NBA beat: Free agency likely is Peja's big bank shot

[KingKong]

http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/13289667p-14131933c.html
NBA beat: Free agency likely is Peja's big bank shot

He says he wants to stay a King, but if the team wants to keep him, it clearly will be costly

By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer
Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, July 24, 2005


One of the 11-year-olds watching Peja Stojakovic and Vlade Divac banter back and forth came to his own conclusion.
"They look like brothers," he said, "and they act like brothers." And the comedic subjects, brothers in spirit and friends for life, would admit as much.

Before one of their basketball camp sessions at Folsom High School earlier in the week, Stojakovic, the Kings' prolific forward, mimicked his 11-month old son, Andrej. He bumbled along, holding onto a table for balance, a glazed expression mixed with laughter.

"He's 11 months old now and he's trying to walk, but he looks like a little drunk man, all over the place, ready to fall down," Stojakovic said, playing the role.
A moment later, Divac played the role of player-agent, suggesting with a hearty grin that he could retire from the Lakers right now and become Stojakovic's lead representative. The topic was Stojakovic entering a contract year, a true story, and how he'll be on the cusp of a significant raise next summer.

Divac noted that a number of NBA shooters have agreed in principal to some monstrous contracts in recent weeks. He didn't have the exact figures, but by his math, Stojakovic is a big-time talent worthy of big-time dollars, still reaching his prime at 28 with an incomparable shot.

To refresh, Michael Redd officially will re-sign with the Milwaukee Bucks for six years and between $90 million and $96 million when the league moratorium is lifted. Ray Allen will return to Seattle with a five-year extension between $80 million and $90 million. Larry Hughes is about to leave Washington to sign with Cleveland for five years and anywhere between $65 million and $70 million. Joe Johnson of Phoenix has been offered a five-year, $70 million deal by Atlanta, though the Suns can match. Bobby Simmons will leave the Clippers for the Bucks because of a five-year, $47 million offer. The Clippers will fill that void with a five-year, $42 million package to former Kings guard Cuttino Mobley.

So what exactly would Stojakovic be worth?
"He's going to be expensive," Divac said. "Look at the other offers players got this summer, and Peja's better. No question, Peja should get top money. Top, top money."

Stojakovic said he wants to be a career King, that's he's happy in Sacramento, and Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have indicated they want Stojakovic long term.

And should the Kings somehow not re-sign him?

"I'll take him with me to L.A., right now," Divac said.



Summer plans

Divac and Stojakovic will take their camp skills to Taiwan next in their endless quest to teach and help raise funds for charities.

Stojakovic said he will not play for the Serbian national team this summer, which isn't a shift of loyalty but rather a shift in priority.

"I spoke to the coaches back home, and they wanted me for two months of preparation and I didn't want to do that," Stojakovic said. "I've played just about every year in the summer since 1999."

Stojakovic said he wants more time with his son, to get him to walk straight, and to try his own hand at more golf and tennis. Understand, this is a world-class shooter, but not to be feared with a golf club or a racket any time soon.

"I really appreciate how hard those sports are," Stojakovic said, imitating his golf swing. "I tried to hit the golf ball and the ball went the wrong way, like this, all over the place."

Said Divac, "I think Tiger Woods should be worried."

And camp coordinator Alex Dimitrijevic on Stojakovic's affection for little Andrej: "I know Peja is really at peace. He tells me, 'Sometimes, I just want to be with my son, at home, have him on my chest and relax.' "



Weiss choice in Seattle

As soon as Nate McMillan left for even more millions in Portland, Seattle SuperSonics players flooded owner Howard Schultz's cell phone with endorsements to promote longtime assistant Bob Weiss. They even tracked down the boss in the Middle East.

Weiss got the job, in part because he's been a head man in the NBA before (with mixed results, but still ...) and because he provides some continuity. And he's quite the clown, easing the mood before practices and on flights with magic tricks.



Larry, here and gone, again

It makes you question why the New York Knicks would offer any lengthy contract to Larry Brown, or why anyone would anymore.

Maybe three years, tops, is what Brown is worth, and that seems high. Brown's history shows he's chronically antsy, so eager to hear and listen to other offers that he's something of a wanderlust addict.

So why would this change? Consider, also, that in the Knicks he would inherit a roster weighted down with bad contracts, bad bodies and bad chemistry.

He did manage six seasons with Allen Iverson and withstood those "Practice? Practice?" rants. Now Brown may be reunited with Stephon Marbury after resisting the temptation to throttle the guard when they worked together in that failed Olympic run last year.



More Brown out

Brown's Hall of Fame career has included 10 coaching gigs, with plenty of drama and mixed stories throughout.

To review:

* In midseason 1978-79, Brown abruptly stepped aside from his Denver Nuggets post. Burnout, he said then, though he soon would become the UCLA coach.

* In 1983, Brown was fired by the New Jersey Nets on the eve of the playoffs after management learned he had interviewed for the Kansas job and agreed to accept it.

* In the middle of the 1991-92 season, while coaching the San Antonio Spurs, Brown suddenly was out. He said he was fired. Club owner Red McCombs said Brown asked to be fired and he followed through on the request.

* After twice leading the Clippers to the playoffs following his Spurs stint, Brown fled Los Angeles with two years remaining on his deal to coach the Indiana Pacers, saying at his introductory news conference in 1993, "I'm hopeful this will be my last stop."

* He left the Pacers in 1997 for Philadelphia and arrived in Detroit in 2003 after some secret negotiations with the Pistons (who fired Rick Carlisle to secure Brown).

And Brown seemed to have the Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers and Knicks and who knows how many other teams on his mind this past season. He loves to coach. He just doesn't like to stay put.



Baseline jumpers

Vlade Divac on his ongoing love affair with the city of Sacramento: "As soon as I get off the plane here, I can feel the energy, the love from the people. Very special."

• Clete Adelman, brother of Kings coach Rick Adelman, has stepped down after a long career of coaching at Mira Costa College. And like his brother, Clete could snap the one-liners, like this to a guard: "You're the slowest guy in the gym, unless there is someone dead behind the bleachers."

• Pat Riley very well might have wanted to reclaim his coaching spot with the Miami Heat and been stunned by the negative backlash. Riley was wise to squash the rumors, particularly since he's the one who abruptly left the Heat bench just before the 2003-04 season because he was cooked and couldn't win anymore.

• In a season that never really ends, Portland general manager John Nash: "I don't know how we ever did it without cell phones."

• Doug Christie could be close to a buyout option with the Orlando Magic, his wish, with the intent of finishing his career either in his native Seattle or back with the Kings, if his feet have anything left.

 

[LA King Fan II]

The Lakers are desperate but no way would they give Peja a max contract.

Ummm - after guzzling a few million on a washed up Vlade last year, they drafted a 17 year-old, and traded for Kwummy Brown. Vlade is hardly in their plans. Nice threat Vlade, but if you bring Peja to LA with you and make that call I seriously doubt they'd pick up.

 

[quick dog]

Nothing would surprise me anymore. Stojakovic traded to the Lakers? Who knows? Not only that, if the Kings can't fill the existing roster with good players because of financial concerns, how can they afford Peja next year? Things just seem to get more bleak every day. How do other teams do it?

 

[SDKing]

Peja needs to PROVE what he is worth this year. If he was consistently the Peja that we know he can be, then yeah, offer him a big contract. If not.....

 

[Kev.in]

I really like having Peja for 5 or 6 million a year. When it gets up to 10+ million a year, I start to feel like we'd be better off without him, trying to find someone else to spend that money on to get a better value.

 

[Pacboy]

Stojakovic said he wants more time with his son, to get him to walk straight, and to try his own hand at more golf and tennis. Understand, this is a world-class shooter, but not to be feared with a golf club or a racket any time soon.

"I really appreciate how hard those sports are," Stojakovic said, imitating his golf swing. "I tried to hit the golf ball and the ball went the wrong way, like this, all over the place."
.

Wow, I guess that's that for working on a post up game. I'm sure golf and Tennis would be really useful.

 

[Bricklayer]

And playing with his baby boy.

Again, and I have been very consistent with this read on Peja over the years, but he is NOT and has NEVER been hungry or a great one. He's too satisfied. Too nonchalant. He has never burned to be the absolute best, to win at all costs. He likes to win, he likes being a great player, but really more for what it gives him than because he simply cannot accept losing. I've tried to define that as "country club", but that's not quite right. It is however, just being happy, content, working on your game, but having other priorities. Its the good life for him. And that's why he will never be Great. And also why he is NOT worth the maximum. That max player has to drive you with his fire and competitiveness, Has to HATE losing. Has to compete compete compete just out of instinct. Has not been, and never will be, Peja. In many ways he's too humane to be a great competitor or great champion.

And I've said before, Peja WILL be paid the max. There is no point in even dickering around with it in the wake of the Allen and Redd signings. He WILL be paid the max. So our front office should have a very simple task ahaed of it deciding whether its going to be US paying him the max, or somebody else.

 

[VF21]

And playing with his baby boy.

Again, and I have been very consistent with this read on Peja over the years, but he is NOT and has NEVER been hungry or a great one. He's too satisfied. Too nonchalant. He has never burned to be the absolute best, to win at all costs. He likes to win, he likes being a great player, but really more for what it gives him than because he simply cannot accept losing. I've tried to define that as "country club", but that's not quite right. It is however, just being happy, content, working on your game, but having other priorities. Its the good life for him. And that's why he will never be Great. And also why he is NOT worth the maximum. That max player has to drive you with his fire and competitiveness, Has to HATE losing. Has to compete compete compete just out of instinct. Has not been, and never will be, Peja. In many ways he's too humane to be a great competitor or great champion.

And I've said before, Peja WILL be paid the max. There is no point in even dickering around with it in the wake of the Allen and Redd signings. He WILL be paid the max. So our front office should have a very simple task ahaed of it deciding whether its going to be US paying him the max, or somebody else.

Arguably the best assessment of Peja as a player I have ever seen...and it expresses my reservations entirely.

We're trying to rebuild a top elite team. Do we really want to rebuild it around someone who wants to spend more time with his son, doesn't do basketball at home, and wants to work on his golf and tennis?

Where's the hunger to be the best in his OWN profession? Where's the desire to improve and not simply be complacent about being one of the best shooters in the league?

I really wish Peja could have learned a little more about drive and desire from guys like Doug and Chris instead of seeming to be more interested in just having a good time and leaving it all at the door when he leaves like Vlade...

 

[AleksandarN]

I really like having Peja for 5 or 6 million a year. When it gets up to 10+ million a year, I start to feel like we'd be better off without him, trying to find someone else to spend that money on to get a better value.

Given the current NBA market what player are you going to get that better value given the same money that Pedja will command?

 

[Bricklayer]

Given the current NBA market what player are you going to get that better value given the same money that Pedja will command?

If Peja is a max player all of a sudden, a LOT of guys. At $7 or $8 mil Peja is one of the better values in the NBA (well, better value vets -- obviously Amare, LeBron etc. are the ridiculous values at the moment). At $15mil, Peja is a financial deadweight.

 

[AleksandarN]

I like how people run this little blurb about him wanting to play golf and tennis yet ignore the other article that states from himself that he is working on his game. You may be right he does not do basketball at home but he will put in more time in the gym that most basketball players. You guys jump all over this article yet simply ignore the other article that states that he is doing what you guys wanted from(and what he should do for his game and the Kings) and that is working on his game. This titbit about being with his son this summer is directed at the reason why he is not going to play for Serbia this year.

 

[AleksandarN]

If Peja is a max player all of a sudden, a LOT of guys. At $7 or $8 mil Peja is one of the better values in the NBA (well, better value vets -- obviously Amare, LeBron etc. are the ridiculous values at the moment). At $15mil, Peja is a financial deadweight.

Any player you going to get will have to payed max money if he is of the same talent level as Pedja. That is the new reality of the NBA's CBA. So money is not issue here it is what can Pedja do for the Kings.

 

[Stojakovic]

Stojakovic said he will not play for the Serbian national team this summer, which isn't a shift of loyalty but rather a shift in priority.

"I spoke to the coaches back home, and they wanted me for two months of preparation and I didn't want to do that," Stojakovic said. "I've played just about every year in the summer since 1999."

Stojakovic said he wants more time with his son, to get him to walk straight, and to try his own hand at more golf and tennis. Understand, this is a world-class shooter, but not to be feared with a golf club or a racket any time soon.

"I really appreciate how hard those sports are," Stojakovic said, imitating his golf swing. "I tried to hit the golf ball and the ball went the wrong way, like this, all over the place."

"I was unable to go to Athens for objective reasons. I had to complete my regular army service in Greece and, at the same time, I have become a father. Those circumstances did not permit me to participate in the Olympic Games, but the good thing was that I could rest for a while. I can say even now that I am coming back to the national team to participate in the European Championships in Belgrade."

F* you Peja.

 

[bozzwell]

And playing with his baby boy.

Again, and I have been very consistent with this read on Peja over the years, but he is NOT and has NEVER been hungry or a great one. He's too satisfied. Too nonchalant. He has never burned to be the absolute best, to win at all costs. He likes to win, he likes being a great player, but really more for what it gives him than because he simply cannot accept losing. I've tried to define that as "country club", but that's not quite right. It is however, just being happy, content, working on your game, but having other priorities. Its the good life for him. And that's why he will never be Great. And also why he is NOT worth the maximum. That max player has to drive you with his fire and competitiveness, Has to HATE losing. Has to compete compete compete just out of instinct. Has not been, and never will be, Peja. In many ways he's too humane to be a great competitor or great champion.

And I've said before, Peja WILL be paid the max. There is no point in even dickering around with it in the wake of the Allen and Redd signings. He WILL be paid the max. So our front office should have a very simple task ahaed of it deciding whether its going to be US paying him the max, or somebody else.

Your read has been consistent and up to this point in time correct. I did not agree with you that Pedja is or will be max contract player but with new CBA and the market conditions, I have to agree - someone will pay Pedja max money. And if you're not the Kings that is max over 5 years as opposed to 6, so you're overpaying less.

The appropriate question for GP and Maloofs would be: Do you feel lucky? Can they beat the market in acquiring studs if not in keeping Pedja's contract under control? I've seen nothing in Maloof/GP history to suggest that. Quite to the contrary you can argue that they are prone to overpaying.

 

[AleksandarN]

"I was unable to go to Athens for objective reasons. I had to complete my regular army service in Greece and, at the same time, I have become a father. Those circumstances did not permit me to participate in the Olympic Games, but the good thing was that I could rest for a while. I can say even now that I am coming back to the national team to participate in the European Championships in Belgrade."

F* you Peja.

Nice very mature His decision to play is his decision you should atleast respect that and respect the all that he has done for the national team. It is time the younger generation to get a burn on the national team.

 

[piksi]

"I was unable to go to Athens for objective reasons. I had to complete my regular army service in Greece and, at the same time, I have become a father. Those circumstances did not permit me to participate in the Olympic Games, but the good thing was that I could rest for a while. I can say even now that I am coming back to the national team to participate in the European Championships in Belgrade."

F* you Peja.

I would not want to spent 2 month working with Obradovic either

 

[AleksandarN]

And playing with his baby boy.

Again, and I have been very consistent with this read on Peja over the years, but he is NOT and has NEVER been hungry or a great one. He's too satisfied. Too nonchalant. He has never burned to be the absolute best, to win at all costs. He likes to win, he likes being a great player, but really more for what it gives him than because he simply cannot accept losing. I've tried to define that as "country club", but that's not quite right. It is however, just being happy, content, working on your game, but having other priorities. Its the good life for him. And that's why he will never be Great. And also why he is NOT worth the maximum. That max player has to drive you with his fire and competitiveness, Has to HATE losing. Has to compete compete compete just out of instinct. Has not been, and never will be, Peja. In many ways he's too humane to be a great competitor or great champion.

And I've said before, Peja WILL be paid the max. There is no point in even dickering around with it in the wake of the Allen and Redd signings. He WILL be paid the max. So our front office should have a very simple task ahaed of it deciding whether its going to be US paying him the max, or somebody else.

I aggree with your assessment of his personality totally. He is not aggressive in the way he should. I think that he does care about winning anc does have a competive side or else he would have stayed in Europe and just become another Bodiroga beening satisifed been great in a small pound without testing out the big waters of the NBA. Is he worth the max money? No player in NBA is except maybe 5 players Kobe, KG, Shaq, Duncan and Lebron(mainly because of market ability than on court skills) but with the new realities of the NBA the new shorter and cheaper Max contracts the players on Pedja's level are now getting the cheaper max contracts. The Kings now must look at what kind of player we could get that will be cheaper contract wise than what Pedja will be getting next year. Then they might be in the same situation with that player aswell if he is on the same talent level as Pedja because he will demand the max aswell. Alot of questions in this offseason will be answer one way or the other.

 

[starks]

And playing with his baby boy.

Again, and I have been very consistent with this read on Peja over the years, but he is NOT and has NEVER been hungry or a great one. He's too satisfied. Too nonchalant. He has never burned to be the absolute best, to win at all costs. He likes to win, he likes being a great player, but really more for what it gives him than because he simply cannot accept losing. I've tried to define that as "country club", but that's not quite right. It is however, just being happy, content, working on your game, but having other priorities. Its the good life for him. And that's why he will never be Great. And also why he is NOT worth the maximum. That max player has to drive you with his fire and competitiveness, Has to HATE losing. Has to compete compete compete just out of instinct. Has not been, and never will be, Peja. In many ways he's too humane to be a great competitor or great champion.

And I've said before, Peja WILL be paid the max. There is no point in even dickering around with it in the wake of the Allen and Redd signings. He WILL be paid the max. So our front office should have a very simple task ahaed of it deciding whether its going to be US paying him the max, or somebody else.

So what now?....is there any proven play-off player that we can get for peja?.....he is not great but who is great and available?....artest?pierce?odom? are they great?.....what is bigger risk, get one of them or re-sing peja?.....in both cases the outcome is the same, first round exit....I mean, we can waste days and days posting about peja's softness and how he does not deserve max contract but realistically the options are quite limited and it is not peja's fault.....

 

[VF21]

I like how people run this little blurb about him wanting to play golf and tennis yet ignore the other article that states from himself that he is working on his game. You may be right he does not do basketball at home but he will put in more time in the gym that most basketball players. You guys jump all over this article yet simply ignore the other article that states that he is doing what you guys wanted from(and what he should do for his game and the Kings) and that is working on his game. This titbit about being with his son this summer is directed at the reason why he is not going to play for Serbia this year.

If you're talking about Voisin's arse-kissing fluff piece, you might want to look at it again.

It has very few actual quotes from Peja, and is primarily Voisin putting her opinions out there as though they were fact. SHE is the one who calls him a gym rat and says he feels bad if he doesn't spend two hours a day on the court, yet you see nothing to corroborate that statement. Unless, of course, you look at his comment about tennis. Maybe those two hours a day on the court are on a tennis court...

Remember, Voisin has an almost embarrassing fascination with Peja. I would much prefer to see - and expect to shortly - an article written by someone with lots of direct quotes from Peja. That will enable the reader to really decide for themselves instead of having Voisin simply decide for them.

 

[funkykingston]

Max contracts might have been the dumbest thing that the owners insisted upon in the last two CBAs. Considering that VERY few true superstars change teams via free agency, there is rarely a player available who is "worth" the max. Yet, being the best of what's available, a good (but certainly not great player) like Michael Redd can unabashedly demand the max and get it.

I still think basketball has the best set up of the major sports, followed closely by football and with baseball far behind the other two, but it still is a pretty flawed system.

And that flawed system is likely going to force Petrie and the Maloofs to trade Stojakovic or offer the max to a guy who is simply not a difference maker. Peja is a very good complimentary player, but he is never going to carry a team anywhere.

 

[Bricklayer]

So what now?....is there any proven play-off player that we can get for peja?.....he is not great but who is great and available?....artest?pierce?odom? are they great?.....what is bigger risk, get one of them or re-sing peja?.....in both cases the outcome is the same, first round exit....I mean, we can waste days and days posting about peja's softness and how he does not deserve max contract but realistically the options are quite limited and it is not peja's fault.....

No its not Peja's fault. Other than the lack of hunger. But even that is a sign of someone who has his priorites straight. But in life, not to be a Great player.

In any case, he obviously has to go for the max -- any rational person would. Not his fault that the market got stupid. (although I will note that it is likely to calm down here a little after all the stupid desperate teams get done blowing all their cap room and ar handcuffed by the idiotic max deals they have already handed out).

But here is the new situation. Let's just say that we were to grade all players on a 10 scale. With the 10s being KG and Duncan and LeBron etc., and the 1s being Mateen Cleaves. Furthermore let's grade all contracts with the maxs being 10s, and the minimums beings 1s. (just to put some easy to see numbers next to things).

Okay, on such a scale what you have is Peja who is probably about an 8 as a player. Last year he sunk down to a low 7 or even high 6. But let's assume he bounces back and is an 8 again. For years he was working on a contact that paid him abuot as a 5 or 6, and here at the end maybe began to approach the 7 level. Well, that's good value. Get a player at a 7 or 8 level for a 5 or 6 contract. Good for us. But now the market has gone off kilter, and it seems clear that just about everybody at an 8 or above, and maybe even some 7s, is after a max 10 contract. And so now you are faced with the prospect of paying Peja, at an 8, with a 10 contract. And that's no longer a good deal.

Furthermore, that puts you at a competitive disadvantage against every other team which has a 9 or 10 player getting paid max while you are stuck playing your 7 or 8 player max. They are getting better value for their money. In real world $$ we are essentially playing with a $5 million a year disadvantage compared to the teams with those 9 or 10s. If we had a complete team, a team with no holes and all the championship pieces in place, I would actually advocate paying Peja just to keep it rolling, just as I would advocate Phoenix to hold onto Joe Johnson even at those stupid prices. But we're not there. we have building to do, and moves to make, and we can't make them with an absurdly skewed salary structure crushing us and wrapping up most of our money in 3 players who are not huge difference makers.

That leaves you with two options where you could do better:
1) trade Peja for a 9 or 10 player who is getting paid the 10 max, so you get closer to getting value for your money. Call that the Pierce approach (only a 9 mybe, but closer to worth it). or;
2) swap Peja for a 7 or 8 player who is in the middle of a 7 or 8 contract (or less) and has years left before he is a free agent and can seek the big overpaid contracts. Call that the Artest approach.

Either way you do better than standing pat and paying your 7 or 8 player a 10 contract.

 

[AleksandarN]

If you're talking about Voisin's arse-kissing fluff piece, you might want to look at it again.

It has very few actual quotes from Peja, and is primarily Voisin putting her opinions out there as though they were fact. SHE is the one who calls him a gym rat and says he feels bad if he doesn't spend two hours a day on the court, yet you see nothing to corroborate that statement. Unless, of course, you look at his comment about tennis. Maybe those two hours a day on the court are on a tennis court...

Remember, Voisin has an almost embarrassing fascination with Peja. I would much prefer to see - and expect to shortly - an article written by someone with lots of direct quotes from Peja. That will enable the reader to really decide for themselves instead of having Voisin simply decide for them.

What you telling you have not heard PEdja staying after practice working on his game? From what I read in the past 7 years indicates that he does spend alot of time practicing this is not just from Voisin either. Ok how many direct quotes are they from this current thread from Pedja?

 

[VF21]

From what I've heard, when Peja does stay it's only to shoot more buckets. That's not working on your game. That's doing what comes naturally. It doesn't require a lot of effort to perform a God-given talent. If anything, it probably helps him unwind.

I was talking specifically about Voisin's article because you referenced it.

We are never going to agree on Peja. It's that simple.

I'm not satisfied with a shooter - pure shooter or any other kind - that breaks my heart every time I put faith in him. So, I'm lowering my expectations. That way, instead of having my heart broken again I might just be pleasantly surprised - but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Bricklayer]

What you telling you have not heard PEdja staying after practice working on his game? From what I read in the past 7 years indicates that he does spend alot of time practicing this is not just from Voisin either. Ok how many direct quotes are they from this current thread from Pedja?

I've got 7 years of hard evidence behind my assessment -- I have watched the man play. Sparring over he said/she said throught the summer is just silly. Peja is NOT young. Not a rookie. Not a second year player. Not a developing guy. he's been at this for YEARS. And if anything, when you would have expected him to be hungyr was in his earlier years before the money and fame and beautiful wife ec. flowed over him. Now your best hope would be the pursuit of a max contract -- i.e. greed. But that's never a good sign if that's the motivation. And frankly, with the market as stupid as it now is, if there ever was any inclination for Peja to try to care more and kick it up a notch, at his point he's just about guaranteed a max deal even if he jsut throws in another 20pt 4reb stinker, and so what does it matter?

You can read satisfaction and lack of hunger a mile away, just as you can read the truly hungry types. The guys who are being interviewed as they go through grueling 6 hour a day workouts. running hills, shooting thousands of shots a day, pumping iron. Day after day after day, because damnit, they will NOT lose. Hate it. Are going to do whatever it takes. You can smell it. and that player will NEVER say I don;t take basketball home with me. Never use an excuse, oh I can't find anybody to play with. Come on. Give me a break. They work and work and work until they are compeltely exhausted, and THEN they start the real work of pressing themselves, of going as far as they can push it. And then they start over tommorow.

 

[AleksandarN]

That leaves you with two options where you could do better:
1) trade Peja for a 9 or 10 player who is getting paid the 10 max, so you get closer to getting value for your money. Call that the Pierce approach (only a 9 mybe, but closer to worth it)..

Paul Pierce is good but will still end up getting paid more than Pedja when his contract(player option 07) is up a year later than Pedja. If you look at this way what incentive is there to get Paul because you will still be in the same position with Paul as with Pedja when it comes to renew his contract. Would Boston trade Paul Pierce for Pedja?

2) swap Peja for a 7 or 8 player who is in the middle of a 7 or 8 contract (or less) and has years left before he is a free agent and can seek the big overpaid contracts. Call that the Artest approach..

With Artest that is not an option if you think that Pedja has no drive to be a better play, atleast he has a drive to play in the NBA not like Artest who almost quit last year to concentrate on his Rap carreer that ofcourse was before he got suspended for a year.
Either way you do better than standing pat and paying your 7 or 8 player a 10 contract

 

[Stojakovic]

Nice very mature His decision to play is his decision you should atleast respect that and respect the all that he has done for the national team. It is time the younger generation to get a burn on the national team.

All he has done for the national team ? And what exactly is that ? Guys like Dejan Bodiroga, Rebraca have done a lot for the national team not Stojakovic.

Younger Generation ? WHAT ? Stojakovic is 28, not 38 , he IS still the relatively young generation. His constant premadonna attitude about getting there earlier and practicing like EVERYONE else is tiring. I hope he never gets invited to play again...and oh yeah, I hope he breaks a leg playing tennis, maybe that'll harden his soft wussy @ss up.

 

[VF21]

AleksandarN - You need to do your homework before you talk about Artest. Go visit www.pacersdigest.com and read some of the stuff there. There is an almost rennaissance feeling about him. Even Larry Bird is very pleased with the tremendous amount of work and practice Artest has been putting in. He has more drive in his little finger than Peja will ever have in his entire body.

 

[funkykingston]

I hope he never gets invited to play again

As a Kings fan I hope so too. . .

 

[Stojakovic]

I would not want to spent 2 month working with Obradovic either

It seems like there are people on here who'll defend Stojakovic to death. I have defended him in a lot of instances, but when you don't want to play for your country because you "disagree" with the coach, then don't let the door hit your @ss on the way out of the national team forever as far as I'm concerned.

There were greater players than Stojakovic who put up with Obradovic, and yet they never displayed 1% of this primadonna attitude that Stojakovic has.

As I said, he's not a champion; he's a coward.

 

[AleksandarN]

All he has done for the national team ? And what exactly is that ? Guys like Dejan Bodiroga, Rebraca have done a lot for the national team not Stojakovic.

Younger Generation ? WHAT ? Stojakovic is 28, not 38 , he IS still the relatively young generation. His constant premadonna attitude about getting there earlier and practicing like EVERYONE else is tiring. I hope he never gets invited to play again...and oh yeah, I hope he breaks a leg playing tennis, maybe that'll harden his soft wussy @ss up.

I like how you bring Rebraca's name into it. Let me ask you how many times has he play for the national team in the last 7 years? You seem fine with Rebraca playing after how many years his dissed the national team??