The nba has always been about a few good teams and that it. Think about it, the lakers and celtics have 35 of the what 60 titles. Not to mention how many times the same teams have played in the finals. The nba has always been about super teams. Ex mvps and scoring champs taking less to play for a title. This isn't something new, its been like that for years. The only teams to break through are the ones thinking about making moves to upgrade their team and spend money like the mavs did last year.
I guess you didn't see gasol his last couple years in memphis. He drove his value down by pouting and basically quitting on the team despite making max money. As much as anyone could like lowry, he's not in the same building as cp3.
Unless Howard gets traded to NJ and they both decide to stay there: Remember even with S&T, under the new CBA we can only offer each of them 4 years at 4.5% raise while the player's current team can offer 5 years at 7.5 million trade. So, chances are the 2012 FAs will push to become members of the team they want to end up on next year before the trade deadline. Under the new system, actually having "cap room" is not even as useful as it was before. The way to get a "star that shakes loose" is to get him in a trade in the last year of his contract. (By the way, this shows that if the owners wanted the new system to prevent a replay of the Melo situation, they've totally gone about it the wrong way).
Maybe I was young and nieve, but I seem to remember players playing because they wanted to destroy thier opponents. They wanted to compete, they wanted to be the best. I actually have a new found respect for Kobe because he seems to be the only player who wants to just wants to work hard and flat out win. The rest of these "stars" want to be just that stars, or should I say celebrities. They don't want to work hard, or compete, they want to get the maximum amount of money they squeeze out of the league and want super teams so the path to winning is as easy as possible. Bottom line, the NBA has turned into a collection of a bunch of whiny narcisitic little b****es. I am so jaded right now. Mad props to guys like Kobe, Ginobli, Scola, Lowry, and all the other true competitiors in this league.
I think you're forgetting that after Shaq left, Kobe was a whining little b**** who demanded a trade out of LA, until they got Gasol. Kobe is a douchebag, but mad ups to the others.
I think the new vogue will be to do what james and bosh did and take less. I'm not saying howard won't end up in jersey, but we know the lakers cant enter the free agent game and if the knicks sign chandler, that takes them out too. Getting paul can attract howard in my opinion and I have said so for the last couple of years. Williams has already said he's going to play it out and we know he's a dallas kid. Dallas is lining up to make a run at him next year and everyone knows cuban is a committed owner. The rockets need paul to get in the game and use it as a sales pitch whether he leaves or not.
Doubt it about "new vogue". James and Bosh took $110 mil over 6 years rather than 120 mil. Roughly a 9% pay cut. Not being at your final destination before becoming an FA means the most you get under this year's numbers is 4 years 74 mil rather than 5 years 100 mil. That is 26% difference in total guaranteed money.
They're just delaying the inevitable. This trade would eventually be re-approved. Might be the same pieces or we would also see a minor re-structuring by adding small pieces in it but one thing's for sure, this deal will re surface during the course of the season.
Gasol in the year he was traded. With Grizz: 18.9ppg/8.8rpg/3.0apg/1.4bpg With Lakers: 18.8ppg/7.8rpg/3.5apg/1.6bpg If he quit on the Grizzlies, then he obviously did not return to work with the Lakers.
Plan B get a damn Center and run with it through the trading deadline to see where the team is at by that time. If not in contention for a playoff spot then make a trade. I want to see the roster with a true C and see what the team can do.
This was exactly what I was thinking...except, remember, they were missing Gay during their run in the playoffs as well.
Plan B for me is Al Jefferson. Compare Al Jefferson to either Nene or Gasol and he stacks up well. Utah also has something of a Glut in the frontcourt and a glaring void at the 2. I say send Martin, Flynn, Hill and the protected 1st rounder from the Grizz for Al Jefferson. That opens up the cap space the Pau trade would have opened and gives us a similar level of interior talent without giving up near as many assets.
Small pieces need to be added for the trade to work as well as either Okafor or Scola going to the Lakers. Since it didn't go down we don't know what the full trade was exactly.
lets just go try out for rockets whoever is 7 feet tall or 6'7 etc..LOL tired rockets seem to have a hard time signing someone.
