NBA rescinds 16th technical against Russell Westbrook

[Roy H.]

The NBA has rescinded a technical foul against Russell Westbrook, meaning the league's leading scorer will not face an automatic one-game suspension while the Thunder battle for a playoff spot.

The league's decision will allow Westbrook to play against the Trail Blazers on Monday, one day after he was called for a technical foul in Oklahoma City's loss to the Pacers.

It was Westbrook's 16th technical foul of the season, which would have resulted in an automatic one-game suspension.

This is Westbrook's second technical foul in the last seven games that was rescinded by the league after the fact.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12679584/russell-westbrook-oklahoma-city-thunder-avoids-suspension-nba-rescinds-technical-foul

I don't love the "rules are rules, until a star player might miss a game during the playoff stretch" mentality.  Sure, it's better to see games decided by players rather than suspensions.  However, it's simply not fair to the Pelicans, who are directly impacted by the league relaxing a rule.

I have no idea what was said, but Westbrook certainly reacted to the initial call.  If anything, the official showed a lot of restraint in not tossing Westbrook after he deliberately made contact with the official.

[Rondo9]

Yeah nothing suspicious here. 

[fairweatherfan]

The suspension rules are dumb to begin with.  I get that they're trying to cut back on players constantly berating refs without forcing the refs to decide on-the-spot about ejections, but it seems like walking back technicals that would cause suspensions in key games has become routine, and definitely not evenly applied.  If this is Steven Adams getting a 16th T this never happens.  So instead of refs arbitrarily ejecting some players but not others, we get the league doing basically the same thing later on with suspensions.

There needs to be a rule adding harsher penalties to extra Ts that doesn't involve automatic suspension.  Not sure what that is unless you go with a fine based on a percentage of player salary, which the union would have a massive problem with.

[Fafnir]

Given how often I see bad technicals come out I don't care. Techs come without rhyme or reason most nights, so much bad behavior draws nothing and then a simple "come on" with a look is a T for a different player who hadn't said a word.

I think back to the C's benefiting from this in 2009-2010 due to the way the officials just T'd him and Shaq up constantly with double ts in the playoffs. The league stepped in to make sure he wasn't gong to miss a playoff game.

[jpotter33]

The NBA has rescinded a technical foul against Russell Westbrook, meaning the league's leading scorer will not face an automatic one-game suspension while the Thunder battle for a playoff spot.

The league's decision will allow Westbrook to play against the Trail Blazers on Monday, one day after he was called for a technical foul in Oklahoma City's loss to the Pacers.

It was Westbrook's 16th technical foul of the season, which would have resulted in an automatic one-game suspension.

This is Westbrook's second technical foul in the last seven games that was rescinded by the league after the fact.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12679584/russell-westbrook-oklahoma-city-thunder-avoids-suspension-nba-rescinds-technical-foul

I don't love the "rules are rules, until a star player might miss a game during the playoff stretch" mentality.  Sure, it's better to see games decided by players rather than suspensions.  However, it's simply not fair to the Pelicans, who are directly impacted by the league relaxing a rule.

I have no idea what was said, but Westbrook certainly reacted to the initial call.  If anything, the official showed a lot of restraint in not tossing Westbrook after he deliberately made contact with the official.

I thought the same thing when I saw it this morning. However, after watching the video I have two observations. First, that's Ed Maloy, who has ALWAYS been quick to technical foul calls. He was in the crew that gave us all the technical fouls in game 2 of the 2012 Heat series. I've always put him right up there with Marc Davis as being a horrible ref, especially against the C's. Second, I don't know what RW said, but that exchange looked extremely mild to other ones Russ has had throughout the year. He's a fiery guy, and he didn't look to be all that worked up leading up to the technical.

To me, I don't think the tech was justified due to the mild exchange and it being Ed Maloy, but, then again, you never know what was said by Russ.

[jpotter33]

The suspension rules are dumb to begin with.  I get that they're trying to cut back on players constantly berating refs without forcing the refs to decide on-the-spot about ejections, but it seems like walking back technicals that would cause suspensions in key games has become routine, and definitely not evenly applied.  If this is Steven Adams getting a 16th T this never happens.  So instead of refs arbitrarily ejecting some players but not others, we get the league doing basically the same thing later on with suspensions.

There needs to be a rule adding harsher penalties to extra Ts that doesn't involve automatic suspension.  Not sure what that is unless you go with a fine based on a percentage of player salary, which the union would have a massive problem with.

Yep. This is a fan-driven league, and it's only punishing fans by suspending players for this type of stuff. I think the league needs to implement this with fights and flagrant fouls, too. It'd be rough to try and get it through the players union or whatever, but that's the best route for fans who shouldn't be "punished" for that.

[KGs Knee]

This was predictable.  It had already happened once within the last week or so.  Star players get star treatment.

Here's to hoping the Pels get that last playoff spot anyways.  Don't like Westbrook or the Thunder.

[fairweatherfan]

The suspension rules are dumb to begin with.  I get that they're trying to cut back on players constantly berating refs without forcing the refs to decide on-the-spot about ejections, but it seems like walking back technicals that would cause suspensions in key games has become routine, and definitely not evenly applied.  If this is Steven Adams getting a 16th T this never happens.  So instead of refs arbitrarily ejecting some players but not others, we get the league doing basically the same thing later on with suspensions.

There needs to be a rule adding harsher penalties to extra Ts that doesn't involve automatic suspension.  Not sure what that is unless you go with a fine based on a percentage of player salary, which the union would have a massive problem with.

Yep. This is a fan-driven league, and it's only punishing fans by suspending players for this type of stuff. I think the league needs to implement this with fights and flagrant fouls, too. It'd be rough to try and get it through the players union or whatever, but that's the best route for fans who shouldn't be "punished" for that.

I'm not so sure I agree about fighting as that definitely hurts the league's image with fans; one of the reasons why they crack down so harshly on it.  But the old truism is that there's only two effective ways to punish players: paychecks and playing time.  So if we aren't suspending, it's got to be a financial hit, and big enough to discourage the behavior.

It's occurred to me that suspended players forfeit that game's salary, so maybe we could just do that - you lose a full game's check but you can still play.  Don't know if that's enough though, or what legal/contract issues might result.

[bdm860]

I heard the chatter about how the NBA will rescind the tech because Westbrook is a star before I saw the actual play.  So then I watched the play, fully expecting to see something heinous by Westbrook, but now I'm just surprised people are even complaining.  I feel like if that was technical #1 or technical #16, if that's Westbrook or Steven Adams, no way should that have been a tech and that would have been rescinded for anybody at any time.

Let's not act like a lot of non-stars don't get techs rescinded too.  Here's a list:
http://mediacentral.nba.com/media/mediacentral/TechStatus.pdf

Now if the tech was for flopping or touching a ref (which besides that infamous Turkoglu incident, I feel like I never see enforced for a non-confrontational incident) I would disagree with it being rescinded, but for arguing with the ref on that call?  Without knowing what was said, that seemed like a very quick, unnecessary whistle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8CrTNaskuo

[Forza Juventus]

Good decision rescinding the technical. Watching the video he clearly did not deserve a tech.

[SparzWizard]

Star treatment. Should have upheld that 16th technical and be suspended for tonight's game.

They need his triple-doubles to continue for more TV rating $$$.

[Roy H.]

Let's not act like a lot of non-stars don't get techs rescinded too.  Here's a list:
http://mediacentral.nba.com/media/mediacentral/TechStatus.pdf

It looks like a little over 4% of technicals are rescinded.  What are the odds that we'd see two rescinded techs against the same player in the same week? 

[Sievers81]

It was a pretty weak Tech, but Westbrook has 15 T's in about 60-odd games, that's almost 1 in every 4 games he should be serving a suspension. It isn't as though someone will be suspended at the start of the season for their 16th Tech Foul.

Financial punishments are worthless in this league, playing time is the biggest punishment you can give these guys. Especially when something is at stake.

[D.o.s.]

Star treatment. Should have upheld that 16th technical and be suspended for tonight's game.

They need his triple-doubles to continue for more TV rating $$$.

You're not wrong but I think Forza's also correct: there's no way that deserved to be called a T in the first place.

[SparzWizard]

Star treatment. Should have upheld that 16th technical and be suspended for tonight's game.

They need his triple-doubles to continue for more TV rating $$$.

You're not wrong but I think Forza's also correct: there's no way that deserved to be called a T in the first place.

Tbh Westbrook put his hand around the ref while explaining about the technical; that should have been technical #2 and an automatic-ejection, plus 17th technical of the season. I mean, Rondo made contact with a ref too and he got suspended for a game in the playoffs.

But it is what it is