http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/basketball/nba/05/24/labor.ap/index.html?sct=hp_t2_a3
Next season is not looking very good.
Next season is not looking very good.
Your Ideal (But Realistic) Off Season
- Thread starter kingofthejungle
- Start date
I'll make mine simple.
First:
Draft Jimmer @ 7.
Draft Isaiah Thomas @ #35
Draft Greg Smith @ #60
Re-sign Dalembert
Re-Sign Thornton
Sign Troy Murphy to a vet min. Contract
Roster:
C: Dalembert, Murphy, Smith
PF: Cousins, Thompson, Whiteside
SF: Garcia, Greene, Casspi
SG: Evans, Thornton, J. Taylor
PG: Beno, Jimmer, I. Thomas
Simple yet effective. No major wholesale changes.
First:
Draft Jimmer @ 7.
Draft Isaiah Thomas @ #35
Draft Greg Smith @ #60
Re-sign Dalembert
Re-Sign Thornton
Sign Troy Murphy to a vet min. Contract
Roster:
C: Dalembert, Murphy, Smith
PF: Cousins, Thompson, Whiteside
SF: Garcia, Greene, Casspi
SG: Evans, Thornton, J. Taylor
PG: Beno, Jimmer, I. Thomas
Simple yet effective. No major wholesale changes.
Hey, you could be right. I think there are good arguements on both sides of the table, and it just may come down to who can hold out the longest, and I think the answer will probably be the owners. Lets face it, the players at the upper end of the payscale are in the minority, and those players are the one's with the most to lose, but are also the one's with the ability to hold out the longest. Those at the bottom of scale, will enter the bread line the quickest, and they're in the majority. So while the LeBrons and Wade's of the world might have a lot of influence, I think things will change dramaticly when some players start to run out of money. Even though the players union told players to prepare for the coming lockout, you and I both know that a lot of those players didn't. And eventually thats where the rub will come from. Its just a matter of how long it will take.
I also think its hard for the players to keep the fans on their side in a situation like this. Most fans have a hard time identifying with someone making millions of dollars for playing a game. Rightly or wrongly. At some point I think a player has to be honest with himself and ask, will I ever be able to regain the money I'm losing by holding out, if I eventually end up signing a deal in which I'll make less in the future? Will I regain it, if everything remains the same? Its easier to keep 30 owners in lockstep than it is a few hundred players. Eventual loser, the players. Just a matter of how long it takes. I hope I'm right and your wrong.
I also think its hard for the players to keep the fans on their side in a situation like this. Most fans have a hard time identifying with someone making millions of dollars for playing a game. Rightly or wrongly. At some point I think a player has to be honest with himself and ask, will I ever be able to regain the money I'm losing by holding out, if I eventually end up signing a deal in which I'll make less in the future? Will I regain it, if everything remains the same? Its easier to keep 30 owners in lockstep than it is a few hundred players. Eventual loser, the players. Just a matter of how long it takes. I hope I'm right and your wrong.
Yeah, I had aleady read the article. Not really a surprise, as I expected the move. Hard to say what the courts response will be, since it all depends on which court you go to. And regardless of who wins or loses in the court, the other side will appeal it to a higher court. Of course the shame of it is, that when you get courts involved, you could start adding significant time to the debate. Which of course would add credence to your opinion that were in for a prolonged lockout. Its always hard to get people to give up what they already have for the greater good. The greater good sounds great until it affects you personally. But I'm still hopefull that both sides are still blustering for show, and both sides will make concessions before going into overtime.
Another Scenario
Kings pick Kemba Walker (BPA) at 7. He's a winner with experience. Despite being asked to pick up the scoring load in his last season, Walker projects to be a Ty Lawson type of talent who has point guard skills. His shooting has improved every year, so there's reason to believe that he can ultimately start next to Tyreke, especially if the Kings have defensive-minded players at SF and C.
Kings re-sign Marcus Thornton. Thornton is a great compliment to Tyreke as he can shoot the lights out. He has developed into a pesky defender and loves to finish in the clutch. But ultimately, Thornton seems like an ideal 1st guard off the bench as he's a bit of a tweener--Bobby Jackson style.
Kings let Samuel Dalembert walk. Dalembert's defense was a great asset for this team, especially as a compliment to Cousins. But why sign Sammy D. when he's on the wrong side of 30 and a much younger alternative in DeAndre Jordan is available?
Kings sign DeAndre Jordan in free agency. Donald Sterling may not poney up as much dough for Jordan as the Kings, who should have much more money to throw at him. But why Jordan? He is much like a young Dalembert in terms of his defensive impact and could grow with this team. His numbers have improved each season and he is capable of rebounding and blocking shots at a very good clip. With a backcourt of Walker and Evans, I'm confident that plenty of transition opportunities and alley oops should be available for Jordan, so that he can contribute some on offense as well.
Kings sign Wilson Chandler in free agency. Similar to Jordan, Chandler is young and continues to improve on parts of his game, particularly outside shooting. Although he is not proficient as creating his own shot, that should not be an issue as the Kings would have Walker, Evans, and Cousins as players who can create offensive opportunities. The big plus here is Chandler's defensive potential as he is an elite athlete with good length.
Kings trade Beno Udrih. There are always a number of teams in need of a veteran point guard, so the Kings look to move Udrih to a playoff-bound team for a mid-1st pick in next year's draft. Udrih's value is relatively high and with the rotation of Walker, Thornton, and Evans (with Garcia as the 4th option and veteran mentor), the backcourt rebuild is basically complete. Thus, although Udrih was probably the Kings most consistent offensive threat last season, he becomes a tradeable asset. Acquiring a mid-1st rounder in next year's draft, which is supposed to be strong, plus some cap relief (after signing Chandler and Jordan) would probably work out nicely for the Kings.
Year 1:
Thornton/Evans/Chandler/Thompson/Cousins
Walker/Garcia/Casspi/Greene/Jordan/Whiteside
+ 2 second rounders (35 and 60)
Year 2:
Walker/Evans/Chandler/Cousins/Jordan
Thornton/Garcia/Casspi/Greene/Thompson/Whiteside
+ Extra 1st round pick
Thoughts?
Kings pick Kemba Walker (BPA) at 7. He's a winner with experience. Despite being asked to pick up the scoring load in his last season, Walker projects to be a Ty Lawson type of talent who has point guard skills. His shooting has improved every year, so there's reason to believe that he can ultimately start next to Tyreke, especially if the Kings have defensive-minded players at SF and C.
Kings re-sign Marcus Thornton. Thornton is a great compliment to Tyreke as he can shoot the lights out. He has developed into a pesky defender and loves to finish in the clutch. But ultimately, Thornton seems like an ideal 1st guard off the bench as he's a bit of a tweener--Bobby Jackson style.
Kings let Samuel Dalembert walk. Dalembert's defense was a great asset for this team, especially as a compliment to Cousins. But why sign Sammy D. when he's on the wrong side of 30 and a much younger alternative in DeAndre Jordan is available?
Kings sign DeAndre Jordan in free agency. Donald Sterling may not poney up as much dough for Jordan as the Kings, who should have much more money to throw at him. But why Jordan? He is much like a young Dalembert in terms of his defensive impact and could grow with this team. His numbers have improved each season and he is capable of rebounding and blocking shots at a very good clip. With a backcourt of Walker and Evans, I'm confident that plenty of transition opportunities and alley oops should be available for Jordan, so that he can contribute some on offense as well.
Kings sign Wilson Chandler in free agency. Similar to Jordan, Chandler is young and continues to improve on parts of his game, particularly outside shooting. Although he is not proficient as creating his own shot, that should not be an issue as the Kings would have Walker, Evans, and Cousins as players who can create offensive opportunities. The big plus here is Chandler's defensive potential as he is an elite athlete with good length.
Kings trade Beno Udrih. There are always a number of teams in need of a veteran point guard, so the Kings look to move Udrih to a playoff-bound team for a mid-1st pick in next year's draft. Udrih's value is relatively high and with the rotation of Walker, Thornton, and Evans (with Garcia as the 4th option and veteran mentor), the backcourt rebuild is basically complete. Thus, although Udrih was probably the Kings most consistent offensive threat last season, he becomes a tradeable asset. Acquiring a mid-1st rounder in next year's draft, which is supposed to be strong, plus some cap relief (after signing Chandler and Jordan) would probably work out nicely for the Kings.
Year 1:
Thornton/Evans/Chandler/Thompson/Cousins
Walker/Garcia/Casspi/Greene/Jordan/Whiteside
+ 2 second rounders (35 and 60)
Year 2:
Walker/Evans/Chandler/Cousins/Jordan
Thornton/Garcia/Casspi/Greene/Thompson/Whiteside
+ Extra 1st round pick
Thoughts?
I would love that scenario. I think Kemba will be better than Lawson. I think it's possible to get something a little bit higher than a mid first round pick for Beno, though. Beno is a known asset, whereas a mid-first rounder is a crapshoot. To me, he warrants a draft pick somewhere in the 8-13 slot.