I think people are forgetting that in a free-for-all setting, the Rockets can pick up a lot of under the radar players. So while LA an NY fight for Dwight Howard and Lebron, we can perhaps find a good young player who could develop into the next superstar. For example, we might be able to outbid others for someone like Jonas Valanciunas and other youngsters. Basically be able to rebuild with Morey's list of undervalued players.
"With the first pick, Cleveland is taking Lebron's talents to the Sh.t Lake". This would be the most epic moment in basketball history, with 100 cameras zoomin in on him crying.
Are ticket sales enough to make up for a smaller media market and local tv deals? Lakers signed a $3 billion with Time Warner, last year. I would think big media market teams like LA would dwarf Miami in revenues.
Same thoughts here. I'd watch the video more than the amazing horse video! EPIC! And imagine the public's reaction. Truly, the best possible thing that could happen to the NBA marketing-wise.
Correction to myself here: I did not realize at the time that the union was picking the quicker, riskier option of disclaiming interest, becoming a trade association, and immediately suing the league. So yes, they passed up the 45 days of negotiating leverage to go straight for the jugular. The second half still stands, though.
No, they didn't decertify, they disclaimed. And that's fait accompli. I'm still trying to figure out what it exactly means, but it seems to me the difference is that decertification would be an execution while a disclaimer is a suicide. The union already doesn't exist. They have no legal way to engage in last-second negotiations. In the game of chicken, the union threw the steering wheel out the window. The union members might still decertify too, from what I've read, to reinforce the legitimacy of the antitrust claim. The NBA will claim the disclaim is proof that the union was always planning to take it to court and that they didn't negotiate in good faith. So, a decertification would make it look more like a democratic decision and not a ploy. And this is why I think this common wisdom that they should have decertified (or disclaimed) in July is bunk. The league would have had a much stronger argument then that the union wasn't really trying to come to an agreement. Now, having defeated the summer effort, their argument will be much stronger that they tried to reach a deal, and that the disclaim was only undertaken because an agreement was impossible. I think this is the right strategy even if it is costly. The league would have called the decert bluff in the summer and performed well in court. I think the league's position is a little worse now for a court case. No way the league starts another season without a CBA anyway. They'll wait for the court resolution. And then, as much as possible, set things back to how they were. I'll be shocked if we see a free-for-all.
^Fair assessment, as I had corrected myself just before you posted. But only really relevant to the parties involved. Yes, I think it's the right play for the players as far as squeezing every drop of leverage they can to protect their luxury tax and MLE positions. But as far as the fans go, the players essentially showed that winning on something as ultimately trivial as the luxury tax specifics and the length of the MLE is more important to them than having a season, given that everyone has known from the start that taking the fight from the boardroom to the bench would basically spell the end of the season. The right move for the players/owners to get the best deal and the right move for the NBA as a whole are different concepts, as everyone but them has realized since this started.
Been waiting for this... If the whole 2011-12 season is missed...the rockets are in PRIME shape. We can bid on free agents this year and next year correct? Also we would get a lottery pick...i doubt they would do the same draft order but probably have a new lottery with some variation like cle excluded from top 3 pick or something...but and then have a tiered lottery for picks 15 and up like 15-20 . 21-26 etc anyways would be nice seeing as Dandre Jordan and Gasol would bother be unrestricted next year if not signed. Also, Howard and CP3.... I think houston could snag cp3 and howard at max level while maintaining lowry, scola and martin...plus our cheap players with options like paterson, parsons, draft picks, budinger and morris. If not maybe snag a top player and sign gasol or jordan.
