Well I would put Dallas on the super city list. SAS, has only been a title winner due to Duncan, there were other factors but Ducan was what put them over the top. OKC has a shot at making a good run for the next few years also. The whole Minny issue baffles me because of this NBA super city set up. While the rich get richer teams like Utah, Portland, Minnesota and Memphis just keep fucking with eatchother.
The GP/Malone experiment has to be called a failure because they made it clear anything short of a title was a failure. I remember that finals and one of the ESPN writers saying if Detroit did EVERYTHING right they might win one game ... but don't count on it. Damn, I didn't cheer so hard since the Blazers were in the Finals.
Instead of SuperCities, it may be better to think of States: New York, Illinois (Chicago), California, and Texas. Of course, that isn't particularly surprising as that applies to a lot of things outside of basketball. edit: One more thing. The thing the other teams have going for them is the draft lottery. You can get a superstar to play for you if you draft him, and get multiple high picks to go with that superstar. That is exactly what OKC is doing, and exactly why we'd be on top if not for injuries.
I'm not worried. By the time we're ready to challenge in the playoffs, he'll be long past his prime. He has a lot of mileage on his body. Of course, then Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose will force their way to the L*kers and the cycle will repeat once more.
Well, Dwight has made it clear that he did not want to be traded to the Lakers. He wanted Brooklyn. Of course now it is between playing in Orlando (or sitting out according to one tweet I read) or playing for the Lakers for multiple years. Orlando probably should of made a deal with the Nets where they would of gotten a better package (IMO) than what the Lakers will give. But I don't think Orlando ever intended to trade Howard to Brooklyn because they wanted to spite him in any way possible.
I keep thinking about a line from the movie "Money Ball" about how the Padres were a farm team for the Yankees. IMHO, the amnesty thing has really screwed up competitive balance even more.
If the Lakers have to move Gasol and Bynum for him (I don't know what it'll take, I'm just saying) I don't think that any conspiracy theories are needed. The Lakers have been able to almost acquire Chris Paul and now maybe get Dwight Howard... why? Because they have good pieces to trade. Bynum is one of the best centers in the NBA and he's young. The Lakers would be giving up value to get it back. It might be a good move for them, but it's not like they'd be getting Howard for free. Ed O.
very interesting, hadnt thought of that angle...seems kinda self defeating, but what should they do...join forces?
i really think houston giving up royce white terrence jones jeremy lamb and a few #1s is the way to go for orlando they arent winning a title with bynum instead of dwight
They wouldn't be getting Dwight for free, but they aren't losing much. Gasol is getting softer and softer each season. Good riddance if anything. And while Bynum is a good player, he isn't anywhere close to being as good as Dwight. And he still remains injury prone and has a beyond shitty attitude.
Bynum is way better than any of those guys and he plays a position of scarcity. He gets paid a lot more, of course, but getting mid-firsts is significantly easier than getting a franchise quality center like Bynum. Ed O.
Sure, but how long before your "superstar" wants to leave town and head for one of the "hotspots"? It happens all the time.
And why do they always have good pieces to trade? Because the better players want to go there, and often find a way to make it happen.
Those teams had holdovers from the old system. In the new paradigm, players like Duncan and Nowitzki would have been lured to large market teams much earlier in their career. See: Kevin Durant in a few years after he finds he won't win a title in OKC.
Bynum has only 1 year left and he hasn't said he'd re-sign. Also, Orlando is wanting at dumping contracts and getting picks. Only Houston offers both of these.
