Ray Allen's one-game suspension for elbowing Anderson Varejao in the you-know-what will cost him $193,000 (not $158,000 as I first reported). Allen called the elbow an "unfortunate incident."
Umm. Yeah.
Then he and Celtics coach Doc Rivers blamed everything on Varejao.
"If I get thrown down on the ground, whether you call it retaliation or protection – you react out of protection when you are trying to protect yourself," Allen said, in the Boston Globe.
Protection seems to be a key word here. Evidently Allen was trying to protect himself.
Rivers said he was "very surprised" at the league's decision, and attributed the suspension to "the location of the elbow on Easter."
It wouldn't have mattered on Christmas?
"The only thing I'd say to that is Varejao flops all game and does that crap every game … the bottom line is the foul before the incident, and if they called the foul, it may never have happened," Rivers said. ""I didn't know you could swing a guy around and sling him to the floor and that wasn't a foul. I just think we're getting guys for retaliating and we keep missing the instigators."
Rivers is as good a guy as there is in coaching. And he should defend his players. But to say that Allen was some innocent victim here is a bit much.
A year ago, Celtics fans were on LeBron James for reacting every time he got smacked in the face, as if getting smacked in the face during a game is not disconcerting. Now their guy did no wrong. Please.
Varejao clearly flung Allen to the floor, then did the act where he raises his hands and acts like he did nothing. Allen reacted and hit an "unfortunate" spot. But to say a guy is a victim because he hit another guy in the you-know-what is a bit much. Allen is not a dirty player. But intentional or not, what he did was wrong.
As for all Varejao's "crap" … he has had an outstanding season. He has proven himself to be an NBA starter. A year ago, I was very down on the guy and ready to trade him. Danny Ferry didn't, and it was wise not to. Yes, he flops at times. And he can be irritating to the other team (see: Celtics). But that's the way he plays, and the Celtics surely have had a player or two like that in their history. Varejao is a strong defensive player who meshes with LeBrown James, and whose hustle and effort are key parts of a successful team.
Bottom line: Varejao deserved his technical foul, Allen deserved the technical and suspension. Now we move on.
