Very, very, quick stuff tonight:
-Cavaliers set to unveil uniforms tomorrow/today. Apparently the block lettering will be new. So they’ve got going for them, anyways.
-Looks like the Carmelo and CP3 situations that could get quite ugly quite soon. After what Bron/Wade/Bosh pulled off, and the success of Boston’s Big Three, it does make some sense for superstars to feel entitled to a great team. ‘Melo to the Knicks almost makes too much sense to work, if that makes any sense. We’ll see how all this shakes out — I don’t think it was a coincidence all the free agency stuff this year happened during the last year of the current CBA.
-Looks like the Cavs have officially signed Samardo Samuels. Good stuff. That’s all for tonight. Until tomorrow.
If I were the Nuggets and I was pretty sure Carmelo was going to leave, I would trade him, but not to the Knicks. They have little to offer in the way of draft picks or young talent.
Have him sign the extension expecting a trade, then don’t trade him.
I like the samuels signing. 6’9″ – 260lbs – 21yrs. – not a bad sign.
Why another PF? He’s a little bigger body than JJ, Jamison, Powe and Andy but doesn’t provide too much more. Maybe we’ll use Jamison as a SF (not his natural talent) and Andy as a C (not where he works best) and then use JJ, Powe and Samuels as our PF. Powe should be completely healed this year but if not I guess Samuels gives us some depth. But I’m lukewarm on this signing. I’d much rather the Cavs found another true C to start over Hollins/Andy.
If Melo does become an FA and goes to the NYK, then the owners are really going to try to come up with something to restrict player movement going forward. They thought that if the current team can offer more money and a longer contract that would be enough to keep players – well, that’s not always true. Mainly when you consider the super-stars that are going to get 60+ million dollar deals, a few million more or a 1 year extension isn’t a big enough carrot for them to stay.
As I said before, the NBA may want to adapt a NFL like ‘franchise player’ rule that prevents your star from leaving. Anther thing I thought the NBA could do is make the carrot look more appealing to players beyond money and years. Maybe they could impose a rule that if a player rejects the his current teams guranteed offer, then the deal they sign with the other team is NOT guranteed. So, in the case of the Cavs and LeBron, if the Cavs offered him a max deal and he still opted to go to Miami then the Miami deal would not be guranteed.
I have mixed feelings about all of this. I think FA’s should be able to decide what they want, but I also think the current team should have more leverage than what they currently have to keep their players. They shouldn’t be able to ‘force’ any player to stay and there are reasons beyond money and security that motivate players (e.g. if Melo want to play in his hometown of NY). But it’s not good for the League when only a few teams make money and the others don’t. Parity is always a question, and not sure how to get there. But teams should have some kind of leverage to balance the power between big/small markets etc.
I give 4-5 years before the NBA is just like MLB and Yankee-type of teams run the league.
Horrible future if the commisioner doesn’t step in.
Joey1320, my thoughts exactly.
The movie BASEketball and its representation of the future of sports has become a reality. It’s quite unfortunate.
LeBron continues to make himself look an idiot saying he spoils people with his play. I’m also glad that he came out and said he was bred to hate Cleveland. Cleveland hates you back, moron.
Jesus, this blog is driving me nuts. It’s impossible to get anything longer than two sentences to post anymore (and I’m not talking about a screed here, just a good inch-long paragraph.)
How do you do it, The Nupe?
lol ben tej: when I do a longer post, I’ll copy it before I submit. When it doesn’t go through, I paste it and then it usually works the second attempt. Frustrating I know.