1. Marreese Speights: Not known for being a dirty player, the Golden State Warriors‘ Speights (either intentionally or inadvertently) elbowed the Denver Nuggets‘ Kenneth Faried in the upper back / neck region on Saturday night which sent Faried tumbling down … and then on to a stretcher … and then into a night at a Bay Area hospital. A Stiff List nod should go to the game officials, too, who insisted on the game continuing while Faried was being treated by the Nuggets training and medical staff right off of the baseline sideline. Luckily, Faried returned Sunday night to play against the Portland Trail Blazers.
2. O.J. Mayo: Having displayed his hot-headedness several times already this season with altercations with DeMarcus Cousins and Draymond Green, Mayo doubled down on stupid on Saturday night by going after the game officials after being ejected during the first quarter.
3. Al Jefferson: Talk about a rough season. First “Big Al” gets a five-game suspension from the NBA for violating the league’s anti-drug policy (allegedly because of a third marijuana use infraction … come to Denver, Al!), then after a two-game return he injures his knee and will be out six weeks.
4. John Wall: The Washington Wizards point guard went on record recently whining about the NBA’s All-Star voting process, given that the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ Kyrie Irving – who has only played a handful of games since returning from injury – is getting more votes than Wall. Maybe Wall should worry more about his Wizards being .500 and in 11th place in the Eastern Conference than getting All-Star Game votes that he doesn’t deserve thus far this season.
5. Phoenix Suns: For the second week in a row, the Suns end up on the Stiff List. Taking a page from the 2014-15 Nuggets’ how-to-fire-your-coach playbook, not only have the Suns lost nine straight but loss number nine came in blow out fashion against the eight-win Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers?!
