ESPN’s Jeff Van Gundy discussed Nets coach Jason Kidd’s two-game suspension stemming from a July DWI conviction during Friday’s broadcast of Heat-Nets, and said incoming commissioner Adam Silver "really should take a look at how we fine and suspend players and coaches." Van Gundy: "Either get out of the personal behavior suspensions and just focus on what happens on the floor and let the law take care of the things that are off the floor, or stop wrist-slapping these guys.” Van Gundy said the “deterrent is not working” and the suspension system in the NBA is “ludicrous.” Van Gundy: “Drunk driving, domestic violence -- that we suspend guys for two games and then they get suspended for five games if they're in the drug program.” Van Gundy said the NBA should “start putting the hammer down” with suspensions of “ten games, 20 games, whole season if you need to.” ESPN's Mike Breen said, "The Players' Association should encourage that kind of discussion to figure it out, because they want to have the right reflection of their players because the majority of the players are terrific and do the right thing." Van Gundy said of the NBPA, "You can talk to them but I would rather ask for forgiveness than for permission." He added the NBA should "just do the right thing," and tell players and coaches "there's a couple things we are not going to tolerate ... make up your four or five things and then just let everyone know it's not tolerated" ("Heat-Nets," ESPN, 11/1).
