Arron Afflalo’s flagrant foul on Alec Burks certainly appeared suspension-worthy.
Instead, Afflalo got off with just a $15,000 fine. A one-game suspension would have cost him $68,182 (1/110 of his $7.5 million salary).
Why did the Nuggets guard receive such relatively light punishment?
Maybe it was because he immediately insisted the contact wasn’t intentionally dirty. Maybe it was because Burks – aided by Jazz trainer Gary Briggs, whose technical foul was rescinded – finished the game.
After all, if Burks weren’t injured, just how bad could the flagrant have been?
But that argument might be going out the window.
Jody Genessy of The Deseret News:
https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/540213459892187136
https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/540300896509255680
https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/540301507397042176
https://twitter.com/DJJazzyJody/status/540301920120741888
To be fair, Burks shoulder had been bothering him since before the season began. It’s possible Afflalo’s foul isn’t to blame, but that type of contact certainly seemed like it could have aggravated the injury.
It’ll be good for Rodney Hood to get a little more experience in his rookie year, but this isn’t the ideal way for it to happen.