I
don’t normally write about sports, but this is my blog. There has been a
controversy brewing over Matthew Dellavedova being a dirty player. This had
been based primarily on three plays this post season. So, let’s analyze those
three plays.
TAJ GIBSON
This
controversy wouldn’t exist if the announcers and television producers were
being fair, but I think what happened is they were doing their job. By that, I
mean that were creating controversy for the sake of television drama. They
placed the focus on what happened after Dellavedova and Gibson were on the
ground. The focus should be on what happened immediately preceding.
Gibson
gave Dellavedova a mild clotheslines as they were fighting through picks. Watch
the tape and see Gibson’s body language. He was looking for a fight and was
looking to put a hurt on Dellavedova. He was angry, because a smaller guy was
playing him tough. After the mild clothesline, he then gave Dellavedova a
shoulder on a pick. That shoulder was a foul, and possibly a flagrant 1 if
called. Then, as Dellavedova boxes Gibson out, Gibson just steamrolled right
over the back of him. It’s clear on the video that it wasn’t just body contact,
because Gibson’s arms and shoulders raised as he clearly pushes Dellavedova.
This should end the controversy. Right there is the flagrant 2 if the refs are
doing their job, and any response from Dellavedova that isn’t malicious is
merely the natural reaction of someone protecting themselves from assault.
So,
what about the “leg lock”? I love how the announcers pick that term, as if
Dellavedova performed some sort of MMA move. Gibson was looking for a fight. He
had already assaulted Dellavedova three times and Dellavedova was letting him
know he wasn’t happy about it. Dellavedova wasn’t playing dirty. Gibson was
playing dirty.
KYLE KORVER
Well,
the refs weren’t doing their job on this one. Watch the video. The reason the
ball was loose was because Dennis Schröder was reaching in. He clearly bumps
Dellavedova from behind. Had the refs made the call, the play would have been
stopped before the injury.
After
the ball went loose, Dellavedova did what any hustling player would do. He went
after the ball. This whole notion that he rolled on Korver’s ankle is
ridiculous. He grabbed the ball and spun away from his opponent to protect
possession.
Again,
the announcers and the producers seem to be focusing on what makes for
controversy and television drama. They failed to point out that Dellavedova was
fouled. They failed to point out that had the refs made the call, the play
would have stopped before the injury. They also used inflammatory language of
Dellavedova rolling onto Korver's ankle. Dellavedova did nothing dirty and the
only foul on the play was committed by Schröder.
AL HORFORD
Seems
Al Horford and Taj Gibson are both afflicted by the same malady—that they
become enraged when a smaller man plays them tough. First, Horford dropped a
shoulder into Timofey Mozgov. It was deliberate and it was dirty. He should
have been called for a charge. Demarre Carroll fell over Mozgov, who was on the
ground after receiving the shoulder. This started the domino effect of bodies
hitting the floor. Horford started it and then he drops an elbow onto
Dellavedova. The dirty player was no doubt Horford!
Horford
then goes on to make some post-game comments that can only qualify as imbecile.
“He’s got to learn. He’s only been in this league for a couple of years but
he’s got to learn that at the end of the day, it’s a big brotherhood here. Guys
look out for each other and I don’t think it was malicious but he’s got to
learn.” So, apparently Horford was trying to teach Dellavedova a lesson. What
could that lesson be? The only lesson that seems likely, considering the facts, is Horford thinks smaller men shouldn’t play him tough.
THE PATTERNS
Only
two patterns seem to emerge from this controversy. 1) Dellavedova plays hard.
2) NBA big men develop tempers when smaller guys out hustle them.
