It's Done

In fact, I think I’m going to refuse to comment in this thread. You won’t see hide nor hair of me here.

Here we are still together
We are one
So much time wasted
Playing games with love

How many times
Did we give up
But we always worked things out
And all my doubts and fears
Kept me wondering, yeah
If I’d always, always be in love

So many tears I’ve cried
So much pain inside
But baby It ain’t over ‘til it’s over
So many years we’ve tried
And kept our love alive
‘Cause baby it ain’t over ‘til it’s over

He got his act together, made it back against big odds, and put up some good numbers against a good team.

So many players get hurt and “used up” before they even hit 30. It’s a tough business and redemption stories are good stories. For Miles, it appears it’s both a physical and a maturity turnaround.

Good riddens! Pay, learn and move on.

I’d much rather see him be a role player in the league a few years than him be done now that we’re on the hook. At least it takes the sting away.

I think this just really brings to mind that the new rule the NBA established does not represent a fair position for all involved parties. If the Blazers had a legitimate concern about a player’s future, a doctor appointed by the league validates those concerns by saying he’s unfit to play over the long term, the league allows us to take precautions because of this validated concern (medically retire him, eliminate his cap space). Now, we’re being bitten back by something a league approved doctor confirmed, simply because the player involved is partaking in activities that could have serious repercussions for his health in the long term. Obviously he can play right now, that was never the issue; what he’s doing is going to be very damaging to his body down the road and over the next several years. But yet…he has acknowledged these concerns, and proceeds despite them.

I know this new rule was established to prevent willie-nillie waiving of cap space, but this just swings too far the other way, and presents us with a brick-hard spot scenario where we’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t. The rule should be modified to not require a league approved doctor, as this would eliminate any sort of league involvement and implied approval of any medical retirement actions being taken by a team.

Sorry this is just a brain dump rant, argue if you so choose.

Dave can all other fanshots/fanposts be banned or deleted if they talk about miles?

All except for one case=if somehow we are able to take this to arbitration and we can get him off our cap as we did everything to the letter. Only then would I want to hear another thing about Miles.

He’s come back this far. I’ll really be impressed if he turns out to be worth $9 mil a year.

The Blazers did everything right (except for the e-mail part). it will be interesting to see if Stern cuts them any salary cap slack. – Elgin

I don’t want this subject to go away. All I can hope for now is a member of the Blazers organization to get arrested. I want some drama!

Is he a Doctor now? I didn’t know.

Hopefully Miles will be able to walk unassisted when he’s 40.

I don’t wish anything bad for Miles. But if he’s on somebody else’s roster he shouldn’t be on the Blazer’s cap. That’s what I think.

Movin on, and excited for the game today.

He can play so we must pay.

wondering why he’s rehabbing now—and apparently on his way to becoming a useful NBA player; and why couldn’t he have done this in Portland. Perhaps the day he called Mo Cheeks a you-know-what, the door here was slammed, but many of us—including Nate, from what I recall—were willing to give him a chance. But he never took that chance.

So the fact that he might yet become an NBA player, and is doing so on our dime for some other team, started to bother me somewhat.

Then I remembered. He’s playing for a contract. Right now he’s still on a 10-day; though given his numbers it will look fishy if he doesn’t play in Memphis for at least a little while longer—but he’s playing for a bigger payday, because the $ from Paul Allen runs out in a year and a half. (If he does sign for any deal above NBA minimum wage, the Blazers’ cost is reduced by half the difference between his deal and the NBA minimum; since he’s playing for minimum right now, that reduction is zero).

The interesting question is: Will Darius manage to get a long(er) term deal after this season is up? He’s still young (27ish), can kick but when he wants to, etc. There’s been suggestions in the media that his knee has managed to heal, though no definitive reports from anyone on the record. While I doubt no sensible GM will sign him (beyond 10 games; as the “screw Portland” shtick works for next year as well)—the league is full of GMs who are less then sensible. So I suspect we haven’t heard the last of Darius.

Darius Miles is the comeback player of the year.

Blazers’ Brain Trust: “Whoops!”

Call me a fair weather fan, but I (as somebody who lives nowhere remotely near an NBA team) switched from being a Dallas fan because of anger at the Devin Harris-Jason Kidd trade and being tired of Mark Cuban’s shenanigans. How should I feel about this situation? It feels ethically and morally wrong to me (the email, that is). I wish nothing but the best for Darius. Of course, I’m not going to abandon the Blazers – I’ve grown to love them. It’s just that this takes sort of my justification away.

http://www.blazersedge.com/2009/1/17/727036/adrian-wojnarowski-jail-bl#comments