Cleveland Cavaliers & The NBA

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 10:37 pm

I think Derrick Rose is trying to make some posters

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 10:41 pm

I really like the situation the Knicks are in right now. They have 'Melo and Amare locked up for about 5 years, Billups 14.2M expires this year, and Chris Paul can opt out this year. Amare, 'Melo and Paul with a couple of defensive pieces looks like a hell of a team. I think the key will be the "others." Everyone thinks it is about the big 3, but I would argue that the Haslems, Perkins etc. are nearly as important. You gotta find good value at those spots and that is the hard part.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 10:45 pm

The Knicks are going to have beyond a hell of a time fitting Paul under the cap and filling out a roster, not to mention that Anthony is still a cancerous player re: other superstars.

Melo is so overrated it hurts. No ability to play within a team concept.

Only way to fit Paul is for the NBA to roll back max contracts and him take much less than the max to actually fit other players.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 10:50 pm

Max contracts for Amare, Melo and Paul under current rules are a tad below $63MM. And Amare and Melo are already on max deals, they can't take pay cuts and/manipulate the situation like the three did in Miami.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 10:57 pm

I think 'Melo would work on that team as Amare and Paul would both defer to him as the superstar. The Knicks could easily sign and trade for Paul this year, or sign him when Billups expires next year. Granted 'Melo + Amare + Paul = 53M leaving about 5-6M under the cap for the rest of the team (+MLE, +Biannual Exemption, and draft exemptions). They can add some pieces, those 3 are plenty of offense, now they need some defense on the wing, defensive bigs, and maybe a combo guard (that would be a good start).

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:00 pm

The Knicks cannot trade for Paul.

Look at the Melo and D-WIll packages, that is the going rate for NBA Superstars. The Knicks have nothing to trade.

And teams don't have a choice in deferring to Melo, he is a ball stopper and chucker. Watching him on the Knicks team after the trade was painful, he crushed Amare's game and Amare was playing at a higher level than him before the trade.

And that doesn't even get into the fact that Paul is a better player than both of them and Melo would ruin his ability to control the game from the PG position, something he is at an all time level doing.

The MLE and BLE will be gone with the next CBA also.

The Knicks dug themselves an incredible hole in trying to get Paul by trading for Melo and extending him.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:01 pm

All kind of a moot point as I think this year's impending NBA labor strife will lead to some pretty significant changes. Stern will break the players as the NBA players union is nowhere near as strong as the NFLPA. The NBA is also in a much "better" bargaining position as the league is buried in red ink.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:01 pm

And Paul isn't a FA until before the 13/14 season, which is where I got the $63MM from.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:04 pm

Paul can (and most likely will) opt out after next year.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:08 pm

The entire ECF hinges on this quarter (IMO), the Bulls need to open up a lead in order to have a chance. If the game is close going into the 4th, it is over. If they can take this third quarter then they actually take control of the series (at least for a couple of days).

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:08 pm

Maybe, CBA will have a huge impact on that and it still gives you around $55MM and ignores implications of the CBA. As you mentioned, a hard cap and the removal of exceptions as well as S & Ts will be huge.

The Knicks are not in a good spot to build a roster, no matter what. Miami had a huge advantage being able to build that roster by manipulating the signing of Bosh and LBJ, an advantage the Knicks will not have.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:10 pm

EOD: if indications are that Paul is going to opt out I fully expect a Melo/D-Will style deal.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:11 pm

e0y2e3 wrote:Maybe, that still gives you around $55MM and ignores implications of the CBA. As you mentioned, a hard cap and the removal of exceptions as well as S & Ts will be huge.

The Knicks are not in a good spot to build a roster, no matter what. Miami had a huge advantage being able to build that roster by manipulating the signing of Bosh and LBJ, an advantage the Knicks will not have.

All solid facts and good considerations. I think Paul will want to go to NY because that is the new thing for the stars, to rally together in nice markets and make superteams.

I think the Bulls bad deals may end up moving Rose out of Chicago in a couple of years.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:13 pm

Paul isn't like Melo, LBJ or Amare. Those guys loved the spotlight of luxury cities. Paul just wants to win and after the CBA is hashed out whoever can offer him the best opportunity is where he will end up.

His series against the Lakers was superhuman and his demeanor is nothing like your average superstar.

Melo demand the Knicks for nothing more than being an NY toolbox and Amare loved the spotlight as well as the uninsured $100MM that only the Knicks offered.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:14 pm

Also, as hard as it is to imagine, but all indications are that the next CBA will have the same amnesty clause that the last one did, where teams can pay a player to go away and not have him count against the cap.

IMO, Boozer is probably staring at being a street FA after the CBA.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:15 pm

I also wouldn't be shocked to see Bosh get amnestied.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:18 pm

BTW: A Paul to OKC swap for Westbrook and filler still makes so much sense it hurts my head

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:27 pm

It makes sense, but I cannot tell if I feel that way because that is what I want to happen.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:28 pm

It makes sense, but I cannot tell if I feel that way because that is what I want to happen.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:29 pm

Welp, Heat sitting in ye old down by a wee bit heading into the fourth. Not good for the Bulls, not good at all.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:34 pm

I felt like the Bulls needed to open it up to ten by the end of the 3rd to have a shot.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:42 pm

Korver is terrible too.

by **e0y2e3** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:44 pm

The Bulls cannot space the floor and have Boozer as their alleged second best player. Their third best player, Deng also cannot create his own shot.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:50 pm

Boozer and Korver are terrible defenders. If they aren't scoring they are liabilities. I am a little surprised at how blah Rose's passing has been in this series. He really is really playing like an undersized 2.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:50 pm

Boozer's cherry picking rewarded again!

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:51 pm

Stupid foul by Boozer

by **Orenthal** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:53 pm

Bosh falls like a puss, gets up like bad ass.

by **furls** » Tue May 24, 2011 11:56 pm

Borderline call goes to the hometeam late in the game, that is why the Bulls needed to get up a few more in the 3rd. THat said, I am surprised the Heat have not seperated in 4th.

by **daddywags** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:00 am

Not watching the game, but just checked the box score. 31 free throws to 14? I can guess which one is the home team. 'tis the NBA after all.

by **e0y2e3** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:03 am

Not really the issues, Bulls have either been scoring when getting into the paint or Rose has been sealed on the trap.

The Bulls half court set being awful lets Rose get sealed outside of the protected area more often than not.

by **e0y2e3** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:05 am

My point, LBJ went for the steal and they couldn't wall Rose off. He gets into the lane and boom - FTs

by **furls** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:08 am

I actually think the game has been pretty well called. The Heat have done a better job getting to the rim.

by **StewieG** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:09 am

Pretty soon LeBron's headband will match his forehead size.

by **furls** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:11 am

Missed FT by rose looms large as the game goes to OT

by **e0y2e3** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:15 am

Blowing LeCharge by calling your second ISO in a row with LBJ defending in not defendable. Gross.

by **furls** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:20 am

Huge 3 for Brewer

by **furls** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:21 am

Chicago's late regular time play calling was reminiscent of early Mike Brown.

by **fundamentals** » Fri May 27, 2011 7:38 am

furls wrote:Chicago's late regular time play calling was reminiscent of early Mike Brown.

Pete and Repeat are on a boat. Pete falls off and who is left?

LBJ can't close games. :spanky:

Can't wait to see if Cuban opens up his piehole for this one. Commish Stern has to be pleased with these two teams, considering what has happened in the playoffs. People might not know the teams very well but the story lines building for this one will make it heavily watched, I think. :hide:

by **e0y2e3** » Fri May 27, 2011 11:38 am

Pretty sure Zach wrote this for Madre:

Seriously: The Thunder will get better even if general manager Sam Presti decides to go on a bender for the next five months.

http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/05 ... g-started/

Cleveland Cavaliers & The NBA

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