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Bill Simmons on Chris Paul

Shooshmoo said:
What I don't understand about the block -- the rules under the new CBA will create more parity due to the more punitive luxury tax, etc., and most likely reverse (or limit) the recent trend -- which to me, as a Bucks fan, is a good thing. Anything that makes the NBA more like the NFL is a good thing, in my mind. So what was the point of the muscle flexing in blocking this trade given the new rules -- I know the owners wanted more, but what they got is much better than what they had?
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I think your seeing the dysfunction that is the NBA. The owners signed a deal they really dont like. It's not going to fix the systemic problems with the league's competitiveness if the big markets can still take their pick of star players and save money in the process, ad infinitum. So the NBA went from having labor peace to a conflict of interest clusterfuck in about ten minutes.
 
PhDeac said:
One problem I have with this board is that while I like the long ongoing threads on a certain topics, most thread starters don't change the title to reflect new info that would appeal to people who don't check the thread every day. The USMNT thread is the worst about this.

A relevant article on Paul would get buried in the Paul thread instead of thoroughly discussed.
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I've never understood the appeal of 50 page threads over multiple smaller threads dealing with different issues, updates of the same topic.
 
TwentyONE said:
You may have liked it better but the ratings show that its the NBA that is now borderline unwatchable, not the NFL. The NFL keeps more markets interested longer in the season than any other sport. Thats why it is king.
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The NFL is a phenomenally well run organization. I don't see a deterioration of quality at all.

That Packers - Giants game Sunday was a great game for example. You don't have to be a raging fan of either team to have enjoyed it.

The NBA just sucks at least until the 2nd round of the playoffs. Baseball - Give me a break. A snoozeathon.
 
I'm not sure how you find a good buyer for the Hornets with Chris Paul walking and getting nothing in return. Just look at that roster without Chris, there just isn't any value there. When Chris goes you're looking at an aging team with crappy draft picks and bad attendance in a small market.
 
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demondeacfreak said:
I'm not sure how you find a good buyer for the Hornets with Chris Paul walking and getting nothing in return. Just look at that roster without Chris, there just isn't any value there. When Chris goes you're looking at an aging team with crappy draft picks and bad attendance in a small market.
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Cap space and moving the team?
 
minifrostylin said:
the eagles have basic fundamental problems that have caused their shittiness this season. having an O-Line coach be your DC is a fucking fail from the start.

and it's not like the skins have been the model of successful management for the past 20 years. hell, i cant remember any good QBs they've had in my life (20 years)
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This is my point. The NFL is great because you can't just bring in three or four superstars and be in the championship hunt. You have to successfully manage and build an entire team for years to win.
 
I recall on the old boards back around 2002 somebody posted CP3 was already the "greatest point guard ever" and I was like...no.

Then we had the Dec. 20, 2003 epic Dean Dome win and I was like...maybe.

If he finds a way to LA, they somehow win a title or two...then whoever that was back in 2002 on TOS, was pretty darn smart.

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Oh yeah, can the Clippers sign Nene and Paul and keep Griffin and Gordon? If so, do it and go win 1 for the Clips.
 
This was some of Bill's best work in some time. I eagerly await a new B.S. Report coming out today. I think he is going to go OFF.
 
Wilbon's article:

Well, there aren't any guarantees. The NBA, with the majority of its players being African-Americans from uber-urban areas, is and will likely always be a league dominated by big-city teams. Players gravitate toward them. Even players such as Paul, from a small town, dreamt of playing on the big stage.
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So there it is, thats the inherent nature of the NBA. You can argue all you want that well-managed small market teams have a legitimate chance, but the odds will be forever stacked against them. Forever.

Re the dysfunciton and conflict of interest that is the NBA right now post-deal:

And the owners, probably a third of whom didn't like the deal but voted for it anyway in order to not miss the entire season, whined and stomped their feet and made Stern make the deal go away. The owners apparently think the NBA can legislate where players go when they're free agents or about to be free agents.
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And this:

What eats at many NBA owners is this: They aren't NFL owners. They don't share a big enough cut of the revenues. They don't have an unending stream of television money. Their arenas aren't at about 95 percent capacity. They aren't a national obsession. And their small-market teams aren't flush, in most cases, like the Packers or Steelers are. They can't just cut players and get rid of their salaries, which aren't guaranteed in the NFL. They want control, big control, like the NFL teams have and they don't. They don't want the LeBrons and D-Wades hooking up on their own terms.
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This is true. And Wilbon goes on to argue that its the big market teams that have kept the NBA afloat with their star power and thats how the league has grown traditionally. It is what is, and nobody has to to like it. But core NBA fans want it.

I dont disagree with anything Wilbon says. Maybe the NBA can't be constructed like the NFL, and thats fine, but I just think it will continue to marginalize a huge number of potential fans to serve the interest of the core fans and the mainstream audience who tunes in late in the year. That may sustain the league to some degree, but it puts a cap on growth. And its a turn-off for the actual sports fan who wants to support their team and doesn't worship at the alter of Lakers and Celtics lore. But thats just my opinion.

http://espn.go.com/espn/commentary/...s-look-vindictive-petty-veto-chris-paul-trade
 
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Great article. I fucking despise the Lakers and would hate for CP3 to end up there, but Stern has no business vetoing a trade. None whatsoever. I bet if CP3 was headed to his Knicks he wouldn't object.
 
PhDeac said:
Load of bull. History isn't some all important factor. Sure some cities have an edge in free agency because they're better places for a young guy with money to live. No doubt about that, but the small markets aren't choked by the might of the large markets in the NBA. Dumb GMs get owned by smart GMs. Dumb GMs aren't willing to trade Steph or Gordon to get the best PG of his generation. Smart GMs find a way to make it happen and give up good parts to do so.

In the NBA, every several years, a franchise gets a fair chance to redefine itself and get on the right track. The smart GMs take advantage of it. The Spurs had the #1 pick and decided it was worth it to wait on David Robinson. A lesser GM may have decided it was better to get Armon Gillam, Dennis Hopson, or Reggie Williams right away. Years later, Robinson got hurt and the Spurs wisely (although classlessly) tanked the season to improve their odds of getting Tim Duncan. Lesser GMs would have considered getting multiple high picks from the Celtics instead.

Look at the 2003 draft. The Cavs took Lebron. Gilbert didn't win championships because they didn't realize Lebron needed to not be the best player. They went after several complementary players instead of going all out to bring in another star.

The Pistons needed to keep their run going. They took Darko.

The Nuggets needed a breakthrough player. They took Carmelo.

The Heat took Dwayne Wade and made him THE MAN of that franchise and brought great players in to play with him.

Do you want to know why the Bucks always suck and the Mavs had an amazing resurgence? Good ownership and the Bucks traded Dirk Nowitski and Pat Garrity to get Tractor Traylor.

The Clippers have perennially sucked because they make horrible picks. Now they have made some good picks and they're getting decent.

The Lakers/Celtics/Knicks aren't guaranteed to be great. The Knicks have been in a rut for most of my lifetime. The Lakers and Celtics had extended stretches of mediocrity. Good management trumps all else in the NBA.
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clap clap clap
 
Small market teams can compete in the NBA if they draft well, especially under the new CBA rules that kick in two years from now. It's not like some of these cities are outposts in the Yukon--they're urban enough if given a four-year chance by the draftee to settle in. Not for everyone, off course, but I think CP3 would've been happy to stay in Charlotte on a winner if he'd been drafted there, just like Duncan stuck with San Antonio. In the NBA, you can become relevant with as few as two special players, and I think a lot of this small market/big market angst leaves out the factor of whether or not the team is a winner.

The harder cap in two years is going to crush the super-team model, spreading out the big contracts (read: star players) simply because in the end, money trumps. Right now, you can get money, competitive edge, and the large market in one swoop. But with the new luxury tax rules on the horizon that likely changes considerably in two years.
 
Milhouse said:
that's why i don't play fantasy football. don't want to have sports related conversations with douchebags who only want to yammer about stats.
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I would have to agree with you on that.
 
I wonder if Chris Paul would take less money to end up on the Knicks next season?

I don't have a favorite NBA team, but I hate the Lakers. Strong Laker hate.
 
Hello said:
I wonder if Chris Paul would take less money to end up on the Knicks next season?

I don't have a favorite NBA team, but I hate the Lakers. Strong Laker hate.
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I hate the Lakers, they're the fucking Yankees of basketball, without a likable Derek Jeter. Kobe is a egocentric jerk who bought his way out of a rape charge. Pau is a soft, whiny big man who always looks like he smells a fart. Bynum is a over-hyped, immature ass-hat.
 
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