A Consolidated "Raps-Cavs-Pistons" Franchise Wouldn't Be Competitive For Next 5 Years

[Buddahfan]

LeBron & Carmelo: Killing the Future of the NBA

08.17.10 at 11:13 AM

We've all heard/read about and subsequently hated LeBron James dumping Cleveland on national television and "taking [his] talents to South Beach." Now another superstar is preparing to ditch the team that drafted him for greener pastures.

This could ultimately destroy the NBA.

Reports early this week are that Carmelo Anthony wants to leave Denver and launch his own summer sweepstakes. There have been rumors that he has always wanted to play for the Knicks, and it appears now that he's ready to force the Nuggets to make the decision that the Raptors and Cavs could not last year: trade their best player.

In fact, New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, who also allegedly asked for a trade earlier this summer, reportedly made a comment about Anthony going to Madison Square Garden as part of his toast at Anthony's wedding earlier this summer. A wedding that the owner of the Nuggets attended.

Unfortunately, what none of these young egomaniacs realize is that they are killing the future of the game that's paying them so well..............

For the next five years, the league could realistically consider consolidating Toronto, Cleveland and Detroit into one franchise, and they still wouldn't compete.

comp article on link

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/dail...f-the-nba.html

[LBF]

that's ridiculous i'm pretty sure we could compete with 45 players on our roster.

[smushmush]

comp article on link

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/dail...f-the-nba.html

Actually, Toronto can compete in 5 years once they get a competent GM(assistant GMs from the Spurs, OKC and Portland, Jerry West, Kevin Pritchard and Steve Kerr) not the used car salesman one in BC that continues to sell us hype every year. In addition, getting scouts from the Spurs if we are going the Euro way or from the franchises I mentioned(if we are going in the mixed American and Euro way) will be welcomed too.

Finally, couple that with solid drafting(draft a PG or passing wing in 2011 draft and a franchise center and franchise wing in the subsequent 2-3 years and we are set) and maybe the Raptors getting a new owner who cares about winning not profits if MLSE does sell will see us getting to the second round every year which is a solid start for an expansion and a basketball Siberia team..

[Apollo]

that's ridiculous i'm pretty sure we could compete with 45 players on our roster.

Would Tordetcle be allowed to start 15 guys? Seriously though, would this Bulls fan be writing this article if Chicago had landed LeBron or D-Wade? I think not.

[Letter N]

These guys aren't "killing the future of the game that's paying them so well," in fact they're doing the opposite, they're doing exactly what will make the NBA thrive by pitting the best in the game against each other in the most lucrative cities. It sucks for smaller markets (Toronto included unfortunately) but people want this, people watch sports for this very thing.

The greatest memories sports fans have are of dominant teams going at each other. Sox vs Yankees, Magic vs Bird, Habs vs Leafs. On the larger scale no one cares about the smaller teams, parody is great, but rivalry and a big bad empire to root against is much more lucrative, and let's be honest, much more interesting.

They might be ruining it for teams not in major markets, but I'm certain David Stern has no problems with this.

[Apollo]

I completely disagree. The most successful league in North America is the NFL and they're set up so that things like this do not happen. They're set up to greatly reward players and teams for sticking together as opposed to trying to buy a team. You can't "buy" a good team in the NFL, it's impossible. Also, in the NFL this "top players only want to or NEED to play in a big market" b.s. does not exist. Players go to places they can win or get paid but the city itself has little to do with it. The reason they're so popular is because everyone has a chance to win. Fans want to see good football regardless if New Orleans(small market to NBA egomaniacs) is on top. Fans want to know their team has a legit chance at doing something and in the NBA that doesn't exist. The fact that the league is set up in such a way that the Heat can dump cap, go out and steal two franchise players and then have loop holes in place that allow them to build a solid bench is wrong. The NBA system is broken and pat Riley illustrated that by exploiting it on an higher level than anyone before.

If the NBA wants to fix their league they need to:
A.) Impose a hard cap. (ie: no MLE, no BAE, not vet minimum, etc)
B.) Get rid of guaranteed contracts and install player bonuses as the only guaranteed money. Players will suddenly appreciate their job much more and teams will be less trigger happy with trades.
C.) Get rid of S&T

[Buddahfan]

Would Tordetcle be allowed to start 15 guys? Seriously though, would this Bulls fan be writing this article if Chicago had landed LeBron or D-Wade? I think not.

+1

[Buddahfan]

I completely disagree. The most successful league in North America is the NFL and they're set up so that things like this do not happen. They're set up to greatly reward players and teams for sticking together as opposed to trying to buy a team. You can't "buy" a good team in the NFL, it's impossible. Also, in this "top players only want to or NEED to play in a big market" b.s. does not exist. The reason they're so popular is because everyone has a chance to win. Fans want to see good football regardless if New Orleans(small market to NBA egomaniacs) on top. Fans want to know their team has a legit chance at doing something and in the NBA that doesn't exist. The fact that the league is set up in such a way that the Heat can dump cap, go out and steal two franchise players and then have loop holes in place that allow them to build a solid bench is wrong. The NBA system is broken and pat Riley illustrated by exploiting it on an higher level than anyone before.

Besides having Manning this is one of the reasons that the Colts consistently compete with the best teams in the league even though they are in a small television market on a relative basis. They have done a very good job with their draft picks. Under the current NFL player movement system it rewards teems that draft well because it does not encourage players to later on sign elsewhere where their rookie contracts are up.

[LBF]

Would Tordetcle be allowed to start 15 guys? Seriously though, would this Bulls fan be writing this article if Chicago had landed LeBron or D-Wade? I think not.

well, we've got to have some advantage.

[Apollo]

Besides having Manning this is one of the reasons that the Colts consistently compete with the best teams in the league even though they are in a small television market on a relative basis. They have done a very good job with their draft picks. Under the current NFL player movement system it rewards teems that draft well because it does not encourage players to later on sign elsewhere where their rookie contracts are up.

Its the reason why Greenbay (population: 100,000) has one of the most storied franchises in the history of the NFL. Players love to play there. If an NBA franchise could survive there, which is can't under the current system, players would not want to go there because "it's a small market". That phrase is the most trendy load of crap that has ever hit the NBA news outlets. It's ignorant and irritates me to no end. NBA players have disgustingly big egos and I hope the imminent lockout takes them down a notch. I don't normally side with owners but this one I'll be front row center with my David Stern jersey on.

[James Ballswin (Realizar)]

If the NBA wants to fix their league they need to:

• A) Impose a hard cap (ie: no MLE, no BAE, not vet minimum, etc).
  
• B) Get rid of guaranteed contracts and install player bonuses as the only guaranteed money. Players will suddenly appreciate their job much more and teams will be less trigger happy with trades.
  
• C) Get rid of S&T.

I totally agree with you!

However, the league would have to force a lock-out for 2 full-seasons to get the Player's Union to either agree or commence the creation of a new basketball league.

All things considered, I don't think the league and the owners will risk taking a hard line on establishing a new "hard cap" into the next CBA.

[Apollo]

Last year Stern came out, after the league needed to take out a loan for half the league to pay the bills, and said at that point there were a group of owners that would lose less money by just locking the doors. With that in mind, anything is possible. I am hoping for an ego crushing lockout even if it means I don't watch ball for two years.

[James Ballswin (Realizar)]

If half the teams in the league are losing money, it means that the other half are making money. By that logic, league retraction of unprofitable franchise is another option (even if it's unlikely to ever be considered).

[Apollo]

If half the league is losing money then that to me means the system is broken. For the top dogs to prosper like they are they need the little dogs. Feed the little dogs!

[Buddahfan]

Last year Stern came out, after the league needed to take out a loan for half the league to pay the bills, and said at that point there were a group of owners that would lose less money by just locking the doors. With that in mind, anything is possible. I am hoping for an ego crushing lockout even if it means I don't watch ball for two years.

If you get ESPN there will be a lot of reruns of prior seasons' games on during the lockout.

There is also college ball which goes for five months during the heart of the NBA season.

Then there are FIBA games via the Net

The WNBA.

I don't know if the D-league will be locked out or not if the NBA is shut down. Not that familiar with the CBA and the arrangements that the NBA has with the D-league and the players in it. I would think that the players who are under contract to NBA teams could not play in the D-League during a lockout. My guess is that those players probably make up less than half of the players in the league and maybe even closer to 30%. So the D-League if allowed to by contracts may be able to keep going during a lockout by signing more free agents, of which I am sure that would be no lack of. I don't think that the D-league would use scabs but if they could according to whatever contracts currently exist I think that they might continue on playing during a lockout.

All kinds of hoops to watch if the NBA is shut down.

It all depends on how broad your hoops TV viewing world is