The Fallout
by Dave on Jul 8, 2010 10:51 PM PDT
in News
Email
Print
It's time to look at the winners and losers in the LeBron deal.
Several folks have asked what this means as far as championships and teams rising or falling back. Obviously getting their hearts LeBroken was horrible for the Cavaliers. Anyone who spouted nonsense about LeBron not really being that great is about to see what a difference he made to that team. Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison are now going to be taking 50 shots per game. Williams will shoot 40% and Jamison 48% and the Cavaliers will lose...a lot. The Knicks and Clippers are left in sad sackdom as well, which is little surprise. Of the two I think L.A. has the better chance of getting out but nobody is going to have fun trying to use that massive cap space productively with so many free agents off the market now.
Miami becomes a new power, maybe THE New Power, in the league. Along with the evident benefits, though, comes incredible pressure. People are suspicious of how these three stars will mesh. You can count me among that group. I have no doubt that they'll fare fine in the regular season but steamrolling through the playoffs may prove a more difficult challenge. These three are like huge tanks on the battlefield. They give an instant, nearly invulnerable, advantage. There's no way anyone takes them head on. But a clever, targeted, experienced opponent in the right terrain may be able to make hay in the space between and behind the behemoths where armor is weaker and responsiveness slowed. I'm curious to see how they fare against established teams. This is not Dennis Rodman taking Horace Grant's place, joining an already-established Pippen and Jordan in Chicago. These are three huge talents who don't know each other having to acclimate and sacrifice to make the team work in a crucible. Expectations are now through the roof. If Miami doesn't win a title this year people are going to mutter (and coach Erik Spoelstra should watch his back). If they don't win a title within two years everyone on the planet will declare the experiment a failure and begin asking which star is to blame. At that point the road gets rocky, quotes get plentiful, and chemistry takes a hit. Second place in the league simply will not do for this team. It's a great shot but they have to hit and hit now in order to make it work.
The far more interesting question to me is whether this is good or bad for the league. We've already covered it being bad for the Cavaliers but sadly "bad for the Cavaliers" doesn't make a bit of difference league-wide. Despite the devastation wrought in Ohio there's little doubt that the league has seen immediate benefit from this circus. Any time your sport leads news broadcasts (not just sportscasts) during the fat part of your off-season you're happy. Having a new marquee team isn't a bad deal either. On the other hand this is a little like pairing Hulk Hogan and Randy "Macho Man" Savage as a tag team. (Add in the Ultimate Warrior if you care to in order to get the three-way fidelity.) It's great for the initial pop but in reality you're wasting two or three major draws in the same match when you could have sold more tickets by spreading them out among many matches. The (then) WWF did go with exactly this kind of pairing for a while but they never did it long for this precise reason.
One could argue that mega-teams like the 80's Celtics and Lakers were great for the league even with the concentration of talent but that talent was perceived as home-grown and honestly acquired. The New Heat don't benefit from that perception. Even though everything happened fair and square under cap rules people will still consider this a shady team-for-hire, more along the lines of the Shaq-Wade Heat (who won a title that nobody outside of Florida cared about a year afterwards) than those enduring 80's teams. Continuing the wrestling parlance, the star-studded Miami team just became solid heels to most of the world, a team that others will love to see fail rather than succeed. That can certainly work to publicity advantage (see the Celtics and Lakers to this day) if it's accompanied by grudging respect, but because of circumstances this team will have little. If they win everyone will shrug their shoulders and say, "Big deal, it's what we expected when they spent all that money." If they lose people will cheer and go on with their lives, figuring there isn't much more to watch once the gloating and "I -told-you-so's" are done. Neither eventuality will inspire long-term, loyal viewing once the Heat have left your hometown.
In that sense it probably would have been better for the league for LeBron to go anywhere else outside of Cleveland. New York and Chicago would have set up huge Eastern rivalries with a big-time city pairing its own stars against Miami's new duo. The Clippers would have lessened the effect being on the West Coast but that's still another huge fan base drawn in and you have the natural LeBron-Kobe rivalry for king of the city. Even a place like Dallas would have set up more interesting permutations. In short, it was probably good for publicity's sake that LeBron moved but he moved to a place where short-term gain will be great but long-term interest will suffer. That encapsulates the benefit to the league: immediate bonanza but once the curiosity has worn off and judgment has been passed the extended payoff will wane in comparison to what it could have been.
This was an interesting move for sure. It engendered a media circus unprecedented for this time of year and this kind of stimulus. Ultimately, though, it won't contribute to the health of the league as much as the initial blush and rush promise. The NBA is a big winner, for now. We'll see about later.
--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)
P.S. ESPN was also a huge beneficiary of this process, though it seemed cheesy to hear of media personalities coyly referring to "their sources" when they knew for a fact where LeBron was going. Apparently instead of coming out and reporting he was going to Miami they kept it under their vests in an attempt to preserve the suspense and to bolster our confidence in their connections. In any other situation they would have flat-out said where he was going, just as they have for a host of other free agents whose moves were not so obvious.
P.P.S. LeBron is already a multi-millionaire and is about to get a hefty new contract. Couldn't he find a better shirt?
218 comments
|
1 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
"Couldn't he find a better shirt?"
That one is pretty nice. For the circus.
Damn the Blazers. Damn them to hell. - 'The Sports Guy' Bill Simmons
My wife asked...
Why is Lebron wearing a table cloth?
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Jul 8, 2010 11:07 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
This is the first thing I thought when I saw this picture
The tablecloth thing, not ‘what is tssbro’s wife thinking’
by dwaynebillybob on Jul 8, 2010 11:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Close one....
I am keeping my eyes on you buddy.
PTB Liberation Day - 2/10/04
by tssbro on Jul 9, 2010 6:29 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
You'd think given the gingham fabric
He’d be heading to OKC.
“Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry
When I take you out in the surrey,
When I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top! "
"My shoulder is OK. And away we go." -- Nic Batum
"wang-dang diddly wubba SPROING wow-wow" -- Dave
It's really anabolic steroids
They just store it in Vitamin Water bottles do keep the attention off it
Blazers win!
Did you inject yourself
with the orange or the purple?
I don’t remember. Was this Wednesday or Thursday?
—Dave
I only inject myself with Black and Red
Blazers win!
by The X-man on Jul 8, 2010 11:01 PM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
Therein lies the true nature of LeBron James
The MVP he cares about is most valuable pitchman. The rings are something that he needs to validate his supposed greatness, and this “superteam” in Miami is what he sees as the easiest path (although in terms of championship caliber, a Bulls roster with LeBron and Mike Miller as an MLE shooter would have a better shot than the scrubs Miami will need to fill out the 7 spots on its bench)
Speaking of cruel, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft. Hey, he's only a top-seven GM -- there are plenty of those. Does anyone else think Al Davis died a year ago and took over Paul Allen's body? - Bill Simmons
Can't get over the fact that Pritchard -- fired earlier in the day -- is still running Portland's draft. If I were him, I'd be in Portland's war room loudly calling other GMs and saying things like, "I have an offer for you: I'll trade you our No. 23 pick, and in return, YOU HELP ME PULL THE F****** KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK!!!!! Do we have a deal????" - Bill Simmons
by blazeraddict on Jul 9, 2010 12:11 AM PDT up reply actions
mmm, true...
but at least he doesn’t pretend to be all intellectual by filling his shelves up with books that he wouldn’t read. I think that maybe he is proud of the drinks that he endorses, and that’s why he puts them on display… or maybe not… just a different perspective
by simoninaustralia on Jul 9, 2010 6:43 AM PDT up reply actions
It's the Boys/Girls Club
You don’t expect them to spend their free time reading, do you? Not when they can down some vitamin water and expend that extra energy playing sports…..
two copies of a book about Travis Outlaw?
check.
by DefenderOfPants on Jul 8, 2010 10:55 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
TROUT?
Check out the intellectual books behind him next to his gratuitous sponsorship (wh0R#).
slimkim
Much of the criticism
Much of the criticism of the potential grouping of LeBron, Wade and Bosh sounds much like the criticism I heard when Boston put KG, Ray Allen and Pierce together. They won’t mesh, Who is The Leader? Who will take the big shot? blah, blah, blah. Boston won a championship and those guys were all older and argueably past their prime. Make no mistake, I think the experiment works. There is a new power in the East.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
by Krang on Jul 8, 2010 11:02 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
I was interested to see that trio
because they were different. KG had the all-around game including defense and rebounding and was a mega-star but never was comfortable being the #1 option on offense. Pierce was that #1 guy. Allen was a shooter. Yes, I had some questions about whether they could make it mesh but nowhere near this level where you take three #1 options and put them all together. Besides, Boston only made it work once. This team will be considered a failure with only one championship the same way the Atlanta Braves were. The stakes are far higher here than they were in Beantown.
—Dave
That said
those concerns don’t mean I would have passed on the opportunity. Miami did exactly the right thing. You have to take this kind of shot if you have it.
—Dave
totally agree
but I’m not ready to say that they will for sure be a dynasty. If they win one then, I’ll rethink that. While these guys are all in their prime, Boston’s crew has cumulative experience and prior successes (no one will probably amass the kind of stats KG did for like 5 seasons in a row ever again) that make me think the Eastern Conf Championship goes through Boston again next year.
slimkim
The 3 of them really worked the owners of some of the teams in the NBA..it seems they
KNEW they were all going to Miami quite awhile ago, yet met with many teams to hear their pitches…wonder how much they learned along the way?
In Bostons case?
I think 1 championship, regardless of what happens now, makes it worth it. As we have seen Championships aren’t easy to come by.
I also think Boston only had 1 Championship and one legitimate run if you count last season, because of age.
You never know what is going to happen. But I think LeBron, Wade and Bosh will find a way to make it work. We will see, but given health? I don’t see how it fails.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
There is a good chance Wade is given the leadership role,
which I think is the winning play…. it is his team, and he has won a ring (with the Heat, though, yes a different team – but it is home for him). If LBJ and Bosh simply play nice with Wade, they could be golden. And, the excitement of the new team is an asset – motivation counts.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
If Miami uses
LeBron at the point, I think they’ll be better than the Celtics. I mean How much of a head case can Beasley be? Beasley can cut to the basket pretty well so I’d play him at the small forward for a year and see what happens. Chalmers as the backup pg, Wade the two guard.
with the number of players they have under contract
LeBron will have to play the point AND small forward.
You can plug New Heat names into the BIG 3. It WILL work.
Wade=Pierce with better D/scoring/penetrating, will be pts leader. 23/6/6/2 stls
Lebron=KG with passing focus, instead of D. Will avg very nearly a triple double, if not actually do it. I think he goes for it for first player since Oscar Robertson. 18/9.5/9.5
Bosh=Allen with size, D, and rebounding factor. stat line 20/12/2.5
OSU '06
Trade for Gerald Wallace!!
I don't think your numbers will be too far off
Although I think you’ve got all of their rebounding numbers jacked up to high.
Still on the Rex bandwagon.
Don't forget all the other pieces Boston has
Rondo has been huge for them, even that first year. And Perkins, while often overlooked, is a solid big on a star-filled lineup. They’ve had great bench players too.
And while their big 3 were older, that age also came with a lot of wisdom and an increased willingness to sacrifice to win. Things Miami may be lacking.
It will be interesting to see what happens. But here’s my big question… LeBron and co said it’s all about winning. Is winning so great when its expected? I’m sorry, but I won’t be giving mad props to those guys if they win the next 6 titles in a row. I won’t be impressed when they win just like I’m not impressed when the Yankees win with twice the payroll of any other team. But hey, I guess that’s LeBron for you. He is a Yankee fan from Ohio after all.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
Rebounding, interior defense, and outside shooting,
could all be concerns for this team in a seven game series.
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 8, 2010 11:11 PM PDT up reply actions
Interior defense will be huge
If they don’t find a decent big man or two, they’ll have a tough time defending. Especially in the playoffs.
Still on the Rex bandwagon.
Yum, Yum...
Oden’s gonna snack on some Bosh a la Wade, with a LeBronne salad.
There exists a quality which is nameless.
I'm pretty certain
they hope Mike Miller will take more shots with these guys on the floor. Really, he should get LOTS of open looks from outside. You’ve got three guys that draw contact and are difficult single coverage, high scorers. If you double them, you have Miller as a career 40% 3 pt shooter.
So far, everyone on their roster are decent man to man defenders, and good passers, and decent rebounders. They will beat teams due to the “extra” points. Match possessions with the opponent, and they will win due to Miller raining threes and the other guys getting to the line for “and-1” opportunities.
They do need a specific type of big man. Someone that will defend bigger bodies, get defensive rebounds, but doesn’t need shots on offense. It’d be ideal if they can hit from 12-15 feet so the opposing big man will be drawn out of the lane, giving the Big Three room to operate.
HA! I just realized who would be PERFECT for them. Marcus Camby. Rebound, defend, set picks, not need shots, mid-range game, savvy vet, good teammate. TOO BAD MIAMI, YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM!!!! lol
by Rodney Gustafson on Jul 9, 2010 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
It's also a little like
Earl Monroe going to the Knicks. People said at the time the Knicks would have to use two balls to appease all the talent those guys had. But they sublimated their egos for the betterment of the team.
It will be interesting to see if Lebron, Wade, and Bosh (who is very good, but not as great as he thinks he is) will do the same thing.
Speaking of the Knicks, is anyone else glad Lebron didn’t go there? Going there would have justified the last two years of them intentionally being as bad as possible. I didn’t like the strategy, and am glad that it didn’t work out for them.
by hercher on Jul 9, 2010 4:19 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
that's okay
Oden is going to avenge Ohio… on Lebron’s face.
by DefenderOfPants on Jul 8, 2010 11:04 PM PDT reply actions
Now that would make me happy
Oden to Cleveland. Everyone thinks the Cavs are out of the picture and Oden gets them into the playoffs. But I guess that would mean we’d for sure get Varejao and Delonte. Who do I dislike more, poodle complainer face or gargoyle cougar hunter….hmmmm
slimkim
oh, i wasn't suggesting he go to Cleveland
i think it’s enough that Greg played for Ohio State.
honestly, i think Cleveland fail would be satisfied just to see Miami fail – it doesn’t matter who’s repsonsible.
by DefenderOfPants on Jul 9, 2010 12:06 AM PDT up reply actions
Wouldn't it be awesome if the Trail Blazers beat the Miami Triumverate in the Finals?
Because who’s their best defensive player? Don’t tell me LeBron, I saw him lollygagging way too much in th regular season (and I live in Wisconsin, so until the Bucks got going last season it was all Cavaliers…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jul 9, 2010 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions
Hahaha. I like the shirt.
It does look like a table cloth for a big termite family’s reunion feast though.
No mention of Gilbert’s letter though? Classic stuff. That dude comes off as bitter as they come.
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 8, 2010 11:08 PM PDT reply actions
And in Comic Sans!
He couldn’t have picked a worse typeface.
“Angry letter! Silly font! Angry letter! Silly font!”
CKTK: A music blog. We write about what we want to write about.
#14
Jokerman and Papyrus are bad... but they're no Comic Sans.
Comic Sans even has an attitude! (NSFW language)
CKTK: A music blog. We write about what we want to write about.
#14
LeBron as Rick "the nature boy" Flair
Yeah, he’s much more like Rick Flair.
Nah, I'd go with Hulk "Hollywood" Hogan circa Bash at the Beach 1996.
So, if LBJ is Hogan, then Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
Actually Dave
Wade, Bosh and James all played for TeamUSA so they have played together before although I think playing for a month and a half during the summer together vs. an 82 game season with a probable playoff run is quite a bit different. It’ll be interesting to see if they are really able to make a cooperative push to an NBA title or if egos will get hurt if LeBron’s getting more touches or Wade is getting all the credit or a million other little things get in the way. It was Wade’s team before and sharing with Bosh alone may have worked just fine but LeBron just might push it over the edge. We’ll see, of course, but I’m just happy they’re all in the Eastern conference still!
by somanluna on Jul 8, 2010 11:10 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
So are we nicknaming Bosh/Wade/LeBron The Mega Powers now?
THANK YOU KEVIN PRITCHARD
Blazers fan since '91
"We are the black void. We are the red steel. We are the white sword. With ball in hand shall we reap the sins of this NBA and cleanse it in the fires of destruction. We are the Trail Blazers. The end has come!"
by rise_stand_resist on Jul 8, 2010 11:12 PM PDT reply actions
Superfriends, or Legion of Doom?
Like the Whos down in Whoville they did it without boxes or ribbons or bows, they did without centers or posting down low. They won without All-Stars and Spaniards and Frenchmen. They won with old geezers and sub-par defense-men. They won playing rookies from deep off the benches. They won with their grit and their guts in the trenches. And some who observed them have been known to say that their hearts grew three sizes (at least!) on the way. One hopes with their poise and their passion now proven that once they are healthy their game will be groovin'.
by conspirator5 on Jul 8, 2010 11:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Paulie D, Situation, and Ronnie
Three greasy, superficial tools
Speaking of cruel, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft. Hey, he's only a top-seven GM -- there are plenty of those. Does anyone else think Al Davis died a year ago and took over Paul Allen's body? - Bill Simmons
Can't get over the fact that Pritchard -- fired earlier in the day -- is still running Portland's draft. If I were him, I'd be in Portland's war room loudly calling other GMs and saying things like, "I have an offer for you: I'll trade you our No. 23 pick, and in return, YOU HELP ME PULL THE F****** KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK!!!!! Do we have a deal????" - Bill Simmons
by blazeraddict on Jul 9, 2010 12:12 AM PDT up reply actions
I was thinking Superfriends.
Wade is Batman, Bosh is Robin, James is Superman.
They have to fill the rest of their squad with Aquaman, though. We’ll see how that works against the Legions.
CKTK: A music blog. We write about what we want to write about.
#14
SO we should have a nick name contest
in the style of Brangelina and Bennifer.
I propose LeWaBosh as a start. “Tonight on TNT, it’s the Blazers vs that three headed monster, LeWaBosh”
...
I like it but
I think it works even better on a grand scale. The NBA Axis of Evil: Lakers-Heat-Celtics.
"I never learned from a man who agreed with me." - Robert A. Heinlein
Ok France....you are now part of the axis of evil
and Evil Knievel …that goes without saying
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Jul 9, 2010 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions
The New Yalta
Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. Your call who is Stalin in this scenario. Since I dislike Wade, for me it’s Wade.
"If the Heat don't win a championship, Erik Spoelstra better watch his back"
I’d be surprised if it even gets THAT far before Riley plunges the knife into his back.
SVG will be glad to explain why…
Si equum mortuum flagellēs, non celerium currat.
over .700?
that wouldn’t even project to a 60 win season.
They need to be playing .850 ball or Spolestra is Audi 5000
I think LeBron
wants to beat MJ’s 72-10 season in 1995-96.
Including playoff games, that squad went 87-13.
...
As you are new to these parts
I want to commend your fine thoughts and remarks. Well done.
I bet Riley is back on the bench before the first game
Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital. ~Aaron Levenstein
The Fans lost here
I’m not talking about the general NBA fan who likes it when the lakers make it to the finals because that is exciting. I’m talking about the die hard fans loyal to their teams, the great fan bases of new york, chicago, clevland and utah all lost players, or lost out on players. And the place thats gets all the free agents? Miami, where 14k people is considered good attendance. You hate to see die hard fan bases get burned by players, good thing we locked up roy
miami will be vulnerable to Oden
And completly unable to mitigate the Blazer depth. Sorry miami – you are still a solid starter and a whole lotta bench from challenging the Blazers in 2011.
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 8, 2010 11:17 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Right, actually I'm not worried at all about the stars meshing.
As was said above, they’ve spent time on Team USA and clearly they get along off the court well enough to collude on thjs deal.
But the Boston Three Party had a lot of other people in attendance, mingling and schmoozing with the stars. Rondo, Perkins, all the solid role players and the team defense that propelled them to the championship and another finals appearance. If they have to carry the whole team, are they ready to each put in 40+ minutes a night all season and through the playoffs? I’m not ready to bet against them… I just don’t think this is a (cough) slam dunk.
Like the Whos down in Whoville they did it without boxes or ribbons or bows, they did without centers or posting down low. They won without All-Stars and Spaniards and Frenchmen. They won with old geezers and sub-par defense-men. They won playing rookies from deep off the benches. They won with their grit and their guts in the trenches. And some who observed them have been known to say that their hearts grew three sizes (at least!) on the way. One hopes with their poise and their passion now proven that once they are healthy their game will be groovin'.
by conspirator5 on Jul 8, 2010 11:28 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm not sure Oden could last more than 5 minutes against the Heat.
It’ll be endless whistles.
"I'm at the thingamajig talking the yakety-yak" - Kenny Smith
Yes, it'll be interesting to see how the usual star-treatment works out here
Maybe Stern would like to see the entire NBA devolve into endless exhibitions of Harlem Globetrotters vs in effect the overmatched, hopeless, no-name Washington Colonels. This is the kind of thing — like pro wrestling — children enjoy. Bully worship. We’ll see.
ignacio
I have been worried about just that
All the dynasties of the past have had one thing in common. favoritism of the refs. Jordan even said so when he was guarding Clyde. They won’t call as many fouls against me.
Anybody that got in their way would foul out. Then say in defense the fouls were about even. Ya 5 against Greg and 5 against a role player makes it equal.
In actuality on paper with our team healthy, We have everything that Miami does. They have the NBA’s popularity winners, but we have the ability to hit them every where on the court. Remember what Greg and Travis did to LJ in the game the refs took away from us. Batum can handle James, if the refs will let him. Remember the duel between Wade and BRoy. they both got 33 pts., but Wade took 33 shots and BRoy took something like 20. LMA can fight Bosh to a draw. each making about the same amount of pts. Greg and Camby with hopefully Joel can neutralize their centers. Who can out play Dre?
All that being said, the refs will be the deciding factor.
hg
by BBK on Jul 9, 2010 4:29 AM PDT up reply actions
as they always are
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
by DucRider on Jul 9, 2010 6:54 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Orlando is actually the perfect team to challenge the Heat
Interior size and outside shooting….
Dwight needs to recruit a sidekick
Do you think we’re going to see all of the mega stars start teaming up like this? Aren’t they all jealous of Bron, Wade, and Bosh right now? I bet there’s a ton of chatter between them about how they can pair up and compete. Paul is obviously thinking that way. Melo too.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
I'm saddened by this move...
It may have been fine for him to leave Cleveland (although I agree with the author that it would have been better if he had gone anywhere else), but the way that he did it, with the build-up, rumors, and ridiculous 1-hour special, was not excusable.
I feel horrible for Cleveland and the Cavs are instantly my second-favorite NBA team.
In hindsight
it is clear now that the cavs should’ve started over when they drafted LeBron—turn over their lineup and developed with draft choices. As LeBron got better and the Cavs overpaid for some good, but not great talent, they hamstrung themselves with regards to developing a cohesive lineup.
you mean like what OKC is trying to do?
And ourselves, for that matter.
Yea, but Cleveland couldn't have done it that way...
LeBron was good enough to get them to the playoffs all by himself. As good as Durant is, he couldn’t. Nor could Roy and LA.
"...it was like he brought his own personal cross-wind to the arena." - Dave
Roy and LA...
It’s different when you build a team aroudn two solid players instead of one All-Star. I felt Houstn was built around Ming for a while, and when he was lost for the entire season, it took Brooks, Scola, and all the insanity of the Toyota Center to keep that team one game above .500. That’s not good.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jul 9, 2010 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions
they made some mistakes
But they also did some good things. The Jamison deal this year was a great get, even though he didn’t have a great playoffs. Williams wasn’t a horrible acquisition, either. I think James had a reasonable supporting cast, he just couldn’t deliver it on his own. He is not in the same class as superstars like MJ, Duncan, etc., but even he admits this now.
Jordan's bulls
didn’t win anything until Jackson utilized a three center approach to the bulls teams where he used those centers to do an adequate job of rebounding, a little scoring, and a hell of a lot of fouling.
Duncan had Robinson who did the defensive work while Duncan did most of the scoring which Robinson joined when his body let him—both were good rebounders and good defenders.
Clearly Jamison
looked good before because of good three point shooting, once the middle got clogged he couldn’t use his angular attack to effect, and Mo Williams didn’t (or doesn’t know) how to initiate the offense.
Hey Dave do you
see the current Celtic model (copied by the heat) an extension of the early arrival of players out of college, i.e. the high schoolers?
Getting Shaq
It was just to get help against D Howard. In hindsight it didn’t matter, but the thought was right.
hg
by BBK on Jul 9, 2010 4:43 AM PDT up reply actions
To be fair to Cleveland's management (who I agree didn't build a great roster around James)
the gun was to their heads to go into win at all cost mode the day he started hyping the summer of 2010 with the 3 year extension. LeBron made it crystal clear he wanted to test the waters – I can’t fault Cleveland for swinging for the fences with moves (Shaq, Jamison, etc.) that were long term losers.
Speaking of cruel, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft. Hey, he's only a top-seven GM -- there are plenty of those. Does anyone else think Al Davis died a year ago and took over Paul Allen's body? - Bill Simmons
Can't get over the fact that Pritchard -- fired earlier in the day -- is still running Portland's draft. If I were him, I'd be in Portland's war room loudly calling other GMs and saying things like, "I have an offer for you: I'll trade you our No. 23 pick, and in return, YOU HELP ME PULL THE F****** KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK!!!!! Do we have a deal????" - Bill Simmons
by blazeraddict on Jul 9, 2010 12:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Dudes
Lebron James is a great passer and good ball handler. Cleveland never developed the team to exploit those advantages to the fullest. I mean if you guards are stand and shoot types rather than guys that can score at the rim, where are the cutters to get the passes from LeBron?
I agree on everything you said.
When I heard the words, the Chosen one and then the chosen one will play in the chosen city. and the 1 hr. special was horrible. Therefore it was as Dave said, the media as much to blame as James. Either way, I don’t have anymore respect for LJ now then I do the media
hg
by BBK on Jul 9, 2010 4:36 AM PDT up reply actions
ughh
Not sure which is harder to watch- Lebron scheduling an uber-hyped ESPN special just to ditch his team and state OR ESPN going to a live feed an hour later at a local Cleveland bar to show how upset Cavs fans are, only to have 21 year old frat guys surrounding the camera smiling big for 2 minutes as they jostle to be on tv. Very glad Lebron is out of Cleveland- didn’t have to be done this way. Poor idea.
It is terrible for the league
if they dominate who cares?
If they don’t then the NBA will become exposed as nothing but a hype machine. That applies whether that is indeed true or not.
Plus the fact that there are going to be some cities that feel there is just no way to compete, that will probably affect ticket sales and viewership in general. If they dominate the league that sets the model for winning titles.
I mean these guys just aren’t allstars, you are talking about 3 of the 5 starters from the eastern conference here. there is no way that is good for the league, no way at all.
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
Fantasy Basketball at its finest
No need to watch the game on tv, go to the game, or buy a jersey
just check the stats in the paper.
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
The Three Musketeers
have essentially exposed the very negative effects of the salary cap. The players around the league should be happy that the heat got these players because this will undercut the owner’s argument about a salary cap system.
don't think so
this was a freak alignment of the planets and stars, unlikely to reoccur in the next ten millenia
this was as accidental as the BP oil spill...
I am sure they did not intend to wreak havoc on the perception of the league, damage other teams ability to put a quality product on the floor, particularly in key markets like NYC/NJ and Chicago, and so on, but it was their actions for personal gain and refusal just to honestly come out and say what they were doing that has created the chaos and damaged the league…
I am sure BP did not mean for the well to blow up, but the evidence does show that their actions for corporate gain and refusal to honestly comply with safety regulations and recommendations has created chaos and damaged the entire gulf coast region.
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
Why cry for owners
who’d kick those same players to the curb in a heartbeat—the same owners who don’t respect the fans enough to run a good organization(and I’m not just talking about Cleveland or winning, but running an organization respectively).
i cry for the game, not hte owners
i could give a rip that the cavs owner’s feelings are hurt…I do feel for the fans, particularly given the rough treatment Cleveland went through with Art Modell.
Ultimately, I want a competitive product and having only 1 or two good teams and nothing but really crappy ones to go with them is not good for the league, for the quality of games. These rental championship teams are just not that compelling to me or a large number of people. I am and always will be a Blazer fan, but this situation is not good for the NBA in general.
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
That's the real challenge
how does the league-owners, players,fans-create a system that can field competitive, entertaining teams. I’m not convinced that deflation-which is what the league just went through-is the way to rationally deliver basketball entertainment.
I’d be really curious to see a breakdown of the bench contributions from recent championship teams. In the last 5 or 10 years, has anyone had the firepower to simply win with their Big 3 up front and scrubs off the bench?
I don’t see how Miami can build a solid bench to back these guys up. Even if they find a vet like J. Howard or somehow pick up a young guy like Rudy, they’re a long way from having a top-to-bottom team that’s ready to win it all.
I think it’s bad for the league because it waters down everyone else a bit, and puts an even bigger gap between the haves and have nots.
Chalmers has
the incentive to become a good shooter and the rookies from the draft only need to rebound—especially on defense.
I disagree
Big Shot Rob, Fisher (don’t laugh – he used to be able to move AND shoot), Fox (laugh at the hair, but he too was a solid player), Harper, Rodman, etc. were all solid role players.
Speaking of cruel, Portland fired GM Kevin Pritchard an hour before the draft. Hey, he's only a top-seven GM -- there are plenty of those. Does anyone else think Al Davis died a year ago and took over Paul Allen's body? - Bill Simmons
Can't get over the fact that Pritchard -- fired earlier in the day -- is still running Portland's draft. If I were him, I'd be in Portland's war room loudly calling other GMs and saying things like, "I have an offer for you: I'll trade you our No. 23 pick, and in return, YOU HELP ME PULL THE F****** KNIFE OUT OF MY BACK!!!!! Do we have a deal????" - Bill Simmons
by blazeraddict on Jul 9, 2010 12:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Hmmm
Very well-said. I’ve been wondering who exactly has been advising James from a business standpoint, because this doesn’t seem like a prudent move. And obviously this whole hype machine has really soured him in the eyes of a lot of people, and I don’t buy the “any publicity is good publicity” thing in this case. In order to become a global icon you need to be careful about how you are perceived, just ask MJ. What he did was a lot different than how he was perceived (off the court). There are a lot of people who really wont ever like him now.
Lots of people
Before I was rooting for him to become the “King” we all wanted to see. Now it just feels like he took the easay route to glory,. Jordan was th foundation to team, one that built round him. James (no more Lebron) joined with the empire, he didn’t defeat his Vader. Poor form, rooting against him from now on.
Also, this snuffs out the hopes and dreams of a lot of up and coming teams. Just bad form all around.
It turns out I overestimated my apathy, but not enough to matter.
agreed
This is like the Yankees of old, We all knew who was going to win the pennant and just lost interest. If they didn’t have a team good enough they just bought new players.
Or, how many fan’s lost all enthusiasm over watching the Lakers and the Celtics play. It wasn’t a matter of who do we want to win, but who do we want to lose the worst.
hg
by BBK on Jul 9, 2010 4:54 AM PDT up reply actions
I don't blame LBJ for what he did...
but I do blame him and the NBA for turning the whole thing into some kind of lurid sideshow. It feels like the NBA (not the hard working, honest athletes that probably are in the majority) is turning into a sad version of pro wrestling. It seems like Stern has lost his mind in search of greater power and riches. Honestly, it feels like Bill Veeck playing a vertically challenged individual just to get some media attention and more fans at the ballpark (except, in this case, it playing a virtual giant). In the end, I think LBJ will join the former in realizing that they got taken.
I have a feeling that things won’t end up going well for the new SuperHeat team. Karma has a strange way of leveling the playing field. In any case, it’s all good news for our home town squad because the talent drain to the East should make things a little easier for our guys if they can just stay out of the hospital for a few months next year.
Agreed on all
The side show was Short term satisfaction and long term destruction.
I don’t know if I feel the same about Karma or hoping for Karma. I think though that they will bring out the best in all players that play against them—for them that may be bad
hg
by BBK on Jul 9, 2010 4:59 AM PDT up reply actions
Did any one else...
wonder if the oil spill would influence these guys not to go to Miami. I honestly thought Wade was gonna go to Chitown and Lebron was gonna stay in Cleveland with Bosh. I can’t say I’d be stoked to move to Miami right now.
slimkim
Lebron, Wade, and Bosh played together for three summers.
They played in the 06 World Championships, 07 Tournament of the America’s, and won the gold in Beijing.
To me that's along the same lines as saying
we ate at a few of the same potlucks so now we’ll be fine opening a restaurant together.
—Dave
by Dave on Jul 8, 2010 11:48 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
beautiful Dave.
You’ve really been on top of your game recently. Love it.
I'm not trying to belittle the experience
as much as saying the demands, pressure, and commitment of the two experiences are wholly different. The potluck thing might indeed be a good start but the leap from there to five-star restaurant are significant, if nothing else because of the strain on relationships working together provides.
—Dave
Or at least a really good footcart
Logical descriptions of complex worlds contain within themselves the seeds of their own limitation. A world that was simple enough to be fully known would be too simple to contain conscious observers who might know it.
by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Jul 8, 2010 11:54 PM PDT up reply actions
:/ DAVE!!
It’s lebron James with dwayne Wade AND chris Bosh…. wADE and Bosh were freakin me out a little… throw james in there… I"m in full blown panic mode.
This team is scary. even if 1 goes down to injury I"m assumin one will.. .but…
This is 1 pointguard away from being our Olympic Squad yeah?
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!
Dudes don't get Olympic Gold Medals
for their potato salads. 3 years of high level international competition is at least on some gourmet food truck tip. They’re not strangers.
"It all depends on where his growth will come and we think his growth will come within us" -- Kevin Pritchard on Jerryd Bayless
really? Training, travelling the world together, winning gold...
and forming enough of a bond to risk the paycut & bad PR – that’s eating at a potluck? Wasn’t it pretty much consensus that Team USA had finally flipped the karmic switch to the “no I in TEAM” position?
These guys played a central role in that, yeah?
My bet is that team chemistry between these 3 won’t be why they lose, if they lose.
Always enjoy your articles, though; you’re my favorite Blazers read.
Good night, Blazer fans, whereEVER you may be.... DAA-daddle-a-DA-da-da-DA-da-da-DAA
by jerome glide porterworth on Jul 9, 2010 5:23 AM PDT up reply actions
no, it's not your typical potluck
Even though Wade, James and Bosh were the favorite entrees, that potluck had world class side dishes and perfect desserts.
Miami is complementing the slow-roasted beef with canned cream corn, bag of marshmallows and glorified water.
VITAMIN water
Good night, Blazer fans, whereEVER you may be.... DAA-daddle-a-DA-da-da-DA-da-da-DAA
by jerome glide porterworth on Jul 9, 2010 3:06 PM PDT up reply actions
The biggest winner in this whole circus is Dwayne Wade.
Wade already has a title and a finals MVP to his credit and he isn’t facing national pressure of winning a title. LeBron is going to get most of the blame if they fail, and Wade will get a lot of the love if they succeed, because he is the local hero. Really interesting thing is that this power play really tells a lot about the personalities of these guys. I think it really shows that Bill Simmons was right when he said that LeBron is more Dr. J, more of a showman, than a ruthless win at all costs guy.
by premthegrem on Jul 8, 2010 11:55 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I think the biggest winner is the NBA
If Miami wins 65 games next year, plays LA in the finals, the finals is the highest rated in history, and the NBA makes boatloads of cash can they really lockout the players.
In a perfect world
New York would’ve have gotten LeBron and good management (maybe there is hope). Where’s Holtzman when you need him?
hmmm
The NBA is no doubt a winner. But in the long run, had LB gone to New York, it would have been an even bigger winner. He would have lured more & more big talent to the league’s biggest market that might have set in motion a momentum of success that would have lasted for years and years.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
I haven't seen a lot of comment on this
but I think maybe the most important aspect of this is the fact that if they’re successful it’ll set a new template for many teams where they’ll also try to max out 2 or 3 superstars and back fill with players on league minimums. It could have a huge impact on the salaries of mid-tier players, creating a wide gulf between the haves and have nots.
that is important
most people seem to agree that the mid-level players are on the whole overpaid, this might change that approach, but as long as David Kahn and Mark Cuban are around, probably not.
Kahn and Cuban
pay more money so that players will play like they are supposed too, and it raises the level of expense for other teams to expose those with poor management.
i knew that there was a method to Kahn's madness
now if I can figure out his apparent strategy to target a single position each offseason
But
How gainful would it be for teams to dump salaries to create such room for free agency when there is…..maybe a Kevin Love or a Beasley on the market? This was a fluke free agency where multiple uber-players could be picked up at once- they all were from the same draft, same extensions- friends. Don’t sweat it.
Greg just needs to be healthy.
Interesting fallout of this FA circus could be a greater liklihood of a work stoppage slash lockout.
I don’t think these owners like getting played like this. They look at the NFL system and know that NFL owners with franchise tags have a better system to prevent this kind of thing that will kill a franchise and had GMs cowering for months if not seasons. Trhere was probably going to be a work stoppage anyway, but this could create some hard feelings that are hard to overcome.
We also see one more step towards no middle class in the NBA. Miami as a team will have 3 Max players and the rest on near minimum contracts. Is this what the players union wants to create?
by 52therim on Jul 9, 2010 12:23 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
The real problem is poor
player development. Underclassmen leave before they are physically mature and before they have good basketball team skills and thus the level of basketball expertise that might be expected in the past hasn’t been there for the last 15 years making it even more difficult than it has ever been to plan a roster let alone a salary scheme.
but is there any way to stop that from happening?
Max-type players (real max-type players, not Rudy Gay) are underpaid compared to the value that they add to a franchise, while the middle class is overpaid by that same metric.
Why couldn't you put a certain number
of players drafted by a team onto, without penalty, a development team? Like a minor league system. They play for a farm team and the “major” league team keeps the rights (like in europe). In fact if you’re a sophomore you must play in the “minors” for a year before coming up.
I'd love to see the D-League expanded into a true "minor league".
Heck, we could even re-expand the draft to 3 or 4 rounds.
CKTK: A music blog. We write about what we want to write about.
#14
Not even close
NFL and the NBA are vastly different. You have five starters on an NBA team- that’s it. Each player is critical. As far as the NFL goes, there is always major injury risk in that sport on every play so you should guarantee salaries with different scenerios. Hazard pay. Blazers might have to pay it- for last year, we are sailing now
the big winners in all of this will be teams with depth
and players prepared to intimidate lebron, bosh, and wade with the threat of flagrant fouls.
"I've hacked into your brain. You're throwing a party and no one's showing up."
Hello Jeff Pendergraph
Too bad we don’t have Howard on the roster any more. Pendy, Przy, and Howard could do a -Tonya Harding number on the ‘big three’.
test
by dwaynebillybob on Jul 9, 2010 5:15 AM PDT up reply actions
Shocked.
1. An injury to any of the “3” erases the entire drama. Too much in one boat!
2. Gilbert (Cav’s owner) comes out and says that Lebron is a loser after his announcement. This is self-defeating Mr. Gilbert – if Lebron is a loser and doesn’t know how to win, why did you fire Mike Brown and even attempt lure Lebron back?
Gilbert's letter was the worst thing I've read all year.
He needs a wedgie.
I'm just not crazy about player nick names...
by Hipster Olympic Team! on Jul 9, 2010 11:45 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
At least now we know
who the Blazers will face in the Finals in 2011…
WWKPD??
except it's the exact opposite of a sell out
he chose winning over more money
I'm pretty excited about this
I’m not a huge fan of any of these players, and certainly not of Miami (either the town or the team), but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen a team that is dominant in a way that we’ll always remember. The Spurs, while they play the game right, are not a team that we’ll marvel at years after they’re done. Same with the Kobe L*kers. You’ve got to go back to Jordan’s Bulls, and before that to the Magic/Bird teams, to find a team that people will still be talking about years afterwards. Of course, this assumes that the experiment will work, but I think it will. All three have excellent instincts, and Bosh and Wade seem willing to be contributing factors.
Good for the game, as far as I can tell.
im sure the clippers arent going to fret about being so far below the salary cap
there should be a minimum luxury tax. also my biggest peeve is that teams have to go through so much crap when half their team is injured to add the minimum number of players to field a team. i dont care what your salary cap all teams should have at least 12 suited up healthy and ready to play. no waivers cap hits. im paying to see a quality product and feel like im getting ripped off in those circumstances. i dont care if theres dleaguers out there i want to see a team.
SO ARE WE GETTTING CHRIS PAUL OR NOT....
FREAKIN gOSH!!!
The Faith don't panic, the faith freaks out, burns out farms, and torchs small villages in the name of The Faith.
Head Czar of Amerika <--- Mortimer said so so there!!!
Chris Paul just joined LeBron's management company yesterday. Watch.
In a year or so, he’ll join them. Or at least replace Wade once Wade declines/retires.
It’s the Big Beijing Conspiracy.
The Heat traded Beasley for a warm
cup of coffee so it looks like they need to add 8 more dudes.
I know some might give a discount to play with the Three Bastardos, but probably not a big one.
by torsoheap on Jul 9, 2010 7:27 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
The spectacle will be grand.
I’m looking forward to seeing what sort of team the Heat can assemble around these guys. I want to see how well they match up against Boston or Orlando. Heck, I’m even interested in what happens next for the Knicks. How good will Chicago be? How bad will Cleveland be? What about the Suns? When do the Spurs hit the reboot button? Lakers dynasty? Gilbert Arenas? Chris Paul? CBA? More story lines than a soap opera.
And what happens when a healthy Blazers team finally gets together?
It should be a good year.
The cowards never started
The weak died along the way
Only the strong survived
They were the Trailblazers
Next Years Finals
LAL vs The Heat.
The stars play it out pretty even.
Blake sets a new finals record for 3s and is named MVP on the Heat’s court, in his home state.
I’d watch that.
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
And the Heat's new roster collapses
when they don’t win it all their first year, because all three of the big names will hate each other so much by that point.
CLE
I grew up in NE Ohio when the Browns were good and had just finished their championship run. Went to school in CLE and got my career start there.
I don’t care that LBJ actually left, it is the player’s option and he was managed well enough to work with other players to be part of the 2010 FA situation. I find it interesting that it would be illegal for the owers decided to set up a team to compete with this team – isn’t that how the AAU goes these days? (heard that on the MSP this morning and seems an interesting take.)
What to do if you are CLE?
→ Hire KP – he can rebuild from that team with talent. Maybe not get a Roy and Oden, but a good solid core. I think KP has learned a few things and would be a great response to LBJ moving on.
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
This will not work.
James and Wade won’t work on the same team. Same reason Iverson and Anthony didn’t work. The Celtics’ Big Three works because Garnett and Allen are in the latter part of their careers, and are willing to defer to Pierce. The mid-90s Rockets worked for the same reason, Drexler was getting old. O’Neal and Bryant (barely) worked because Bryant was so young at the time. James and Wade are at the peaks of their careers, and both are used to being alpha dog, and don’t have a playing style that translates into being anything else, and don’t have games that compliment one another at all. And this is without even considering Bosh. Bosh with either Wade and James might work, but all three? No way. Won’t work.
It seems
James does not want to be the alpha dog given his play this year in the playoffs. . .more of a kitty kat.
"Better, not good, but better." - Herb Brooks
Bosh is a star, but not on the level of Wade or LeBron
I don’t know if this is going to work but I understand why he left. He felt as though the Cavs GM wasn’t making any attempt to surround him with players that would help him win a title. Sideshow Bob and Mo Williams only get you so far. Heck, even SHAQ couldn’t help them. It’s as if the GM expected LeBron to play 1-on-5 and win the title by himself.
THANK YOU KEVIN PRITCHARD
Blazers fan since '91
"We are the black void. We are the red steel. We are the white sword. With ball in hand shall we reap the sins of this NBA and cleanse it in the fires of destruction. We are the Trail Blazers. The end has come!"
by rise_stand_resist on Jul 9, 2010 7:45 AM PDT up reply actions
Which is exactly what he tried to do.
It was clear his shot was off, but he kept insisting on bombing away instead of driving inside. LeBron is a strong dude and you know he’s going to get the calls from the refs so why not be aggressive?
by torsoheap on Jul 9, 2010 7:50 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Team USA
Don’t you think that this “fan perception” of the Miami Heat will change when team USA plays in the Olympics and these guys have been playing together night in and night out for a couple hundred games?
I had nightmares thinking about Dwight and CP3 jumping on board with that too.
Now if only we can get a west coast big 3 and do a real rivalry of powerhouses.
Also, how lucky would Rudy be if he were sent to Miami now? "Please, oh please trade me, per favor!l
Blazers got their work cut out for them for the next few years.
There is more joy in suffering a crushing defeat and persevering to one day win the championship, than there is in only supporting a winner during their run at victory
by rpxxxiv on Jul 9, 2010 8:27 AM PDT via mobile reply actions
what is the point of having 30 teams in the league??
Why don’t we just pick out the best players and put them on 10 teams….or 6…or 4……..
NBA is going to lose money on this d-bag move by bosh/bron/wade……
Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company.
I wonder if this makes trades easier?
I mean a team like New Orleans is probably thinking no way we can build a contender lets just save money and draft young talent. A lot of teams are probably thinking this. The “Three Amigos” might have just screwed over every NBA journey man by doing this. You can no longer be thinking that a MLE guy is going to put you over the top. I mean if your an owner do you spend 6 million to try and get better and lose or do you pocket the money and lose?
Bodes well
That Miami team now reminds me of that Sixers team that lost to the Blazers in the finals.
NO respect for James...
This team just set themselves up to be the biggest overdogs in history. After this media spectacle that, in my opinion made a mockery of the process, I hope they fail…and in all reality they probably will. Anything short of instant championships will be a considered a failure and I just don’t see the ego’s meshing well enough for them to beat the stronger, deeper teams in a 7 game series…
GO BLAZERS!!!
Primetime train wreck
I can’t believe (actually I can) that Lebron has such a warped sense of reality that he thought it’d be a good idea to go on TV to crush his hometown. Classless doesn’t even describe his actions. He couldn’t even bother to call and have a conversation with the Cavs before leaving? And his commentary? His comments about all that he’s done for the Cavs and how the fans should be grateful…….give me a break. He’s always given off the feeling that for the past 7 years, he’s been doing Cleveland a favor.
I didn’t like him before this fiasco, but I’ve lost what little respect I had for the guy. It’s one thing to leave, but t do so in such a grandiose fashion, spitting in Clevelands face, then rubbing it in on national television.
I also got a kick out of his comments at the end, about his philanthropy. He said it twice too, thanking the U of Phx for donating the scholarships to help “privileged” youth. Idiot windbag who likes to hear himself talk, thinks he’s educated and brilliant, but can’t seem to get out of his own way
Witty Unpredictable Talent and Natural Game
by iDea on Jul 9, 2010 9:11 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Whatever you think of LeBron
you’ve got to think that the Cavaliers could have done in Cleveland what the Heat just did.
i'm not so sure Pat will step in this time
I think he looks as Eric Spolestra as an extension of himself and can exercise a lot of influence whenever he thinks he needs to. Wade seems to really like Eric. And everyone in management seemed pretty impressed that Spolestra could take 14 free agents to a 47 win season, last year.
But you may be right and Riley may be thinking about “That damned Phil Jackson” and his competitive juices will kick in.
Treat people well because Karma can hit you at any second.
Essentially the heat are going to play
82 games + playoffs with only a 5 man rotation considering they can only sign additional players for the minimum. I think by the time the playoffs get around they are going to be…….
TIRED!
by SurReal on Jul 9, 2010 10:47 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
If someone goes down to injury, they are screwed.
And if Miami takes Portland-esque injuries from last season (such as Bosh and LeBron taking season ending injuries within two weeks of each other) they’re not goign to be overdogs anymore They’re going to be Dwayne Wade on a misson: MAKE THE PLAYOFFS BY YOURSELF.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jul 9, 2010 1:36 PM PDT up reply actions
Like I said before
It’s good to have the big bad guy for all the teams to go up against. Blazers fans seem to be more comfortable in the role as the underdog.
NBA following the lead of the WWE?
You’ve got to have a bad guy to root against. That’s how you improve ratings.
This all reminds me
of the last time that a Florida team signed multiple free agents who were making max (or near max) money. Remind me again, how many titles did Orlando win?
I can't believe you ignored the Storyteller signal in the JD
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Jul 9, 2010 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions
Never thought I'd see the phrase
“three-way fidelity”
Well, I am looking forward to some Blazer/Heat games
Greg is looking rather more necessary now. When “buddy boy” LeBron comes around back slapping and shaking hands with Blazers, Greg, don’t do the “let’s be friends” routine. Just stand there with a “who are you, get lost” look. Game on.
"You be realistic," Oden said. "I’m going to stay happy. All right?"
Yes!
He will just say….“Go around me, &$(@%”
Phil Mickelson: "A Great shot is when you pull it off.....a smart shot is when you don't have the guts to try it"’
by 92wastheyear on Jul 9, 2010 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions
The thing that surprised me, but shouldn't have
was how entirely self-centered and narcissistic Lebron is. I guess all I’d ever heard him say before this was brief post-game comments. Every single answer to every question included some statement about how awesome and talented he is. I guess when you’re surrounded by sycophants since junior high, you start to believe the hype.
I also thought it was interesting how uncompetitive these guys are. All this talk about wanting to win, and how winning is the most important thing. Well, head on down to the Y and go dominate. Seems like winning a championship on a team with 3 of the top 5 NBA players would seem like a varsity vs. j.v. scrimmage and not be quite as meaningful as earning it the old-fashioned way.
And then there’s Bosh, saying he wants to be the focus of a franchise and have the team be build around him, yet goes where he will be third fiddle at best.
by superfly05 on Jul 9, 2010 1:40 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Miami needs to remedy their defense...
Because they got shelled last season. By multiple teams. They got shelled in the playoffs; there’s a reason the Celtics made the NBA Finals and that’s because Miami didn’t show upfor the firstthree games.
A great offense can overshadow a decent defense, but it will only rarely cover up a terrible defense. Maybe the Heat are hopign the officials will give them so many favorable calls with the media darling LBJ on the court…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Jul 11, 2010 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions
All I know
Is that I’m going to start referring forthwith to the Miami Heat as “The Legion of Doom”
"My shoulder is OK. And away we go." -- Nic Batum
"wang-dang diddly wubba SPROING wow-wow" -- Dave
Maybe I'm dense, but I don't understand the title expectations for the Heat
Can you really win in the playoffs without a bench? Are those three guys supposed to play 45 min/ game all season? Are they one injury away from being absolutely mediocre?
I really don’t know… I don’t think there’s ever been a team with so much top end talent and with such a sharp drop off after that. It is unprecedented.
Holding out for Hedo
They did sign Mike Miller
who I assume is coming off the bench, so there’s that. Plus, there are bound to be some decent enough coattail-rider journeymen or veterans who will play for cheap to win a championship.
I think this will go down as a seminal event...
Seriously. I think this event will change all pro sports in many, huge ways. Many rules exists to prevent owner collusion, yet none exist to prevent player, or agent, collusion like we have seen with this LeBron Sham.
I think the media have all glossed over the fact that this deal was several years in the making by the co-conspirators LeBron, Wade and Bosh. They all came out in the same draft, played in the Olympics together, and signed contracts years ago that resulted in them all being free agents at the same time. This level of collusion by the players is unprecendented.
Others have wondered if other players are trying to figure out how they, too, can collude and play games together in the city of their choice. I assume those conversations are happening. And this trend will likely increase if they can prove successful and win a title.
What will be interesting is if the owners try to stop it (tho not sure how you could), or embrace it, as Miami did by shedding salary so signficantly. The other shoe may drop if we learn that the Heat management were in on the scam at the same time, but unless that happens, I think you’ll see management go along with it.
The role of the agents is also interesting, and we’ll likely see agents more blatantly offering a package deal to deep pocketed teams. The other shoe may drop if we learn that the agents for these guys were in on it…
There is obviously a lot in it for the players, and there is likely a mentality of “get yours while you can”, so I think we’ll see a few more interesting collections of talent. I think we’ll see a league where the haves increase the gap on the have nots. I think this will increase the likelihood of trades of major players, as owners will be more willing to roll the dice (can’t win without three stars), and players won’t object if they are ging to another super power team.
In short, I think this was a sham, thought out years in advance, and it will dramatically change the landscape of professional sports, forever.
I seriously doubt that it was only player collusion
I think the players included Riley in the collusion to achieve the conclusion
by blacknoiseNW on Jul 10, 2010 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions
no doubt
but the main point of the issues surrounding of player engineered teams is no one really knows the impact it will have on the sport.
I suppose a player based system has many appealing characteristics, particularly over sometimes irrational seeming owners. What does this mean for the average fan? Does the NBA’s emphasis on promoting the player’s over the sport make them immune to some of the negative consequences that other sports may garner if a similar situation blossomed up across all of pro-sports?
I never really had anything against Boston until they simply bought their title a few years back, now I just can not stand them. Will this same feeling transfer to Miam? I know it has for me. I was sort of pulling for LeBron to win a title for Cleveland, now I will only root for his ruin as a player (which probably means he will win the next 10 titles in a row).
"Oh Yeah!" ~ Kool Aid Man
The impacts will be huge..
The historical adage has been that it takes 3 superstars to win a title in the NBA, and if it only takes three guys to agree to collude, I expect we’ll soon have a tier of all-star teams, and a bunch of really bad lottery filled teams. Nothing in the middle.
This will have a huge impact on all salaries, probably maxing the contracts of the stars, and minimizing the amount you have to play secondary players, and role players.. Just mix the right set to win… Creating no middle class, but a big time elite, and the interchangeable masses. A big U curve of salaries, too…
.I think it will have two, offsetting effects on the draft. If you just have to lure three stars to your city, that might mimimize the impact of scouting, and the draft. But,you have to fill out the roster with somebody, and rookie contracs are the cheapest you can get, so that would lead me to believe the value of draft picks moving forward wil increase – cheap young college guys are the best ways to get talent from your interchangeables at the end of your roster.
Rich get richer. Competition is reduced, league-wide, but if you’re lucky enough to be an upper echelon team (like the Blazers should) it can be a fun ride… Season tickets will be a tougher sell, as you really only need to see the games against the big guys – you should win 90+% against the have nots…
Ultimately, I think i will be bad for the sport. I just don’t see any way of stopping it.
I have to admit...
I’m very suprised at the results of the poll as they stand now, with the majority saying they wouldn’t want to be Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.
Sure the reality is that with the comitment to the unassailable talent of Wade, LeBron and Bosh, if Miami faulters the spotlight by default shines very harshly and directly on Spoelstra but who cares?
If you are an N.B.A. coach you have to genetically want to be linked to this opportunity, win, lose or draw. You can’t plan for failure in this case. If you are Spoelstra? You just wake up thinking, I’m coaching the most potent nuculeus in The N.B.A. and I’m a very lucky man to have the opportunity.
The potential for it to become a coach killing scenario must be ignored. And I think should be ignored.
"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
FanShots
Quick hits of video, photos, quotes, chats, links and lists that you find around the web.
Recommended FanShots
Recent FanShots
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
