Ayton Possible 25 Game Suspension

[n4th4n]

I think if you traded all the NBA players that smoked pot that you would have a big turnover.

There is a difference between rare occasional use and "always smelled weed when delivering to his house."

If you want to trade Ayton based on an internet rumor purported by one person based on a "smell outside his house", then you need a reality check.

[carey]

That may be true, Nodack!
BUT:
Weed is regarded as a gateway drug. At least here in Austria. That‘s why, you can‘t legally purchase it.

lol. Gateway drug. Haven’t heard that term in a bit. There’s only one gateway drug and it’s alcohol which is legal almost everywhere in the world.

[n4th4n]

What the hell is happening in this thread. Did we get thrown back in time 35 years to the Reagan era or something?

[Nodack]

LOL

Gateway drug? I don’t get that term. You try pot and it makes you want to shoot up Heroin? Pfft. Pot is the gateway drug to munchies. I have been smoking pot since I was 20. I’m 56 now and I have never done coke or heroin or meth or LSD or whatever. So much for that gateway thing. I don’t even smoke it anymore. Just vape. No carcinogens that way and much better on the throat and lungs. BTW, pot is officially in the same category as Heroin, which seems dumb to me. Pot is quickly being as acceptable as drinking alcohol in the US since it’s much better for you than alcohol. Not that it’s “good” for you, although it does help a lot of people.

[3rdside]

That may be true, Nodack!
BUT:
Weed is regarded as a gateway drug. At least here in Austria. That‘s why, you can‘t legally purchase it.

For such an advanced nation I’m surprised to hear that.

In the UK minor offences are more or less ignored these days, although I suspect that’s more to do with post-financial crisis economics than anything else.

[3rdside]

I don't mind if a player smokes weed. Many athletes derive a substantial pain relief benefit from marijuana. Being in pro sports is hard on one's body and leads to lots of pain and soreness. I'd much rather he self-medicated with weed than pain pills or alcohol or whatever.

At risk of sounding like a wannabe ... word.


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[Indy]

What the hell is happening in this thread. Did we get thrown back in time 35 years to the Reagan era or something?

[Flagrant Fowl]

If the source of his failed test was indeed THC (leading to the diuretic), I'm more frustrated with his stupidity than actually using marijuana.

His inability to manage a very transparent testing program in the NBA is a sign of a lack of discipline and focus. If I'm being objective, I've seen instances of it in his on-court performance so far in his career. Namely his lack of conditioning, lapses in effort, and below average basketball IQ last season.

This is strike one in my book, and I think it would be smart to consider trading him if something like this happens again.

[JeremyG]

If the source of his failed test was indeed THC (leading to the diuretic), I'm more frustrated with his stupidity than actually using marijuana.

His inability to manage a very transparent testing program in the NBA is a sign of a lack of discipline and focus. If I'm being objective, I've seen instances of it in his on-court performance so far in his career. Namely his lack of conditioning, lapses in effort, and below average basketball IQ last season.

This is strike one in my book, and I think it would be smart to consider trading him if something like this happens again.

Perhaps he gets winded so easily due to lung damage from smoking marijuana.

[Flagrant Fowl]

If the source of his failed test was indeed THC (leading to the diuretic), I'm more frustrated with his stupidity than actually using marijuana.

His inability to manage a very transparent testing program in the NBA is a sign of a lack of discipline and focus. If I'm being objective, I've seen instances of it in his on-court performance so far in his career. Namely his lack of conditioning, lapses in effort, and below average basketball IQ last season.

This is strike one in my book, and I think it would be smart to consider trading him if something like this happens again.

Perhaps he gets winded so easily due to lung damage from smoking marijuana.

That's a pretty big "perhaps" considering his age and body composition. It's more likely that he's just lazy.

[Cap]

Amotivational syndrome, commonly associated with marijuana abuse, is a bad things for an NBA player to have. But this is all very speculative.

[specialsauce]

I don't mind if a player smokes weed. Many athletes derive a substantial pain relief benefit from marijuana. Being in pro sports is hard on one's body and leads to lots of pain and soreness. I'd much rather he self-medicated with weed than pain pills or alcohol or whatever.

As long as it’s not allowed, it shows you’re a complete imbecile if you use it. If your employer doesn’t allow it then don’t do it. It’s not that difficult

[Superbone]

I don't mind if a player smokes weed. Many athletes derive a substantial pain relief benefit from marijuana. Being in pro sports is hard on one's body and leads to lots of pain and soreness. I'd much rather he self-medicated with weed than pain pills or alcohol or whatever.

As long as it’s not allowed, it shows you’re a complete imbecile if you use it. If your employer doesn’t allow it then don’t do it. It’s not that difficult

Yep, if you're being paid that kind of money, just don't do it. Have a little discipline. You are putting your family legacy in jeopardy.

[Indy]

I don't mind if a player smokes weed. Many athletes derive a substantial pain relief benefit from marijuana. Being in pro sports is hard on one's body and leads to lots of pain and soreness. I'd much rather he self-medicated with weed than pain pills or alcohol or whatever.

As long as it’s not allowed, it shows you’re a complete imbecile if you use it. If your employer doesn’t allow it then don’t do it. It’s not that difficult

Yep, if you're being paid that kind of money, just don't do it. Have a little discipline. You are putting your family legacy in jeopardy.

you would think that makes sense. But many times a lot of these guys have been coddled and lived consequence free lives once people realized that were really good at basketball and could make them lots of money. How many classes did Ayton have to attend at UArizona (such a stupid name)? Did he stress about his high school GPA and his SAT test? How much money was he given under the table there? Lack of consequences and ways around the rules are very common for these highly recruited players. It leads to behavior that assumes no/very little accountability. It isn't easy to change.

[Mori Chu]

My general take all along with this situation has been, I think 25 games is excessive given the lengths of suspensions for players for other types of infractions such as fighting and domestic violence. So I wish it were shorter, or that the other types of acts' suspensions were longer. But this is what the CBA says, so we have to live with it. Maybe it'll be a good lesson for Ayton, as others have said. And it's given others a chance to get more minutes, like Baynes and Kaminsky, which will probably be good for our team in the long run.

[specialsauce]

My general take all along with this situation has been, I think 25 games is excessive given the lengths of suspensions for players for other types of infractions such as fighting and domestic violence. So I wish it were shorter, or that the other types of acts' suspensions were longer. But this is what the CBA says, so we have to live with it. Maybe it'll be a good lesson for Ayton, as others have said. And it's given others a chance to get more minutes, like Baynes and Kaminsky, which will probably be good for our team in the long run.

I think this is a poor or misunderstood take. Fighting and domestic violence do nothing to give a player a competitive advantage over others on the court. For DV, that has nothing to do with the sport, there’s a different court for that.

Cheating leads to an unfair advantage directly. Completely different.

[Cap]

Maybe it'll be a good lesson for Ayton, as others have said. And it's given others a chance to get more minutes, like Baynes and Kaminsky, which will probably be good for our team in the long run.

It also means Ayton should have fresher legs for the playoffs.

[Wormwood]

The evidence on marijuana being a gateway drug is mixed. It's also somewhat dated. My general thought on it is that it should absolutely be legal as a painkiller when opiates and synthetic opiates are counter indicated medically. In fact, it should be the preferred painkiller in such cases.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog ... teway-drug

As for Ayton: he's a talented knucklehead / pot head. But... guys like this rarely grow out of it. I'm going to commit heresy, but...

If we moved Ayton and Johnson for Blake Griffin as the principles of a trade (maybe Kennard in there? Galloway?), I'd say do it. Rolling with Baynes and Griffin up front would not be a bad way to go at all, and Griffin has several more good years in him, especially given how good of a passer and 3 point shooter he is.

[Wally_West]

I’m not trading Ayton unless it’s for a player that put us in championship contention otherwise you are just being extremely dumb and short sighted. Blake Griffin is a injury prone 30 year old. Baynes is great but he is also 32. Ayton is only 21 and he if can continue to look how he looked in the opener then I’m only trading Ayton for Anthony Davis and probably a few others. Blake Griffin isn’t one the few others.

Our core looks to be Booker(23), Ayton(21) and Oubre(23), and that core has a chance to be great for a decade, not trading any of the core unless we it gives us a chance to win the championship immediately.

[ShelC]

Griffin still has several more good years in him?!?! He's injured RIGHT NOW and has averaged 59 games for the last 5 seasons.