This whole apologizing for competing in an NBA game thing has gotten ridiculous

It's another day that ends in "day" so someone is complaining about a team playing basketball for all 48 minutes. The most recent NBA apology/ someone ask for an apology moment has Joe Mazzulla apologizing to Andre Drummond for trying to actually coach and take advantage of his oppoenent's weaknesses. The main reason that Andre Drummond went from young budding NBA star to journeyman back-up center is because he can't shoot. That's what derailed his career. A coach is allowed to not play him because of this, but apparently the opposing coach can't foul him due to it. Especiallyif there is already a big lead.

Joe Mazzulla said he apologizes to Andre Drummond for hacking him the way the Celtics did, but the team wanted to maximize its chances in the IST. Said he told Billy Donovan about the ramifications of the Nets-Raptors game to explain that the Celtics did not necessarily just need…

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) November 29, 2023

Man since I was a kid and still now when I go to play a sport I go to play the sport. Hate games called to mercy rules whether I'm on the winning or losing side. And always loved the opportunity at the end of games either as a viewer or a coach to play the end of the bench players if the game was already decided. But no, now in today's NBA the end of bench players are supposed to get 24 second shock violations, not shoot, and not play defense in the final minute of games.

And if coaches want to actually coach the end of the bench in the 4th quarter they are shamed for doing that. How dare a coach who's team regulary blows big leads call a challenge with 3 minutes left in a game? How dare you Joe?!

Fans have always loved watching walk-ons and tend of bench players get their rare turns on the court in games that are already decided at the college and nigh school level. Sure the team is already winning by 15, but if "Johnny" who never plays actually hits a 3-pointer in the final minute of the game, will your opponents cry more because they lost by 18 and not just15? Or if you play no defense and take a shot clock violation, will your opponent sleep much better because they only lost by 13?

They are not going to have multiple tie breaking games to determine NBA In-Season Tournament tie breakers. Fans, players, and coaches would go livid if they did. So point differential is used. Just like it's used in your local beer league softball playoff seedings.

NBA players have been getting technicals, thrown out, and whining about teams not giving up after 45 minutes as has now become the norm. Maybe they don't understand that the scores matter for the tournament. But this has been become a worse and worse issue for some years now.

People call it "sportsmanship" not to even try when the winner is already decided, but that's such a BS take in my opinion. Well the Pistons season is already decided. No way they and a dozen other teams have any chance of winning the NBA title this year. Should they just call it a season?

Fans pay to watch 48 minutes of the best athletes competing. They want to see Zion Williamson cap off a win with a windmill dunk. They want to see Tacko Fall score at the end of games. Players' egos should be as high as can be considering they are the rare few who made it to the NBA. The difference between a 15 point loss or a 13 point loss shouldn't matter. A blowout is a blowout. If a team is down by 40, but the other team gives up so they can cut the final deficit down to 27 that doesn't change anything. A real competitor wants their opponent to give their all at every moment. You get better by playing against better people.

Again this is the NBA. We're talking about some JV basketball team with no capable point guards where the winning team is still full court pressing up by 50 with 5 minutes less. These are grown men who are all very capable. Joe Mazzulla has enough things he needs to work on as a young coach than to have to worry about nonsense like whether he shouldn't call a challenge or coach his best because someone will demand an apology.

And if it was the other way around I'd say the same. If the Celtics were crying about another team playing hard even though Boston was getting blown out I'd be so embarrassed. A loss is a loss is a loss. And a blowout loss is a blowout loss whether it's by 30 or by 19 because the other team stopped trying because of some contrived bastardization of the word "sportsmanship."

Dribbling out the clock on the very last possession is fine. In games where every point matters like the In-Season Tournament regular season games, yes Mazzulla can choose to foul Drummond. And if Donovan doesn't like it, he can take Drummond out. We all played basketball before with no scoreboard. The obsession over not playing basketball due to what's on the scoreboard has reached the absurd level.