Fisher, Alston Leave Teammates in Bind

Point guards are supposed to be the smartest guys on the team, the coaches on the floor, the quarterbacks calling the plays, stabilizers who can keep their cool when times get hot.

In this case, point guards are dumb.

Instead of providing the leadership that can carry a playoff series, Derek Fisher and Rafer Alston just may have cost their respective teams a spot in the NBA Finals, a high price to pay for both the Lakers and the Magic, respectively.

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Both were rightly suspended by the NBA Thursday, forcing them to watch their teams from afar tonight, at a time when both their teams are facing critical Game 3s in their best-of-seven series.

Opponents from Houston and Boston must be laughing.



Alston was suspended for jack-smacking Eddie House on the back of the head – making the logo on his headband spin like a merry-go-round – near the end of the Magic's woeful Game 2 loss Wednesday. More than anything, he was frustrated by the way House was lighting him up like a town-square Christmas tree.

Fisher was suspended for a pre-meditated assault on Luis Scola, trying to prove his manhood in front of the home crowd in a game the Lakers already had under control. He was ejected immediately. Alston finished his game because the officials didn't see his infraction.

The hits were completely different, but both will look like idiots today if their teams lose without them, which is very probable. They failed their teams.

It's not like these were young point guards like Rajon Rondo, or Chris Paul or Deron Williams. These guys are older, supposedly brought to these teams for their experience and wisdom, for their ability to run teams.

There is no excuse for either one.

Fisher is supposed to be this high-character guy who gives the Lakers leadership. In Game 3, he will give them nothing, putting his leadership ability into questions.

The Lakers now must rely on untested Shannon Brown, who might crumble under playoff pressure, and Jordan Farmar, who confidence has gone south since coach Phil Jackson stopped using him.

Alston, meanwhile, hurts the Magic just as much as they try to hold off the defending champion Celtics. Since coming at midseason from Houston, he has been a better-than-expected replacement for Jameer Nelson.

He has spent his NBA career trying to prove he is more than just the street-ball player who carved his niche on the New York City playgrounds. Since coming to the Magic, his maturity has been unquestioned – until now.

The Magic now turn to journeyman Anthony Johnson, a more-than-capable backup but not the starting point guard they need to win a playoff game. The Magic traded for Alston at midseason because they didn't think Johnson could do the job. It is up to him now.

"When players are in a competitive environment, with stakes being extremely high in the playoffs, it sometimes brings out the best, and the worst in people,'' said Stu Jackson, NBA vice-president of basketball operations, who announced the suspensions. "Sometimes, players who wouldn't ordinarily behave in this manner do things they later regret.''

The Lakers were fortunate that Kobe Bryant received only a flagrant foul for his elbow in the upper chest of Ron Artest in the same game. A few inches higher, and he would be joining Fisher on the sideline.

It is the second playoff suspension for the Magic, who lost center Dwight Howard for Game 6 in the first-round series against Philadelphia after he elbowed Samuel Dalembert in the face. Without him, the Magic responded with an inspired victory, turning his absence into a plus.

Friday may be different. If the Magic lose at home, their chances of winning this series will plummet. If the Lakers lose in Houston, they can blame Fisher for failing when they needed him most.