Phoenix Suns: Defending Hornacek’s Technical Foul Policy

The Bigger Issue Behind The Rule

Against the San Antonio Spurs on Jan. 9, the Suns trailed by only three points with less than two minutes to play. Back-to-back technicals from Tucker and Keef put Phoenix in a hole it couldn’t climb out of. Instead of playing for stops down the stretch, the Suns had to play the foul game and wound up losing by five to the team directly ahead of them in the standings.

Everyone was quick to label Hornacek’s rule as an overreaction to one loss, or to Marcus Morris’ bench outburst against the Minnesota Timberwolves. But this problem has been going on for nearly two years now. Last season, there were only six teams in the association with more technicals than Phoenix (71).

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This isn’t just a problem because the Suns — the league’s 20th ranked defense — are giving up free points. It’s also a problem because these technicals are the direct result of frustration, an inability to accept the officials’ calls and move on.

How often have we seen Tucker make a big shot, say something to the opponent, get whistled on the other end for a foul and then whine about it? How often have we seen Morris talk trash or complain about a call and erase his team’s momentum? It’s not just about the points. It’s about letting the refs affect the team’s level of play.

To their credit, both Dragic and Morris understood why they were benched in the last two games. They know the rule and did not criticize the decision their head coach made. So if the players — even the ones who were benched — accept and understand the rule for what it is, what right does anyone else have to criticize it?

And furthermore, who the hell can defend someone’s decision to break a rule while knowing full well that Hornacek is 100 percent serious about it? Isn’t it ridiculous this rule even had to happen in the first place?

Next: Accepting The Rule