Mar 27, 2016
Thoughts on the Spurs resting players and more
TSN basketball analyst Jack Armstrong delivers his take on the Spurs resting players down the stretch, Blake Griffin returning from injury and serving his suspension, coaching search firms, Buddy Hield and Ryan Arcidiancono.
1. San Antonio Spurs (and their lineup against the Thunder): Adam Silver, it's on you now; this is disgraceful. My advice to NBA fans: think twice before you purchase tickets to Spurs games in late March through the end of regular season.
Gregg Popovich has started a trend in the league with this nonsense of sitting guys who are healthy enough to play and don't. Why are we paying guys based upon 82 games, and fans paying full price, and healthy guys are getting 'Maintenance' Days?’ I'm sorry. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but Game Night is supposed to be special and more importantly, the fans and corporate partners are supposed to be valued parties.
If the player is not injured, he should be dressed and playing. Simple as that. The standard has been lowered and some fans are stupid enough to think this is acceptable. Let's just play guys for 70 of 82 games and see how fast they fight like crazy for their other 12 checks. Some might get miraculously healthy. A coach like Popovich should be fined to the max for this nonsense.
If guys are injured, I totally respect them not playing. No way should they be expected to play. Fatigue? C’mon. Travel, practice facilities, health care and accommodations are first class and better than ever in the NBA. The system has gone soft. The whole thing needs to be addressed, but I doubt it ever will. Buyer beware.
2. Blake Griffin (Clippers): He’s healthy again and will now serve his four-game suspension. I will be interested to see how he meshes with his team upon his return; his teammates did a fabulous job holding down the fort while he was gone. At 44-27, they've had a nice season. Time for this team - with Griffin - to prove they have what it takes. My bet is they go home after the second round of the playoffs. With that I can see changes coming down the road for this group.
3. Coaching searches: You’re starting to see it now in college basketball and you'll see it in a few weeks in the NBA. We see it in other sports as well. Why do athletic directors, GMs, Presidents, etc need to be wasting huge amounts of money hiring search firms to help in the hiring process?
Yes, I understand the need for background checks, but beyond that the whole thing is a conflict of interest waiting to, and actually happening on a regular basis. If I hire you as an athletic director or team president, you should know who the actors in the play are and give me your guy. Period. If you can't, then you aren't qualified. Instead, large sums of money are wasted and folks cover their bases and other things with the usage of these firms. I laugh at the whole thing.
4. Buddy Hield (Oklahoma): Fabulous performances so far in the NCAA tournament. The man can shoot it, knows how to move without the ball, use screens and create his own shot. I’m impressed. He's a legit and polished player.
5. Ryan Arcidiacono (Villanova): This guy is clutch. I love his motor, skills and leadership. When you look at his defence, shot making, point guard play and overall tenacity, it's easy to see why his team is in the Final Four. You can't tell a book by its cover. This guy is a winner.