Opinion | Bench decorum now a thing in the NBA, seems to be some easy fixes to the issue

There has been much foofaraw about the comportment of the players on the Dallas Mavericks bench during these playoffs, although I imagine it’ll cool down considerably tomorrow since the season’s basically over.

The latest was a $100,000 fine levied by the league yesterday for “ccontinuing to violate league rules regarding team bench decorum,” the league said.

It followed earlier fines of $50K and $25K in these playoffs because “on multiple occasions, several players and a member of the coaching staff stood for an extended period in the Mavericks’ team bench area, stood away from the team bench, and were on or encroaching upon the playing court during game action in Dallas’ 126-117 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on May 20 at Chase Center.”

Can’t say I blame the league, actually. These guys – and it’s deep bench guys and players on the inactive list who are primarily responsible – are dancing along the baseline, creeping up near the mid-court line and it’s constant. It’s not a quick reaction to some amazing play – they sure didn’t do anything when Andrew Wiggins made a poster out of Luka Doncic; it’s all the time and it’s really off-putting and, I’m sure distracting.

I don’t mind the odd reaction and trash talking is fine but standing and disrupting and acting like they’ve been acting is over the top and unnecessary.

(And before anyone here goes there: This is not Doc Rivers calling a crucial timeout from across midcourt because he couldn’t get a refs’ attention. Two separate things, don’t equate them)

It seems to me there are some easy fixes that I would presume the league’s competition committee should recommend this summer:

Players who are active for that game and the coaching staff can only occupy the front row and baseline area of the bench.  Head coach, three assistants, a member of the medical staff and 10 other seats (maybe go to 15 for five players and 10 others on the active list but I’d be fine with just 10) would be the maximum.

That’s it, that’s all. Everyone else would sit in a second or third row behind the bench.

And if you’re on the bench under those rules you’d have to be in uniform and that would eliminate the nonsense of intentionally wearing a shirt to match the other team’s uniform colours.

Again, I’m fine with supporting teammates and cheering and even if there’s far too much over-reaction to what are run of the mill baskets – watching NBAers celebrate a teammate making a third-quarter three-pointer in some routine regular season game seems pointless – the emotion is all right.

But it’s gone to far, the Mavs are not alone in this and it’s time to, as the league said, restore some measure of decorum.

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Pretty solid Ye Olde Mailbag yesterday for a holiday Sunday and if you want to start loading up for next week, all you’ve got to do is click on [email protected] and send something along.

And since I may very well end this afternoon on a stool enjoying the holiday, today would be a good day to do it.

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Speaking of holidays …

Summer and fall holidays, ranked

Canada Day

Love that it’s the date, not the day of the week. Always means work ‘cause it’s the start of NBA free agency but an afternoon working on Super Deck never hurts.

Victoria Day

Usually right around Birth Week, which is cool and seems to signal the start of the summer. Every now and then it’s a work weekend covering the playoffs but it hasn’t been the way for a few years.

Labour Day

Putting aside long ago memories of having to go to school the next day, a welcome break and often the last golf game of the season.

Thanksgiving

If the Raptors would ever co-operate and not schedule a pre-season game sometime on the weekend, it’d probably be higher.

Simcoe Day

What? AKA, the August long weekend, it generally falls when there’s very little work to do. But there’s always a need to explain who John Graves Simcoe was.

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The Great Grange ™ wondered last night on The Magical Tweeter Machine if this was the best dunk by a Canadian ever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3OaeuQaIFM

I’d say yes.

Would you?

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There seems to be a chance there’ll be some Raptors stuff this week to feed the beast.

If my ciphering is correct, and it generally has been, we should get word tomorrow night on whether or not Pascal Siakam made one of the three all-NBA teams (I had him on the second team in my ballot but I wonder if he’ll get enough support) and at some point, we should probably try to talk to someone about their draft prep that’s in full swing.

(Speaking of, a draft story of sorts from me)

Toss in the start of the CEBL season and I suspect some Canadian men’s team news and the nice little break we’ve all had is over.

I guess the good thing is it might mean I have less time to grow frustrated by the inability of the Blue Jays offence to function well.

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