Frye, Granger Suspended 1 Game. Richardson, Watson, Hibbert Fined

by Seth Pollack on Mar 9, 2010 10:53 AM MST in Suns News Comment 31 comments

Channing Frye and Danny Granger were each suspended for one game and Jason Richardson, Earl Watson and Roy Hibbert were fined for their role in an altercation between the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers on March 6th. (Photo by Max Simbron)

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The Supreme Council On Order And Discipline has ruled.

I can't say that I have a problem with this. I would have been fine with no suspensions (of course) but at least they also gave Danny Granger a game as well and fined Watson for starting the entire mess.

Jason not only came at Danny hard with a forearm to keep him off Frye but he kept jawing at him as well. All in all, a reasonable outcome.

Official Press Release follows:

NEW YORK, March 9, 2010 - The Indiana Pacers' Danny Granger and the Phoenix Suns' Channing Frye have each been suspended one game without pay for their participation in an altercation on March 6. Frye was suspended for throwing a punch at Granger, and Granger was suspended for fighting with Frye. In addition, Indiana's Earl Watson was fined $30,000 for instigating and adding to the escalation of an on-court incident. Indiana's Roy Hibbert and Phoenix's Jason Richardson have each been fined $25,000 for adding to the escalation of an on-court incident. The fines and suspensions were announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 46.7 seconds remaining in the third period of Phoenix's 113-105 win over Indiana at US Airways Center in Phoenix on Saturday, March 6.

Frye will serve his suspension March 12, when the Suns host the Los Angeles Lakers at US Airways Center. Granger will serve his suspension tonight when the Pacers host the Philadelphia 76ers at Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Poll

Do you agree with the league's ruling?

Yes.,..pretty fair result

223 votes

No one should have been suspended

114 votes

Frye should not have been suspended but Granger/Watson should

138 votes

475 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 31 comments |

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Comments

Would Frye have been suspended if we weren't playing the Lakers?

Me thinks yes

Steve Nash plays D!!

by phxsuns on Mar 9, 2010 10:56 AM MST reply actions

At least all JRich got was a fine.

"What I've achieved now is something that I always figured I would as a kid. I've had that type of determination since I was a youngster playing around the playgrounds, getting dirty after school." - Amare Stoudemire

by Suns R Us on Mar 9, 2010 10:56 AM MST reply actions

Seems fair. Frye definitely threw a punch (regardless of whether he meant it to hurt somebody) so you knew he was going to get suspended. The only thing I might disagree with is Granger’s suspension. I feel he didn’t do anything more than Richardson (maybe was a little more involved from the beginning but nothing too egregious. He didn’t throw a punch and came in when he saw his teammate get shoved so I think a higher fine than JRich would’ve sufficed.

Staff writer: Bright Side of the Sun Twitter: @dpwatson

by watdogg10 on Mar 9, 2010 10:59 AM MST reply actions

I don’t know. This was hardly a fight by current standards, much less 1980s standards. It could have been ignored, unlike what Robin Lopez did to Andrei Kirilenko.

by 8472species on Mar 9, 2010 11:00 AM MST reply actions

The NBA should be more worried about the health of their players. The Lopez foul was worthy of a suspension. If Kirilenko had re-injured his back on the play, Lopez would have been ejected and suspended. The suspension over this “fight” is just about damage control for the league’s image.

by gerriseinfeld on Mar 9, 2010 12:09 PM MST up reply actions 4 recs

REC'd

The only reason Lopez got off light was the fortunate lack of injury to Kirilenko.

Twitter: @MikeLisboa

by Mike Lisboa on Mar 9, 2010 12:11 PM MST up reply actions

and the lack of attention

it barely got any coverage…if it had happened in playoff game or to a bigger name star

Blogging Suns Basketball . twitter: @sethpo

by Seth Pollack on Mar 9, 2010 12:20 PM MST up reply actions 2 recs

That

Says something about our beloved NBA doesnt it.

TO THE NBA - " Yeah, you have created a rift within me ; Now there have been ; several complications ; that have left me feeling nothing ; I might say, you were ; wrong to take it from me ; Left me feeling nothing " - Disturbed, "Numb"

by antiw0rm on Mar 9, 2010 1:41 PM MST up reply actions

I just reced that too.

by 8472species on Mar 9, 2010 1:20 PM MST up reply actions

I'm okay with it

Would have been upset had none of the Pacer’s really been hit with anything. I feel like maybe Watson could’ve been hit a little harder for instigating, because really out of all the punishment, his was almost the softest. The Granger suspension kind of negates that for me, though.

I think if it were my call, Watson would sit a game. You want to send a message to the players who instigate this stuff, and that didn’t really happen here.

by underxthebridge on Mar 9, 2010 11:18 AM MST reply actions

Someone wake up Jarron Collins.

He’s got a game to play Friday.

http://seasonsofdiscontent.com/

by Scott Howard on Mar 9, 2010 11:19 AM MST reply actions

ha ha

i love the pic of granger with his fist rolled up and ready to party. i love that the suns cant be pushed around. i think the outcome is fair. although i think watson should have been suspended, the guy started it. if he didnt react as he did there wouldnt have been any trouble. he’s a straight up punk.

Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx

by Wil Cantrell on Mar 9, 2010 11:23 AM MST up reply actions

Yeah

I’d say they got it 80% correct. The more I think about it, the more Watson needed to be suspended as well.

Otherwise, all you’re saying is teams can potentially gain an advantage over other teams in a playoff series by trying to instigate fights in a non-flagrant manner. The Robert Horry 2-game suspension was different because of his flagrant foul and the fact he hit Bell “above the shoulders.”

by underxthebridge on Mar 9, 2010 11:29 AM MST up reply actions

Not to mention...

He did bust Steve Nash in the mouth in the prior meeting. What right does he have to get upset about a little elbow which is what his excuse was for slapping channings hands down?

by antiw0rm on Mar 9, 2010 1:43 PM MST up reply actions

I think Granger getting suspended

might’ve been because something he said that the refs included in their report.

Steve Nash plays D!!

by phxsuns on Mar 9, 2010 11:32 AM MST reply actions

fines appropriate, suspension not

I disagree with the suspensions. The fines are appropriate to discourage that behavior from repeating, but the suspensions seem to be a bit excessive for this particular situation. Fry threw a half-ass “punch” as he was moving backwards. I think he would made contact if he wanted to. Maybe next time he should have just to take advantage of that game suspension.

That’s alright though, my boy Collins is going to rip it up Friday. He’s going for 30 points and 15 rebounds. :) I’m sure you all agree….

by huffgarr on Mar 9, 2010 11:49 AM MST reply actions

Doesn’t matter – they’ve clearly set the rules that if you throw a punch you sit at least a game. I knew Frye was going to get suspended because they’ve had to overreact ever since the Palace brawl. Regardless of what Frye says or if he was really trying to hurt somebody he threw a punch (I rewound it and watched like 35 different times) and the L had no choice but to suspend him.

Staff writer: Bright Side of the Sun Twitter: @dpwatson

by watdogg10 on Mar 9, 2010 4:29 PM MST up reply actions

over reaction

What a bunch of NBA crap. The so called “fight” was a little pushing and shoving. We’ve all seen worse on the playground. The NBA made its’ usual over reaction.
The game was rough from the beginning and the refs let it escalate by not calling fouls away from the ball. The refs should have been fined for doing a poor job of keeping control of the game. Earl Watson is a dirty player who should be collecting fouls by the bucket but the refs let him get away with too much pushing, elbowing and hand checking. He instigated the altercation and I’m glad he was recognized (fined). I noticed that he sat for the remainder of the game.

by da suns on Mar 9, 2010 12:03 PM MST reply actions 1 recs

Throwing a punch...

However half-assed is an automatic suspension, just like the Amare air punch is an automatic T. Not saying it’s right, just saying it is how it is.

Twitter: @MikeLisboa

by Mike Lisboa on Mar 9, 2010 12:13 PM MST reply actions

yeah

ever since the Indy (oh Indy again less Artest) Pistons fiasco, the NBA thinks any scrum, however minor could turn into a full fledged 20,000 person riot. i can understand with so many guys involved-rich, nash, frye, granger, watson, hibbert they got a bit nervous.

Blogging Suns Basketball. Twitter: @willcantrellphx

by Wil Cantrell on Mar 9, 2010 12:26 PM MST up reply actions

Amare's air punch is a T

to only Amare it seems. I’ve seen it happen a lot during NBA games and no T is called.

Steve Nash plays D!!

by phxsuns on Mar 9, 2010 1:18 PM MST up reply actions

air punch?

I don’t remember that. When did he do it—in that game?

by 8472species on Mar 9, 2010 1:21 PM MST up reply actions

All the time.

He’s gotten several from it this season.

Twitter: @MikeLisboa

by Mike Lisboa on Mar 9, 2010 1:29 PM MST up reply actions

I think they've said the air punch is fine

Unless it’s directed at the ref, which Amar’e’s always are.

by hcblankscreen on Mar 9, 2010 2:12 PM MST up reply actions

I looked at the replay and I am not sure it was in the refs direction.,..

For a guy of Amare’s status, he sure doesn’t get much with the refs…

"I especially liked the part where I dunked on the McDonalds All-American dude..."

Anonymous high-school player after a Virginia basketball state championship game...

by Sun God on Mar 9, 2010 3:58 PM MST up reply actions

I'm sure that whatever he says...

…in addition to the punch has something to do with it as he rarely complains about his Ts.

Twitter: @MikeLisboa

by Mike Lisboa on Mar 9, 2010 6:20 PM MST up reply actions

Agreed...

I agree that it’s consistent with NBA policy and that’s important for a level of fairness. I just wish they were more flexible in determining consequences based on aspects of each incident.

by huffgarr on Mar 9, 2010 4:14 PM MST up reply actions

Unless its LBJ or Kobe throwing the Amare air punch.

Staff writer: Bright Side of the Sun Twitter: @dpwatson

by watdogg10 on Mar 9, 2010 4:29 PM MST up reply actions

I couldn't disagree more

I am amazed at not only the suspension but also the fact that Frye was the only one ejected. Watson received only a personal foul during the game. How can anyone especially the refs make that call when Watson clearly hit Frye twice! He hit his hands down, Frye looked at the ref who was standing right there, then Watson hit him and ran off. If the ref isn’t going to call anything, I don’t blame Frye for retaliating. Are the refs going to serve a suspension too? And as far as the “punch” from Frye is concerned, I rewound it many times and it looked more defensive than anything. He had 3 guys coming at him, what would you expect any man to do? And I think if Granger hadn’t stepped in, it would have been worse. And what was the deal with what I saw were two swings at Steve Nash? It amazes me how the refs can watch that replay and make the decision that they did. But it’s even more egregious that the Supreme Council couldn’t see that the real cause of the situation was Watson. Players need to be able to defend themselves in these situations.

by Gerald Barrett Jr on Mar 9, 2010 7:18 PM MST reply actions