http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6749669/if-ruled-nba-world I'm a Simmons fan. In this article, you'll find some funny, clever, interesting and stupid ideas. Simmons bases much of his proposed top-end salary rules on how many All Star games a player has been selected for. In evaluating this principle, I can't help but remind myself that Yao Ming was elected a 2011 All Star Game starter despite having not played a game. However, I do like his idea of allowing franchise players a $500,000/season/year (only seasons with the same team are counted) salary kicker that doesn't count against the team's salary cap. I also like his idea that, if a player's productivity decreases below "All Star" or "Franchise" levels, the player's contract is adjusted. Anyway, things are deadly slow and I found it a fun read.
I'm a big fan of Simmons but there's a lot about this article I don't like. Most notably, the President Dave "couldn't we all just get along" angle is silly. The two sides aren't ready to make a deal yet and it seems to me to not be in anyone's interests for either the owners or players to make real concessions now. I think the negotiations will begin in earnest in late September, early October, after a few preseason games are cancelled. No biggie. That's just the way this is going to go. I think Simmons putting the onus for the NBA's troubles on Stern is off base. Stern almost certainly has had, and will continue to have, very little to do with setting the agenda. There are only thirty ownership groups and you have to imagine that many of the terms are going to be dictated to him. Hunter has a tougher job, having to herd cats with all of the individual NBA players, but even then his marching orders will come from his constituency. Simmons also seems caught up on the PR war. I can't imagine that either side really cares much about what people think or don't think about who is in the right. We're kind of just on the sidelines hoping that a deal gets worked out. I don't see what difference it makes what the fans think, outside of the fact that the players union may be easier to break if they're hearing from their friends that they should just take the offer on the table -- but what are the chances of that happening? That said, I like the ideas about moving the Bobcats to Chicago; a tournament; shortening guaranteed contracts; and contraction. I would also toss raising the age limit one year into the mix. I think many Freshman draftees would fair better over the length of their careers if they were forced to develop another year in college.
Simmons is a creative but troubled writer. He's always way too into Public Relations and perceptions, that shouldn't come as a surprise. He made this petty argument about how Kevin McHale was better than Karl Malone, and that those late 90's Jazz teams were mediocre even though they lost to the Chicago Bulls in 1997 by a margin of 4 points.
