The Memphis Grizzlies would have received far worse suspensions had they been involved in the recent infamous NBA altercation.
When it comes to the Memphis Grizzlies, the basketball world either overlooks them or unjustly crucifies them.
The biggest headline of the weekend in the NBA was the altercation that occurred in the matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets. After much investigating, the league distributed punishments to players Rajon Rondo, Brandon Ingram, and Chris Paul.
With Rondo spitting on Paul prior to hitting him with a haymaker, only a three-game suspension was handed down to the Lakers’ point guard.
The spitting aspect should have earned Rajon Rondo at least a 10- or 20-game suspension. From the perspective of the punch, many NBA players in the past have been suspended for more games for far less contact.
Chris Paul also landed intentional contact. He meant harm on Rondo, though the Houston point guard was triggered. Thus, only two games given to CP3.
Plus, Brandon Ingram — perhaps the “lesser-known” of the three involved players, received the largest suspension at four games. Yes, he acted like a fool while having his teammate’s back, but he escalated the entire incident. He worsened the moment.
These weak suspensions will not make NBA players hesitate from unleashing their anger in future on-court conflicts. From the looks of it, the small consequences for the Rocket and pair of Lakers are due to being big names on the league’s most profitable teams.
What would have happened if this incident involved lesser-known players from small-market NBA teams? Imagine if this altercation involved the Memphis Grizzlies and, say, Wayne Selden, Omri Casspi, or Ivan Rabb.
It is almost a guarantee that two-, three-, and four-game suspensions would not have been a thing. Four games may have been the minimum for these particular Grizzly players.
If any similar altercations occur in the 2018-19 NBA season, it will be very interesting to see the length of suspensions that will come from the league office. Will the association remain consistent and “fair?”
This Houston-Los Angeles showdown clearly shows the league has changed its decision-making process. Suspensions are now less severe than they were a few years ago.
Remember when the NBA suspended Zach Randolph for Game 7 of the Memphis Grizzlies’ playoff series versus the Oklahoma City Thunder?
Had Zach been available for that important Grizzlies postseason game, OKC would have likely been defeated. Who knows, it could have led Memphis to becoming NBA World Champions for the first time in franchise history.
A suspension — though just one game in length — was unfair and unjust. Randolph’s absence deflated Memphis’ motivation in the critical stage of the series.
On the positive side of all the suspension discussion, Grizz Nation must be thankful that the Memphis Grizzlies are in no way involved in this negative energy. Rather, the squad is sitting pretty with a two-game winning streak heading into Wednesday’s road matchup with the Sacramento Kings.