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May 23, 2016When the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Dahntay Jones in early April for their playoff run, no one expected him to hit the three-pointer to give the Cavs the record for the most threes made in a single game during the sweep over the Hawks.
After doing that, no one expected Jones to be suspended in the East Finals, let alone to get playing time to warrant a suspension. But after a low blow to Toronto Raptors’ big-man Bismack Biyombo, the 35-year-old will be suspended for Monday night’s Game 4 in Toronto, the NBA announced Sunday.
https://vine.co/v/iEdu1muOmLH
Whether it was accidental or not will forever remain a question, but it seems as though Jones got a little payback for Biyombo’s somewhat dirty play so far this series with just 17.6 seconds left in Game 3. The hit to the center’s groin was so hard that Biyombo even stayed down on the court after the final whistle.
Luckily for the Cavs, so far in the playoffs, the shooting guard has only received playing time when it is already out of reach. But either way, he has played in 622 games (157 starts) over his 11-year NBA career. He holds career averages of 5.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game with Memphis, Sacramento, Denver, Indiana, Dallas, Atlanta and the Los Angeles Clippers. The 6-6 guard has also has some playoff experience, appearing in 49 NBA playoff games (16 starts) with averages of 4.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11.1 minutes.
Following the hit to his midsection, Biyombo responded to the media, per Cleveland.com’s Chris Haynes.
“I’ve never been hit like that before. That was the first time and that’s why I was on the floor for a long time. There’s not much I can say on that play.”
While Jones was suspended, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey continued to hang on what he has said previously in previous games, which led to a $25,000 fine from the NBA.
“He’s not getting the calls. We shoot zero free throws in the fourth quarter. Zero. I mean, it is 73-46 in the entire three games. He’s getting hit. There’s one play where they almost have a brawl. He gets killed on that play and again, I’ve got to go back and watch it, but there’s got to be some consistency.
The Cavaliers may be without Jones in Game 4 Monday night, but at least a punch below the belt only costed them a non-rotation player, not a significant player. Golden State, however, could be without “peak annoying” big man Draymond Green after the Warrior blasted Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams with a kick to the same area in the middle of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.
https://vine.co/v/iEP30gUUpwt
Did Dahntay Jones set a precedent? Does Draymond get to walk? Many think the former, but Steve Kerr is vehemently saying the latter. Stay tuned.
29 Comments
Well, since Oakand plays tomorrow, we should see soon if the NBA has the cojones to make the right call.
They better suspend Green. That guy needs to start getting the JR Smith treatment.
Green got pissed Adams tied him up, then kicked him in frustration. See ya in Game 5, Draymond
https://vine.co/v/ijrY02qXPm3
Had Green kicked at more of an angle and hit Adams in the side of the knee, Adams is out until November. Jones’ shot was cheap and deserves a suspension… Green’s was equally deliberate and has a much higher potential for injury.
Stu Jackson Tweeted that it’s not about intent but reckless behavior so if we go by that I would tend to think Green will be both fined and suspended. Key words: I would tend to think. My guess is he and the Warriors will escape possibly with just a fine. But I agree had this been JR Smith no doubt he’s suspended.
The interesting part of all of this is in the same game Green wildly kicks his leg up in order to draw a foul call but misses Kevin Durant. So it’s part of his game.
Green and Bogut are dirty players. About time the rest of the country is waking up to this.
I would hope 2 games min. That is not a one game suspension play.
Dahntay Jones getting suspended could be the best thing for the Cavs. This is hilarious.
I’m with ya, for the reason I stated below about intent and injury potential.
Suspensions in these types of situations (in all sports) should have ZERO to do with star-status. If you are a star for your team, you have even more responsibility to avoid doing this crap.
Always a good time to remind everyone about Chris Paul too…just because:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F3tptzEWmM
I’m seeing a lot of weird “intent” rhetoric being thrown around, even though the criteria for a Flagrant 2 is independent of such. It’s “Unnecessary and excessive” contact. Check. Check.
It’s inherent. The word “flagrant” itself means blatant, which carries (malicious) intent.
I think the “unnecessary and excessive” part just gives further guidance as to the results of the intentional act…ala “Was Green’s kick to the kiwis unnecessary and excessive?”
Yep, wasn’t necessary because it wasn’t a part of a basketball play and it caused excessive pain to every man having to watch that.
kelly olynyk disabled kevin love for months and knocked a max player out of the playoffs by literally pulling on his arm until it came out of his socket.
there can be no more reckless act. thats when so bill simmons et al reverted to exploring olynyk’s ‘intent’ and nba caved.
net net — they will do what espn tells them to do. of course green should be suspended. i will be disappointed but not surprised if he isnt.
So you’re suggesting that calls made by refs are always correct and not subject to revision by the league. As we are well aware, just because the refs called it that way doesn’t mean the league will agree.
Green gets tied up with Adams, and then has both feet on the ground two separate occasions after the foul. The kick was deliberate (or at the very least, a manifestation of his cheap tendencies). In either case, Green is responsible for that kick. It is complete BS to suggest that is a “flail” or “natural leg kick”. Total garbage.
In a way, it’s better for OKC that it was called flagrant 1 on the court, now the league definitely has to step in and levy further punishment. So, the “greatest team” in the NBA loses 1 player for 1 game? Big deal. Play by the rules and punish by the rules.
I guess my feeling on intent is more relevant for a suspension than the decision of flagrant 1 or 2.
Yet the media says he’s such a great guy.
LeBron James is paying for Dahntay Jones fine: http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2016/05/lebron_james_to_pay_dahntay_jo.html
“Should have” – unfortunately they don’t always work that way. I would be entirely unsurprised if he gets out of this without a suspension.
I think based on Jones suspension, it’s probably a 1 game since, to my knowledge, Green hasn’t served any suspensions of this sort yet.
At this point, Curry could kill 5 hookers and get away with it.
That is amazing.
Draymond Green is such a fascinating case. Swap him and JR and some, maybe most people here would be defending him while calling for JRs head. I fully admit I’m somewhat of a JR apologist so I very well may have defended Draymond in this sitch.
But what makes him an interesting case is how he is allowed to get away with so much, how he has somehow managed to avoid the dreaded “dirty” label which usually comes with increased scrutiny from officials and the league. Thanks to social media, EVERYONE knows what he does – the tackle picks, throwing players to the ground, not to mention, he basically curses out and threatens officials if he doesn’t like a call, but they just turn a deaf ear. So I have to assume the league is aware of his actions. Why, then, does he continue to get off? Is it truly a case of being on a record-setting team which is bringing unprecedented attention (read: ratings, read: money) to the league?
Why wouldn’t a coach about to face him in a playoff series bring it up to the media before game 1, put the spotlight on him, and dare the league to continue to ignore it and let it go unpunished? You don’t have to accuse him of being intentionally dirty, but put the league on notice.
P.S. How many outsiders would be screaming “DIRTY PLAY” if it was Delly? Diving for a loose ball is dirty, but throwing your foot nuts-high on a 7-footer after the play isn’t?
P.P.S. If we’re trying to gauge intent solely from video here, Dahntay had to bring his arm in that direction as his body was getting twisted around. There is no prior movement that necessitated Draymond’s leg and foot to raise up at all, let alone that height.
JR has earned his reputation. That’s on him at this point. I know that if he reacts, he’s in trouble.
Delly’s hit on Taj Gibson was dirty. Although, Gibson was being equally dirty in that play last year. I don’t think when Delly took out Korver or got Horford ejected it was dirty. I think those were just hustle plays made by a smaller guy.
I am just as surprised how Green has avoided the dirty label though. He obviously is among the most dirty players in the league.
Agreed on JR’s earned rep, but that was my point/question: how has Draymond avoided it?
And also my point on Delly: why is it dirty when Delly does it but not when Draymond does?
Because Delly/JR don’t play on a team with the golden child of the NBA?
(Does that make LeBron the silver child now? Golden man?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=476e_ck5H-M