I've been simply floored at how many posters don't realize this today, but Maris not knowing this seems realistic.
Can somebody explain to me why everybody is so angry? What exactly did the Grizzlies do wrong? The whole point of the medical retirement was because they thought Darius Miles couldn't play anymore. He obviously can. How can you disprove that? Blazers are one of my favorite teams, and I don't like the Grizzlies (who does?) but this is ridiculous. The man can play. That's it.
Actually I don't think most of the hate is directed toward Miles at all, but rather there is a perception that Wallace is only using Miles as a pawn to fuck the Blazers. If Miles really can play and be productive then more power to him I say. Likewise, if the Grizz really are signing him in good faith and keep him around for the rest of the season then I've got no beef with that either. I guess we'll find out in ten days what the real story is.
The rule was created because of the Knicks and Allen Houston. The Blazers would have never waived Miles IMO had the league and the players' union not signed off on it. It is a very unique situation, and in this economy, $9 million means that jobs are lost in the organization.
I understand that but I feel like everybody would be up in arms even if it were another team that decided to sign Miles. The doctors were wrong in saying that Miles couldn't play, so regardless of whether or not he is back for just a couple of ten day contracts garnering five minutes per game...as long as he is running up and down the court and playing basketball there is no way the Blazers can get out of it...even if they threaten the rest of the league. Poor move on the organization's part I feel. If I owned the Nets and I woke up this morning and saw that in my mailbox, first thing I'd do is waive Mo Ager and sign Darius Miles for two games. That's just uncalled for, what the Blazers did this morning.
That's an understandable reaction ... and I don't defend what the Blazers management decided to do; I thought it was definitely in poor form and clumsily executed.
If I owned the Nets, I'm sure I can afford to take the hit. Maybe I'd keep Miles, it's not like we use Ager anyway.
That's another thing I don't understand. First, Miles should have held out for a guaranteed contract if it's about screwing Portland. He should've said (since it's HIS leverage), "you want to screw the Blazers for 9M in cap space and your lux tax share in cash? Fine. Pay me my money, guaranteed, all year or you don't get squat." Second, if the Grizzlies would've just kept him all year on his guaranteed contract, the Blazers probably wouldn't have had a leg to stand on. Now, they obviously have the impression that they have a case against anyone who doesn't keep Miles most of the year. It'll be fun, and I'm a little skeptical about all the "Miller and PA and KP screwed up" crowd. KP said in October they had a solution already set up for this.
They DID honor his contract. He got paid. They weren't going to play him anyway. It's pretty similar to paying Francis off. (Other than getting to take Miles' contract off the payroll.) You don't like PA as an owner? I just don't get it.
There's no telling what Miles motivations are, but if he really wants to get back on the court and he's got this history of being kind of bad apple and the devastating knee injury, how much leverage does he really have when his getting back on the court only represents a financial gain of a few hundred thousand dollars to all luxury tax receiving teams? -- it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a team to spend millions on a guy when the money coming back to them is a fraction of that. After all, they aren't solely concerned with fucking the Blazers right? Again, even if Darius only sticks around for a ten day contract or two, the Blazers still don't have much of a case since this isn't exactly an unheard of practice in the NBA -- guys sign and play on ten day contracts all the time, every year and then get released and no one says boo about it. You're right, they aren't screwed, they still can move RLEC (or other players) in a trade before the deadline, and can still have upwards of 16 million of cap room this coming off-season, they just won't have the complete, unfettered freedom to operate they would have had if Miles had stayed away.
You have said this twice. Twice doesn't make it right. NOTHING has come up so far to disprove the doctors declaration. No one is claiming that the declaration of qualification for medical retirement was a mistake by the doctors. Darius running and jumping on the court does not change the prognosis that doing so is a big risk for significant and permanent body damage.
Agreed. Note, though, that some people are using the medical declaration as a source of protection for the Blazers... like, because the doctors reported a certain way, Portland should be clear. (This isn't directed at you, Masbee.) The doctors gave a prognosis that would allow a medical retirement. This prognosis, along with an absence of Miles from the NBA, allows the team certain privileges. The prognosis should not and cannot be viewed as a proscription of Miles's return. The doctors did their job, and Portland was covered from that angle. Miles's return doesn't render the prognosis incorrect... just irrelevant. Ed O.
Yes, but by Allen or an insurance company? There may be some insurance lawyers who see this as insurance fraud, which could complicate things.
