When the Washington Wizards open their season on Oct. 29 at Miami, they will be shorthanded in the frontcourt. Four Wizards – including rotation bigs Nene and DeJuan Blair – were suspended one game Wednesday by the NBA for leaving the bench during Monday’s scrum with the Chicago Bulls in an exhibition game. Also suspended were Xavier Silas and Daniel Orton, although they are long shots to make the team. The Wizards have 13 guaranteed contracts plus Glen Rice Jr., last year’s
Philadelphia’s Daniel Orton had played 24 minutes this month. Portland’s Meyers Leonard had played 31 minutes this season. So when they both got extended minutes in prolonged garbage time, they couldn’t control themselves. In the fourth quarter of the Blazers-Sixers mess Saturday in Philadelphia – check the score and the time remaining as the video begins – the two big men got in a good old-fashioned tussle with both delivering significant blows. Leonard grabbed Orton and threw him to the floor. As
When the NBA is doling out suspensions for flagrant fouls and fights, Commissioner David Stern has said that a player’s previous track record factors into determining the penalty. For example, during a nationally televised regular-season game last season, Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace received a seven-game suspension for elbowing James Harden in the head, flooring the Oklahoma City Thunder guard and leaving him with a concussion. World Peace was clearly caught up in the emotion of the moment – which
The NBA plans to stop the flop, or at least curtail it. The league announced Wednesday it will institute an anti-flopping rule this season with progressive fines growing as high as $30,000 before a possible suspension kicks in. Before you say “Hallelujah!” keep in mind that a player would have to be found guilty of flopping six times to get to that point. Here is the progression: First violation: Warning Second violation: $5,000 fine Third violation: $10,000 fine Fourth violation: $15,000 fine Fifth violation: $30,000 fine Sixth violation: larger