Smart cast the dice himself. He made a decision to do what Westphal hadn't: let D.M.C. reign. Smart gave Boogie the ball, let him get T'd up left and right without benching him, and watched him reach the highest point in his career. By the end of his first season under Smart, Cousins looked like a near-future All-Star. Maybe a 2012-13 All-Star. That helped Smart get his contract in order. Smart will get paid through 2013-14 precisely because he bet on DeMarcus and in 2011-12, that bet paid. So to a certain extent, now that the bet has stopped paying, this is about Smart taking his losses, licking his wounds and learning.

I mean, when you take the wide view, what a crummy situation Smart entered. An awful roster, a top prospect who has little idea how to harness his passion (which often manifests into frustration and anger), no real point guards, few shooters, little athleticism. And now, Smart's forced to take a stand against Cousins — the halftime benching is the coach's version of a suspension — and D.M.C. is back before the week is out.

Read how the suspension was lifted, via The Bee's Jason Jones:

Smart and Geoff Petrie collaborated on the initial punishment. No one is responsible for ending that punishment much earlier than seemingly all observers thought was appropriate. It's amazing, innit?