Garden Brawl: We Gonna Go Over This One Last Time…And Finish Up With The Aftermath

Brawl at the Garden: is there an incident that could more appropriately sum up Isiah’s post-playing career than this one? Watching his team get run out of their own building, Isiah decides that the presence of Denver’s starters in the waning moments is a little too much to handle. At this point, the pride mechanism starts kicking in. Now. As, in the dying seconds of the game turned beatdown.

To clarify, this pride is not grounded in the competitive instinct which is triggered when you’re actually trying to win a game. You figure that type of pride would have come up when the Knicks were down between quarters or maybe during a halftime speech, when they were down 13. It also doesn’t help when your team has set an early season precedent of pride-less play. It tends to reflect poorly when a team is so puzzlingly non-competitive on their own home court…you figure pride might be a factor here.

But this is that other type of pride. You know the kind. The same pride that is displayed by that high school team that has nobody resembling a game dunker on its own squad, but will risk life and limb to keep another team from dunking on them. That pride that obscures the bigger picture. Unless you were so outmatched that the bigger picture is moot…

And really, that could be the real question concerning the Knicks? Are they so outmatched as a team that expectations must be viciously re-examined and summarily lowered. Well, let me digress by bottom-lining the original issue: can you really expect teams NOT to dunk all over you when you’re being blown out? Is that reverse dunk really that out of line for the 6’6’’ 40-inch vertical possessing, chronic breakaway-having opponent? Rubbing it in…after your team turns it over for the umpteenth time. Isiah, maybe we should have a little chat…

See Isiah, nobody’s disagreeing with the fact that it’s not very sporting to leave your starters in at the end of a blow out. That’s a given. It would rub anyone the wrong way. But see the problem is, Isiah, people want to rub you the wrong way. That’s because…well, you’re an asshole.

Now, in a world filled with assholes, you may be wondering, ‘Why me? Why am I the one being jerked like so much chicken.” OK, let’s compare you to somebody like…say…uh, Larry Brown. He’s an asshole too. But he’s not a public asshole. He actually cultivates an image of being professional, regardless of how fabricated or contrived it actually is. It’s common knowledge that he’s likely a bigger asshole than even you.

So when one of Larry’s boys, G. Karl, steps up to the plate to seize the opportunity to humiliate you, as opposed to ordering your bench players to haplessly ‘defend the fort’ or muttering warnings to opposing players that will be caught by cameras everywhere, maybe…just maybe, you should put this in your pocket. Use it as a rallying cry for the troops. Instill some pride in them: well-placed pride. Then one day, with Karma in your sails, you can get Jamal to throw an off the backboard dunk in the dying seconds.... At the very least, Isiah, it seems expectations are very low…for your team’s performance and conduct. And remember, you have to be winning to use that old ‘Bad Boys’ blueprint. Keep that in mind while you finish up the season...

But who’s the real loser here? Time to throw in some words on Mr. Karl here. Can’t really say I’ve ever been a fan of his – I have a downright disdain for the whole UNC cartel. And on that note, it’s really sweet that his crusty bond with L. Brown extends to more than just effing up teams comprised of NBA All-Stars that represent the U.S. in international play. Despite the negative karma he's amassed feuding with the stars and would-be stars that played under him (Kenyon…hell, even Jesus had beef), I’m sure he feverishly anticipates the day a team he coaches comes together in perfect harmony like Brown’s Detroit Pistons, allowing him to finally enjoy that ultimate success, however fleeting the taste may be. Let me address you directly George: this may be a sign that it will never happen for you, mane…

You took the opportunity to show Isiah up, a man who humiliates himself on the regular, despite your cries of just ‘wanting a big win on the road’. Right. Would it really have left a big dark cloud over your squad if your subs allowed the Knicks to knock that lead down to ten during garbage time? As opposed to now, with your starting shooting guard gone for a month and the leading scorer in the Lig (!!!) out for fifteen games!!! Son won’t even see the floor till the twenties of January, a stretch that has Denver playing most of the Western Conference playoff contenders.

George Karl, please explain yourself and help me do it without using the word idiot. Denver management should really be considering coaching alternatives right now, just on principle, especially if the Nuggets fall much further past the seven seed they currently occupy. Look at it this way, G: you were a dummy for trying to make an avenging statement on behalf of Larry. Fine. But if you were legitimately looking out for your team (an intention you swore on your children) by leaving most of your starters in at the end of a blow out…against the Knicks (!!!) ...could that possibly make you a bigger dummy? Letting Isiah draw your star player and a starter into a suspension-like scenario…with his scrubs, no less! (Please stop the naiveté by even bringing up premeditation and Isiah together…) Doing the math, you lose Carmelo and to a lesser extent JR Smith for an extended period. Isiah looses Mardy Collins and a waaaay-too-willing-to-fight-Zab Judah-lookin’ Nate Robinson. Huh? Jared gets a week or so more rehab time? Wow.

Serves your stoopid ass right George…and for the record, does anybody else want to question the notion of Karmic rule?

As I already alluded to, the anal-retentive head of M&R (Marketing & Refereeing) David Stern has descended from the mountain and set forth his statements to smote any ill conduct from his minions in an attempt to appease the delicate hearts and minds of the upper and middle classes of Americans i.e. the ticket purchasers. Because even the Kramers amongst that bunch might be down for at least a jersey…

Carmelo got 15 games, Nate and JR are at 10 games each and good ol’ Mardy Collins got stuck with 6. Poor Jared Jeffries receives 4 games for fruitlessly chasing Carmelo up the court. Assorted bench fodder/dummies out for a game. Check. Team fines. Check. But the accompanying statements Stern gave to explain his logic were of the classic variety. Especially the whole, ‘Teams will be held accountable for the actions of their employees – management and players alike.’ Stern’s attempt to not seem heavy-handed and controlling won’t allow him to call Isiah out directly. But why not give his coach/GM status a special term…you know, the status that flat out enables him to be the Isiah everyone knows and is wary of. Like, ‘Uber-management will be seriously frowned upon for telling opposing players not to go to the basket in garbage time when his poorly coached team is getting shelled on their home court.’ Now that’s a statement.

One last thing. I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least drop a few words on the actual scuffle itself. Everyone seems to be about the breakaway foul, lauding a defending team’s acumen for preventing the ‘easy two’. I see the play as having huge potential for a dangerous injury or at least potential to commit harm on the offensive player. There is no sure fire way of minimizing this threat; even wrapping somebody up, in the open court, has a high risk. JR Smith had every right to be angry; clearly Collins hit him with a flagrant. So for him and Mardy to get into it on some level could hardly be a surprise. But Nate? Damn. He seemed all too eager to get his fighting stance on…what’s up with the open-handed slaps anyways? I guess Isiah can still motivate his players on some level.

But if Nate was a shame (you know that tumble with JR in the crowd must have given Stern a virtual heart attack), Melo…well, that was just sad. Very, very…very NOT gangsta. Sucker punch, then flee? Literally, turn and run. Come on, man. You lost on this one, huge. What’s really hood about being the cowardly footnote to an ill conceived mess of a scuffle…clearly that punch wasn’t saving anyone. Keep it real for his teammates? Maybe when keeping it real goes wrong…

I’m a big fan of Melo’s game and I feel he really deserved the success he garnered on the WC team from the summer. But his involvement in this ‘brawl’ was wrong on so many levels. Whether subconsciously or not, his actions seemed predicated on a desire to portray an image. An image more in line with the ‘Stop Snitchin’ movement than a Stern-endorsed ad campaign. It’s understandable that Carmelo wants to stay hood-friendly: he’s a success story that should translate as a role model for others. And I’m sure Nike has a whole array of AI-like marketing strategies, following the original Interscope-based blueprint (you think nobody else noticed N.W.A’s sales…that's some trend-setting). But now, even this sacred cow has taken a serious hit. Son could do all the ghetto homage shoe commercials he wants; he could have the most ridiculous cameo ever on the finale of the Wire. At the end of the day, all it takes is one replay to show him to be a hit and run-away punk. I mean, did you really have to turn your back and run? Since when is Jared Jeffries police?

Ahhhhh, alright…he’s young. People will get over this sooner than later; precedents have already been set (and no need for a number change here…). As for Melo, himself, he got burned bad: there’s no doubt he learned his lesson here. Talent has a responsibility. Now he’s got the time to reflect on that. For his sake, let’s hope Denver does completely fall off in his absence. I could see Mr. Karl holding a grudge at his misfortune of losing his star player for a difficult month-long stretch in the schedule. He's driven away his star before.

Bad things happening to good people? Karmic consequence? Or Isiah’s deal with the Devil. Either way, the Brawl at the Garden will most likely be more than just a flash point for these two teams…it could ultimately cost folks their jobs down the line. For eventually, they’ll be a point when even Satan won’t be able to save you, Isiah. Motivate that.