Will Miles play tonight? (Merged)

Bulls said Eddy Curry's heart condition was career ending. He is in his 4th season since the incident now.

Darius Miles pretty obviously hasn't underwent a career ending injury, because his career hasn't ended, and he's met the 10 game requisite that is needed to prove that it was not a career ending injury.

The only question that is really left, is whether Stern will levy a penalty (ala Joe Smith) against the Blazers for trying to circumvent the CBA, and their other dirty dealings.

 

Exactly.

If he plays regularly at around 10 or more minutes a night with no ill effects, then the Blazers are going to look pretty foolish. On the other hand, if after a few games Darius' knee is swolen up to the size of a basketball, then we'll know that the Blazers' and league doctors were right. If that happens, I'd expect the Blazers to appeal the whole 10-game baloney. Worst case for everybody would seem to be if he just plays spot minutes so that we have no real clue as to what his capabilities are.

 

Boy, you really enjoy playing the contrarian, don't you Ed?

The issue is whether Darius can continue an NBA "career". A single game does not constitute a career.

 

The league and a doctor approved by the players' union didn't, however, nor did the Bulls go through the process the Blazers did.

Why can't people get a grasp of the actual facts?

 

Re: Miles just schooled LeBron

Funny thing is, you'd think the sensible thing would have been to ASK DARIUS.

 

You are forgetting a third issue.

(C) Why weren't the Blazers allowed to claim a waived player? You argued before that the only thing that mattered regarding Darius being waived originally by the Blazers was the fact that he was waived. The "career-ending" judgement of it held no water with you. I tried to argue that the Blazers would have never waived him, but by letter of the CBA, your take is actually more accurate if intent is not taken into consideration.

If the above is the case, and if the reports of the NBA not allowing a claim by the Blazers on an active player, why did the NBA not allow one team to claim a waived player while it allowed the other 29 teams to do so? Where is this rule in the CBA? It is at the very least something that an arbritrator would have to consider.

Also, since Daruis made some shots tonight, who is to say the Blazers weren't looking for help at SF now that Outlaw will apparently be the back-up PF off of the bench.

 

Re: Miles just schooled LeBron

Darius had to sign the paperwork in order to 'retire' after his medical evaluation.

Good God...

 

That issue is moot after his next game.

The issue is did the Blazers break any laws, and can they repair the PR damage they've done to themselves.

Since this is probably the only way to prevent KP from going after Kobe, I'm pleased as punch at how it all turned out, but I wish they had just accepted it with a little bit of class rather than what they did.

 

The defamation and lies the Blazers fed about Darius during the pre-season when other teams were looking at him. Trying to claim him off waivers. Then the email.

The problem with the Blazers trying to claim Darius off waivers is that it's insurance fraud. What would the NBA's insurance company think about a team signing a guy who they said couldn't play basketball, footing insurance with the bill?

What the Blazers tried to do by claiming Miles off waivers and forceably ending his career is the worst thing a front office has done in NBA history. When Eddy Curry had his heart problem, the Bulls were willing to let other team's doctors decide whether Curry was fit to play, and offered an annuity to Curry if other teams rules that he was unfit to play. Joe Smith, just trying to help a player out.

What the Blazers were trying to do was as scumbaggish as you can get.

 

Well, (a) was already answered inasmuch as the league-appointed doctor said that Darius' knee injury was career-ending. Given that determination, until Darius has played in 10 NBA games there is no question as to whether the Blazers would be afforded cap relief.

Under the provisions of the CBA, you are correct in that if (b) happens, the Blazers lose the cap relief. Those are the rules in place and I doubt that the NBA will willingly diverge from them. However, it's pretty clear (to me at least) that this rule doesn't get at the reality of whether Darius' knee is sufficiently damaged that he cannot continue to play NBA basketball for a reasonable period of time without his knee breaking down.

If the situation is as the Blazers' doctor and league-appointed doctor said, I think it would have been unethical for the Blazers to continue to play Darius, even if he wanted to. I think it would also be unethical for the Grizzlies or any other NBA team to continue to play him in that situation. On the other hand, if the medical opinions offered last year were overly pessimistic, then Darius should be allowed to try to resurrect his career.

What would truly suck, IMO, is if the medical opinions upon which Darius' retirement was based were correct, Darius' knee breaks down, and yet the Blazers are forced to pay a penalty, both financially and in lost personnel opportunities, simply because the CBA rule on this point is obviously flawed.

 

Anyone with at least a small portion of a functioning brain.

Let it go.

 

No it isn't. Let's say that Darius starts averaging 20 ppg. The Blazers, on record, tried to claim him on waivers and were told they could not by the NBA. Show me in the CBA where the NBA has the right to deny a waiver claim based solely on perceived intent. The NBA also denied Miles a guaranteed contract through the rest of the year.

This is far from "moot".

 

I'm talking about a legal argument, not your loose grasp of the facts.

 

That question has been answered . . . league is not going to fine the Blazers.

Good call by the league.

 

^^^^The only thing worse than a troll is a troll who has no idea what they are talking about.^^^^

 

The Blazers have no arguement. They are soooooooooo on the wrong side legally, and more important morally.

Miles will play more than Jerryd Bayless does this season.

Maybe if you call your policeman friend he can get the FBI to look into it but...

 

Because it was a reasonable belief at the time, especially with an NBA-appointed doctor making the diagnosis. If I discovered that the Blazers didn't really have any reason to believe that this injury could be career-ending, I would feel negatively toward the franchise.

It doesn't prove it, but it doesn't significantly lower the likelihood of it. There are two main things that I consider legitimately career-ending: the injury eliminates the player's ability to play at a high enough level to be able to play in the NBA or the player would be putting his life at risk if he continued playing.

Perhaps this is just an anomaly and he will fail to play at an NBA level within a few games. But his playing at a high level now is pretty good evidence that he still has the capability. And this is definitely not a life-threatening situation.

I should re-phrase. What I am glad about is that this won't simply be gamesmanship. If Miles couldn't really play basketball, but was going to hobble (figuratively) onto the court in a few games just to hurt the Blazers, that wouldn't sit well. If Miles can legitimately play basketball and wants to, he should and Portland shouldn't be getting the cap exemption. Whether Memphis has an ulterior motive is irrelevant to that.