Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

[bigeastbumrush]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

Houston is one of the largest sports markets in North America, but they're dead last in payroll because they're building around young, inexpensive players.

False.



That whole "they're building around young, inexperienced players" stuff is garbage because they cleared cap space, dealt pick and amnestied a player to make room to sign Dwight Howard. Their plans just fell through.

[TheLetterZ]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

They're building around young, inexpensive players until they can leverage those assets to acquire a superstar.

Better?

Despite signing Jeremy Lin -- who is the 2nd highest-paid player on the team while only making $5M this year, by the way -- they have the lowest payroll in the league.

My point was that even though they're a "big market," they're not shelling out money constantly for the top guys.

[23]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

They're building around young, inexpensive players until they can leverage those assets to acquire a superstar.

Better?

Despite signing Jeremy Lin -- who is the 2nd highest-paid player on the team while only making $5M this year, by the way -- they have the lowest payroll in the league.

They say that every year and always has... truth is they get cheap mid to low tier players and never go beyond that. Houston has been stocking up for the last half decade and all they can show for it is Lin and Kevin Martin?

No bueno

[OSUFan_88]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

We know Bosh refused to team with LeBron in Cleveland.

Untrue.

Bosh stated either last year or the year before that he would have went to Cleveland if LeBron asked him.

LeBron wanted to team with Wade more than he just wanted Bosh.

[TheLetterZ]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

They say that every year and always has... truth is they get cheap mid to low tier players and never go beyond that. Houston has been stocking up for the last half decade and all they can show for it is Lin and Kevin Martin?

No bueno

In defense of the Rockets, they tried to build around Yao and McGrady, and injuries set them back.

But that's fine. Either way, it proves my point.

Rocky and others asserted that being in a big market means you automatically get to spend a huge amount of money assembling a roster of stars.

Houston has shown it's a lot more difficult and complicated than that.

[23]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

In defense of the Rockets, they tried to build around Yao and McGrady, and injuries set them back.

But that's fine. Either way, it proves my point.

Rocky and others asserted that being in a big market means you automatically get to spend a huge amount of money assembling a roster of stars.

Houston has shown it's a lot more difficult and complicated than that.

The Yao McGrady acquisitions were under a different GM

Daryl Morey hardly keeps players too long

It wasnt just injuries that destroyed those guys.. until their last year they hardly had a really competent roster. Having guys like Charlie Ward, Rod Strickland, Bobby Sura for half a season, Deke was a corpse and so on

After that... that's all they've done.. the main reason Lin will stay around is because of the chinese influence and him raking them in cash... lots of changes have happened there but its gotten them nowhere to be honest

[TheLetterZ]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

I agree. They don't have results yet.

[phenom1990]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

First and foremost, the inconsistency in the way the rules are enforced.

I honestly think that is their easiest thing to make happen but they wont touch it in favor of protecting thier referees

Would you be a proponent of increasing revenue sharing?

[Rocky]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

In defense of the Rockets, they tried to build around Yao and McGrady, and injuries set them back.

But that's fine. Either way, it proves my point.

Rocky and others asserted that being in a big market means you automatically get to spend a huge amount of money assembling a roster of stars.

Houston has shown it's a lot more difficult and complicated than that.

When have I ever asserted that?

I've only stated that to completely ignore the "big/glamour market" factor in superstar transactions over the last few years is ludicrous. And it is. I never said that winning was a non-factor but to say that the market isn't a factor at all is ignorance. Simply put, when so many major stars have left smaller/less attractive markets to play in NY, LA, or Miami, how can that be a coincidence? And why haven't we seen a major star do the opposite? Even when Kobe demanded to be traded, wasn't his list of teams LA, Chicago, or NY?

[TheLetterZ]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

When have I ever asserted that?

I've only stated that to completely ignore the "big/glamour market" factor in superstar transactions over the last few years is ludicrous. And it is. I never said that winning was a non-factor but to say that the market isn't a factor at all is ignorance. Simply put, when so many major stars have left smaller/less attractive markets to play in NY, LA, or Miami, how can that be a coincidence? And why haven't we seen a major star do the opposite? Even when Kobe demanded to be traded, wasn't his list of teams LA, Chicago, or NY?

Okay, I think I understand better now.

Still, I don't quite see eye to eye.

Let's use New York as an example again.

The Knicks got Stoudemire because they were the only team to offer him a max contract. They got Carmelo because he's from New York and he wanted to play with Stoudemire.

Deron Williams has specifically said he chose Brooklyn because he thought they gave him the best chance to win a title of the teams who offered him a contract.

That, to me, makes complete sense without even thinking about market sizes at all. It makes me say to myself, "Well, of course they chose those teams."

Do you disagree?

[superjames1992]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

I really don't think there is an issue here.

Lots of big-market teams have consistently sucked lately. Lots of small-market teams have sucked lately.

The Spurs have been consistently good, despite being in one of the NBA's smallest markets. The Thunder are good now. And let's not forget the Hornets had some good years.

http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2011/03/nba-market-size-numbers-game/

The bottom four teams on that list have been good at some time or another while teams like the Knicks have sucked for most of the last decade, it seems.

Cleveland had one of the best teams in the NBA there during the LBJ years, so I'm not sure what the OP is really getting at there.

[da ThRONe]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

I have to call BS on people pointing to Cleveland and Orlando as examples of small markets/non-glam team getting it right. They lucked up and drafted once in a generation guys only to have those guys bolt. Cleveland was not a good team it was just that LeBron is just that great he dragged that team to contendership same with Orlando. The reason why James left was the Cavs inability to get help. Orlando at least tried to get Dwight help. However being a non-glam team forces front offices to over pay guys like Turkuglo and Lewis to get help. Which is worse then not because the star leaves and the team is stuck with the toxic contracts.

[BlueNGold]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

I have to call BS on people pointing to Cleveland and Orlando as examples of small markets/non-glam team getting it right. They lucked up and drafted once in a generation guys only to have those guys bolt. Cleveland was not a good team it was just that LeBron is just that great he dragged that team to contendership same with Orlando. The reason why James left was the Cavs inability to get help. Orlando at least tried to get Dwight help. However being a non-glam team forces front offices to over pay guys like Turkuglo and Lewis to get help. Which is worse then not because the star leaves and the team is stuck with the toxic contracts.

The LeBron James and Dwight Howard eras were not the only times Cleveland and Orlando had good teams.

[TheLetterZ]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

I have to call BS on people pointing to Cleveland and Orlando as examples of small markets/non-glam team getting it right. They lucked up and drafted once in a generation guys only to have those guys bolt. Cleveland was not a good team it was just that LeBron is just that great he dragged that team to contendership same with Orlando. The reason why James left was the Cavs inability to get help. Orlando at least tried to get Dwight help. However being a non-glam team forces front offices to over pay guys like Turkuglo and Lewis to get help. Which is worse then not because the star leaves and the team is stuck with the toxic contracts.

Yes, they drafted "once-in-a-generation guys" . . . in back-to-back years.

Right.

Yes, those guys eventually left, but based on your post, you'd think they left after two seasons.

Cleveland had LeBron James for seven years.

Dwight Howard was in Orlando for eight.

Those teams had plenty of time to build a championship-caliber team around those stars so that they'd want to stick around for longer.

They didn't get it done.

[da ThRONe]

Re: Something has to be done to shift the power in the NBA

The LeBron James and Dwight Howard eras were not the only times Cleveland and Orlando had good teams.

Yes in the teams history Cleveland was good once before. And Orlando's "good team" was dismantled by another once in a generation star leaving from a glamour team the same team to be exact.