When the NBA announced yesterday that it had suspended Metta World Peace seven games for his elbow on James Harden, it was a lesser punishment than many expected. Chris Mannix of SI.com wrote last night that the Association missed its chance to send a strong message by hitting the Lakers veteran with a more significant penalty, perhaps banning him from the postseason.
NBA commissioner David Stern defended the league's decision today, saying that a number of factors were considered and that seven games were "larger than some people might have thought from just an elbow" (Twitter links). Stern also hinted that the suspension may have been longer during the regular season, since seven games at this time of year is more significant than it would be earlier in the season (Twitter link).
As we debate whether the punishment for the forward formerly known as Ron Artest was too lenient, too strict, or just right, here are the rest of today's notes out of the Pacific:
- World Peace will forfeit nearly $348K in salary due to the suspension, according to Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times.
- Does Neil Olshey have a chance to win NBA's executive of the year award? Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com examines the case for the Clippers GM.
- Kings coach Keith Smart plans to bring back his entire coaching staff next season, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Most of Smart's assistant coaches were in place before he took over for Paul Westphal.