The Laker Link wrote:Why is it taking so long for them to say how many games he'll miss?

The league is probably waiting for news on the severity of Harden's injuries. And there is no rush, Lakers don't play until Thurs.

I think it'll be around 7 games. I hope he doesn't miss too many.

JoelMyersScrotalSack wrote:My feeling is he's done for the season simply because the league won't want the possibility of him playing in the 2nd round against the Thunder.

^^ I actually think the exact opposite. NBA is all about ratings - and ratings are all about drama. I think this is the perfect story line for them. People will tune in to see Harden and the Thunder try to get revenge on Artest and friends.

Let's face it, the San Antonio Spurs are uninteresting. No matter who they play there aren't going to be great ratings for it until the WCF. Now the Thunder are milking the Harden incident saying they'll sit him for the last two regular season games - more drama. They are going to be locked into the two spot and we will face them in the second round. Who doesn't want to see that? Without Artest, that second round does not retain the same drama.

I say about 10 games but if he gets the rest of the playoffs, i say GOOD. Because he deserves it. He criminally assaulted Harden. This is beyond basketball. This is not a hard, flagarant foul. This is not two guys getting tangled up after a loose ball. This is completely unrelated to basketball.

Harden is day to day..the severity of his concussion will play a role in the suspension. the fact he is day to day and not out for sure more than 2 weeks is a good sign for artest

It just seems like they give a decision 24 hours after the incident usually.

I'd be annoyed if it was more than 5 games, and I'm trying not to be biased, because with Ofom on Dirk and Bynum on Barea, you knew they knew what they were doing, after this, I feel like Ron was just being dumb and got over excited. Did he mean to, maybe, but not with the hope of hurting where Bynum and Barea, well that can be argued otherwise.

I say give him 5 and if you want to make a point, make some, if not most, playoff games this year and some games next year.

The rest of the Lakers Playing season (such as all the playoffs) is WAY over kill I say. He didn't run to the bench and attack and he didn't touch any fans, so I'd say 5.

If they do 10, then you can say they looked deep into his past.

I don't think you can apply reason to the punishment....not the way the media has ridden it. The way they've framed it, any less than a full playoff ban and suspension that goes into next season would be favoritism for the Lakers.

If that's what happens, I think we've seen the last of Artest in a Laker uniform, and I feel sad that it ended on this note.

Lets Go Lakers wrote:

Whatthef? wrote:Ron should get the same # of games that DWade got when he gave Kobe a concussion and a broken nose.

Are you serious? A hard foul on a basketball play which accidentally caused the injury compared to an uninstigated elbow to the head which was not a basketball play? My God, there are delusional people on this planet.

I would hate to considered a delusional fan HOWEVER you might want to check your facts before claiming this.

1. Dwade never made a play on the ball he just swung for Kobe's head.
2. While no one thinks Wade wanted to break Kobe's nose he did with a equally sick hit to the head while Kobe was in the air (thats more dangerous).
3. Neither was a basketball play but only one came in a game that mattered the other was in a show-off style showcase of the NBA's best players where defense is played only the final 3 minutes of the game.
4. Maybe DWade doesn't have a history of taking cheapshots on people.... oh wait, nevermind he does.

Sorry but who is delusional again?

puffyusaf#2 wrote:

Lets Go Lakers wrote:

Whatthef? wrote:Ron should get the same # of games that DWade got when he gave Kobe a concussion and a broken nose.

Are you serious? A hard foul on a basketball play which accidentally caused the injury compared to an uninstigated elbow to the head which was not a basketball play? My God, there are delusional people on this planet.

I would hate to considered a delusional fan HOWEVER you might want to check your facts before claiming this.

1. Dwade never made a play on the ball he just swung for Kobe's head.
2. While no one thinks Wade wanted to break Kobe's nose he did with a equally sick hit to the head while Kobe was in the air (thats more dangerous).
3. Neither was a basketball play but only one came in a game that mattered the other was in a show-off style showcase of the NBA's best players where defense is played only the final 3 minutes of the game.
4. Maybe DWade doesn't have a history of taking cheapshots on people.... oh wait, nevermind he does.

Sorry but who is delusional again?

I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT ONE!!! PICK ME PICK ME!!!

Lets Go Lakers wrote:I say about 10 games but if he gets the rest of the playoffs, i say GOOD. Because he deserves it. He criminally assaulted Harden. This is beyond basketball. This is not a hard, flagarant foul. This is not two guys getting tangled up after a loose ball. This is completely unrelated to basketball.

What are you Harden's mom?

KeepBynum wrote:

Lets Go Lakers wrote:I say about 10 games but if he gets the rest of the playoffs, i say GOOD. Because he deserves it. He criminally assaulted Harden. This is beyond basketball. This is not a hard, flagarant foul. This is not two guys getting tangled up after a loose ball. This is completely unrelated to basketball.

What are you Harden's mom?

Nah, just another troll on my ignore list.

You'd think the way some people are completely vilifying MWP, absolutely demonizing him for the move, that he'd gone up to a group of babies and punted them halfway across the world. Some people are saying that the move could have caused massive injury. Same could be said the other way around though, and a few inches lower and it's just a bruise. The move should be evaluated simply on the intent, which I believe was not malicious, and the move itself. Not the damage caused, and especially not POTENTIAL damage.

james harden

Lets Go Lakers wrote:I say about 10 games but if he gets the rest of the playoffs, i say GOOD. Because he deserves it. He criminally assaulted Harden. This is beyond basketball. This is not a hard, flagarant foul. This is not two guys getting tangled up after a loose ball. This is completely unrelated to basketball.

Yup, completely unrelated to basketball.
Even though it happened on a basketball court.
While people were playing basketball.

The violence of the hits is different but Wade cheap shot was clearly premeditated while Ron wasn't

Ron was clearly caught in the moment of being out of his mind while Wade answered because he thought he was fouled on the previous play .

actually I think Harden absoluely deserved to get his butt kicked.

He has been talking a little too much to the Lakers and I very much support Artest giving him something to remember for the post-season. I just think it was a dumb decision to do it this obviously and danger the team by getting a huge suspension.

That being said, Harden will STFU next time against the Lakers which is good.









thats less than 2 months away....

KB24 wrote:actually I think Harden absoluely deserved to get his butt kicked.

He has been talking a little too much to the Lakers and I very much support Artest giving him something to remember for the post-season. I just think it was a dumb decision to do it this obviously and danger the team by getting a huge suspension.

That being said, Harden will STFU next time against the Lakers which is good.









thats less than 2 months away....

Absolutely! He talks a lot...OKC doesn't won anything, so STFU!!! Harden, KD,Porkins, Ibaka...I hate these punks!

if he gets suspended for more then 7 games.....MWP will appeal it.

I just hope the NBA looks at Harden's role in this. I'm not saying what Ron did is fine or anything like that, but they should look at everything that contribute to the actions that transpired.

Why is he all up on Ron when he is running back down court? He was celebrating not even looking at anything but the crowd and was in some emotional state that he was probably numb to. It's not like Ron went up to him for no reason and just Malone'd the back of his head for no good reason.

Harden was the instigator in all of this. Again Ron should never ever do what he did, but for people to make it come off as Harden was just picking roses are just flat out wrong.

Would Harden have received that elbow if he wasn't trying to escalate a situation into a cheap foul or one of his patented flops? He messed with the bull after it saw red and got the horns. But the fact is, he never should have been rubbing up on the bull at the time in the first place.

Again I am not excusing Ron for any of his actions, just looking at the whole incident and all parties involved.

I dont think anyone should get elbowed in the head violently for trash talking. Kobe talks a lot. But Harden needs to remember who he's talking to, if he goes up to trash talk Kobe or Pau or any other sane players they'll shrug it off, this is Ron freakin Artest, he thinks differently than the rest of us. Why even instigate something with someone like that if you're Harden

The Rock wrote:I dont think anyone should get elbowed in the head violently for trash talking. Kobe talks a lot. But Harden needs to remember who he's talking to, if he goes up to trash talk Kobe or Pau or any other sane players they'll shrug it off, this is Ron freakin Artest, he thinks differently than the rest of us. Why even instigate something with someone like that if you're Harden

I think Harden was trying to get a "T" on Ron. I said in another post that it looks like Harden deliberately runs into Ron as he is celebrating to the crowd. Ron does any of his normal stuff Hardens gets hit and the refs call something on Ron. It is the same thing teams have been doing with Drew to get him out of the game. Take a couple of cheap shots and get them mad. The problem is, Ron is already mad but what no one seems to say or notice is that Ron has not instigated anything this year. He may play rough and old school ball but he stands his ground without letting things get out of hand. All year he has been the one stopping the madness. Another thing, with Kobe on Westbrook and Ron on Durant the Thunder were getting exposed. Ron is a wildcard (more ways than one) so I am sure the Thunder are like get him riled up. Harden clearly tries to get into Ron for no other reason. I just wish Ron had caught himself (if he even knew it was harden) before he did it cause the league will come down on him and he knows that.

Doc Brown wrote:I just hope the NBA looks at Harden's role in this. I'm not saying what Ron did is fine or anything like that, but they should look at everything that contribute to the actions that transpired.

Why is he all up on Ron when he is running back down court? He was celebrating not even looking at anything but the crowd and was in some emotional state that he was probably numb to. It's not like Ron went up to him for no reason and just Malone'd the back of his head for no good reason.

Harden was the instigator in all of this. Again Ron should never ever do what he did, but for people to make it come off as Harden was just picking roses are just flat out wrong.

Would Harden have received that elbow if he wasn't trying to escalate a situation into a cheap foul or one of his patented flops? He messed with the bull after it saw red and got the horns. But the fact is, he never should have been rubbing up on the bull at the time in the first place.

Again I am not excusing Ron for any of his actions, just looking at the whole incident and all parties involved.

^^ I absolutely agree with Doc Brown and Puffy. You guys are seeing it the same way I am.

Harden knew what he was doing coming in and bodying up Ron. He didn't know he was going to get an elbow to the head, perhaps, but there is no reason to get into Ron's body after a big play like that except to try and bother him or play tough guy on him.

It's like the boy who cried wolf. He's been known to do this exact thing and draw a charge or a T. He was doing the exact same thing. He was not getting in position to receive an inbound pass - he would be avoiding contact if that were the case. Here he seeks Artest out and initiates the contact, not the other way around.

I really like Doc's analogy, he messed with the bull and he got the horns. Harden's an idiot and he bit off way more than he could chew.

Unless this was all purely by design. And honestly I wouldn't put that beyond this guy. The Thunder know good and well that Artest is key to the Lakers stopping them as he's one of the most effective defenders on Durant in the entire league. Take Artest out of the mix and the Thunder have a much easier time.