Was Metta a victim of illegal flopping?

I think it is fair enough to say that Harden took a risk by putting himself 'in the line of fire' like that. I mean, players always do that sort of fake tough-guy, mean mugging, stand-your-ground type of posturing and occasionally get clipped for it(usually just jawing or maybe a shove or a weak elbow) but for the most part it is a calculated 'risk' in that everyone pretty much knows that no one else will actually start something.

It is also possible that Ron didn't really intend on elbowing anyone in the tea, although that is tenuous at best given the angle at which he threw it.

But that is basically as far as you can stretch any sort of clemency to this situation. Ron intentionally threw that elbow, that much is not open for debate. Harden did not flop or 'sell contact' or any of that BS. Watch his neck as the impact strikes, that is pure force distribution and a lot of it. Selling that type of contact would put you in the 3rd row. I'm sorry but Ron is seriously in the wrong with this and deserves at the very very least a 3 game suspension, more likely 5-10, and honestly, with how much the League tends to hate on the Lakers, and with his record, I wouldn't be too surprised if it is much more extreme 'make an example' type punishment.

What kind of got lost in all of this was that Harden was getting up into MWP/Artest's body and pushing him after the play...What is that all about??? I think that should warrant AT LEAST a technical foul on Harden. Instigating is NO EXCUSE for Metta/Ron losing his composure and being careless...but it takes two to tango.

If harden had been respecting Ron's space, and his right to celebrate a positive momentum changing play, then none of this would have happened. The fact is James Harden is a dirty player who instigates trouble and pretends to be tough by bullying players and using the refs to protect him.

Today, he messed with the bull and got the horns. I hope he recovers IMMEDIATELY and loses NO game time, but he definitely was NOT an innocent victim in this exchange.

Also, anyone who thinks that Artest was TRYING to elbow Harden IN THE HEAD wasn't paying attention. Artest felt harden pushing into him and meant to throw him out of the way by pushing his left elbow into his shoulders and shoving him away. His arm slipped upward off of Harden's shoulder and slid into his Ear. There was clearly NOT an intention to GO FOR THE HEAD.

Ron Ron was, however, attempting to shove Marcia Gay Harden...I mean James Harden off his body with an elbow. But, when you throw elbows like that, bad things CAN sometimes happen, and you have to take that into consideration and accept the consequences IF the worst happens and you connect somewhere you didn't intend to connect.

Thems the breaks. You play with fire, you get burned. Both Harden and Artest have learned that lesson again today. Hopefully, the rest of the Laker team won't be too negatively affected by this unfortunate turn of events.

Snakell Beast wrote:What kind of got lost in all of this was that Harden was getting up into MWP/Artest's body and pushing him after the play...What is that all about??? I think that should warrant AT LEAST a technical foul on Harden. Instigating is NO EXCUSE for Metta/Ron losing his composure and being careless...but it takes two to tango.

If harden had been respecting Ron's space, and his right to celebrate a positive momentum changing play, then none of this would have happened. The fact is James Harden is a dirty player who instigates trouble and pretends to be tough by bullying players and using the refs to protect him.

Today, he messed with the bull and got the horns. I hope he recovers IMMEDIATELY and loses NO game time, but he definitely was NOT an innocent victim in this exchange.

Also, anyone who thinks that Artest was TRYING to elbow Harden IN THE HEAD wasn't paying attention. Artest felt harden pushing into him and meant to throw him out of the way by pushing his left elbow into his shoulders and shoving him away. His arm slipped upward off of Harden's shoulder and slid into his Ear. There was clearly NOT an intention to GO FOR THE HEAD.

Ron Ron was, however, attempting to shove Marcia Gay Harden...I mean James Harden off his body with an elbow. But, when you throw elbows like that, bad things CAN sometimes happen, and you have to take that into consideration and accept the consequences IF the worst happens and you connect somewhere you didn't intend to connect.

Thems the breaks. You play with fire, you get burned. Both Harden and Artest have learned that lesson again today. Hopefully, the rest of the Laker team won't be too negatively affected by this unfortunate turn of events.

Totally agree, glad somebody else saw the whole picture and not just the elbow on harden portion only, like the narrow minded idiots on espn criminalizing metta.

LakersFanInCali wrote:.....I clearly made an evaluation and I also brought evidence that supported this....

Brilliant. Furthermore, James Harden should be suspended for a period of time proportionate to the injury he caused Ron's elbow. I am sure he got a nice funny bone stinger.

Agree with snake

Alcindor wrote:

LakersFanInCali wrote:.....I clearly made an evaluation and I also brought evidence that supported this....

Brilliant. Furthermore, James Harden should be suspended for a period of time proportionate to the injury he caused Ron's elbow. I am sure he got a nice funny bone stinger.

You are correct, according to physics, harden's neck did apply the same and opposite force on metta elbow.

Is flopping even illegal? I don't think it is. I think the league considered a rule where flopping would result in some type of sanction...but I don't think it actually made it into the books.

It certainly is not enforced.

Harden is likely to get a technical for intentionally moving up into MWP, but my guess is that Metta's likely getting dinged for three games, the last regular season game and the first two home games in the first round.

dodgers33089 wrote:Agree with snake

ditto

Kobe gets his nose broken too strong for pain walks away and no suspension!! Ron elbows a dude and he falls to the ground and the NBA has a "suspended for a period of time proportionate to the injury" plan!!

UNCLaker2 wrote:Kobe gets his nose broken too strong for pain walks away and no suspension!! Ron elbows a dude and he falls to the ground and the NBA has a "suspended for a period of time proportionate to the injury" plan!!

Perhaps I should have added that in my original post.

Did Ron intend to throw an elbow? Probably but not with the intention of hitting another player in the head area or ear.

Now after the elbow was thrown, my gripe is with Harden "selling" or flopping on the ground like he just got hit by Mike Tyson.

Kobe got popped in the nose in a meaningless game...let's say if Kobe hits the ground and holds his nose like he was unconscious that is "selling" it as more serious than it is.

Either Harden was "selling" it or he's a wimpy dude. If it was indeed a very hard elbow, we would have seen Harden drop like a log. He didn't drop like a log but he took a couple of steps before he realize what just happened.

Again, the "selling" of the elbow bothers me and one of our players is in the fate of how many games Harden will miss. He already sold the elbow...who knows what they are going to do.

J. Harden had no business to walk up and push MWP after that play. Take a good look at J. Harden's walking and pushing direction, not to the ball, but MWP. He initiated the contact first.

I just feel MWP should not be suspended for more than 3 games since J. Harden initiated the contact first.

hdtvset wrote:J. Harden had no business to walk up and push MWP after that play. Take a good look at J. Harden's walking and pushing direction, not to the ball, but MWP. He initiated the contact first.

I just feel MWP should not be suspended for more than 3 games since J. Harden initiated the contact first.

I feel this way as well. Especially after reading all these pages on the matter and watching it over and over. Not to mention Hardens history of purposely getting in the way of players to initiate shiz.

i love metta, in fact i was wearing a world peace jersey watching the game but i think metta DID hit harden REAL BAD. notice how harden's head got shaken on that "unintentional" elbow by metta.

reminded me of the pacquiao KO on hatton a few years back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXx-OcCbetM

shaq_hater wrote:i love metta, in fact i was wearing a world peace jersey watching the game but i think metta DID hit harden REAL BAD. notice how harden's head got shaken on that "unintentional" elbow by metta.

reminded me of the pacquiao KO on hatton a few years back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXx-OcCbetM

Except that Hatton was truly knocked out and dropped like a log. There was no selling there.

Harden was rolling around on the floor holding his ear. Usually an impact like that is a blunt hit. It's not a sharp pain like being stabbed. I don't know why Harden was holding his head.

I keep watching the replay!! Harden keeps getting to Ron Rons chest.....dont poke at a hornets nest if dont want to get stung!!



on the next offensive play down Perkins shoves Andrew in the back and no call!

Can't believe how many geniuses are here on this forum.

1.) That was not a flop by Harden.
2.) Harden didn't initiate anything.
3.) Artest hit him intentionally.

MWP was not the victim in any way...except perhaps in his childhood. Seriously.