One thing that really pisses me off about the NBA is that pretty much any player who scores over 15 points per game can demand the max salary. That is the one reason why the lakers will always have the edge over other teams. The lakers are pretty much the only team in the whole NBA who has two players that are actually deserving of the max salary. How is any other team supposed to compete when everybody is asking for the max? In a few years Francis, EG, and Yao Ming will all be wanting the max and then they'll have to drop one of the guys to another team who CAN pay the max for one of them. The Clippers will be screwed with Miller, Odom, Kandi, Brand, and possibly even Q-Rich askin for the max. Kandi getting the max??? How's this? He doesn't even compare to Shaq - therefore he should NOT get the max. The only players who deserve the max are players who start or are without a doubt as good as the starters in the All-Star game OR if a player is a major ticket seller and brings the fans to the game. There are probably less than 15 players who deserve the max, yet pretty much everybody wants it. Who do you think deserves the max and who should be denied (a person who is getting the max right now and doesn't deserve it or a player who is definately going to demand the max). Here's my lists: Should Get Max. pg - payton, kidd sg - iverson, carter, ray allen, kobe sf - t-mac, paul pierce pf - garnett, duncan, nowitzki c - shaq The Future (still got to develop to superstardom) pg - francis, baron davis, andre miller sg - stackhouse, eddie jones sf - marion, shareef pf - brand, jermaine oneal c - possibly Ming. Sorry, Never Gonna Deserve It pg - marbury, bibby, nash sg - mobley, houston, terry sf - peja, finley, rose, odom pf - walker, sheed, a. davis c - kandi, divac, lafrentz Sorry, this isn't the 90's (maybe 5 or 10 years ago) pg - stockton, cassell, brandon sg - reggie miller sf - grant hill pf - karl malone c - mutombo, ewing, d. robinson, mourning how the hell (how the hell) bryant reeves (even if he's retired - how the hell), juwan howard, and all the rest of the overpaid bums in the nba.
I agree with some of them but I think Bibby should be on the boderline between people who do deserve the Max and Future Max players
The players will be paid what the market will bear. The league has imposed some rules that keep the player-market from being a trully capitalistic one. The end result of that is the folks you say are 'trully worth the max' are actually worth more than that but are capped at the max. Other players who are able to demand the max may not be as good as the Shaqs of the league but can demand the same money because Shaq is being lowballed. The whole salary structure of the league won't line itself up in relation to Shaq's salary to make it look like an equitable distribution of wealth among players. A straight capitalist market would look more like that. Instead, it will line up with the guys who are borderline max players like, imo, Marion.
If you want to talk reality, every single one of these guys in the NBA are getting paid way too much to play games. Yes, the type of game that children play after school on the playgrounds. I'm not saying that these guys are not deserving of their money, but keep in mind that when we say MAX pay, which is over $100 million to a single player, don't cry when you can only afford nose bleed seats, you have to leave your kids at home because it cost to much to bring the family, and when the soda cost 3 bucks for a size small.
<i>Kandi getting the max??? How's this? He doesn't even compare to Shaq - therefore he should NOT get the max. </i> Your statement seems to be implying that Shaq and Kandi would be making similar salaries. Shaq made $21M last year. The most Kandi can sign for is around $10M. That's a pretty large difference.
I think Steve Nash and Rasheed Wallace are/will be deserving max players. Nash is extremely underrated despite being 3rd team All-NBA. Rasheed just needs to mature, he has talent that only KG and Dirk can match. Another future max player that was not listed (at least I did not see him) is Pau Gasol. He will be a 25/12/3 bpg guy within 3 seasons and as early as next season. He is the real deal. Overpaid, non deserving max players currently making the max are: Allan Houston ($50 million guy IMO) Juwan Howard ($50 million guy IMO) Michael Finley ($70 million guy IMO)
I hope the foreign players have a great year. Maybe it will force the U.S players to work on their games. Too many player are getting the eazy money and the quality of the product has suffered. The MAx should only go to proven winners, Stevee has not shown us that yet. By the way there are too many "Clicks" in the NBA ! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN !!!!!!
Eddie Jones and Jerry Stackhouse over Bibby? EJ's best days are behind him as evidence by his 16ppg and being called out by Pat Riley. Stackhouse looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he did NOTHING in the playoffs. Bibby manned up big time in the playoffs though. He was the only King who din't crap in his pants during the 4th Q of games. However, he only averages 5 assist a game (even lower than the hated Francis ) so its hard to tell if the playoff run was his coming out party or just a onetime fling.
Lookin back on my list...bibby would probably be my only change...i'd put him on "the future" list...cuz he is pretty damn good...got a great shot and a jason kidd like floor leader.
I'm not stating it for this season, i'm stating for all seasons in the future. In 5 years Kandi would be able to sign the same deal that shaq has...and he is not and will not be as good as him. If you give a player the max now...he will get the max later. I'm simply saying that a player who is not at the max in talent in his position should not be payed the max.
