The super Melo to Portland thread + The Big Blockbuster

The NFL has 22 starters per team, the NBA has 5 per team. A franchise tag in the NBA would be akin to NFL teams having something like 4-5 franchise tags. Having only one in the NFL forces teams to make tough decisions at times--tag one player and let another go. In the NBA, franchise tags would pretty much end superstars' ability to switch teams.

Also, I think the whole concept of "superteams" is exaggerated. The Warriors built the vast majority of their "superteam" through drafting and non-obvious but smart trades/free agent signings. Durant was a historical outlier, but it's not like the Warriors just assembled an amazing team out of free agents choosing to play together. The Cavaliers were burned by the "superteam" phenomenon before their hometown superstar chose to come back to Cleveland. They drafted Irving and traded another draft pick, Wiggins, for Love.

Really, the Heat are the only superteam that formed from free agents choosing to come together to build a team. I don't consider the current Rockets a superteam by any means and getting Carmelo Anthony, a slightly above average player, wouldn't change that all, IMO. Unless by superteam you just means "lots of celebrities."

Superteams have existed in every popular era of the NBA. People don't seem to have a problem with superteams--what they seem to have a problem with is players having any hand in building it. If a GM builds it--great! The bigger the better. If a player or players make decisions that help build it--boo, league broken.

 

I don't know. Look it up. You're the only one that wants an answer to that question.

The bottom line is when you say:

"quite a few people thought Vonleh was a bad defender too."

That statement is false.

 

Can you post what it says? What's the point of posting a locked article we can't read?

 

OK? What's "the very latest"?

 

To get someone else to pay Vecsey for it. I will try and sign up to pay him on Patreon right after I get my subscriptions for Quick and Clownzano set up.

 

Sports journalists are Patreon begging now? It's all over gaming, and now it's moving into sports.

 

Right? It was literally the only thing he could do well.

 

I actually like the idea of a franchise tag for the NBA, but I think it should only be able to apply to a player a team drafted. It would have prevented Shaq from bolting to LA, Lebron bolting to Miami, Mourning from bolting to Miami....

Perhaps if stars "demand a trade" teams will get better return with a franchise tag. Because now, there is always the threat of that player leaving for nothing.

 

Pete Vescey is still a thing?

 

If Orlando wouldn't have low balled Shaq he would've stayed.

 

If being a thing includes becoming so irrelevant that you have to start your own on-line NBA rumor page and try to get schmucks to pay you for what you don't know, then yes.

 

It's probably just the same Woj rehash that we have seen over the past few days.

 

That's impossible to answer. Even when he starts, he only plays about 20 MPG.

But, I can tell you this. Noah Vonleh has not started 97 games the last two seasons because of his offense. Last season he had the lowest scoring average of any player in the entire league to start at least half his teams' games. In 2015-16, he had the 3rd lowest scoring average of any starter - Luc Mbah a Moute and Tayshaun Prince were they only starters to score less than Vonleh, and guess what they are known for - their defense.

In fact, I think at this point in his career, the Mbah a Moute comparison is very accurate (in terms of role, not position). He's a guy that starts for his defense and the other little things he does, but you don't count on him to score more than 4 points in a game. If you get more, it's a pleasant surprise, but you don't expect it or depend on it.

BNM

 

Since asshat is a noun (i.e. a thing), then yes Peter Vescey is still, and always will be, a thing.

BNM

 

Okay. I guess I was mistaken.

 

You do realize that with CJ's money kicking in, that even if you hadn't spent a dime on Nards and Turner. Portland would be just under the softcap this year. Giving them only the full MLE to work with.
Now if Portland didn't sign Crabbe, Turner, Harkless, Nards they'd have the ability to offer 1 max contract this year to a free agent they didn't own bird rights to.
However I'm not sure how a team without those 4 players is better suited than how the team sits today.

 

Looks like the Cavs have enough headaches to worry about instead of trading for Melo.