Chris Paul wants out?

[Cebby]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

Kareem Abdul Jabbar is 12 years older than Magic, I think. If Chris Bosh were 12 years older than Lebron James, this would be an entirely different discussion.

Chris Bosh also won't be averaging 20+ points every year until he was 39.

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

Chris Bosh also won't be averaging 20+ points every year until he was 39.

Who knows, but Bosh is the James Worthy in this equation anyway. And more to the point, the Lakers drafted two out of their big three. I don't know the history on how or why such a good team had such a high pick, but in Miami we're talking about established three established All Stars in the top 8 going to the same team while in their primes. All in their primes.

If you look at Worthy, Kareem and Magic's respective ages, that had a small window dependent upon one player performing well very early in his career, and another performing well very late in his career. It's not the same thing. If Magic, Kareem and Worthy were all the same age and on different teams and joined the Lakers when they were 25-28, I'd agree with you.

[Pharaoh29]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

How exactly are three dudes in the middle of their careers with one ring between them even remotely close to the 80s Lakers? Kareem and Magic are pretty much Top 10 all time, which none of these guys have a chance of sniffing that until they've won a few titles. Worthy was obviously no slouch either. Riley is not coaching the Heat (yet) and they have no Michael Cooper DPOY dude as LA had back in the day.

The current Lakers are actually a much better team than the Heat, with a pair of 20-10 (capable, as Bynum showed when Gasol was injured for 15 games, by averaging around 20-12) BIGs under the basket, Kobe, Artest, and starting caliber playmakers off the bench like Lamar Odom. And Phil at Head Coach.

I can't even stand LA but when it comes to fielding the best team, their management seems to pull it off more often than not.

[OSUFan_88]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

That wouldn't prevent it.

If players are willing to sign for 10+ million under the max there's nothing the NBA can do.

As I've stated time and time again, the Heat basically had a hard cap in place. The only thing they did that might not be allowed was going over the cap to sign minimum players but I still think you'll be allowed to do that.

The thing is, though, that none of those players too 10 million under the max.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

God, Shut the **** up man...

http://leeinks.weei.com/sports/2010/07/24/rumor-james-advises-paul-to-stay-west

I'm so sick of this clown.

@ "stay in the Western Conference to keep it competitive".

[Cebby]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

The thing is, though, that none of those players too 10 million under the max.

For the length of the contract they all took about 15 million less.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

@ "stay in the Western Conference to keep it competitive".

That stood out to me too. I hope LeBron didn't actually say that. With every quote that comes out he looks like more and more of a joke to me. It's hard to take him seriously when he makes comments implying that CP3 is the only thing keeping the West competitive.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

For the length of the contract they all took about 15 million less.

The only reason taking less money was even a consideration for any of them is because there's no state tax in Miami. Every team can't offer that kind of consolation prize on losing tons of money.

[Kashanova]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

It is a super team. Two of the top 3 players in the league have never been on the same team WITH a top level PF. Just count the All Star appearances and their ages. I can see people not having a problem with it, and I don't think it's against the CBA or the death of the league, but this is most definitely a first. Their ages are a big factor in this as well. Look at their numbers before playing with one another. People look at the Gasol trade as a power shift(which it was, as the Lakers have dominated the Western Conference since then), but Gasol was not ranked as high as any of these three before the trade.

This is much more akin to the Boston trades, but even then it's different because these three guys are younger and overall higher ranked. Not only has this never happened before, but I don't think anything else is close.

You could say in 84 or 85 that the lakers did, They Had Kareem, Magic and a top level SF, Hall of famer at that in Worthy. and it was Mj's first or second year and wasn't considered the best in the game at the time

[Cebby]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

The only reason taking less money was even a consideration for any of them is because there's no state tax in Miami. Every team can't offer that kind of consolation prize on losing tons of money.

So what?

The NBA can't stop players from not wanting high tax rates or wanting to live in South Beach over Cleveland.

Under the new CBA, Florida and Texas still won't have state income taxes while New York and California will still have very high income taxes. Then again, they'll still be paying state income taxes in every state they play in.

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

You could say in 84 or 85 that the lakers did, They Had Kareem, Magic and a top level SF, Hall of famer at that in Worthy. and it was Mj's first or second year and wasn't considered the best in the game at the time

Been over this. Kareem was past his prime in the mid eighties. You're talking about a man in his very late thirties. If any of these three were 37 or 38 years old, this would be an entirely different discussion. Besides that, it's not solely the level of the players that makes this a unique situation, but how they all wound up in the same place. This is an NBA first for free agency and nothing is similar or "close". I'm not saying this is the strongest NBA team ever assembled. Just saying that the whole situation is a first.

Kareem was drafted a decade ahead of Magic and 13 years before Worthy. The mWo are from the SAME draft class. Come on, fellas.

Put in reverse, if Kareem was 23 years old when Magic was drafted, history would be a little different.

[Kashanova]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

Been over this. Kareem was past his prime in the mid eighties. You're talking about a man in his very late thirties. If any of these three were 37 or 38 years old, this would be an entirely different discussion. Besides that, it's not solely the level of the players that makes this a unique situation, but how they all wound up in the same place. This is an NBA first for free agency and nothing is similar or "close". I'm not saying this is the strongest NBA team ever assembled. Just saying that the whole situation is a first.

Kareem was drafted a decade ahead of Magic and 13 years before Worthy. The mWo are from the SAME draft class. Come on, fellas.

Put in reverse, if Kareem was 23 years old when Magic was drafted, history would be a little different.

kareem in the mid 80's was still avg 22 pts and at least 9 rebs, Kareem past his prime is still better than any other centers at that time(1984)

[Cebby]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

Been over this. Kareem was past his prime in the mid eighties. You're talking about a man in his very late thirties. If any of these three were 37 or 38 years old, this would be an entirely different discussion. Besides that, it's not solely the level of the players that makes this a unique situation, but how they all wound up in the same place. This is an NBA first for free agency and nothing is similar or "close". I'm not saying this is the strongest NBA team ever assembled. Just saying that the whole situation is a first.

Kareem was drafted a decade ahead of Magic and 13 years before Worthy. The mWo are from the SAME draft class. Come on, fellas.

Put in reverse, if Kareem was 23 years old when Magic was drafted, history would be a little different.

Kareem's age is irrelevant.

He was still finishing 1st team All NBA and top 5 in MVP votes in the mid 80s.

[Kashanova]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

Kareem's age is irrelevant.

He was still finishing 1st team All NBA and top 5 in MVP votes in the mid 80s.

Yep

Player Efficiency from 84-85


1. Larry Bird*-BOS 26.5
2. Michael Jordan*-CHI 25.8
3. Bernard King-NYK 25.2
4. Magic Johnson*-LAL 23.2
5. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar*-LAL 22.9


Top Center in the Category and still in the top 5 past his "prime"

[Bornindamecca]

Re: Chris Paul wants out?

kareem in the mid 80's was still avg 22 pts and at least 9 rebs, Kareem past his prime is still better than any other centers at that time(1984)

He was not considered better than Moses Malone at 38 years old, hence Malone's All NBA first team vote over Kareem.

Kareem's age is irrelevant.

So says you. At 38 you know that Kareem isn't going to be playing for more than two or three more years. Obviously, Lebron, Wade and Bosh are in a different place being more than a decade younger than him apiece. This is a big part of the reason the Celtics is looked at differently, besides the fact that those were trades. Being in or near their early thirties, people knew that the window for the C's to get it together and win a couple of championships was very small before they started to decline.

Kareem was a historically great 38 year old, but he was no longer a top two or three player in the NBA at that time and Worthy was also not considered top 2 or 3 at his position.