Really? I almost think Cleveland HAS to win it this year for LeBron to want to stay. I just don't see NYK being attractive - they've got NOBODY, especially with DLee leaving after the year. Add to that D'Antoni hasn't shown he can coach without the Nash/Amare combo.. I just don't see LeBron thinking he can win there right away.
If he wins it this year, then he can leave without breaking any promises and without looking bad with his hometown. He'd lose a lot more face if he left and won nothing.
Eh, I think he'd look a lot worse if he won and left. Because then he's essentially saying, "Hey Cleveland, obviously I can win championships with you and you can pay me more than anybody.. but you're Cleveland.. sooo.. ya.. see ya." As opposed to Sportscenter saying how LeBron James drive to win and be the greatest was the reason Lebron left Cleveland because he wanted to win championships, what a competitor, can't blame him, yaddy yaddy yaddy.
Frank was a terrible coach that had 1 hot streak and turned it into a long career. He had talent and was under .500 most of the time. When you have jefferson,kidd,and carter, you're not suppose to lead the league in games lost by 3 pts or less. I can see a young team losing close games, but not a team with basically 3 all stars. I guess those naked pics finally gave out on him.
Cap room to bring free-agents to a lame duck team? Yes that's what Seattle was doing for the last few years, right? The reason why they were reducing payroll was because they weren't going to make any money in New Jersey once they decided to move - ever - so best to batten down the hatches and take your lumps. The problem of course is that their move is contingent on an arena that doesn't exist being built, which is in absolute limbo as of now, as is the team's ownership. Anybody who makes a max salary is my definition. I'm pretty sure the Nets who are in dump mode and have been for years don't get anybody, partially becuase they don't want to, and partially because nobody wants to - I sure wouldn't. Uh, excuse me.. LongtimeFan - please tell me where I think LeBron is going to go to New York. (Now that you ask, I don't think he is....I simply said that New York isn't in a state of complete limbo/disarray that the Nets are in, seeing as they are going to be the NY Knicks for the foreseeable future, as they have always been, and are simply, despite recent troubles, a far more prestigious franchise then their discombobulated, cash poor Jersey cousins....hardly a controversial argument to be making, and one that neither of the 3-4 remaining New Jersey Nets fans would contest.
The Nets will have gigantic cap room and a top four lottery pick next summer. They also have one of the best young bigs in the league in Brook Lopez. They have potential to turn it around. But then again, it's New Jersey.
You can keep repeating the phrase lame-duck team all you want, but it doesn't make it true. Sorry. Seattle? They traded Ray Allen for the 5th pick in the draft and let Rashard walk. They built through the draft - KD, Green, Westbrook following year. They might still have room to add another FA, I'm actually not sure. Portland is another example of a team who built through the draft and had money to sign a FA this past summer. I'm fairly certain Lebron to NJ has been widely speculated on since Jay-Z bought into the team. The whole move to Brooklyn was supposed to help that appeal, and they've won their appeals up to this point. There may be more red tape, but it doesn't mean it won't happen. This makes no sense. When discussing how "lame duck" the Nets are, the only thing you talk about is their owner/arena and ignore the talent that is on that team. You haven't once refuted they don't have more individual talent on the Nets than the Heat/Cavs/Knicks would without Wade/LeBron. So why wouldn't people want to play there again? Because they can get the max, or because they can be on a team with a lot of talent? I think they'll be sought after this summer by a number of coaches - JVG could make that team damn good. I was more pointing out that you think the Knicks are more appealing because of their arena, even if they are literally the least talented team in the NBA. That's absurd to me. The Knicks don't have a first round pick, they're most likely losing their best player this summer in David Lee, and their 1st round pick chucks 3s like McGrady on steroids. Though the massive contracts may be disappearing, the Knicks are still a mess and have a long way to go to being back to even resembling a legitimate playoff team. My argument is that NJ is attractive to FA's because the team has a lot of talent that could compete for a title if they landed one of those marquee players (LBJ, Wade, Bosh). They have a dominant center, an all-star PG, a bunch of solid role players to surround a Wade/LeBron type, and a top 5 pick to boot. With the right coach, I think they'd be competing for the title for the foreseeable future. The Knicks are not title contenders with just LeBron James. The Heat need another big FA to pair with Wade to be legitimate title contenders. Cleveland will go bankrupt if LeBron leaves. The Clippers actually have quite some talent, and could be another attractive team. Kaman/Baron/Gordon are all damn good players.
Yep, he promised them a championship. He wouldn't look good at home if he bolted empty handed. He could stay if he won it, but the business side of him won't like it.
Uh......are you arguing that they are not at least planning moving to Brooklyn? If so please explain. If not - then they are a lame duck franchise, by means of the common understanding of the term. That would explain the half-empty Meadowlands, entiendes chico? Oh, and if you are going to argue that Brooklyn/North Jersey have the same fanbase, I have some PATH tokens to sell you - trust me they are redeemable on the MTA - I would never lie to you. LeBron to Brooklyn - "because of Jay-Z" - has been widely speculated on, dating back years. This was back when Atlantic Yards and the Frank Gehry-designed arena was a reality. Times have changed, chico. LeBron to play in a half-full Continental Airlines Center, for a horiffic nets team has not been widely speculated Because I don't care to even contest that. Maybe they do - maybe they don't. Really it doesn't matter. All that matters is that they are a sh-tcan of a franchise that has been in limbo for years, due to matters outside of basketball. For the same reasons people didn't want to play for Seattle in 2007 or the Grizzlies this year. Playing for a cash-poor franchise in limbo, that, just kind of happens to be the worst team in the NBA - is unattractive. Do you need me to explain why? The Knicks are attractive because they are the Knicks. The Nets are unattractive because they are the Nets. Having lived in this area for this decade, I can tell you that that makes a TON of difference. Let me try to put it in terms you can understand - would you rather have the nicest house in River Oaks? Or the best one in Kingwood? Guess which is which. Now, please understand chico, that does NOT mean the Knicks are that attractive - especially this coming offseason. They suck and will suck for the foreseeable future. But consider this - if the Nets get their wish, which MAY happen in a few years- they will be the second most attractive team in New York. Quite an aspiration there. My argument is that NJ is attractive to FA's because the team has a lot of talent that could compete for a title if they landed one of those marquee players (LBJ, Wade, Bosh). They have a dominant center, an all-star PG, a bunch of solid role players to surround a Wade/LeBron type, and a top 5 pick to boot. With the right coach, I think they'd be competing for the title for the foreseeable future. I have no idea what or why you are posting in the passage above. I neither dispute nor agree with it.
We're just going around in circles and I finally figured out why: your argument has nothing to do with the game of basketball. You're arguing New Jersey real estate vs. other places and concluding that LBJ would rather play in NY because it's nicer. That's fine, but there's no basketball merit to that. I listed the other teams to show how attractive each team would be to a superstar who wants to win. I've listed the Nets personnel, cap situation, future players and draft picks as all reasons a free agent would want to live there. You've combated that with putting down the state/area. There's no real common ground. (BTW, surely NJ can't be the worse than the dump that is Cleveland.) The only basketball tie in I got from you is this idea that the Grizzlies and Sonics failed to bring in a top notch free agent. I'm blanking on remember any big free agent that the Grizzlies or Sonics went after that chose to sign elsewhere. A quick glance over the top free agents of 2007 does nothing for your point either - Chauncey and Vince sign extensions, Sonics don't think Rashard is a max player and let him walk only to rebuild by trading Allen that same year.. the Grizzlies actually signed the 7th best FA that year, Darko. So yeah, I don't know where you're pulling this "Grizzlies/Sonics really wanted a FA but couldn't sign one because they suck" from - you've offered no evidence or even details as to who they targeted and failed to get. I understand New York is on another tier than New Jersey as far as living situations go. But I think if a player truly wants to win, I don't think living 15~ minutes outside New York City is going to make him decide to not to go to NJ. Basketball personnel wise, New Jersey is setup to be a team with a lot of talent and a lot of cash to spend.
No, you missed the point. This has nothing to do with real estate prices. Absolutely nothing. Nor does it have anything to do with North Jersey in general (some very nice suburbs). It has to do with the fact that the Nets are a moribund, vagabond franchise in limbo between two places/owners which will not be resolved for quite a while - oh, and the small fact that they happen to fielding the worst team NBA history through November doesn't help much either. Add these elements up, and the chances of a max salary player, signing a long-term deal and wasting away his prime years in a half-empty Continental Airlines arena, hoping that the Brooklyn Local 167 Steam Fitters union ends their strike so that the Barclay's Center can finally open - are slim. Not impossible, but not likely. I can't make it much more clear than that.
LOL at anyone who thinks the Nets have a remote chance of getting LeBron. It is not happening. Houston has a wayyyyyyyyy better shot of signing LeBron before the Nets do. The Nets are the Nets, like the Clippers. There was a reason why Blake wanted to avoid the Clippers, they're young too with loads of talent, and the number 1 overall pick wasn't too estatic of going there.
