It's a big coup for Kobe to sign a $48.5 mil contract after he ran of Dwight and is shooting 49% TS. Coupbe just needs to keep his mouth shut at this juncture.
I would love for Scott to try a different look. Recognize that there are no lockdown defenders among the starters and adjust accordingly or change the lineup. Get the FO to sign a defensive stopper or body in the paint
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mark Cuban on Kobe's saying players have pressure to take discounts: "Many owners have discussed that if you don't spend every penny....</p>— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkG_Medina/status/535958581883854848">November 22, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>"...fans scream at you and yell at you about how cheap you are. They call your kids cheap. They call your cousins cheap."</p>— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkG_Medina/status/535958704554655744">November 22, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Part 1: If an NBA player is making, oh, say $24 million/year in this CBA climate, can that player claim winning is his biggest motivation?</p>— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) <a href="https://twitter.com/BaxterHolmes/status/535959434061574144">November 22, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Part 2: Mavs owner Mark Cuban: "Yeah, of course, as long as you can convince everybody else that you need to come play for the minimum."</p>— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) <a href="https://twitter.com/BaxterHolmes/status/535959642119995392">November 22, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cuban is just talking basic cap math. In any kind of salary cap league, what he says is true. People talking about "fans" or "the public" pressuring players to take less, but I don't think fan or public opinion is really what matters. Fans can think what they want, it doesn't change the fact that the salary cap is $63M this year and one guy taking $24M means there is less money to spend on others. Dirk didn't take a discount to be popular. Tim Duncan didn't take a pay cut to appease fans. They did so because they don't want to get stuck on teams without sufficient talent to compete. I think the Spurs and Mavs owners have largely held up their ends of the bargain by actually spending the money on players (sometimes guys don't work out, but at least they are trying). The one instance where I think a player might rightly feel screwed by an owner after taking less money is Miami when they amnestied Mike Miller. Lebron/Wade/Bosh took discounts to allow Miami to retain Haslem and add Miller in 2010, amnestying Miller to save tax money is the kind of stuff that I'd get frustrated with in LeBron's shoes.
Lakers are apparently working out a couple of FA PGs-- Gal "Fake Chandler Parsons" Mekel and Dwight Buycks. Not sure if they will sign either but I think Mekel has the edge simply for not being named "Dwight."
Right now it doesnt seem like Kobe is even playing in the same league as Dirk. ESPN might have ranked him too high as 40th best player in the NBA. Maybe 40th in the western conference. Dirk: 21 MIN / 23 PTS (8-10 FG / 2-2 3P / 5-6 FT) / 2 REB / 2 AST / 1 BLK / 0 TO / 0 PF / $7.9m Kobe: 31 MIN / 17 PTS (6-22 FG / 1-4 3P / 4-4 FT) / 5 REB / 7 AST / 1 STL / 2 TO / 2 PF / $23.5m I'd like to take what this guy has taken. Must be hell of a drug.
The way Kobe smacks his teammates in the back of the head.... That alone doesn't sit well with free agents looking for a new team. Lakers better off getting rid of him but they are riding out the China/Asia popularity of Kobe Bryant to the last drop.
Lol Lakers, letting the Mavs score 7 points in 5.9 seconds. <iframe width="560" height="315" src=/go/browse.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbbs.clutchfans.net%2F%22%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2F8b6O63Jp_6w%22&b=7 frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
So, how does this 7 points in 5 seconds compare with TMac's 13 in 35 and Reggie Millers 8 points in 13?
