NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

[wco81]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Sounds like some loopholes to get some of the richer teams one last go at the big free agents.

So much for all the talk of parity.

The NBA brass trotted out the Spurs' owner to say this new deal will make the smaller-market clubs more competitive. Of course they're going to say that, since they're going to try to maintain the 30-team league rather than face the probability that NBA isn't popular enough to sustain 30 markets in North America.

Yet the reality is that when smaller-market teams like the Spurs get to the finals, TV ratings take a nosedive, so it will always be in the NBA's interest to have the big market or glamor teams always win, probably resulting in a sports league with the least amount of competitive balance in the world, outside of perhaps the top-tier soccer leagues.

But a third-tier soccer club will always get support in its home market, since it's the number one sport, whereas a team like the New Orleans Hornets struggles since the Saints and maybe LSU are more popular. And if Paul leaves for the Knicks or the Heat, then the team may have to move again, unless the NBA helps them get the next big star coming out of college.

[JohnDoe8865]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

The NBA really gave back too much IMO. Two things should have been deal breakers.

1) Some kind of hard-cap or at the very least a much stiffer soft cap. I don't feel like the luxury repeater tax is gonna make the big spenders flinch even a bit. The new floor is a good thing, but it would have been a great thing with a hard floor AND a hard cap.

2) The Carmelo Rule - completely killing the sign and trade for max deals - should have been included. Instead they put in a two year loophole for the Howard, CP3, Westbrook, etc of the NBA to get to the big markets before any restrictions even kick in. It's basically the 2005 CBA for this season and next season.

I'm pretty disappointed in the NBA/Owner side for giving up on two key things that could have actually made a difference in competitive balance. Instead what we got was the owners getting a closer to even BRI and revenue sharing.

[da ThRONe]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

What we dont want to see is players holding teams hostage because they want to play elsewhere and still get paid top dollar. Just become a free agent or take what the team does in a trade

Its pathetic stomaching a team gutting out 48 minutes a night with high profile players tanking on them just for a trade

Remember when Vince was averaging like 5pts a game til they sent him to NJ

Once again no rule will stop players from being malcontents. Everybody making a big deal out of a few isolated situations. MIA big three and Melo forcing his way out of Denver now people are trying to construct rules to stop it when it A) would require killing free agency and B) isn't even a minor problem.

Last face it these are new breed owners who don't care about winning just making a profit.

[da ThRONe]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

There's no need for a Carmelo rule. That rule was pointless. Melo made a big deal about being traded because he knew the owners opted out of the CBA and he thought that the owners would severely lower max contracts. Paul, Howard, or Williams would be dumb to force a sign and trade they want to win and win now. A simple solid cap would solve all the competitive balance issues.

[a_maz_ing]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

There's no need for a Carmelo rule. That rule was pointless. Melo made a big deal about being traded because he knew the owners opted out of the CBA and he thought that the owners would severely lower max contracts. Paul, Howard, or Williams would be dumb to force a sign and trade they want to win and win now. A simple solid cap would solve all the competitive balance issues.

But the league has never been balanced, so I don't see why they are acting like it is such a big problem now.

I think too many people have made too big of a deal about the Melo and Big 3 events. None of those are that frequent.

I also don't think a hard cap would solve much as far as parity. It won't save a bad GM and a good front office will just give out smarter deals. If the Kings and the Lakers had the same payroll for the next 3 years, I still would take the Lakers all day...

[wco81]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Where is the evidence that anyone wants more competitive balance?

If a small-market team goes to the finals, it's lower TV ratings and lower merchandising revenues for the league. Hockey or baseball can have Davids slaying Goliaths because the nature of those sports means one or two scores can win key games. NFL has legislated parity better. NBA, the nature of the game makes repeated upsets across 2 or 3 playoff series unlikely. Plus there's the suspicions about playoff officiating.

Players like Paul and Howard don't want competitive balance either. THey want to go to the stacked teams -- Paul said it as much -- not take down the powerhouse teams on their own.

[TheMatrix31]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Those saying the Carmelo/Big 3 trend is recent are missing the point. It's not just a one-off thing. The league is trending to this premeditated nonsense. The players are predetermining where they're gonna meet up years before. I know you can't legislate what the players want to do but it's BS. The problem is that it's superficial. Basketball has always been superficial with the superstar system and the corrupt officiating but this is compounding on those. And the NBA is obviously not going to do anything about it because they're making money off it. What do they care if their pockets are being lined?

It's not about competitive balance, because small market teams have and will continue to be successful in the future. What it IS about is superficiality and legitimacy. An already fake league is getting faker. They're going down the path boxing went down.

[da ThRONe]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

But the league has never been balanced, so I don't see why they are acting like it is such a big problem now.

I think too many people have made too big of a deal about the Melo and Big 3 events. None of those are that frequent.

I also don't think a hard cap would solve much as far as parity. It won't save a bad GM and a good front office will just give out smarter deals. If the Kings and the Lakers had the same payroll for the next 3 years, I still would take the Lakers all day...

Fans are smarter now than ever. We know GM's, owners, salaries for the players, etc. Most fans in most regions won't support teams that the league itself doesn't care about. Personally I can't blame any fan for not giving their hard earn dollars to a league and/or franchise that not one of the choosen few teams.

As far as the cap goes. Ofcourse a hard cap doesn't ensure parity nothing does. What it does ensure is that teams if one franchise is better than another it's based on the talent of the front office and not the wallet size. That in itself is enough reason. If the Lakers would still be so much better than the Kings nobody should have a problem with it nothing changes right?

[da ThRONe]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Those saying the Carmelo/Big 3 trend is recent are missing the point. It's not just a one-off thing. The league is trending to this premeditated nonsense. The players are predetermining where they're gonna meet up years before. I know you can't legislate what the players want to do but it's BS. The problem is that it's superficial. Basketball has always been superficial with the superstar system and the corrupt officiating but this is compounding on those. And the NBA is obviously not going to do anything about it because they're making money off it. What do they care if their pockets are being lined?

It's not about competitive balance, because small market teams have and will continue to be successful in the future. What it IS about is superficiality and legitimacy. An already fake league is getting faker. They're going down the path boxing went down.

My point is a solid cap fixes all these teaming up issues. If they want to team up for a tenth of their market value to win then so be it. I just think people are overeacting to something that as of right now is an isolated incidence. Especially when there's an all encompassing answer a solid cap.

[OSUFan_88]

They lowered the amount on tax paying teams and how much they can spend on the MLE, they did fix the loophole in S&T, just a few years later, revenue sharing is up, repeater tax is bigger, and a salary floor has been instituted. That is about as much as you could hope for in a CBA deal. There was no way to get a hard cap when the sponsors told the NBA get a deal or else. Oh and a max free agent can only get a 4 year deal too. I'm happy with the deal, personally. Sure, CP3 may end up in NYC and Duh-Wight in LAL, but the future stars of the NBA wont be able to do what they did, which is most important.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Definitely an overeaction. Don't buy this whole sky is falling crap.

Were coming off a season that was overall one of the best seasons in a while....a season that showed both the supposed "super teams" fail.

When we put some rules in place that stop owners from moving pieces like lawn furniture, then I'll feel some type of way about how players go about selecting who they want to play with....I'll start questioning legitimacy when someone does something......illigetimate.

[Kashanova]

A hard cap would kill basketball imo. Every few years a home grown player would have to leave the team because the team can't go over the cap to keep the player.

Sent from my EVO 3D

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

12345678910Char

The Knicks have $7 million less on the books for next season than the Heat, meaning they can bring in a mid-level player to go around Anthony and Amare Stoudemire plus use a second exception to get a guy. They can use the $14.2 million deal of Chauncey Billups (in its last year) as the base for an offer to try and get Chris Paul or Dwight Howard and if it works they still might be able to get a mid-level player again next season.

[Bondgirl0072]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Owners' concessions favor Heat

http://espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/story/_/id/7283642/nba-owners-concessions-benefit-miami-heat-mike-miller

Hunter: Players getting 51.2 percent of BRI

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7285446/billy-hunter-tells-players-get-512-percent-bri-2011-12

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: NBA Lockout and Collective Bargaining Agreement Discussion

Those saying the Carmelo/Big 3 trend is recent are missing the point. It's not just a one-off thing. The league is trending to this premeditated nonsense. The players are predetermining where they're gonna meet up years before. I know you can't legislate what the players want to do but it's BS. The problem is that it's superficial. Basketball has always been superficial with the superstar system and the corrupt officiating but this is compounding on those. And the NBA is obviously not going to do anything about it because they're making money off it. What do they care if their pockets are being lined?

It's not about competitive balance, because small market teams have and will continue to be successful in the future. What it IS about is superficiality and legitimacy. An already fake league is getting faker. They're going down the path boxing went down.

Exactly.

If this is going to continue to happen(which according the new CBA it won't after 2 years)then they should've either instituted a hard cap or just say "**** it, the Owner can spend as much as they want or as little as they want. It's about preventing this from becoming a regular thing which MOST people don't want to see. It can't be an isolated incident if you got 3 other players right now possibly planning to do the same **** the first 4 did last year.