***Offical NBA Regular Season Thread***
- Thread starter Clones21
- Start date
Cheeks took the fall but that mess is all on Joe Dumars. Bringing in Josh Smith was a mistake, and now they're stuck with him because nobody's going to take on his ludicrous contract. I don't think anyone can win with the lineup as it's currently constructed.
Even just a couple years ago it looked like the East was going to finally balance out with the west, but injuries, bad trades, and a few young teams moving backward instead of forward have made it as lopsided as ever. Two really good teams then a whole lot of average and bad.
When will players learn that New York and NJ/Brooklyn just doesn't work out, those franchises just can't put it together even getting nearly their first pick of free agents.
Can you say blowout?
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Clippers - Box Score - February 09, 2014 - ESPN
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Los Angeles Clippers - Box Score - February 09, 2014 - ESPN
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Listening to the radio today, and one guy was talking about how the NBA's salary structure is set up so that small market teams are at a disadvantage because they can't offer more money than other teams to entice players to come there. The other guy rebutted by saying that the Thunder and Pacers are small market teams and they're doing fine. The other guy agreed, but said that super stars become "more super" in the large markets. He specifically brought up Carmelo Anthony. Said that he was a super star in Denver, but that he has become so much more since he's been in NY, and has more exposure.
I'm not sure I agree with that. Has the perception of Melo become any better than when he was in Denver? If anything, I think it's gone down as he's been exposed as basically a ball hog. Does anyone consider him in the same class as guys like Durant and James? In Denver, he was at least in the conversation. Now, he's just a ball hog who can score.
That's my perception anyway. Do other people see him differently?
I think Melo is the same guy he was in Denver; a talented volume scorer who isn't quite good enough to carry his team to the Finals. He's just doing it in a bigger market now. In his defense, he's been matched with some pretty mediocre talent over the course of his career. Chicago is kind of an intriguing spot for him, but with the Bulls' lackluster offense I would worry about it being more of the same at least for this season. He'd be the only guy in Chicago's lineup capable of creating his own shot, so the scoring burden would fall mostly on him. Now if they could lock him up long term and Derrick Rose can come back and stay healthy, then that's a dangerous team.
I'd be down with that trade. Shumpert and Butler same player. I'm fine with bulls trading anyone but Noah and gibson.
I don't think the conversation around Carmelo has really changed since his Denver days. I would agree that it is louder and more frequent since he moved to New York, but it's not like the NBA media started ignoring his flaws and anointed him some kind of scoring god because he's a Knick.
I think generally a good team does as much, if not more, to raise a player's profile as playing for an average big market team. I know they're very different players, but do you really think Carmelo or Steph Curry's profiles would be much different if they swapped teams/seasons?
Obviously the holy grail would be the best player, on the best team, and that team is one the top 3-4 brand name markets, but really for the past decade who'd one that except the Kobe/Shaq Lakers?
other potential trades:
Jordan Hill to the Nets
Iman Shumpert and Felton the Clippers for Collison and Reggie Bullock
Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince to th T'Wolves for Budinger and Barea
Harrison Barnes might get traded
Any 76er other than MCW on the block
Jordan Hill to the Nets
Iman Shumpert and Felton the Clippers for Collison and Reggie Bullock
Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince to th T'Wolves for Budinger and Barea
Harrison Barnes might get traded
Any 76er other than MCW on the block
Bill Simmons nailed the delusional Bulls fans who think they're getting Melo in his latest column on Grantland.
Bulls Fan (excited): “We’re gonna be fine this summer — we’re amnestying Boozer and trading Taj so we have enough cap space to sign Melo.”
Non-Bulls Fan: “Why would Melo go from one shaky situation to another one?”
Bulls Fan: “What? To play with Rose and Noah! And Thibs!”
Non-Bulls Fan: “You really think Thibs is staying there? They fired his lead assistant last summer, then they traded Deng for nothing. Literally, they got nothing.”
Bulls Fan: “Yeah, but it’s gonna be fine — we’re getting Melo!”
Non-Bulls Fan: “Melo wants to win a title — why would he roll the dice with Rose’s knees? Rose is coming off two major knee injuries. By next October, he wouldn’t have been 100 percent in two and a half years. There’s a long history of guys missing that much time with repeated injuries and never being totally the same.
Bulls Fan: (Silent.)
Non-Bulls Fan: “Look, I’m not saying Rose can’t make it back. But why would Melo risk it? Wouldn’t he want a more stable situation? Especially after what he just went through in New York? He’s going to tie the rest of his prime to Derrick Rose’s knees?”
Bulls Fan (finally): “Yeah but still.”
Fair enough. But if not Chicago, where does he go? To share shots with Kobe Bryant or be the second option behind Blake Griffin for the Clips in LA? I get the impression that he wants to play for a contender AND be in a big market. He's not going to be able to have it both ways. Risks aside, the Bulls come the closest to having the pieces for a contender and being in a big market. Nowhere else makes much sense, unless Melo stays in NY and they put a good coach and decent roster around him. Not likely with James Dolan calling the shots.
At least never as the top dog. If you pair him with an elite two way player and a solid supporting cast and don't ask him to be the team leader, then yeah. For all his faults he's still one of the best pure scorers in the game today.