainment is competition. If the coach thinks his team will best compete with a days rest... he should be able to make that choice.

[mac4lyfe]

The biggest point that's missing here is that playing all these games back to back to back becomes a safety issue. Last year the NBA lost a record amount of players to injury because of the crazy schedule. Why would Popovich jeopardize his players by putting them in harms way with all those stupid games in a row. He also has a much more important game on Saturday versus the Griz.

When I listen to Stern he reminds me of Cleveland's Dan Gilbert... I'm mad and I'm taking my ball.

[mac4lyfe]

pretty funny tweets here...

http://inagist.com/all/274364785305468929/

[mac4lyfe]

It also looks like the commish in waiting already ruled on this practice last season...

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/04/17/resting-stars-spurs-play-their-game/

With his Spurs facing three games in three nights on a West Coast road trip this week — at Golden State, at the L.A. Lakers, at Sacramento — San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich has an opportunity to get creative again with his roster deployment. However he decides to play it — or whoever he decides not to play — is evidently perfectly acceptable to the league.

NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that the Spurs would face no fines, suspensions or other reprisals for Popovich’s decision last week to withhold the services of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker from San Antonio’s game at Utah.

“I think this is a unique season,” Silver said. “And the fans understand that competitive strategy is part of what goes into coaching this year. It’s unique and teams like the San Antonio Spurs are playing to win a championship, and I think fans understand that.”

Popovich said he picked that game “pretty much when the schedule came out” and didn’t even have them travel with the club to Salt Lake City. The league was fine with that, Silver said.

“The strategic resting of particular players on particular nights is within the discretion of the teams. And Gregg Popovich in particular is probably the last coach that I would second-guess.”

[GatorAvatar]

pretty funny tweets here...

http://inagist.com/all/274364785305468929/

Usual drivel posted by a bunch of smartasses. Stern is doing a great job. Some people paid through the nose to go watch superstars and instead got to watch benchwarmers.

[mac4lyfe]

How can Stern tell an organization who and how to play basketball games? The Spurs were playing their 17th game of the season already while most teams have only played 13. The Spurs have played 11 games on the road, so they have played almost as many games on the road as the majority of the league has played in total.

Popovich isn't a dummy. He saw his small market team playing 4 road games in 5 nights culminating in a nationally televised game with the NBA champs Heat and face of the league Lebron. Stern and the NBA was deliberately taking a shot at the Spurs by setting them up for failure early in the season to send a message on a team that has smaller market ratings.

Stern is just pissed that Pops showed him the finger...


Usual drivel posted by a bunch of smartasses. Stern is doing a great job. Some people paid through the nose to go watch superstars and instead got to watch benchwarmers.

[MiracleMax]

Stern is being a jackass here. He should impose substantial sanctions on himself for such incompetent scheduling.

[channingcrowderhungry]

Usual drivel posted by a bunch of smartasses. Stern is doing a great job. Some people paid through the nose to go watch superstars and instead got to watch benchwarmers.

Again, arguing people paid a bunch of money is the wrong argument to make. If the tickets had only been $6 you would of been okay with sitting them? What about at $10? $20? What's the line?

You're arguing against the price of the ticket, not the principle of a coach sitting his players.

[gator_glory]

And now Stern wonders why fans continue to believe in conspiracy theories with the refs......the message is not a good one.

[GatrHeel]

I agree that he's over the line here, but Stern certainly can't back down now. It'll be interesting to see what the "substantial sanctions" turn out to be.

[PSGator66]

I can appreciate everyone's take on but I think it is time for Stern to pack it in.

[GatorAvatar]

I can appreciate everyone's take on but I think it is time for Stern to pack it in.

He has already said he is walking away next year.

[your_perfect_enemy]

2 points, the Spurs have all these road games because the rodeo is being held in their building for like 2-3 weeks, so that's not all the NBA's fault (similar to the Bulls' 'circus trip'). Now they definitely could have spaced the games out more.

You can't make any argument in regards to screwing over Vegas. They are completely separate from the NBA and if that plays any ounce of part of the reasoning then you're just begging for conspiracy theories. If that screws up the casinos/lines, oh well.

I know it's apples to oranges but it's somewhat ironic that he's bitching about a team resting their stars after he just suspended one of the Celtics best players for 2 games. What about the fans that paid tickets to see Rondo play?

I absolutley agree with Popovich on this one, I would love to see what rule he broke.

I think my favorite part of the story is that the 4 players flew home on a regular southwest flight, which doesnt even have first class. I wonder if they were able to checkin early enough to get into a good boarding group :)

[mac4lyfe]

^^^ Perfect enemy - The Spurs rodeo trip where they usually have to play 9 or 8 straight games on the road means they have to have more HOME games sprinkled in during the season. It makes no sense for them to have played 11 road games already when they will have another 2 week stretch of all road games as well.

It seems as if the NBA are lumping a lot of road games consecutively for all the teams. In the past, teams would usually play 3 or 4 straight games on the road. This year for some reason teams are playing 5 or 6 consecutive road games. I'm not sure why they did this? Maybe they want players to have more time with families when they are home? Heck maybe they're trying to disrupt some betting systems that focused on 3/4 road games?

Vegas makes money regardless who plays or sits. They had action on both sides prior to the announcement. They probably got much more action after it was known the 4 weren't going to play after they adjusted the line. If you research you will see that teams will cover the spread at a very high rate when 1 or more star players are left out.

[Ahab]

Pop could have sat his players in any other game during this 5 game stretch and it wouldn't have been a problem. But you don't do it when your game is in primetime. It's bad for the league. I know I would have watched that game if all of the starters had been playing but instead I skipped it.

[GatorAvatar]

2 points, the Spurs have all these road games because the rodeo is being held in their building for like 2-3 weeks, so that's not all the NBA's fault (similar to the Bulls' 'circus trip'). Now they definitely could have spaced the games out more.

You can't make any argument in regards to screwing over Vegas. They are completely separate from the NBA and if that plays any ounce of part of the reasoning then you're just begging for conspiracy theories. If that screws up the casinos/lines, oh well.

I know it's apples to oranges but it's somewhat ironic that he's bitching about a team resting their stars after he just suspended one of the Celtics best players for 2 games. What about the fans that paid tickets to see Rondo play?

I absolutley agree with Popovich on this one, I would love to see what rule he broke.

I think my favorite part of the story is that the 4 players flew home on a regular southwest flight, which doesnt even have first class. I wonder if they were able to checkin early enough to get into a good boarding group :)

I disagree with some of your points, but I thoroughly enjoyed your well-reasoned, well-written, factual and funny (the southwest bit) post.

[GatorAvatar]

Pop could have sat his players in any other game during this 5 game stretch and it wouldn't have been a problem. But you don't do it when your game is in primetime. It's bad for the league. I know I would have watched that game if all of the starters had been playing but instead I skipped it.

Very mature reasoning. I agree 100%.

[gatorlife]

Why sit 4 of the team's top 5 scorers on a nationally televised game vs. the defending champions... He could have staggered the rest throughout the road trip (one starter per in earlier games) rather than send the entire scrub team in (I know that they nearly won, but that is beside the point -- Heat may not have been up for bonner, etc.). And why send them all home rather than have them on the bench (resting and not exerting themselves there)?

[gator_glory]

2 points, the Spurs have all these road games because the rodeo is being held in their building for like 2-3 weeks, so that's not all the NBA's fault (similar to the Bulls' 'circus trip'). Now they definitely could have spaced the games out more.

You can't make any argument in regards to screwing over Vegas. They are completely separate from the NBA and if that plays any ounce of part of the reasoning then you're just begging for conspiracy theories. If that screws up the casinos/lines, oh well.

I know it's apples to oranges but it's somewhat ironic that he's bitching about a team resting their stars after he just suspended one of the Celtics best players for 2 games. What about the fans that paid tickets to see Rondo play?

I absolutley agree with Popovich on this one, I would love to see what rule he broke.

I think my favorite part of the story is that the 4 players flew home on a regular southwest flight, which doesnt even have first class. I wonder if they were able to checkin early enough to get into a good boarding group :)

Spurs rodeo road trip is in February. This road swing is in addition to the rodeo road-trip.

[tilly]

Usual drivel posted by a bunch of smartasses. Stern is doing a great job. Some people paid through the nose to go watch superstars and instead got to watch benchwarmers.

Nobody in Miami was paying to see aging Tim Duncan or Tony Parker.

The stars they came to see....played.

[akaGatorhoops]

Pop could have sat his players in any other game during this 5 game stretch and it wouldn't have been a problem. But you don't do it when your game is in primetime. It's bad for the league. I know I would have watched that game if all of the starters had been playing but instead I skipped it.

LOL . . . I was the opposite.
I had no idea this game was on, and have no interest in the NBA. But due to the circumstances, I thought it was very compelling that the SPurs were winning much of the game.
I had not watched a single minute of NBA basketball this season.. until last night. I had Heat-Spurs on the flip during our game.

[ih8danoles]

Pop could have sat his players in any other game during this 5 game stretch and it wouldn't have been a problem. But you don't do it when your game is in primetime. It's bad for the league. I know I would have watched that game if all of the starters had been playing but instead I skipped it.well you missed the spurs almost beating the defending champs on their home floor without their 4 best players. It was a hell of an effort by the Spurs "benchwarmers".

[gatordd]

Stern is just trying to protect their product. It's his job.

[demosthenes]

Pop could have sat his players in any other game during this 5 game stretch and it wouldn't have been a problem. But you don't do it when your game is in primetime. It's bad for the league. I know I would have watched that game if all of the starters had been playing but instead I skipped it.

Disagree. Pop weighed the likelihood of winning at the end of an extended stretch against a formidable opponent coming off significant rest. Looking at pure win/loss probabilities I think he made the correct decision regardless how the game played out.

[jmac83]

Just a personal peeve, but I've always had a problem with sports associations, conferences, fans, commentators who refer to sports and teams as a "product." It's a product in the consumerism sense only in that you pay for entry. Otherwise, it's "sport," which inherently involves risk, variable athlete performances, coaches playing to win over the course of the season and not just that night, and physical and mental errors by participants. You want dependability and predictability in your purchases, go buy a Harley.

[NitroSmoke]

Dayum....250 Large.

[Singaporegator]

Really really bad idea on Stern's part. He is penalizing one of the few teams that does everything right. Admitting the reality that the NBA has fully transformed into the Nation Entertainment Network. Just another reason not to care about the NEA. No interest at all.

[ufhomerj31]

Has stern stop beating his wife?
He needs to retire now.

[GatorNorth]

From once great commissioner to tyrannical dick.

Stern wants a good product for his Thursday prime time slot, but his schedulers give SA 5 games in 8 nights and Miami 4 days off? Comical.

Good for Pop, who is easily winning the media battle on this. Resting them was a coaching decision. Giving them plane tickets home was the finger to the league. The Spurs have been the NBAs model franchise for almost 20 years, building and largely rebuilding through the draft process with no drama, Decision or unnecessary "look at me" fanfare. The next time Duncan creates a cloud of hand powder so everyone looks at him will be the first. And they almost won the damn game, which is the ironic part.

[MdlGator]

Stern is just trying to protect their product. It's his job.

And Popovich is protecting his.

[G8R92]

Is Stern still beating his wife?

[corpgator]

Popovich did give us the greatest boxscore ever last year.

http://lacronicadesdeelsofa.com/wp-content/uploads/tim-duncan-is-old.jpg

[tupacbiff]

Popovich did give us the greatest boxscore ever last year.

http://lacronicadesdeelsofa.com/wp-content/uploads/tim-duncan-is-old.jpg

Should have started the players. Instructed them to foul immediately and benched them for the game.

[your_perfect_enemy]

I love part of sterns reasoning... "They didnt get the league, media or the heat enough notice"... Really? So if they told these people a week before this would have been completely acceptable?

I wish the Spurs had won, then Pop could have said well we felt the guys we played gave us the best opportunity against the heat and our big 4 were going to be a distraction so we sent them home.

[Dreamliner]

What about Spurs fans? They pay their money too, and buy all the Spurs merchandise. They likely care about winning. And if Pop is resting players due to the absurd scheduling in order to increase their long term potential, so be it. So be it anyway. It's the coach who decides these things.

The ticket guarantees you entry into the venue (conditionally, at that.) Nothing beyond. I can't count how many games I've been to games where star players didn't play for one reason or another. Tough.

Stern is just puffing up to cover for the bad schedule. And that was indeed bad business.

It is for the fans to obey and pay!

[gatorev12]

From once great commissioner to tyrannical dick.

Stern wants a good product for his Thursday prime time slot, but his schedulers give SA 5 games in 8 nights and Miami 4 days off? Comical.

Good for Pop, who is easily winning the media battle on this. Resting them was a coaching decision. Giving them plane tickets home was the finger to the league. The Spurs have been the NBAs model franchise for almost 20 years, building and largely rebuilding through the draft process with no drama, Decision or unnecessary "look at me" fanfare. The next time Duncan creates a cloud of hand powder so everyone looks at him will be the first. And they almost won the damn game, which is the ironic part.

Agree 100%.

I really hope Pop contests the fine and demands arbitration for it.

[Go2gtr]

Insufficient reason to hold them out. Injury or family emergency are the only acceptable reasons. They shouldn't be allowed to do that and just flip off the paying fans.

I have to go to work tired sometimes and I'm not paid $175,000 per day like these guys.

[demosthenes]

Insufficient reason to hold them out. Injury or family emergency are the only acceptable reasons. They shouldn't be allowed to do that and just flip off the paying fans.

I have to go to work tired sometimes and I'm not paid $175,000 per day like these guys.

It has nothing to do with what the players want but how the team sees fit to get the most productivity out of the players (wins) and therefore best product. Bosses send workers home all the time without forcing them to take leave because they see the benefit of giving their employee that time off. This isn't a new or outrageous concept.

The argument about the fans is weak too. If you buy tickets you are assuming any risk that a player might sprain an ankle before the game, get sick, have a family emergency, need a rest day, etc.

If you are going to expect individual teams to subordinate a major interest to the league then you might as well abandon any pretense of the league being a sports competition and call it for what it is, scripted entertainment WWE style.

These teams are out to win a championship and what San Antonio fans expect of the Spurs.

[Go2gtr]

It has nothing to do with what the players want but how the team sees fit to get the most productivity out of the players (wins) and therefore best product. Bosses send workers home all the time without forcing them to take leave because they see the benefit of giving their employee that time off. This isn't a new or outrageous concept.

The argument about the fans is weak too. If you buy tickets you are assuming any risk that a player might sprain an ankle before the game, get sick, have a family emergency, need a rest day, etc.

If you are going to expect individual teams to subordinate a major interest to the league then you might as well abandon any pretense of the league being a sports competition and call it for what it is, scripted entertainment WWE style.

These teams are out to win a championship and what San Antonio fans expect of the Spurs.
I guess fans just have to expect it. Like when players dog it during the regular season and then play hard in the playoffs. Suddenly defense is played. People at home thinking, 'where was that all year'?

This comment doesn't follow logically to me:

"If you are going to expect individual teams to subordinate a major interest to the league then you might as well abandon any pretense of the league being a sports competition and call it for what it is, scripted entertainment WWE style."

"Subordinate a major interest to the league" meaning playing their star players. So if you play your star players it's no longer a sports competition and it becomes like wrestling?

I think just the opposite. If you play the bench players it becomes more like scripted entertainment.

The whole thing is weird to me. These teams dumb down the game through listless play and everyone is okay with that? There's an occasional good NBA game in the regular season but it is the exception. It's a grueling season, but the money is so monstrous for these guys I tend to not cut them slack. The worst thing for them is the players who do play hard every night. Why some and not all?

[demosthenes]

No, I mean subordinate a team's interest in winning the most games (in this case via resting players) versus the league's goals. If we follow that model it will be a WWE model of entertainment.

I think most would agree that the NBA needs to reduce the number of games (not that it will ever happen). It makes each game less important, and necessitates players to conserve energy over the year by playing less than 100% or sitting games.

[tupacbiff]

Insufficient reason to hold them out. Injury or family emergency are the only acceptable reasons. They shouldn't be allowed to do that and just flip off the paying fans.

I have to go to work tired sometimes and I'm not paid $175,000 per day like these guys.

Who says that they should be compared to you? It sucks that you have to work when you are tired.

If I don't want to work I call my asst and tell her to clear my schedule. It sucks for those who have booked my services In advance but that is the benefit to reaching a certain level of success and working for yourself.