ClipsNation: Doc Rivers, Kevin Durant, and Super Teams: Where Do We Draw the Line?

The super teams won't go away on their own. What do ratings have to do with it? Except be a spark for the league to do something about it.
Free agency in general is the worst part of sports. Giving control to the players and agents was the worst thing the league ever did.

My whole thing is this: if I am a loyal fan of the grizzlies and marc and mike, I should be able to see them at least have a chance at a team, but that's not going to happen because Memphis is not a marquee market, and so the grizzlies are always the less talented team when they play these super teams.

It sucks.

 

The ratings are relevant because the huge spike in the cap this past summer was due to the massive TV deal the NBA just signed with ABC/ESPN. How many more TV deals will the league get of that magnitude if the product suffers from a lack of competitiveness? Hell, they're already not likely to sign another deal that big thanks to ABC/ESPN hemorrhaging money and laying off a crapload of their employees. This is only gonna make it more of a certainty.

Short-term, the best thing that can happen to scare off players from forming superteams is for the Cavs to beat the Warriors. That'll prevent Durant from being rewarded(at least this year) for his decision, possibly convince a few of the free agents on the Warriors to prioritize money over rings this summer, and do likewise for free agents on other teams who may be considering forming a superteam of their own.

 

A tv deal doesn't change the cap and so I'm not sure what you are saying. Lebron is already underpaid as it is.

Unless a change takes place within the framework of the league, it doesn't matter if tv likes the product or not.

 

All I know is I've essentially lost interest in the NBA and I know others who feel the same. Super teams might be compelling to less sophisticated fans but for real NBA fans it's a complete turn off.

 

The only way to fix this is to raise the max contract. Lebron, Harden, Durant, Kawhi, etc. should be making like 50 million a year. That kind of money would entice guys like Klay, Draymond to venture out to make 50 million instead of 15 million. You gotta pay the top 10-25 players what they are worth. Hell, I would be okay with the NBA removing the max contract restraints.

 

I don't know but I do know that Austin Rivers is terrible and anytime he is out on the court against the Rockets I feel like the chances of winning just increased. Go to a team that your daddy isn't coaching, just saying.

 

In all due respect, your wrong. Kobe & Shaq were a great duo, but that was FAR from a superteam. Any team constructed with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom & Dwight is NOT a super team (Lamar Odom? Really? Lmaoooooo). The Bulls drafted Scottie Pippen, who wasn't a highly sought after rookie, and MJ MADE him into a superstar by grooming him in practice. The difference is guys like Lebron/KD, ACTIVELY look for other superstars to team up with for a ring, as opposed to BEATING them. Magic never wanted to join Bird, he wanted to beat the crap outta him. MJ didn't force a trade to the Detroit to play with the Bad Boys. Apples & Oranges

 

Can't take him seriously when he was recruiting KD in the offseason. Just comes off as sour grapes because he struck out on forming his Big 4.

 

What? How do you think the NBA gets paid? Only a portion of their revenue is from ticket sales. The majority of it comes from networks.

If and when ESPN/TNT/ABC continues to hemorrhage money due to various reasons, any drop off in interest in the NBA will result in a much smaller contract next time around. When that happens, NBA revenue will drop, which will significantly affect the salary cap.
So yes, a crappy product does affect future salaries for the players, which may or may not influence super teams depending on how the NBA actually divides the money.

 

Since you aren't getting it, let me spell it out for you. Say that ABC/TNT/ESPN lose money, and the new tv deal reflects the lost revenue. If there is less money, then the contracts get smaller. Now explain to me how a super team doesn't still form, with smaller deals? Nothing has changed.

You seem to think that there is some pie in the sky scenario were one team won't be able to afford two superstar players. But when the tv deal goes down, the salary cap will contract, and super teams will still exist.

As long as the nba allows a soft cap.

Maybe you need a better understanding of the salary cap, and not the tv money which you seem to think are one and the same. They aren't.

 

You said "A tv deal doesn't change the cap and so I'm not sure what you are saying."
I was responding with the fact that a different TV deal does indeed change the salary cap... maybe not the details regarding players' contracts.

We are basically saying the same thing, though. I agree that unless something changes with the way they divide up the spoils, super teams won't be prevented.

 

Now it's Harden and CP3 vs. Curry vs. Westbrook.