The One Where World Peace Sends James Harden's Head Halfway to Anaheim

The playoffs, then 20 games next year.

Given his history, Meta-Artest should always enter any disciplinary situation with about a 95% presumption of complete guilt.

 

That was bad but nowhere near as bad as I expected based on the comments on here.

Thought the announcers were a bit over the top too.

Stupid thing to do and he should be suspended but it's ridiculous to think he should be banned for life for it. Kermit Washington only got 26 games for damn near killing Rudy Tomjanovich.

 

Give World Peace a chance.

 

Have to wonder how much of a chance they'll give a guy who was suspended for 72 games in 2004 for the Pacers-Pistons brawl.

 

Exactly.

 

You really can't haul off and attempt to elbow a guy as hard as you can in the head. Especially if you're Ron Artest Metta World Peace.

 

If Bynum got five games (appealed down to four) for clotheslining JJ Barrea, how much does Artest get for this? At least Bynum's was in the flow of the game (albeit completely flagrant and a cheap shot of the highest order). Harden damned near got his skull cracked while just milling around after a dunk.

 

Has doodah taken over your account?

 

Queensbridge represent!

We had that on in the breakroom at work and the collective, "Holy shit!" was something to hear.

Artest is a punk, plain and simple.

 

See my post above, Meta-Artest should always be presumed utterly guilty unless spectacular exonerating evidence comes out to clear him. Something on the order of Harden hitting him on the back of the head with a ball rack.

 

Maybe he felt threatened by Hardin and could hang his hat on stand your ground laws.

 

I think it'll be five to eight games.

But it is interesting noting how the world has changed in the NBA (and not necessarily for the worst).

Breen today I thought was going to start weeping, which is a common reaction he has when either the Lakers do anything underhanded or good (Laker looser fan reaction). Compare his reaction to Stockton and Heinsohn when McHale famously tried to decapitate Kurt Rambis.

"Part of the game."

They practically blame the victim.

But the league is much different, of course, and I get just as tired of anyone else when the old players talk about how much tougher the league was back in the day. I'm not real keen on seeing guys clotheslined or punches thrown every other night.

But even compared to plays in the current NBA, I don't think Artest's was something that warrants a ban for the rest of the season.

Raja Bell on Kobe: 1 game

Dwight Howard on Pierce: 0 games

Devin Harris: 0 games.

And the fat kid still doesn't see anything wrong.

I suppose Artest's past could play a role but if that's the case, wouldn't they also consider he won the league's award for citizenship last year? If you're going to take the Palace brawl into consideration, why not that? In other words, I don't think a player's past should be taken into account when assessing single-incident penalties.