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Dillon Brooks and his recent suspension was discussed during Friday’s episode of “Skip & Shannon: Undisputed”. During the episode, the Skip Bayless took the opportunity to voice his disgust at the league's decision to suspend Brooks for his play in Game 2.
Is Dillon Brooks' suspension warranted?
Bayless expressed:
“This makes me sick, it makes me want to puke. Does the punishment fit the crime?”
After Draymond Green was ejected from Game 1 of this series, many expected Game 2 to be an aggressive bout as well. But nobody could have pictured how quickly it physicality hit, and how hard.
In the opening minutes of play, Dillon Brooks came up behind Payton as he was driving and knocked him down to the ground. Gary Payton ended up being removed from the game for x-rays, which indicated that he suffered a broken left elbow. The hard foul from Brooks sent a clear message to the Warriors, but it may have been the wrong one. There is no reason to force such a play on someone's back, striking their head and entire body down to the floor in the process, when the game was still so early on. The foul was a message, and it was telling the Warriors that Memphis is here and can play an aggressive game as well.
As a result of the play, Dillon Brooks was ejected with 9:08 left in the first quarter. The day following the game, after the NBA’s review of the play, Dillon Brooks received a one-game suspension. With his early ejection, and now full game suspension, he is effectively missed for two games of this series.
Skip Bayless continued:
“This is a travesty. This is a sadly, laughable travesty, that really makes me not even want to watch NBA playoff games anymore … Because my NBA, the national basketball association that I have loved since the middle of the 1970s, has turned into the national softball association.”
According to the NBA, the foul committed by Dillon Brooks was “unnecessary and excessive,” as described in their report of the suspension. The league deeming the play unnecessary is arguably what pushed the pin toward suspension. The league has to show its players that playing with aggression is healthy competition, until you are risking players' futures over forced, unnecessary plays.
Though, Skip Bayless again seems to nod in the other direction. When talking about the play and defending his own comments, he explained Dillon Brooks’ actions as the best choice in that position.
Bayless outlined:
“Obviously, the correct basketball play is to foul him on a breakaway layup. Make him go to the free throw line and make two free throws because the odds are he’s only going to make one and you’re going to save yourself a point.”
Gary Payton II averages 57.1% shooting from the free throw across the 142 games in his career so far. Committing a foul and forcing Payton to the line may have been a good decision at the time. But there is a difference between committing a simple foul and swatting at someone's head while throwing them onto the ground, not even halfway through the first period.
Yes, every bucket matters in playoff basketball, but the gamble of taking someone's future away to save two points that early on in the game is simply not worth it. Skip Bayless, having never played a lick of basketball in his life, is, of course, the voice of reason when it comes to "correct basketball."
Ironically, earlier this week, Kendrick Perkins and Vince Carter joined in a conversation in which they both agreed with the league's decision in suspending Dillon Brooks.
Vince Carter outlined:
“I applaud [Dillon Brooks] for the hustle play, trying to get back and not allow the lay up, but at some point, you have to understand, 'Alright, I can’t get there, and if I try to attempt to block this shot, I can hurt him or myself.' And he took it to the next level and, of course, hurt Gary Payton, and he deserved the suspension.”
Vince Carter, who was drafted in 1998, is familiar with the tough, old-school style of aggressive ball that everyone glorifies. If a player like VC is coming out and agreeing with the league, the NBA’s decision may have potentially been the correct one.
In any case, no matter who says what, NBA fans everywhere know Skip Bayless. Once his opinion is in the headlines, there is no changing it, so Bayless seems to be heading the column of opinion that opposes the suspension. Whichever way one looks at it, a player is now out for several weeks with a broken bone, forced to miss time in the playoffs, all over a potential two points, no more than six minutes into Game 2 of a series.
Guess the Lakers players!
