What would Wark do?
by Jeffrey Morton on Sep 29, 2010 7:55 PM MDT
in Denver Nuggets: News and Opinion
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PrintWith the current uncertainty of Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony's future in Denver lingering over camp like a teenager at a college frat party, we are left to wonder...WWWD.
What Would Wark Do?
For those who don't recall, in my previous life as a frequent commenter on Denver Stiffs I advocated that we clean house in the Nuggets front office. It was shortly after this past summer's draft (which was handled poorly) and I had just HAD it with the "decision by committee" arrangement that seemed to be paralyzing the Nuggets ability to get things done.
That was then.
If there was one sure thing you could appreciate about former Denver Nuggets Vice President/GM Mark Warkentien it was that he got deals done. You wouldn't hear "rumors" and such before a Wark deal was completed. You'd open up the paper, or log on to your computer the next morning, and you'd suddenly see former Nuggets guard Allen Iverson traded for Chauncey Billups. Or former center Marcus Camby traded for a trade exception and a pile of goo. Or Arron Afflalo's arrival in exchange for a worthless second-round draft pick. Even the Al Harrington signing came out of nowhere this summer. "Wark" had an ability to structure a deal and wait out a team until they were desperate enough to pull the trigger. Don't you think that would come in handy right now?
Warkentien had his faults, and they were huge. He tended to be condescending, he was alleged to have burned bridges and had a bit of a tough reputation. And yet he got things done.
That leads us to today. If Warkentien were here how would this situation with Carmelo Anthony be handled? Most certainly Wark would be doing everything in his power to keep Melo in Denver. The two were tight (remember Wark saying he wanted to make Melo the John Elway of the Nuggets?). In fact, despite Wark's ability to look at you like you just drooled on your shirt, most players loved him. Nuggets head coach George Karl is a close friend, and so was former assistant coach Tim Grgurich (who is said to have left over the team's firing of Warkentien). I firmly believe the "atmosphere" in Pepsi Center would be quite a bit different than it is today if Wark were still around.
If Melo was indeed going to be traded on Wark's watch then we have to believe he'd put together a better trade than what we saw this last weekend. I'd say with utmost certainty he wouldn't put a deal together that cost Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke an extra $9.5 million. However, it's hard to do deals when you have a dysfunctional front office. From the outside looking in, the Nuggets have looked paralyzed and hand-cuffed with expiring deals that may encumber them until the trade deadline (particularly with Kenyon Martin recovering from yet another knee surgery....which was announced shortly after the draft).
Decision by committee is how Stan Kroenke and team President Josh Kroenke seem to like to run the Nuggets, and it doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. According to some in NBA media circles, the Nuggets are seen to outsiders as having a "peculiar and unclear power structure" atop the organization. Moreover, Vice President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri is new to the job and the perceived indecision regarding trading Melo could hurt the Nuggets' image even more among possible suitors for Melo.
I'm not convinced, however, that this all isn't carefully planned out with an eye toward the anticipated new collective bargaining agreement and potential lockout looming in 2011. There are very complicated moving parts to this Carmelo Anthony situation and it's playing out in a way that isn't very close to reality.
I can't help but wonder though....if Wark were here would Melo already be traded? Rather, a better question would be: would Melo be signed to the extension? Unfortunately, the answer is most likely not. The alleged dysfunction in the front office was crippling even when Wark was around. And while I have no doubt that he would have done his valiant best to keep Melo, there's a larger game being played here by Stan Kroenke. One that involves changing the NBA as we know it.
Carmelo Anthony is but the first chess piece.
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If Wark was here
I bet Melo would be in a Knick or Net right now. I do think he would have been traded.
"Don't chase the money, chase the dream"
Quitters People United Member #71
IN unrelated news
Here is an interview i found with Melo. Again, saying all the right things but who knows… maybe Denver does have a slight chance in keeping him.
"Don't chase the money, chase the dream"
Quitters People United Member #71
Open Options
What we learned from this interview is that Melo, likes his options open, so of the options he currently has he is keeping those open. Open options being the best options in Melo’s opinion.
Why the bias against closed options?
Why won’t he keep those ones open, huh?
Wouldn’t a closed option be an oxymoron?
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
I don't know about Wark
I don’t follow styles/personalities of suits very closely.
But what I’d want him to do would be to pull of the trade that makes Melo want to stay in Denver. Sell him on the idea that Denver could be the last man standing in the west (aging rivals, why not us after all?) with a potentially annual finals match up against the Heat.
Nobody else can offer that. Nobody. But the Nuggets as currently constructed are not the last man standing. Find a way to bring in CP3, for example. Marc Gasol. I know that’s a dream scenario, but that’s the only thing I can think of that would make Melo want to hang out.
by AgainstTheLaw.Son on Sep 29, 2010 8:35 PM MDT reply actions
Really, what teammates does Melo really love?
Nene? Doubt it: he’s the guy that misses a lot of easy shots.
JR? Maybe Melo’s buddy, but really…a loose cannon who obviously can’t be trusted.
Chauncey? Sure, a great leader, but getting old.
Who does that leave? Ty Lawson?
I think Melo is not really psyched about this squad. And judging by last year’s playoffs, I don’t blame him. He needs an amazing talent to play off of. I wish he could be more patient, but what do the Nuggets really have to offer here? That’s what imaginary Wark would need to figure out.
by AgainstTheLaw.Son on Sep 29, 2010 8:41 PM MDT up reply actions
excellent point.
I actually believe Melo has a problem with Chauncey being labeled as the “leader” of the team
by philipba on Sep 29, 2010 9:40 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
How is Stan changing the NBA as we know it?
Not sure what you mean.
W.W.W.D. is an interesting question to ask. Isn’t it funny how right before the most crucial time in our franchise the GM who brought us the most success (and the most blockbuster trades) was let go? I can’t remember if the Melo-drama started before or after Wark left, but it might have been more wise on Stan’s part to have extended him for at least another year knowing Melo was in the final year of his contract.
Stiff 4 Life
I do know
Melo liked Wark and things with Melo and Denver were much better before Wark wasn;t extended. It seemed like things got bad when Ujiri was hired.
"Don't chase the money, chase the dream"
Quitters People United Member #71
by Garrett Olsen on Sep 29, 2010 8:50 PM MDT up reply actions
how is stan changing the nba?
I took that statement as a collective ownership thing. With the owners looking into a hard cap, lowering max salaries and the like. I don’t think Stan is on a crusade or anything
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Sep 29, 2010 8:57 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
You guys are missing the most important piece of that puzzle...
A “Franchise Tag”, just like there is in Football. That would be a total game changer.
Spot on
It’ll be part of the new CBA, guaranteed. Owners will not tolerate one that allows every small-market team in the league to be LeBron’d/Melo’d over & over.
I'm actually on the opposite side
I think a the chances of a franchise tag being added to the new CBA are minimal. From a league financial standpoint, the NBA is in much better shape when superteams are formed, not when there’s parity. Let’s be honest, if your home town team isn’t in it, don’t you want to see the best possible teams play against each other? I know I would. The ratings show this as well. When’s the glory age of the NBA? The late 80’s and 90’s when there were about 4-5 truly great teams, some fringe contenders, and a lot of trash.
Sure, it sucks for the small market teams but I’m willing to bet the vast majority of owners would prefer making more money to keeping a franchise player and making an occasional conference finals or 1st round playoff exit. To the large majority of owners, the NBA is a business and the purpose of any business is to make money. A handful of superteams makes more money for the league than parity does. It’s just a cruel fact of the sport. People might hate on Stern but he is a very astute and shrewd commissioner and he knows how to satisfy his constituents.
The owners won’t want a franchise tag because they make less money. The players don’t want a franchise tag because it limits options. Therefore, logic dictates there will be no franchise tag.
In the short term I agree - superteams are a bonanza
But what happens when fans of all the small market teams realize they’re rooting for the Washington Generals? I don’t see how the league can sustain that long-term.
And if you’re right that superteams are more profitable than parity, how do you explain the NFL? Parity is among its biggest selling points, and it is far & away the most successful & popular sport in the land.
Absolutely!
All you have to say is “NFL”, and TChizza’s entire post melts into the dumpster from whence it came.
And no, I don’t want to see whatever monstrosity David Stern and CAA have concocted at the expense of my home market (which was ranked higher than Miami-Fort Lauderdale last year, mind you). I went years without watching the NBA between the Mutombo trade and Anthony’s 2nd year or so. The NBA product just isn’t entertaining enough if my home team isn’t emotionally engaging. I have a lot of other things I enjoy doing or spending my money on.
No loss there.
Really? The dumpster?
The NFL and the NBA are not the same thing. Just because they’re sports doesn’t mean they’re anything close to the same. Is the MLS the same as the NFL? Or men’s lacrosse? It’s silly to state otherwise. I see plenty of parity in the MLS, does that make it successful? You made my point for me with “The NBA just isn’t entertaining enough…” line. The NFL is. They’re not in the same ballpark as far as popularity or revenues.
And it’s absolutely your right to not watch NBA games if your team isn’t in it. I understand that viewpoint completely. However, the tv ratings indicate that the general populace prefer watching superteams as opposed to the alternative. Just because what I’m saying might not be popular doesn’t make it any less true. I remember reading about some dude saying the Earth was flat and that not going over so well but that didn’t make it any less true.
Ok, what were the ratings for the recent FIBA championship?
…what about the 2008 Olympic team?
I personally didn’t see a single game of either, and I’m not sure it was that big of a deal for anyone else either. Does it get any more “superteam” than that?
The 2008 Olympic team’s nielsen rating for the finals was higher than than 5 of the past 6 NBA finals. I can’t find the FIBA championship nielsen ratings.
I think you’re also overlooking time zone issues and that FIBA was on ESPN, not on one of the big three and also it wasn’t during primetime. Also, you’re comparing one team with players everybody knows vs. teams where the “average” person might only know one or two players. Big difference.
Obviously the time zones don't allow for prime time games...
…during the Olympics in China, but the FIBA championships being on ESPN isn’t an excuse — that’s nationally televised and during waking hours. Most regular season games in the NBA are locally broadcast, so you’d have to have an upgraded television package and hope your game is on NBA tv, right?
How are you supposed to contribute to some “superteam” bandwagon ratings when they’re only on every other Sunday?
Bottom line: I’m sure the gymnastics finals in China got better ratings in America than the basketball finals did. It just wasn’t a big deal. Everyone knew who would win; it wasn’t even interesting.
You keep comparing apples to oranges
Of course gymnastics had higher ratings, it’s one of the biggest things during the Olympics.
You keep comparing basketball to other sports and expect the same ratings. It’s like you’re comparing college football to college volleyball. Those are both college sports, they should be equally popular. Or a PBS telethon to American Idol. They’re both live broadcasts, they’re both tv shows, they both have call-in numbers. Hence, the telethon should have the same ratings as American Idol. Obviously that’s incorrect.
Basketball’s distant long-term goal might be to one day match the NFL but for now, I’m sure the owners would be more than pleased with a 20%-25% bump in their ratings. History has shown that the best time for the NBA was during the late 80’s and early 90’s (for reference, even then the NBA Finals ratings were about 40-50% of Super Bowl). Ergo, it probably makes good business sense for them to try and recreate the circumstances of those years. To use the PBS analogy again, the telethon isn’t trying to match American Idol, it’s trying to better it’s own share. Having Brad Pitt on or the Jonas Brothers or other popular celebrities is their way of increasing public popularity. For the NBA, it’s having as many stars on the court as possible in the late rounds of the playoffs and Finals.
"Superteams" did not produce the great basketball...
…of the 80’s and 90’s.
Yeah, the Celtics, Lakers, 76ers, Pistons, and later the Bulls, Rockets, and Jazz were all really great teams, but they weren’t agent-contructed “superteams”.
They consisted of great players and solid supporting casts that were nearly ALL drafted, were really well coached, and played the game the right way. You never saw Michael Jordan try to force his way into Boston when Chicago kept failing to win, you never saw Karl Malone demand a trade from Utah (until Stockton retired anyway) when he couldn’t win the big one. You never saw Reggie Miller cry through the media about wanting to play for his hometown Lakers.
The were great teams because the great players WILLED them to be; not because a bunch of conspiring all-stars decided to pull a fast one over on the league.
It was nothing like what’s going on now, where an agent is trying to make himself as much money as possible because the owners won’t stand up to him.
by jmpmk2 on Sep 30, 2010 4:32 PM MDT up reply actions 3 recs
Does it matter if they're agent-constructed or not?
Do I like what LeBron, Bosh, and Wade did this summer? No, of course not. As a diehard NBA fan it annoys the hell out of me, but it is completely within their rights so it is what it is.
This is about ratings and revenue, not about what I or you think is right or wrong. Less teams with more concentrated starpower = a better product on the court. A better product on the court = higher ratings. Now, is it possible the general populace won’t forgive Miami and the superfriends for “pulling a fast one over the league” and therefore not support that product by not watching it? That’s certainly possible, I can’t predict that. I doubt anyone can. However, if history repeats itself at all, the NBA will end up being a “better” product with superteams, at least in terms of ratings and revenues.
-1
Not a chance my man. The NBA will have a good following in a few select cities but will be in big trouble in the lesser cities. Most sports fans don’t go to games of teams that fail year in and year out. Teams that don’t have a chance don’t get good attendance or good TV ratings. If you put all of the good players on a few teams then you are severly decreasing the fan support of the game. Period, end of debate.
I love how people keep saying "Debate over" or your argument is in the dumpster
And yet, the most profitable time in the NBA was exactly when there were superteams. Attendance is not the key driver to revenue, it’s tv contracts. And attendance revenues aren’t driven by the “normal” fan, it’s by corporations.
To steal a line from a previous fan post, “perception is not always reality.”
You're right about the TV ratings
But owners of the non-superteams still have to sell tickets to all the games where they’re not playing Miami, Los Angeles, etc – how are they going to do that once fans realize their teams exist merely to serve as cannon fodder for the league-anointed squads? Again, I just don’t think that model can sustain long-term.
Revenue Sharing
It all comes down to television contracts. Sure, filling out stadiums and merchandise are a big part but everything comes down to sponsors and contracts, at least from a financial standpoint. That’s why absolute horrendously attended baseball teams like Pitt, KC, Tampa Bay, Florida, can stay in business (and actually make money). So long as teams are getting equal money from contracts and there’s systems in place giving small-market teams more money from large-market teams, they’re absolutely viable. However, if a team can make more money in one city than another, then of course they’ll go for it. It’s just a business decision.
Television contracts are indeed crucial
But are you seriously going to argue that having 90% of the teams in the league be essentially non-competitive will drive the value of those contracts up? The superteams can only play each other so many times a year – how much do think networks will want to pay to broadcast games between the NBA’s sloppy seconds in half-empty arenas?
Part of the reason the NFL’s TV contracts are so massive (aside from the sport’s sheer popularity) is because no one knows who the good teams will be from year to year – games that look like duds on the schedule at the beginning of the year end up being battles between potential division winners. With the superteam model, you eliminate that possiblity, leaving the networks with an entire slate of games that are pretty much guaranteed to draw zero interest, and thus driving down the total amount they’ll be willing to pay for broadcast rights.
Several years ago I did a little analysis on the NBA TV contract. The money is distributed evenly to every team regardless of how often they appear (or not at all). The TV money each team received was very close to what the salary cap was. The same situation exists with caps, jerseys and such. The cap may say Nuggets on it but every team in the league gets an equal royalty on it.
The NBA and the networks modify the TV schedule to accomodate changes in the strength of the teams involved.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
Understood
My point is that with the superteam model, the pot eventually shrinks because the league as a whole becomes less popular and there’s less total $ to whack up. I could be wrong – I’m by no means an expert on these matters – but that’s my take on it.
I agree with you, I was just trying to shed a little light on the subject.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
What about local TV rights?
The national rights are split up, but what about the local ones?
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Sep 30, 2010 1:06 PM MDT up reply actions
Oh yeah the local ones are a whole different story, although I’m sure that there is some money that goes back to the league or some such thing since the local station does the NBA business like showing their public relations ads and such. Maybe those commercials help offset licensing fees. Notice though that sometimes when the team is on the national broadcast then the local station doesn’t cover it. That’s not because they don’t want to. There are contractual issues involved. I don’t know exactly how it works but notice that sometimes they are on both networks at the same time and sometimes they aren’t.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
Where do you get this delusion that sports teams make money? The fact is (and oddly enough this is somewhat true of radio stations) that the vast majority of sports teams lose money every year. Sports teams are the playthings of the ultra-wealthy, guys who can afford to lose a million or two per year. One area though that may make it worthwhile for Kroenke is that they also own the Pepsi Center and with all the events that go on there, they probably make money there. The thing that saves the money losing team is that invariably when they come to sell it, they manage to get considerably more than they paid for it for a return on investment that exceeds just about any place else that they could have put the money. My memory says that Kroenke paid $450 million for the Nugs/Avs/Pepsi Center package. If he were to sell it to a fellow billionaire he should have no trouble getting $800 to $900 million for it.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
Teams closely guard their financial statements
But if the recent batch of MLB team financials that leaked are at all real (which nobody has claimed otherwise), then a lot of teams make money. If a team as horrendously awful as the Pirates can make money, I don’t see any reason most other teams can. I’d bet the vast majority of NFL teams do because their tv contracts are worth ridiculous amounts. You said yourself the NBA tv contracts are worth about as much as the salary cap so I doubt owners are losing much money in regards to player contracts. If they are losing money, it’s on the stadium/arena side of things. That’s not including merchandise which you also brought up. I’d be curious what information you have that “the fact is that the vast majority of sports teams lose money every year.”
I’m not saying that sports teams are just raking it in year after year, certainly not. However, they are profitable and as you stated, the ultimate value comes from the appreciation of assets.
If you really want parity
It’s easy, cut the regular season down to about 30 games and playoffs to best of 3. I guarantee you a lot teams will be in the running for the playoffs and winning championships. I sincerely doubt it’s economically viable, at least in the short-mid term but there will absolutely be more parity.
Of course it's not viable
That’s my whole point with the franchise tag – it’s a way to move towards parity (and I agree that due to the nature of the sport, it will never be comparable to the NFL in that respect) without completely upending the system.
The "Franchise tag" is something the NBA players are in
complete agreement about. They don’t want it. It would be quite hard to crack the Union on that one.
Now….getting a hard cap is probably doable….but it won’t look “exactly” like the NHL one. The NHL makes the least money out of the 4 major sports and is subjected more to team profitability than the other sports.
The Avs lose money hand over fist. When they lost the ESPN contract after the lockout they became a money pit. So teams budget around attendance and marketing much more than any other sport.
The NBA is quite profitable and it’s hard for the owners (much like in the NFL) to make case that it’s financially bad for the NBA to continue the way it is.
Overheard during Nuggets radio broadcasts in the 80's: "....Hanzlik.....HEY HANZLIK...don't ever dribble the ball again or I'll bench your ass!" Doug Moe
DenverStiffs.com
by Jeffrey Morton on Sep 30, 2010 10:22 AM MDT up reply actions
The NBA is currently far from profitable
by Rainbow skyline on Sep 30, 2010 12:10 PM MDT up reply actions
that number is currently in dispute
Fact is….with NBA TV contract revenue sharing, AND the league having it’s own network….the numbers the league put out are highly questionable.
All contract posturing. I’m sure the players have some fudged numbers as well. However there is ZERO indication that the NBA is anywhere close to the peril the NHL was in 2003
Overheard during Nuggets radio broadcasts in the 80's: "....Hanzlik.....HEY HANZLIK...don't ever dribble the ball again or I'll bench your ass!" Doug Moe
DenverStiffs.com
by Jeffrey Morton on Sep 30, 2010 12:47 PM MDT up reply actions
I'm sure some numbers are fudged
but I think it’s hard to dispute that the majority of teams are losing money. It’s also true that it’s nowhere near as dire as the NHL was.
by Rainbow skyline on Sep 30, 2010 12:57 PM MDT up reply actions
There's a very simple reason why the NBA, or NFL, or MLB doesn't release financials
It’s because people would realize these organizations are actually a lot better off then most people believe them to be. The owners want to be seem as the poor guys losing tons of money doing something they love and the players are the greedy guys getting soooo much money.
The only hard evidence I’ve seen regarding sports teams is the latest batch of MLB team financials that leaked, the first of their kind I believe. Those financials did not in any way paint a bad picture for owners.
Here you go
Great link about the NHL before the lockout. The point is, if the NBA truly was losing that kind of money, I guarantee they would do the exact same thing as the NHL did, hire an independent auditor. They’d let everyone see their statements, show exactly how they’re losing money, then tell the players that the current business model/player salaries are nonviable.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2004-02-12-finances-study_x.htm
We love football, that's why the NFL is so successful and popular
That’s the biggest reason the NFL is so popular. From polls I’ve seen, football is the favorite sport of 40% of Americans. Baseball and basketball are around 10%. That’s a massive, massive gap.
The parity of the NFL is an illusion of sorts. How? Small sample sizes, strength of schedule, and the higher % of injuries are the major factors, especially the first two.
16 games isn’t a big sample size. A single win always determines who enters the playoffs and who doesn’t (if not zero wins by way of tiebreakers). When you have fewer games, more teams will be bunched up, it’s just a fact. If a season was two games long, I guarantee every team will finish within 2 games of each other, making it seem like more parity. Any team can win a single game, like in the playoffs. Odds wise, the crappier team always has at least a 25% chance of winning and it’s usually closer t0 40-45%. The term “any given Sunday” is absolutely appropriate because anything can happen in a single game. If the NBA had single game playoffs, you can bet parity (as far as teams who win it all or make playoff runs) shoots through the roof. Cinderellas almost never happen in the NBA simply because when you play best of 7 games, the chance of the better team winning skyrockets compared to just 1 game.
Strength of schedule is also a critical factor in the NFL’s parity. Teams would get more games where they’re favored 65-75% will likely win more games than when they’re favored 55-65%. Strength of schedule in the NBA generally balances out because 82 games are played. It’s just more poignant when there’s only 16 games.
Injuries are also a fact of the NFL. Unless teams are extremely fortunate (which usually happens to one or two teams each year, who also make the playoffs coincidentally), they’re going to be missing several starters at any given time of the year. It’s a brutally physical sport, hence why all the new rules in the past decade trying to emphasize player safety. The better the players on the field, the better the product. But short of them switching to flag football, injuries will always play a massive role in the NFL.
The NBA can support crappy teams in the long-term. Why? Because they can relocate. It’s not a popular answer but it’s the bitter truth. there’s always another major metropolitan lining up to filch a team. For example, if the Nuggets truly did go in the absolute dump in the near future, people stopped buying merchandise and attending games, we’ll probably be calling them the Seattle Nuggets by the end of the decade. Or the Las Vegas Nuggets. Or the Silicon Valley Nuggets.
Basketball teams, unlike other sports, can be completely transformed by a single player. That’s what happens when there’s only five players on the court.
You make some good points
But consider the NFL of the 80’s and early 90’s compared to the NFL of today. Back in the day, the NFL very much followed the superteam model – the Lombardi trophy pretty much bounced around between the 49ers, Cowboys and a couple others, while 2/3 of the league was basically out of contention before the season started. The NFL of that era was successful. But I don’t think it’s coincidence that the league’s popularity exploded when a wide array of teams started winning Super Bowls – Tampa Bay, Baltimore, Green Bay, Denver, New England, St. Louis, etc etc. And that’s my point with the NBA – they might get by with the superteam model, but over the long term, they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face.
Actually the ratings for the Super Bowl haven't changed at all
Since Super Bowl II to present time, the Super Bowl rating has always been between 36 and 49.1 (SF vs. Cincy in 1982). The NFL always has been, and will continue to be a monster, simply because the American public loves them some football.
Super Bowl ratings are just part of the story though
I’d have to check, but I’m guessing that ratings for the season as a whole are way, way up.
why does hockey have so many playoff upsets?
they play a lot of regular season games and the game is very physical. despite having 7 game series, there always seems to be a playoff upsets.
Hard salary cap?
An amateur draft that actually works?
not to get too OT
but there is a singular major reason for upsets in the NHL playoffs: goalies. they’re gamebreakers: have a goalie that could stop a shot blindfolded and you’re pretty much guaranteed to be in every single game. have a goalie that couldn’t stop a beach ball, and you’re pretty screwed.
anyone who watched the NHL playoffs last year can tell you about jaroslav halak of the montreal canadiens, who was pretty much phenomenal for the first two rounds against the heavily favored (and 1st seeded) washington capitals and the defending champion pittsburgh penguins. once halak lost his magic, the canadiens went down pretty badly (wasn’t the only reason, but it definitely was a major factor)
I remember that
And I think Craig Anderson carried the Avs too.
i agree with you about the schedules and length of the season
But I think relocation is the absolute worst thing about the NBA. I never was a Sonics fan and they weren’t competitive for a number of years but the fans didn’t deserve to lose their franchise. Granted there were more parties to blame than just Clay Bennett, but I truly believe that is a huge black mark on David Stern for allowing it to happen. The Sonics were a historic franchise not just an expansion team trying to find their identity and played in a larger market than OKC. Now it looks like the same could happen in Sacramento as they’re having issues getting funding for a new arena. Hopefully, they can string together a few good seasons and turn the bandwagon fans back in their favor and work out a deal to keep them in Sacramento.
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Sep 29, 2010 10:56 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
When Seattle won the NBA championship they were sort of the darlings of mid market America. Unfortunately from that point on for many years Brent Mushburger couldn’t get through a broadcast without talking about it, particularly if one of the players from that team was on the court (think Dennis Johnson).
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
Sort of how Doris Burke can’t broadcast an entire game without mentioning LBJ or Kobe when neither is on the court.
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Sep 30, 2010 5:14 PM MDT up reply actions
Barf
I hate America’s fascination with football. It really baffles me how 40% of the country loves to watch such a tedious, stagnant and complicated game where of the 52 men on the roster only a few get real recognition (the QBs), and often times it’s only because they’re the most good looking. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an American and I love football too, but I just don’t understand how it’s so much more popular than everything else. When you score, esentially you’re just running into a designated space, and stopping. How is that exciting? Maybe I just prefer seeing a basefall fly over 400 ft, or Ty Lawson dunk a rim-shattering jam over a 7 footer, or Lionel Messi dribble though an entire defense only to meg the goalkeeper. Maybe it’s just me. One thing is for sure though, America has spoken, and they want blood, broken bones, or any kind of explosion rather than insulting your oponent with your skills and technique.
Stiff 4 Life
by GoldenNugget on Sep 30, 2010 12:54 PM MDT up reply actions
couple of reasons
1) Baseball on TV is about as much fun as golf on TV. I enjoy live baseball a lot. Perhaps more than football because of the weather and more relaxed atmosphere.
2) Basketball games on TV often feel meaninglessly long. I used to go to my uncle’s house to watch games quite regularly. My cousin usually slept through the second and third quarters. Games often play in a 5 to 10 point range then get serious in the fourth quarter. Making 3/4’s of your product meaningless with the players not playing all that hard is not conducive to big audiences.
3) Hockey on TV is difficult to watch because it’s hard to see the puck. Also, because there is such little scoring, it is easy to miss one of the few scores if you look away from the TV.
4) Football has fewer games, so every game is much more meaningful. Miss a baseball game, no big deal, there are 150 more.
5) Football has a good balance of scoring. Not like baseball or hockey where there is so little scoring that it tends to get dull, and not like basketball where there can be so much scoring that a basket seems meaningless.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Sep 30, 2010 1:18 PM MDT up reply actions
Football on TV
I actually think football plays a lot better on TV than live..especially if you aren’t loaded. I went to a Broncos game last year and nearly fell asleep it was so boring and there were so many play stoppages. I admit, the Broncos got whacked..but still.
I also think football is popular for reason 4) above and because it has an excellent playoff system. One and done.
If you go to a Broncos game it’s better to think of it as a great big party event instead of a game to be watched.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
It depends a lot on the game/team
If it’s a big game and the team is very good, the games are a lot more fun. Go to a bronco game now and the crowd is pretty quiet. They’ll cheer some for a good play, but it’s not a full on party. But if you go with a good team and a good game, there is little to come close.
The best game I ever saw, and I’ve been to a lot, was a Redskins game in the early 90’s in RFK. I was 10 rows up on about the 20 yard line in the temporary stands over the baseball field. The crowd was crazy the entire game. The stands were bouncing up and down what seemed like two feet. Both decks did the wave for about the entire fourth quarter. How those stands never collapsed after years of ten thousand people bouncing them up and down is beyond me.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Sep 30, 2010 3:28 PM MDT up reply actions
Go to a bronco game now and the crowd is pretty quiet.
It’s been like that for a while.
When a fan gets up to cheer on 3rd down, someone will shout, “Down in front!” It’s the cheese and win era.
"All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players."
"God I'm excited for those two to fail miserably." - SBNation writer Andrew Sharp on Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow.
Quitter's People United Member #18
by Tempestuous Binary on Sep 30, 2010 6:00 PM MDT up reply actions
Oh here goes..
Ok, I’m going to agree with ThrowItDown on the point about the season length and the importance of each game, but I’m going to throw out something from personal experience too. I will argue it is a labor of love, and here’s why:
Most people have played a little bit of every sport growing up, and most likely were better at one than any other. Let’s start with that I think basketball and football offer a more physical element than baseball and a more accessible element than hockey. This contributes to the popularity of the NBA and NFL among younger athletes these days.
So then we move into physical ability and size requirements for a sport. While kids are allowed to play many different positions at different sizes, it becomes quite difficult for average sized kids with minor or average athletic ability excel in basketball purely because very few have the speed and quickness necessary to counterbalance their taller opponents in a game that for the most part (especially at that level) is played up high. As we all know, sucking at something does not make it more fun. Most young men are mildly athletic and on the football field, there are many more positions from which one can contribute.
Also The rosters are smaller in basketball and generally taller kids are encouraged to play basketball, while average or shorter kids are not. In my experience, my love of basketball, and alternately my shorter friends’ affinity for football, are due to the sports we experienced and / or excelled at as young people.
And then there is the social opportunity that comes from monday-morning quarterbacking with your friends. Since most likely everyone saw the game sunday, you are far more likely to hash it out with your buddies. The fantasy system is more accessible for the shorter season and so on.
Ok well there’s my thoughts. It’s something I battle with in my circle of friends. Thank the lard for the Stiffs!!!!!
by love4nuggets on Sep 30, 2010 5:34 PM MDT up reply actions
I'm speculating but I'd guess the latest boost to the NFL
isn’t from their on-the-field product. It’s from fantasy football.
Thats the other thing
Fantasy football isn’t even the best fantasy sport, in fact it’s not even close. The majority of fantasy football players in this country are noobs.
Stiff 4 Life
by GoldenNugget on Sep 30, 2010 11:40 PM MDT up reply actions
I've stopped playing all fantasy sports
but fantasy football is certainly the most accessible. The minimum attention required is a lot less than the other leagues. Unless you are seriously in to it, managing your roster for the length of a basketball or baseball season is just tedious.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Oct 1, 2010 2:59 PM MDT up reply actions
Agreed
As evidence by all the cross-promotions featuring and promoting fantasy leagues.
by Artimus Mangilord on Oct 1, 2010 9:53 AM MDT up reply actions
Not your typical fan then
I love basketball. But when the Nuggets get eliminated, I quit watching. Especially when it ends up being the super teams left like lakers vs Celtics. Or in the case of this season, lakers vs heat. I would kill for a Bucks vs Kings final. Give the small market teams a bite once in awhile.
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Sep 29, 2010 10:38 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
People watched when the big O and Lew Alcindor won the championship.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
That was 40 years ago.
The landscape of basketball has changed a bit since then.
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Sep 30, 2010 5:22 PM MDT up reply actions
My point was that if you’ve got the best players playing in a small market such as Milwaukee or Cleveland, the national TV audience will be there.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
by Thursty on Oct 1, 2010 9:33 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
but the big name free agents aren’t willingly going to go to a smaller market. The only way to get them there is via the draft. Then they’re not quite good enough to be a contender only a fringe playoff team then the best players leave. It’s a vicious cycle.
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Oct 1, 2010 11:02 AM MDT up reply actions
If the nuggs actually
Play the collective bargaining card, they might as well trade him for the best they can get.
Its no secret that melo will get the shaft on the next Cba. If he actually loses money on the salary side, he isn’t going to stick with Denver. He will go to the Knicks or some other big market.
Get the signed extension, or get rid of him.
by philipba on Sep 29, 2010 9:26 PM MDT via mobile reply actions
if they're truly playing the cba card
They’ll just let him hit free agency and let him walk for nothing. If they trade for players now they’re gonna have to pay them while there are no games being played.
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Sep 29, 2010 10:26 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
There will be games
as I’ve posted in a couple of other threads. Players union will decertify to prevent a lockout. They are already discussing it.
Formerly KS and CS
by ThrowItDownBigManThrowItDown on Sep 30, 2010 9:57 AM MDT up reply actions
Maybe it's the conspiracy theorist in me...
But does anyone else look at Masai Ujiri and see the perfect fall guy for Josh & Stan when this goes bad? Wark & Rex were their own men, too experienced, too connected – throwing either of them under the bus for this fiasco would have had consequences. But Ujiri? He’s young, cheap and owes his first shot at being a GM in the NBA directly to the Kroenke’s – i.e., a company man who can be counted on to fall on the sword when the time comes.
No I don't see that at all
And with the ways things are working out it’s no secret our entire front office is dysfunctional, as a whole.
Stiff 4 Life
by GoldenNugget on Sep 29, 2010 10:05 PM MDT up reply actions
Actually, yeah I thought that when he was hired
I thought they were covering their asses by hiring some unknown guy like Ujiri.
Historically it looks like if you sign a contract with Kroenke then you will be there for as long as that contract runs (at least). I think Kroenke was ready to get rid of Kiki long before his contract ran out, but Kiki was here until the end of his contract.
"Woohoo Denver, Yeah... All right Denver justify my love!"...
"Ohhh; the Denver Broncos?!?!?!" ...Homer Simpson
"Denver isn't considered a frontier maam, not these days"... Josh Randall (Steve McQueen) in an episode of Wanted Dead or Alive set in 1871, filmed in 1958.
Related to Avs?
I wonder how much of the Nuggets plans are based on what happened to the Avs after the last NHL strike. I’m not a hockey fan, but from what I understand the Avs were really limited because of the big contracts they had before the strike, and were not able to build a balanced team because of the contracts they carried over after the strike, and the player they had to let go. I’m guessing Stan wants to avoid that with the Nuggets.
i thought the NHL voided a bunch of player contracts
in order to get teams below the cap. Idk don’t follow hockey either, but I’m sure Stan may have some insight into this.
QPU #5286
by Melo'sPersonofSeattle on Sep 29, 2010 10:28 PM MDT via mobile up reply actions
I don't remember them voiding contracts
Instead they had like a 24% rollback of all player salaries. Teams did however have the option of releasing players (I don’t remember if there was a cap on how many). However, the current NBA financial situation is nowhere close to the NHL situation of several years back.
Misconceptions about Wark
In retrospect, there’s no doubt the Nuggets handled his situation poorly and probably should have extended him given what has transpired. But remember this – Wark sat idly by and saw the Nuggets begin their unraveling under his watch. I’m so tired of reading how Melo trusted Wark so much and was probably devastated to see him go. Where the hell that idea came from is a mystery and thoroughly unbelievable. Wark offered the extension to Melo after having spent over a year without trying to improve the team. He never had Melo’s confidence in the first place and it contributed to him being let go.
More importantly, he clearly lost the support of ownership. I don’t think anything would be different if Wark were here besides the Nuggets running a tighter ship keeping the fans and general public in the dark about Denver’s dealings. Ultimately, Wark and Ujiri aren’t wielding the true decision making power. The situation would be the same if he were here now, the Nuggets kept Melo because Josh and Stan Kroenke seem stubbornly against it.
Don’t get me wrong, I now think it was a mistake not to extend Wark. But don’t think for a minute having him back would make dealing with a disgruntled superstar any less painful. As I said earlier, Wark and Ujiri aren’t ultimately making the real decisions in Denver anyhow
twitter.com/skitalicious
Quitter's People United Member #13
Just Stating A Fact
When Wark in Denver, he did manage to sign Melo four-years, when LBJ, Wade and Bosh sign for three years. Just sayin.
If Wark was still here
Melo would be gone already, replaced by other tatted-up super egos! Thats kool with me though. I thoroughly enjoyed watching our thugnuts! But one thing I am sure of, if Wark was still here, he would keep the team competitive, even if Melo left. I have no idea what the new GM will do.
I also kind of believe the conspiracy theory too. I think that Bret Bearup dude and the Kronks secretly run the show from the shadows. The fact that our front office has no one clear and true “leader” is a tactic that is used by those who like to govern from the shadows. If Melo leaves and the FO starts trading away all of our talent to save money, you can bet your sweet asses that Ujiri (what ever his name is) will be the fall guy! Don’t you guys watch TV? The nice guy always gets f%^&$ed by the higher ups. BTW, the owners make a lot more money than they let on. There is no way in hell the owners would pay players like that if they weren’t making a large return. These billionairs are smarter than you think. The pro athletes are the whores and the owners are the pimps. You’ll never hear about an owner going bankrupt 30 years after he/she sold the team, but this happens to former players all the time. As much as I wish Melo would stay, I hope the new CBA is even more advantageous to the players. The owners are the assholes. Don’t get it twisted.
In any event, I hope the Nugget’s shadow lord and masters keep the team competitive!
its more complicated than small-market big market
NBA is glabal. San ANtonio has a shit load of fans and TV contracts with Argentina and Farance thanks to Tony Parker and Manu. Houston and China too. ALso Dallas and Germany. If the Nuggs need to make more money, they need to sign a global player. Having a dope ass American player only gets you so far. Denver fans aren’t as generous as other cities. Look at the Bay Area, the warriors and raiders have sucked for how many years but these teams still make money. Kronks want Melo because he earns the team Money. Once Melo goes, the Nuggz will likely start pinching pennies which really really sucks for us Denver fans. I hate that pro-sports has an unchecked monopoly supported by congress and the supreme court. Not to mention our tax dollars pay for their stadiums, public money given away to private corporations. We still got to pay up the ass just to attend a Nuggets game. WTF. If you think I am a crazy conspiracy theorist, look at the court cases regarding the MLB. I didn’t get this cynical until I went to law school and learned about the secret power wielded by pro-sports owners. Baseball owners are the most evil, but Basketball owners are up there too. Okay, I will shut the F up now. Sorry for the rant
We have Brazil
When I was in Rio, I saw a ton of people wearing Nuggets jerseys and I was thinking oh a bunch of Melo fans like when I was in Boston… I was completely wrong. Nene is huge there. I went to this sports store and all they had were Nuggets #31 jerseys and some Phoenix Barbosa jersey. Varejeo, surprisingly did not even have a jersey at that store.
At least Nene dominates somewhere, I just wish it was around the rim more often.
Gotta love the haterz. Keep that hate a comin'
Yeah, Nene is popular amongst Portuguese people, too.
He’s the Nuggets’ global player.
"All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players."
"God I'm excited for those two to fail miserably." - SBNation writer Andrew Sharp on Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow.
Quitter's People United Member #18
by Tempestuous Binary on Sep 30, 2010 9:10 AM MDT up reply actions
King.
But not for the right reasons…
"All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players."
"God I'm excited for those two to fail miserably." - SBNation writer Andrew Sharp on Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow.
Quitter's People United Member #18
by Tempestuous Binary on Sep 30, 2010 9:10 AM MDT up reply actions
Nice
Because in all his “glory” he can’t actually play defense? LOL
by love4nuggets on Sep 30, 2010 10:05 AM MDT up reply actions 1 recs
And he appears to need other people to do all the work for him.
What does the king do in chess? Run away.
"All the world's indeed a stage, and we are merely players."
"God I'm excited for those two to fail miserably." - SBNation writer Andrew Sharp on Josh McDaniels and Tim Tebow.
Quitter's People United Member #18
by Tempestuous Binary on Sep 30, 2010 11:58 AM MDT up reply actions
he's the queen
played by someone who overcommits on the offensive end, abandoning the king, and forcing other pieces to have to overcompensate in his absence. On the other hand, no other piece can defend against him one-on-one; He can only be stopped with careful positioning and a double-team or even a triple-team, often times pulling the other team out of position.
The queen is the most-heralded, most-versatile piece, and if used right can be one of the strongest team defenders. However, if you get too caught up in the queen’s obvious offensive capabilities, you can over-commit and get caught behind enemy lines, or get lured to the wrong side of the board, too far to defend the King from checkmate.
I like this analogy, I’m going to run with it:
Chauncey and Ty are knights: They are great for setting up positioning. They are also great at setting up teammates, and because of their unique skillsets they can weave through traffic to attack or set up their teammates with a bounce pass.
Obviously Chauncey also has bishop skills from downtown (I think Ty will, too), but handling and dishing is a skill that is more unique to him. JR should play more like a knight (he is actually a sick knight), but he plays more like a bishop who is constantly trying to put the King in check or corner the rook (going for high amplitude, long-distance chucks).
AAA is a bishop; no doubt. He can attack long range and defend against long range attacks. He is great offensive support for when the Knight penetrates. I would say that Harrington is also a bishop (at least offensively). He’s not much of a banger, but he can hit jumpshots.
The bigs are rooks. They are the last line of defense. If you get in too close to the basket, Birdman will slide over from the far side of the board to swat you. Also, if one of the rooks has support deep in enemy territory, the enemy is in for a world of hurt. They are also strong trailers on offense when following up lead pieces.
Let’s not forget the pawns: The Bench. They aren’t the most skilled players in your arsenal, but when used properly, they can offer great support offensively and set very effective screens. When they have good positioning on defense they can be as effective as any piece in creating frustration for the offense. A well timed sacrifice (drawing a foul, or giving a foul) can take out a major piece from your opponent or prevent the loss of one of your major pieces. And let’s not forget that during garbage time, every pawn has the opportunity to become any other piece on the board (and nobody wants to let their opponents get to that point).
Coach Karl is the king. The fate of the game depends on the organization of his players. If the players don’t move to support his position, the game will be lost. If the opponents are aggressively threatening a checkmate, and the game seems to be getting out of hand, Coach Karl might have to move from his position and change his players’ strategies not only to defend that new position against the attack, but also to exploit the opponent’s defensive weaknesses, in order to get the team back in the game.
The chess analogy works on so many more levels than this. This was fun.
by deezNuggets on Oct 1, 2010 12:23 AM MDT up reply actions 4 recs
All the players are pawns.
Only the owners (majority share-holders) are Kings and Queens. The Chess Board represents public funds for the stadiums and arenas. The Knights Rooks and Bishops are the agents, the media, GMs, and minority stockholders. If there is a superteam conspiracy, then you’d better believe it is not the player’s faults. The players are manipulated by the agents, owners, and media. Fans pay double to support this slated system. Pay with taxes and then pay out of pockets. Owners make a profit, then manipulate the media into blaming the pawns for financial losses! The athletes do the grunt work, sure they get all the glory, but they don’t make nearly as much as the house. The house always wins!
JR15, I always assumed Brazil had lots of Nuggz fans, but could you imagine if Nene ever made the all-star team? I bet the Nuggz would make bank! That is why Nene is untradeable, even though he is a soft flower around the rim! Just my opinion and I am often wrong though. If I really did understand the economics of basketball, I’d be rich already!!!!!
by the big bill on Sep 30, 2010 2:33 AM MDT reply actions 1 recs
Wark is famous for finding neglected talent
So he would keep an eye on other training camps.
For example, he would know that Tiny Gallon may get cut by the Bucks. I think Gallon is worth project status to the Nuggets, considering their situation at center. “Tiny” is 6-9, 300lbs, 7-4wingspan, nice touch, good hands.
We’ll see if the current FO has got its eyes peeled for such opportunities.
definitely a candidate for the Long Beach diet
What ?!! No hoecakes ??
Nice touch is an understatement
This guy has the ability to defend very good Cs and and rain threes on the other end. If we could get Tiny that would be awesome.
Just heard Melo on a promotion for Nuggets tix on the radio (the Fan)
interesting….maybe it means something, maybe it doesn’t.
Overheard during Nuggets radio broadcasts in the 80's: "....Hanzlik.....HEY HANZLIK...don't ever dribble the ball again or I'll bench your ass!" Doug Moe
DenverStiffs.com
It means
He’s still under contract and likely has obligations to sell tickets. If the team spends money to stick him on a mural, that would be something.
well if that was true they would just keep him off all promotions
I just saw Melo on a Nuggets TV commercial
Overheard during Nuggets radio broadcasts in the 80's: "....Hanzlik.....HEY HANZLIK...don't ever dribble the ball again or I'll bench your ass!" Doug Moe
DenverStiffs.com
by Jeffrey Morton on Sep 30, 2010 3:34 PM MDT up reply actions
It means he's signed an extension with the Nuggets!!!
And that he want to be a Denver Nugget like he’s said all along!
Stiff 4 Life
by GoldenNugget on Sep 30, 2010 11:46 PM MDT up reply actions
Great tweets from Tomasson on the Melo Karl meeting
also Kenyon…..being a pain in the ass
http://twitter.com/christomasson
Overheard during Nuggets radio broadcasts in the 80's: "....Hanzlik.....HEY HANZLIK...don't ever dribble the ball again or I'll bench your ass!" Doug Moe
DenverStiffs.com
Seriously
What the fuck. KMart is another example of why guaranteed contracts should be out… We could be so much better off if we were able to just cut this loser like in the NFL, get Melo some talent around him…
Quitter's People United Member #35
you can say that again
even if kmart had averaged a near double double with good D for every year of his contract, he’s still not a max-level player.
Kiki Vandeweghe’s management was the gift that keeps on taking – we’re still paying dearly for the draft choices he traded away, the bad draft picks he made and this bloated contract. Which may finally bring us something now that it is expiring.
Reaching.
Really, really reaching.
Quitter's People United Member #05
What would Rob do?
By Rob, I offcourse mean myself, ballplayer, loyal fan and supporter.
We need to rebuild, OKC style. Find the right attitudes, and build with them.
I’ve ALWAYS been a huge fan of K-Mart and still am. However with the direction I think the club needs to take to rebuild the image and fan perspective there’s no room for K-Mart anymore.
Make the MELO trade happen with the Nets as long as I get back a couple 1st Rd picks and most importantly D. Favors. This would be one of my building blocks, and we can bring him along slowly since we have Nene and Big Al.
It’s necessary to get rid of the potential bad influences that may affect our new young talent and that’s why we would want to move K-Mart. K-Mart is a player who needs to be on a veteran team, and I would be too afraid of his affect on Favors attitude wise. If I could swing K-Mart along with a 1st rounder for AI9 in Philly, I wouldn’t think twice about making the deal.
A line-up filled with players with great work-ethic, but with a better mix of youth and vets to guide them along, is the way to go. Veterans such as CB, Ely and Nene are essential. Even a guy like Birdman who can warn the youth about potential mistakes is valuable. A blue-collar team of CB, Afflalo, AI9, Lawson and Favors would mesh quick and gain the respect from Coloradians.
If I can’t find a taker for J.R who needs a loose canon off the bench, simply pull a NYK on him and tell him to stay away or be bought out.
I would definetly keep Ely around, love his attitude and post game. Make him the mentor for D. Favors as the 12th or 13th guy on the team. Give Ely and Billups the mentor/coach roles for Favors and Lawson and go from there. Billups should be the coach for this franchsie once he retires and make that part of the deal. Let him know for 2 more years you will start and play 30-35 mins a game. After that Lawson is the fulltime starter and you’re still the leader off the pack on the bench playing sporadically, when you hang them up you will become our coach.
Rebuild around good attitudes and youth with great work ethic (Lawson, Favors, Afflalo and future picks). Be patient and be smart with future contracts. This is our chance at doing it right, the last 7 years have been fun and we were close, but it wasn’t sustainable or financially doable.
Kroenke, Ujiri, let’s build a future champion….
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