So below is a list of salaries. Contracted players Tariq Abdul Wahad: 5.1 Kevin Willis: 3.0 Raef LaFrentz: 3.8 Bryant Reeves: 11.6 Isaac Austin: 5.7 Dean Garret: 3.2 Tim Duncan: 10.9 Greg Ostertag: 6.9 Erick Dampier: 6.2 Adonal Foyle: 4.0 Danny Fortson: 4.4 Shaquille O’Neal: 21.4 Tom Gugliotta: 10.1 Cliff Robinson: 7.7 Chris Dudley: 6.2 Rasheed Wallace: 14.4 Shawn Kemp: 12.8 Dale Davis: 7.3 Vlade Divac: 10.4 Scott Pollard: 4.4 Lawrence Funderburke: 3.0 Vin Baker: 11.3 charles oakley: 6.5 scott williams: 4.7 ben wallace: 4.5 zydrunas ilgauskas: 11.25 derrick coleman: 8.7 elden campbell: 8.0 matt geiger: 8.1 tyrone hill: 6.6 luc longley: 6.3 LJ: 11.3 jim mcilvaine: 6.0 brian grant: 10.0 potapenko: 4.8 Free Agents Shawn Bradley (8.4) David Robinson (13.2) Sabonis (10.6) Patrick Ewing (14.0) Mutombo (13) After looking at that list, I can begin to see where Hakeem's 10 million comes from. Of course, its still a high number, but you can see the premium placed on having a servicable center. I think a lot of people in Houston have become spoiled after having Hakeem and do not realize how rare a decent big guy is. Wait a few years, and some of you might be asking for Hakeem to come out of retirement at 45! Second, anyway we can trade cato for hill? I am sure Philly would like another big guy (seeing as how they are going after Davis) in exchange for Hill. The benefit for Houston is that Hill's contract expires in two years, giving us a run at the duncan lottery. ------------------ "Quote under construction"
Would it be wrong to suggest that this list shows us that Cato's contract is not all that bad? Sure he might be getting paid a bit more than some of the stiffs on there, but he has more potential then those guys. And his salary is around the same as Postertag/ Dampier/ Austin/ McIlvaine/ Geiger - these are guys who don't do a whole lot and don't really have much of an upside. Are we hypocritical fans to be salivating over Griffin's potential and at the same time be angry at Cato for not producing on his potential straight away? ------------------
Dr -- I think I could put up with the fact he hasn't lived up to his potential if he at least looked like he cared. The stories about this guy not working in the offseason...and admitting he doesn't work much in the offseason...are classic! I can live with trying and failing...not real interested in seeing a guy get paid for not trying. ------------------
Reeves, Kemp, Baker, Larry Johnson, and Ilgauskas make more than Tim Duncan. I'm laughing uncontrollably... this world just ain't right ------------------ "Yes, it's true. Kelvin Cato DOES have plenty of heart. I think the downside of Hakeem's six weeks absence is the upside of Kelvin Cato's emergence as a power in the NBA." jscmedia - 12/2/99 7:13pm : the off-season is truly a great time to reflect.
Ok, so are we willing to say that if Cato tries this season then he will be worth persevering with? OR has he had his last chance? ------------------
The fallacy of Hakeem's thinking, to me, is this: part of what compromises what these guys get paid is the place that they are in their career. For most players, offers are more future-oriented than past-oriented. Players like Bird, Jordan, or Magic are the EXCEPTIONS that prove the rule. The other factors is that teams SCREW UP and overpay. Management is not obliged to respect those screw-ups. ------------------ "How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak. Because someday you will have been all of these."
