For the Rockets Tank baby tank. Mercilessly and completely openly. No fig leaves. Nearly all the officially unfavored teams in the league should tank and help create a couple of other super teams-- preferably in small media markets just to punk Stern. Can we send Martin to OKC for a second rounder and a worthless player or two? They could use another scorer off the bench. Maybe New Orleans, if Stern doesn't still manage it, can trade their number one Davis to Indiana for their 2012 pick and some cash to help small market Indiana compete with the super teams. Maybe some other disfavored small market teams can be built up? Memphis or possibly Milwaukee could be stocked to be super teams to screw up the Playoff TV ratings.. Then the rest of the donor teams can compete for the bottom to see who can win 5 games to be eligible for the first couple of draft picks. No throwing games. Each team should be staffed by guys trying their best to win against tremendous odds. . Finally a round robin tournament of the lowest four teams can compete post season in a separate loser playoffs with the winner of the losers getting the top pick. That could create some excitement for the donor teams, and a chance to actually have the forgotten fun of winning a few games prior to summer vacation. The winner of the loser tournament could then be reclassified as perspective super team for the other donor teams to build up to playoff status. Alternately, we could have a Final Four Tournament in which the donor teams could donate players to form a temporary super team that could compete against the top three favored big market super teams, so teams in the flyover regions could experience of having some of their players in the Finals on TV.
The problem will not be resolved until the league implements a franchise tag, but that's years away. Until then, I predict ticket sales will go down and TV ratings will go up. This is another reason to tank, BTW. The Rockets have run out of top ten players to chase, and the Lakers are going to dominate for the next couple of years, so we might as well use this time to rebuild.
I don't believe the problem will be resolved until the NBA fully institutes a real Hard Salary Cap, the number should be somewhere around what 2 max deals, and all league minimum add up to. That way players have to take a REAL paycut if they want to make a super team, then teams with tons of cap room will actually have a chance to be real players in Free Agency like in the NFL.
Seems like the lakers always get the player they want while the rockets get shafted over and over. they are paying tax and still able to sign 2 allstars in the offseason
Glynch, you're asking how to put a band-aid on a problem when the entire system needs to be reworked. The NBA needs disruption, not quick fixes.
This. The only real way to deal with it is to hope that Les and other non-NY/LA/Miami owners hold strong in the next CBA negotiations and lock the players out until there's a franchise tag system. It might mean multiple years of cancelled seasons, but I'm fine with that if the league tries to actually fix its problems. It's clear that last year's lockout accomplished little besides putting a band-aid on things.
how many of us tuned in to watch dirk demolish the divas? and how many of us hoped that battier and chalmers wouldn't show up against OKC so that the divas would not get what they wanted? Almost everyone. However, espn and the rest of those tools believe we tuned in because we like super teams. The exact opposite is true...we want the system to fail. Until a coup is executed on the commissar and all those close to him, until the draft is changed, until there is a franchise tag..nothing is going to change. It's sad.
I actually was rooting for Miami, and I know a lot of people were too. It is an interesting psychological disorder to think everyone is doing the same thing you are simply because you are the one doing it.
How about stop watching the NBA? Spend more money on NFL, MLB, NCAA basketball, etc. I'll still watch every Rockets game and they'll always be my first love due to the championships they've given me as a fan, but I go forth knowing I'm no different than a fan of professional wrestling.
Glynch, this seems to go against your core beliefs, i.e. giving to the rich so the poor become poorer ... in the hope that the poor become rich?:grin: However, your thinking is creative, and I love the bottom four teams playing for the #1 slot.
This will effectively be in place for 2013-14, when the super penalties take effect. Look for the Lakers to amnesty Gasol next summer. Other players with big contracts signed post-lockout will be waived with the "stretch" provision. Parity will eventually come back around, and then teams that draft well and make smart personnel moves will win, just like in the NFL.
LA is better than Houston, especially if you are young and rich. It's not the teams, it's the cities. If it were the LA Rockets and the Houston Lakers, Howard would be wearing our jersey next season.
You don't get it. Collective action by the poor so that they can prosper together. It will never trickle down from the haves. Thanks for pointing out the potential misunderstanding.
