<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Paxson Backs Penalizing Noah Bulls GM John Paxson said he had no problem with Bulls players voting to make Joakim Noah sit out an extra game as punishment for his run-in with assistant coach Ron Adams. Paxson said he helped coach Jim Boylan determine the initial one-game suspension, but supported the players? decision to extend it. "Jim and I spoke [Friday] and the one game suspension was warranted," Paxson said. "The fact the players felt they needed to address it is, in my mind, a good thing. As Jim said, it's them taking ownership. I have no problem with that. ..." -- Chicago Sun-Times # One thing Noah learned is that veteran players have more control in the NBA than they do in college. "I didn't know you could get suspended by players," he said. "It was the players' decision. They thought I was in the wrong, so ... I don't agree with it, but I'm going to take it and I understand it. And it's on me to just do my job." -- Chicago Sun-Times # Interim coach Jim Boylan said he had no problem with the vote by Bulls players to suspend rookie Joakim Noah an extra game for his verbal tirade against assistant Ron Adams. "I liked the fact our team stepped up and our guys want to take control of some of the disciplinary things and the way we behave," Boylan said. "They're setting some rules of how we will treat people on our team and in our organization, and that's the way it should be." -- Chicago Tribune # "I just talked to him, and I told him to keep his head up," Corey Brewer said Monday. "It's a tough situation for him, but you have to work through it. He has to start from scratch [with his teammates] there now. But he can do it. He's a good guy." As for dealing with losing games? That has been a regular subject in calls between the two. "We just try to keep each other's spirits up," Brewer said. "It's going to get better, because it can't get no worse." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune</div>
Well, we've been back and forth over this, and I think the major point is generally missed. I don't care if it was a unanimous vote or not, whether it was deserved or not, or whether it was approved after the fact by John Paxson. The point to me is this is the sort of mess crap that just screams "out of control" situation. The fact that something analogous to something going on with the Knicks (their guys voting Marbury off the island and being ignored by Zeke) is happening to the Bulls is a sure sign of disaster. Other teams have issues too, of course, but they manage to deal with them 1)Successfully and 2)Without national embarrassment. Anyone read the articles about the Wizards' vets trying to whip their kids into shape? Right or wrong, at least those guys are exercising some positive leadership.
