Firstly, let me say, I'm OK with you not buying it. The NYK have also sucked and the league is doing great. But, regardless of how well the league does, they spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to do better. One of the effects of this is that NYK, Chicago, LAL will always get the benefit of the doubt. Now that James has joined LAL, there will be a lot more benefit, and a lot less doubt. This isn't just the ranting of a random jerk on the net - the results are quantifiable. In the last 38+ years, ZERO small market teams have won a championship that didn't have either LBJ or Tim Duncan. So, to the Portland, Utahs, Minnys, Denvers, and other small market teams of the world, you need a player that is at least top 3 in the history of the league at their position or you are toast.
But....those teams did have Duncan and Lebron, and they won titles. I know the NBA has a big/small market problem, I am just not saying its part of a conspiracy or "rigged" system. The bigger cities or cities with nice weather, etc., are draws because these guys are humans. There wasn't any rigged system that had Michael Jordan going to Chicago, or Bird to Boston. If there is any questionable pick among those championship winners its freaking Tim Duncan going to SA just because David Robinson got hurt and they lost a shit ton of games. And that helped San Antonio, not Boston, where he was close to landing.
I'd put the Pistons in the conversation.....they used to be big market but Detroit was a ghost town when they won a championship last and they had NO superstars on that roster....you could buy a house in Detroit back then for a pack of chewing gum...Detroit was seriously a city in decline and nobody wanted to live there.
The Warriors were door mats for years and Oakland wasn't looked at as really a large market team. The hit gold in the draft three times with players no one thought or would classify as franchise type players when drafted, even Curry. With the addition of a few solid vets (Bogut, Iggy, others) they have surprised any expectations the league or fans ever thought of, even before KD. I agree that it helps a teams odds for sure, to have a few super stars, but most our grown organically. Even many of the so called larger markets are struggling to win a championship.
The Warriors: Garbage for decades owner finally sold team (Chris Cohan, was a complete dick and didn't care) Don Nelson I think was overrated as a coach but had a tremendous eye for talent - he liked guys like Mitch Richmond, Tim Hardaway, Letrell Sprewell, and....Steph Curry when nobody else thought those guys would be superstars. Nelson encouraged them to play very loose and Steph to play without fear of being reprimanded. Nelson left. His old friend took over the GM duties but didn't want it permanently, Larry Riley. Ainge called his old boss, Joe Lacob, and told him that he knew the perfect GM - Bob Myers, a local guy who knew Ainge from his agent days. Lacob took a risk hired Bob as Asst GM, and Riley gave him a year to learn the ins and outs. Bob spent a season watching Mark Jackson and knew he wasn't good enough. Pissed off half the fans and fired him. The took a risk and traded Monta for Bogut - pissing off half their fan base that it wasn't Curry. Again, half. Bob came in and nailed drafts. Green, Klay, with role players too like McCaw, J Bell, Looney Signed free agents that weren't highly sought after - David West, S Livingston, Quinn Cook, and one that was, Iggy. Just do all that and you too can win championships. NOBODY wanted to play in Oakland. No one. They built it, won, and started to attract people.
It's not rigged like a coin that always lands on heads, it's rigged like a coin that lands on heads 60% of the time. That's enough to kill small market teams, and it has. If you prefer a different term than "rigged", no problem. I liked the term "rigged" because it is intentional, as Magic Johnson points out.
I'd agree that Kevin Durant signing a big shoe contract was a big boon for small market teams. Regardless SF/Oakland make a huge media market, regardless of whoever's perspective.
They essentially got a much better player for DeRozan. He may or may not resign there but he’s much better. They were also not going to win a championship with their previous core and while they probably still won’t, their chances will look much better with healthy Kawhi. I like that move from Toronto perspective. They had the balls to go all out and try to change something, I appreciate their courage.
IMO, Kawhi is going to refuse to commit to re-sign with the Raptors and will end up in LA by the deadline. Maybe that ends up being a good thing for them if they get enough young talent.
I kind of like it, but it has too many meanings, and not all are negative. My feelings about the whole thing are obviously negative, for now now I'm sticking with rigged.
Maybe to keep enough cap space to sign another FA next summer, or simply to compete in this year’s playoffs? Edit: Now that I think about it, probably the biggest reason from the Lakers’ standpoint is to take the risk out of free agency. By trading for him, they get his Bird rights and can offer Kawhi a bigger contract than other teams can. Otherwise, the Raptors can outbid them.
I think there's a good chance Kawhi resigns. I also wonder, if after this season (would have to be in late July, TOR has to wait a year, but maybe...) Toronto trades some combination of Anunoby, Wright, and filler salary to San Antonio to bring Derozen back.
I dunno. Derozen will be expiring... If he wants back in Toronto then there's a chance. Anunoby and Wright are great prospects. Wright is still young but he was very productive last year and I really like a backcourt with him and Murray. Anunoby is still super-young and Kawhi-lite. Give up their 2021 and 2023 firsts and filler salary? That's not a bad deal. I'd love to see it happen. Derozen belongs in Toronto.
