Is Big Shot Bob Quietly Becoming a Thug?

Sitting there trying to reflect on what the possible loss of David West would mean to the Hornets ("devastating" and "series-ending" come to mind at first), I couldn't help but think of what Robert Horry did to Steve Nash last year. That's because Mark Jackson, Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy kept mentioning it. And with good reason -- West was hobbling to the locker room because Horry stuck him in the back with a pick under the post.

It probably was not illegal. And it probably does not deserve a flagrant foul. But it certainly was not what a "winner" would do, as Jackson (who seems less and less concerned with sounding intelligent now that his coaching gig has vanished into thin air) kept proclaiming.

What I want to know is, are all of Big Shot Bob's ridiculously, um, big shots from years past clouding our judgment about the way he's been utilized over the past few years? He's accruing a foul every 3.4 minutes this year, and maybe that's just a direct representation of Greg Popovich's Hack-A-____ strategy thus far. But if it is, doesn't that kind of indicate even further that Horry is his quiet enforcer on the floor?

I don't want to call Horry a dirty player, because he has given the NBA some ridiculously memorable shots over the years (his role in Hitch notwithstanding). However, the quietly discomforting abuse of personal foul rules that the Spurs are using this year has already been discussed publicly by the commissioner.

That alone gives me pause to think that SAS wouldn't be past having a guy that hasn't averaged over 4.5 points per game get physical with players that are more vital to their opponent.

The guy is still hitting big shots, and he's still a valuable role player. He's not going to the Hall of Fame, but he will always be immortalized in NBA playoff lore. However, if David West cannot play in Game 7 -- meaning for the second straight year one or more of the most important cogs in a Spurs opponent's lineup is knocked out for a series deciding game -- that's probably a little more coincidence than I can stomach.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

5-16-2008 @ 9:54AM

Rick Puffer said...

I used to think Robert Horry was a good guy. I don't think so any more. What happened last year with the Suns was a cheap shot foul and Horry was the instigator. This year, Horry and the Spurs have shown their lack of Sportsmanship...by playing dirty. Why would someone set a blind sided pick, which was of absolutely no use but to injure?

I'm no Hornets fan, but I can't tolerate watching the Spurs win with dirty play. How many times has Bruce Bowen kicked someone? (Go to You tube and find out) Robert Horry...you went from making big shots to taking cheap shots. YOU SUCK!

5-16-2008 @ 8:10AM

Horatio said...

the fans chanted Horrys name.....

a guy just sent a player off the court, and the fans chanted like he was a hero...

im sorry, but that is BEYOND dirty. its disrespectful and from a town that can barely sell out its home playoff games its indicative of what success does to people

5-16-2008 @ 3:29AM

henryclemente said...

"I don't want to call Horry a dirty player, because he has given the NBA some ridiculously memorable shots over the years"

This statement does not make sense to me. Either he's a dirty player, or he's not. What shots he's hit over the years has nothing to do with it. An unbiased writer should be able to call it like it is.

5-16-2008 @ 7:44AM

Wam said...

Please stop whinning.

That was a hard pick but I'm sure Cheap Shot Bob would have set the exact same pick to any other Hornets on the floor regardless of the back condition.

5-16-2008 @ 6:50AM

aksen said...

the only person who wasn't available for the series deciding game in the playoffs last year was horry himself (stoudemire and diaw were suspended for game 5, not 6).

how does employing hack-a-* mean that a team is willing to hurt other players? thats one extremely large leap of logic, ignoring the fact that horry's foul on west wasn't even close to malicious (if he wanted to injure him, the contact would have been much heavier). if it was, it would have been a flagrant (or horry will get assessed one/suspended by the league in the following day or two). if west hadn't jumped to try and disrupt the pass, would have the injury even occurred?

if you want to complain about the incident, a better target would be those fans who started cheering horry's name after it happened and it was obvious west was hurt. THAT deserves scorn, not the play of setting a screen.

frank said...

I liked the Hornets in seven but if D.West is hurt ( back) everything is up for grabs;
Is already proven that CP can't beat the Spurs all by himself and he needs Chandler as well as D.West;
How bad is D.West hurt ? That is the question.

The Cooler said...

Horry has changed since his laker days, I've been at the arena for warm-ups and horry on several occasions runs the through the opposite tunnel to avoid spurs fans. I think he is angry inside because he did not want to retire with an injury and not producing? So when he gets on the court, he just lets out his frustrations. And this is becoming borderline dirty. Deep down, just like most athletes he doesn't want the fairy tale to end.

5-16-2008 @ 9:52AM

spursgirl said...

A couple of things...

The Spurs ALWAYS sell out - obviously you don't live in S.A. Horatio - stick to what you know...The Spurs are the only game in town and SA lives and breathes the Spurs.

Horry is not a dirty player - I think he's fouling more just because he is a step slower than he was - based on age and more importantly, his lack of playing time this year due to injury. The pick he set on West was clean. I was at last nights game - and I was appalled at the fans chanting Horry's name - and I really don't think the Spurs appreciated it either. It's not who they are. I personally have never seen the Spurs fans behave that way - although to be fair - the whole stadium wasn't doing it - I looked around and I didn't see anyone near me doing it.

We win game 7 though - whether West plays or not.

5-16-2008 @ 9:51AM

Will Brinson said...

@ henry

I don't think it's that clear cut. He hasn't always been a dirty player, imho, but now suddenly people are dropping when they come in contact with him.

In other words, I'm a BSB fan and would like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but it's growing difficult.

5-16-2008 @ 11:50AM

skedman said...

C'mon, the Horry "screen" was a cheap hack job by an over-the-hill hack. His best days are long behind him and it shows. The Spurs fans should be admonished for their chanting of his name as West writhed in pain. What a bunch of idiots!

5-16-2008 @ 11:51AM

Martin said...

Durng the telecast prior to the game, there was a segment on Robert Horry, and Popovich was quoted as saying that Horry is a smart player who always comes up with a novel way to help the team. Now that he can no longer make the big shots, I guess cheap shots are his way of helping his team. As for the San Antonio fans, what can you say other than they mistake crass for class.

Sandy said...

Um, sorry dude, but G5 of last years Spurs/Suns series was not a "series deciding game" especially since the Spurs won it in 6

5-16-2008 @ 11:58AM

Don't DARE lump all Spurs fans into that classless category. I WAS there. There were some fans yelling "Horry" but the vast majority were NOT. By the way - that was not the only time they yelled his name... it WAS the time it should not have happened though - I agree. It amazes me that people consider the Spurs dirty. They are the class franchise of the NBA and anyone who knows ANYTHING about basketball knows that it's true - even if they don't want to admit it.

I hate to see any player hurt... but David West is an a**. What he did to Dirk in round one - tapping him on the face was as low as you get - give me a hard foul over that any day. If Dirk was any kind of man he would have slammed him to the floor on the next play.

5-16-2008 @ 11:59AM

Dan said...

This really is no big deal....I would take my 12th guy on the bench...then the 11th...and have one guy snap the leg of Duncan....then take Parker down on his skull from behind. Since the game will be in N.O., they could have banners up for those two players by the end of the game.

5-16-2008 @ 12:29PM

icanlevitate said...

I don't know how anyone could think the Spurs aren't dirty. They're the cheapest team in the league by far. If exploiting the rules and mastering loopholes is great team basketball, there's a problem.

5-16-2008 @ 1:16PM

DUCKHEAD4154 said...

are you kiding me. Cheap shot? Did you not watch the other game where chandler did the same thing to Parker? This is playoff basketball.Mark Jakson said it best on TV. To the old timers, back in the day where people would get closelined, that wasn't a foul at all. It was a clean hard play. He will not even get suspended for any games because it wasn't dirty.

5-16-2008 @ 12:42PM

The Spurs and Celtics are the dirtiest team in the NBA;
They deseve each other;
You don't need to be a detective to know that Horry went straight to D.West with premeditation;
The order came from Popovich;
Popovich knows that besides CP the next in line that can hurt the Spurs is D.West;
In fact a criminal investigation should be in order, firm.

5-16-2008 @ 2:16PM

HORRY SUCKS!

5-16-2008 @ 1:36PM

Not one REAL anylist will say that it was a dirty play because they know only real men play in the paint. They know thats good hard playoff basketball. you need to watch old video of the pistons and celtics. haven't you heard, "only real men play in the paint".

5-16-2008 @ 1:34PM

jmresendez said...

Duckhead - exactly right! I remember when Parker backed into Chandler the announcer said about 3 times "well now that's Tim Duncan's fault. You always let your guy know someone is behind him. You have to communicate when they are about to run into the blind screen."

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