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No change is imminent, but league could revisit rules concerning technical foul-induced suspensions

If Kendrick Perkins so much as utters the phrase, “How dare you! My last screen was not moving, it was positively refulgent!” or “You insufferable dandiprat, rescind that call, forthwith!” he could find himself suspended for a game in the NBA finals. That’s a pretty harsh punishment for a few crude words and some minor fisticuffs, a point which Doc Rivers has articulated repeatedly since Perk picked up his sixth technical foul in the conference finals.

Well, the lobbying appears to have worked, as the topic seems to be on David Stern’s docket. From Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston:

“I think [Rivers] has a worthy point that’s worthy of consideration,” said Stern. “We are where we are now, but I’d like to take a look at it between seasons. As much as I hate to agree with Doc, I think he actually has a point.

“But we are where we are, and thus far we haven’t had anyone miss a playoff game by reaching the technical limit and hopefully our players will exercise the control that this rule is in there to cause them to exercise.”

There are a variety of remedies to the problem, and its up to the league to decide which is the most palatable. They could choose not to count double-technicals towards the total, or change double-technicals into an entirely separate penalty. They could reset the technical allowance for each playoff series, giving each player a bit of wiggle room. Or they could pump locker rooms filled with pacifying gases and inject the player buffets with happy, happy chemicals. All kinds of options, but one problem that definitely needs to be solved.