It's kind of liberating in a way to know that it's so blatant now. It makes managing my expectations a lot easier.
Small markets always get shafted. Hard to change that when the players want to play in the big spot light because A. They get better calls, pretty obvious on this one (or this one could just be me pouting) B. They can make more money through endorsements C. Will always have access to role players willing to take a pay cut to play in a big market because theres a stereotype that only big markets win.
I think we're going to see a drop-off in attendance in smaller markets, as fans begin to realize that league rules are screwing their team's chances for success.
They're currently set to have 41 mil in salary in the summer of 2012. The cap now is set at 58 mil so that would leave 17 million to start Paul off at, pretty close to what his max would be I think. Dumping Renaldo Balkman somehow would put them at almost 19 mil under that cap though. This is all discounting any draft picks they may have over the next few years. The CBA could change a lot of this though. I don't have a problem with the Pierce, Ray, and KG team in Boston because Boston's front office legitimately acquired all three. The Miami big three is clearly collusion on the part of the players. The Knicks signed Amare and Melo pretty much was dead set on going there one way or the other, CP3 or Deron is destined to be there in 2012. Maybe its a good time for the CBA. Stern has to love the big ratings that these super teams get but it'll start hurting the league when small market fans abandon their teams. It almost feels like if Stern succeeds in once again raising the minimum age to enter the NBA and continues to allow this shit then hes setting up college basketball to take a big chunk of his viewership and revenue. Stars will be born and developed for 2-3 years in college where the game is purer and small market fans don't have to deal with all the NBA bullshit.
Probably. He didn't want to go to Boston at first and then the Celts acquired Ray Ray. Next thing you know KG is on his way to Bean Town.
The point is that the best players are picking and choosing where they want to go--and it's usually the big markets, and the glamour destinations of the league, like New York, Miami, Chicago, Boston, and LA. Unless the league puts a limit on this, it's going to hurt the rest of the teams--i.e., the majority of the franchises in the NBA.
