It should be stated that I really do respect guys who get WAY into the numbers - like BimaThug. There is real art to that. And, to answer one poster, ClutchFans would NEVER be rendered irrelevant by a lack of these kinds of discussions. It certainly wasn't before these discussions became such a dominant topic of conversation.
There are places for both kinds of discussion. I think I am more like Jeff than BimaThug. And I have always been wary of the notion that players are "assets" even though I understand why they are viewed that way in long-term visions of the team.
Well, a couple of things. First, you're hearing a lot of off-the-court talk from other posters and media outlets just because that's the only thing to talk about until the games start. Once the season tips off, it'll be much more game-related. I personally love the team-building aspect of basketball. I'm an engineer, so the idea of assembling a creation and testing it is particularly appealing. Beyond that, the GM aspect is one of the most critical elements of a team's success. I firmly believe that over a 10-year period, a team with the league's best GM and worst coach will absolutely wipe the floor with a team that has the league's best coach but worst GM. I love watching a bunch of scrappy overachievers as much as the next guy, but to win the crown, you gotta have the studs.
I really enjoy parts of the offseason on ClutchFans, but this line really resonated with me. Where I find folks really losing perspective is when they allow possibility, or even probability, to become actuality. Big picture, the sense of inevitably over the Heat baffles me - did we learn nothing from the 2004 Lakers - who were embarrassed in the Finals, and might've been out in the conference semis if not for a Derek Fisher miracle/officiating gaffe? I don't concede any automatic titles, and I definitely think it's a little premature to evaluate the Rockets by how they measure up against one Eastern team. Two years ago for the Rockets, everyone said we were destined to be a true contender with Tracy, Ron and Yao. As it turned out, we were a contender, but in a completely different way. Tracy was a non-factor, Ron was far below most of our expectations on both offense and defense, and the development of players like Landry, Wafer, Scola, Brooks and the trade for Lowry proved instrumental. So, the sense of finality in which some folks look at signings as definitely good or bad, clearly undervalued or overvalued, or even this team as a definite contender or pretender, is misguided. Sure, Brad Miller's field goal percentage and peripheral numbers last year could be the start of a downtrend. Or, it could be a random outlier like '06-'07, when Miller's advanced metrics were even worse than a '09-'10, and he rebounded to very good/above average form in the ensuing two years. I don't know, and we should be open to a number of scenarios playing out that we can't predict until the games themselves arrive. Good reminder.
We tend to forget about basketball in the large scheme of the NBA business. Acquisitions and trades have become a bigger deal than the games being played. Great post.
Until Lance stops riding in the TdF (oh wait, that's happening right now - what is he, 33 minutes back?), I will pay attention to the Tour de Lance. I'm just glad it's been 25 years since a Frog won it.
As a democratic socialist, I could care less about salary caps, trade exceptions, bloated contracts, and commercials promoting the Marines, McDonalds, and Taco Bell. I think capitalism degrades and vulgarizes basketball. Admittedly, I'm not smart enough to figure out a way to remove the profit motive from the game, but I do think the game will outlive capitalism.
I have made very similar comments on other threads; somehow the sport gets lost in all the business and technical details. I love the games, I love to see players grow and develop. The real drama of the season is performance based. Some teams will play above their heads, some teams will under achieve. Cap space and similar ideas just don't grip me like "playing the games."
Good post. I do get bored with the contract talk as well. But my only question is when you are on a basketball forum and there are no games to be played what talk about? I'm tired of Lebron mania too, I thought "The Decision" was lame as well.
are you that lady that called 911 because there were no chicken nuggets then subsequently became a democratic socialist because you lost faith in the system?
It's cult and trendy, isn't it? I can hardly fantasize my athleticism matching with any of the NBA players out there but at least I am as smart as the other GMs in the league.
I feel your oldness. When I was a boy we played in our bare feet on broken glass - for the love of the game. We couldn't afford a real basketball so we used a pumpkin instead because it was orange and shaped like a basketball. We did it for the love of the game. Damn wippersnappers. Ingrates. Long live the Socialist Democrats! Viva la Sociele Democrat!
I dislike the PLAYER = Assets The whole TEAM FAN versus PLAYER FAN I like the players. I see them as humans I feel the struggle with them I don't dislike them the instant they not a Rocket they are not a disgarded 'asset' I bit too cold and inhuman in my sport for my tastes Rocket River
I agree that what happens on the court should matter the most. With that said, the cap-room/assets and the moves that management makes has significant impact on how the team performs on the court so I can certainly see why fans would want to talk about this. Therefore it is very helpful to have some people who are very knowledgeable in this area.
Yeah, guys who care about the salary cap are a bunch of a-holes! Seriously, though, I truly appreciate the sentiment and largely agree that the GAMES so often get lost among the various other aspects of the NBA. Well said, sir. While I may be known more as a "salary cap guy" on this BBS, I very much care about the games being played. In fact, I follow the salary cap and other GM-related matters based on their tendency to greatly impact those games. I also find joy in seeing a GM do his job well, in much the same way I enjoy seeing an well-designed play executed to perfection on the court. The Kevin Martin/Tracy McGrady trade was, in my opinion, a total work of art. A thing of beauty. I have a LOT of love for this game, and it spills over from the court into other areas. I guess I'm just more "into" those areas than others may be. [TANGENT: I have NEVER rooted for the team to lose a game for draft position (although I will admit that fourth-quarter comeback against Denver in April 2006 proved painful) and was ecstatic that the team finished above .500 last season, while others were hoping for more losses so that the Rockets could pick #11 instead of #14. Well, guess what? They still would have gotten Patrick Patterson either way. So, I'm pretty damn glad they won 42 games instead.] While I tend to talk about players as "assets", I also see them as people. Believe me, when the Kevin Martin trade happened, I was very sad to see Carl Landry leave the Rockets. He is a class individual and is easy to root for, both on and off the court. I wish him well with Sacramento and will continue to follow his career with great interest and will hope that he achieves great individual success. But the fact remains that the trade for Kevin Martin upgraded the team and put the Rockets in a better position to win more basketball games. And games matter.
