Free Agency Losers
By Jon Pastuszek
Thu, 07/15/2010 - 1:19pm
For every winner, there is a loser. The NBA offseason is no different. One man’s cause for celebration and optimism is another man’s cause for solitude and depression.
Who’s lost the most this summer? Let’s recap.
Losers:
Dan Gilbert:
While hilarious and partially awesome, writing a scathing open letter that includes such gems as, “Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there” and “The self-declared former "King" will be taking the ‘curse’ with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma” is childishly petulant.
"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE" is something that a stumbling, drunk, love-sick boyfriend who just lost his first sweetheart to the high school quarterback would blare out at a weekend bender while his classmates look on and laugh. Answering to James’ unprofessionalism with unprofessionalism is equally poor tact, and an NBA owner should know better.
Yet, Gilbert, who aside from ESPN (we’ll get to them in a minute) was LeBron’s biggest supporter and enabler over the years. Gilbert not only supported James’ status as a mythical demigod, he helped build it up, hyping up LBJ into the singular savior of an entire region with the security of knowing huge sums of personal profit where his to gain. Now, the money – and LeBron – are both gone, and Gilbert is showing his true colors as a spoiled, rich man who can’t handle losing out on his investment.
ESPN:
The Worldwide Leader also lost some major points with “The Decision,” a poorly conceived, poorly executed ordeal that discredited everyone involved, from LeBron James to Jim Gray to the network itself.
“The Decision” was unprofessional on all accounts. LeBron’s act of vanity required an arena, and sensing a ratings bonanza, ESPN gladly obliged at the expense of its own credibility as a news network.
But, the real question worth asking is, who is to blame for this ridiculously egocentric culmination to a ridiculous build-up? Is it LBJ for thinking it up in the first place, ESPN for broadcasting his blatant narcissism, David Stern for not stepping in, or us the fans, who went along for the ride anyway, despite knowing the result beforehand?
Everyone surely did their part, but ESPN, who did nothing during the telecast to suggest that actual reporting was being done, deserves their fair share.
Donnie Walsh:
Walsh’s all-in trade to acquire Tracy McGrady’s expiring contract for 2010 first-round pick, Jordan Hill and first-round picks in 2011 and 2012 in hopes of acquiring two max free agents has come up bust.
By itself, nabbing Stoudemire, the summer’s best free agent big man, is a good thing for the franchise. Reuniting S.T.A.T. with D’Antoni is undoubtedly the best situation for the high-flying power forward to produce big numbers outside of Phoenix, and his arrival could attract future big name free agents in the years ahead.
But, if you’re a Knicks fan, you’ve already been down this road. Walsh peddled potential dream scenarios for this summer for two years, he failed to deliver on his promise. The Knicks will be improved next year and maybe even good enough for an eighth seed next year in the East.
MJark CUban
Dallas Mavericks:
Life is relative, not absolute, so it makes me wonder why I’m even writing an article that is promoting such black and white distinctions as winners and losers.
Dallas is a very good team. Dirk Nowitzki is one of the League’s best players, and supporting him is a very solid core that features Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Caron Butler in what is the League’s deepest roster.
Dallas is very good. But, that’s the problem. Very good isn’t great, and great is what wins championships. Dallas has been very good for the better part of ten years, and subsequently, have been unable to win a title.
That’s why this summer was a big one for Mark Cuban. With Erick Dampier’s highly desirable non-guaranteed contract at their disposal, the Mavs were considered by many as a darkhorse in this summer’s free-agent bonanza. With a competitive roster, a rich and highly driven owner, and the 2010 NBA All-Star mega arena, Cowboys Stadium, all in place, Dallas was seen as a highly desirable location for a superstar to win championships.
Like many other teams with similar aspirations, however, Dallas came away frustrated and disappointed not to land a max free-agent. Dallas’ back up plans didn’t work out either: Bids to land Jermaine O’Neal and Al Jefferson, both seen as potential Dampier replacements, both fell through. As a last ditch effort to salvage something from Dampier’s contract, the Mavericks were able to shed Eduardo Najera’s and Matt Carroll’s bad contracts on the Bobcats in exchange for Tyson Chandler. It’s a deal that gives the Mavs size, defense and mobility up front, and it sets up something big for the trade deadline, but the team was expecting a much bigger reward from Dampier.
The Mavs are still very good, but regrettably, very good isn’t good enough. This offseason will go down as a missed opportunity for a team that was looking to challenge the Lakers.
The Southeast Division:
Orlando, with Dwight Howard still patrolling the paint, will dispute that, given the fact that Miami has nobody up front (for the time being) to physically match-up with the League’s most dominating big man up front. And maybe Washington, with the addition of a potential superstar, John Wall, is optimistic that they can mount a challenge later in the decade.
But, let’s get real here: Barring a radical change in the collective bargaining agreement, like say, a hard cap, Wade, James and Bosh are going to rule this division, and the Eastern Conference, for the foreseeable future. In a world that demands winners, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington are all battling for second place in a division that’s essentially locked up for a long time.
Chicago Bulls:
Like the Mavericks, the Bulls also had big ambitions of grabbing one of the top prizes of this summer’s free-agent class. Also like the Mavericks, their ambitions disappeared when Team Trinity formed in Miami.
Failing to get Wade or LeBron stings. With either one of the two, the Bulls would have been considered the heavy favorite to come out of the East, as well as a legitimate challenger to the Lakers. Signing Carlos Boozer to pair on pick-and-rolls with Derrick Rose wasn’t a terrible consolation, though. Rose, Boozer and Joakim Noah is one of the East’s best threesomes, and with capable role players like Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and the newly signed Kyle Korver, to go along with head-coach defensive mastermind, Tom Thibedau, the Bulls will be among the Easts top teams.
Yet, for the majority of those, including the Bulls themselves, who felt that they were the front-runners to land one of the best players in the league, this offseason will leave a very sour taste.
Tie:
LeBron James
Nobody likes ties, so associating one with LeBron James is appropriate, because nobody likes him either.
It’s also appropriate because James’ trade-off between realizing his personal dream scenario at the expense of his popularity and legacy.
At its core, going to Miami is an innocent decision. LeBron likes hanging out with his boys and winning championships. After watching “More Than a Game,” the documentary about James’ quest for a high-school national championship at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, I realized that dude is pretty simple: He wants to be part of something and he wants to be liked. It’s easy to understand why, too. For much of his young life, LeBron wasn’t part of anything. He never had a father in his life, and his mother was strung out.
That changed, though, when he moved in with his coach’s family and was introduced to his future high-school crew. Their bond grew to be unbreakable, and as the victories and fame piled up, all of them had the time of their lives – together.
And that’s what this whole thing in Miami is. An attempt to recreate those glory days in Akron. Who wouldn’t want to win championships with your buddies in South Beach?
The decision is easy to understand. The process into which that decision was made, however, is not.
James’ lack of class and disregard for the feelings of an entire region reflected serious immaturity and lack of thought for others. It’s incredible to think that James, along with his circle of advisors and businessmen, seriously thought that dumping the city of Cleveland on live national television was a good idea. James’ likeability has plunged. And James, who has marketed himself all along as a good guy, has put his marketability at stake with his approach. People don’t buy the shoes of player’s they don’t like. The King may have put himself in his ideal spot, but it will come at the cost of millions of fans, and the dollars that are in their pockets.
More disappointing than the cost to his fans and his popularity, however, is the hit his legacy has taken. A player who had the potential to become one of the greatest players to ever play basketball has relegated himself to a sidekick role. Winning one by himself against the Lakers, Magic, Heat and Celtics was too tough, so he took the easy way out and joined forces with equal talent. It speaks volumes about his competitiveness and desire to be the best. It also speaks on the dangers of approaching things that haven’t happened with absolute certainty. From when he was a teenager, we felt that tomorrow would be promised today; that LeBron’s development into an all-time great was a given. I was as guilty as anyone.
As we’ve learned, it wasn’t a given. We’ve missed out on a chance for greatness. And that’s what in my mind, as a fan of basketball, is the worst thing about this all.
Free Agency Winners Article Here
Who’s lost the most this summer? Let’s recap.
Losers:
Dan Gilbert:
While hilarious and partially awesome, writing a scathing open letter that includes such gems as, “Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there” and “The self-declared former "King" will be taking the ‘curse’ with him down south. And until he does "right" by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma” is childishly petulant.
"I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER 'KING' WINS ONE" is something that a stumbling, drunk, love-sick boyfriend who just lost his first sweetheart to the high school quarterback would blare out at a weekend bender while his classmates look on and laugh. Answering to James’ unprofessionalism with unprofessionalism is equally poor tact, and an NBA owner should know better.
Yet, Gilbert, who aside from ESPN (we’ll get to them in a minute) was LeBron’s biggest supporter and enabler over the years. Gilbert not only supported James’ status as a mythical demigod, he helped build it up, hyping up LBJ into the singular savior of an entire region with the security of knowing huge sums of personal profit where his to gain. Now, the money – and LeBron – are both gone, and Gilbert is showing his true colors as a spoiled, rich man who can’t handle losing out on his investment.
ESPN:
The Worldwide Leader also lost some major points with “The Decision,” a poorly conceived, poorly executed ordeal that discredited everyone involved, from LeBron James to Jim Gray to the network itself.
“The Decision” was unprofessional on all accounts. LeBron’s act of vanity required an arena, and sensing a ratings bonanza, ESPN gladly obliged at the expense of its own credibility as a news network.
But, the real question worth asking is, who is to blame for this ridiculously egocentric culmination to a ridiculous build-up? Is it LBJ for thinking it up in the first place, ESPN for broadcasting his blatant narcissism, David Stern for not stepping in, or us the fans, who went along for the ride anyway, despite knowing the result beforehand?
Everyone surely did their part, but ESPN, who did nothing during the telecast to suggest that actual reporting was being done, deserves their fair share.
Donnie Walsh:
Walsh’s all-in trade to acquire Tracy McGrady’s expiring contract for 2010 first-round pick, Jordan Hill and first-round picks in 2011 and 2012 in hopes of acquiring two max free agents has come up bust.
By itself, nabbing Stoudemire, the summer’s best free agent big man, is a good thing for the franchise. Reuniting S.T.A.T. with D’Antoni is undoubtedly the best situation for the high-flying power forward to produce big numbers outside of Phoenix, and his arrival could attract future big name free agents in the years ahead.
But, if you’re a Knicks fan, you’ve already been down this road. Walsh peddled potential dream scenarios for this summer for two years, he failed to deliver on his promise. The Knicks will be improved next year and maybe even good enough for an eighth seed next year in the East.
MJark CUbanDallas Mavericks:
Life is relative, not absolute, so it makes me wonder why I’m even writing an article that is promoting such black and white distinctions as winners and losers.
Dallas is a very good team. Dirk Nowitzki is one of the League’s best players, and supporting him is a very solid core that features Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Caron Butler in what is the League’s deepest roster.
Dallas is very good. But, that’s the problem. Very good isn’t great, and great is what wins championships. Dallas has been very good for the better part of ten years, and subsequently, have been unable to win a title.
That’s why this summer was a big one for Mark Cuban. With Erick Dampier’s highly desirable non-guaranteed contract at their disposal, the Mavs were considered by many as a darkhorse in this summer’s free-agent bonanza. With a competitive roster, a rich and highly driven owner, and the 2010 NBA All-Star mega arena, Cowboys Stadium, all in place, Dallas was seen as a highly desirable location for a superstar to win championships.
Like many other teams with similar aspirations, however, Dallas came away frustrated and disappointed not to land a max free-agent. Dallas’ back up plans didn’t work out either: Bids to land Jermaine O’Neal and Al Jefferson, both seen as potential Dampier replacements, both fell through. As a last ditch effort to salvage something from Dampier’s contract, the Mavericks were able to shed Eduardo Najera’s and Matt Carroll’s bad contracts on the Bobcats in exchange for Tyson Chandler. It’s a deal that gives the Mavs size, defense and mobility up front, and it sets up something big for the trade deadline, but the team was expecting a much bigger reward from Dampier.
The Mavs are still very good, but regrettably, very good isn’t good enough. This offseason will go down as a missed opportunity for a team that was looking to challenge the Lakers.
The Southeast Division:
Orlando, with Dwight Howard still patrolling the paint, will dispute that, given the fact that Miami has nobody up front (for the time being) to physically match-up with the League’s most dominating big man up front. And maybe Washington, with the addition of a potential superstar, John Wall, is optimistic that they can mount a challenge later in the decade.
But, let’s get real here: Barring a radical change in the collective bargaining agreement, like say, a hard cap, Wade, James and Bosh are going to rule this division, and the Eastern Conference, for the foreseeable future. In a world that demands winners, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington are all battling for second place in a division that’s essentially locked up for a long time.
Chicago Bulls:
Like the Mavericks, the Bulls also had big ambitions of grabbing one of the top prizes of this summer’s free-agent class. Also like the Mavericks, their ambitions disappeared when Team Trinity formed in Miami.
Failing to get Wade or LeBron stings. With either one of the two, the Bulls would have been considered the heavy favorite to come out of the East, as well as a legitimate challenger to the Lakers. Signing Carlos Boozer to pair on pick-and-rolls with Derrick Rose wasn’t a terrible consolation, though. Rose, Boozer and Joakim Noah is one of the East’s best threesomes, and with capable role players like Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and the newly signed Kyle Korver, to go along with head-coach defensive mastermind, Tom Thibedau, the Bulls will be among the Easts top teams.
Yet, for the majority of those, including the Bulls themselves, who felt that they were the front-runners to land one of the best players in the league, this offseason will leave a very sour taste.
Tie:
LeBron James
Nobody likes ties, so associating one with LeBron James is appropriate, because nobody likes him either.
It’s also appropriate because James’ trade-off between realizing his personal dream scenario at the expense of his popularity and legacy.
At its core, going to Miami is an innocent decision. LeBron likes hanging out with his boys and winning championships. After watching “More Than a Game,” the documentary about James’ quest for a high-school national championship at St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, I realized that dude is pretty simple: He wants to be part of something and he wants to be liked. It’s easy to understand why, too. For much of his young life, LeBron wasn’t part of anything. He never had a father in his life, and his mother was strung out.
That changed, though, when he moved in with his coach’s family and was introduced to his future high-school crew. Their bond grew to be unbreakable, and as the victories and fame piled up, all of them had the time of their lives – together.
And that’s what this whole thing in Miami is. An attempt to recreate those glory days in Akron. Who wouldn’t want to win championships with your buddies in South Beach?
The decision is easy to understand. The process into which that decision was made, however, is not.
James’ lack of class and disregard for the feelings of an entire region reflected serious immaturity and lack of thought for others. It’s incredible to think that James, along with his circle of advisors and businessmen, seriously thought that dumping the city of Cleveland on live national television was a good idea. James’ likeability has plunged. And James, who has marketed himself all along as a good guy, has put his marketability at stake with his approach. People don’t buy the shoes of player’s they don’t like. The King may have put himself in his ideal spot, but it will come at the cost of millions of fans, and the dollars that are in their pockets.
More disappointing than the cost to his fans and his popularity, however, is the hit his legacy has taken. A player who had the potential to become one of the greatest players to ever play basketball has relegated himself to a sidekick role. Winning one by himself against the Lakers, Magic, Heat and Celtics was too tough, so he took the easy way out and joined forces with equal talent. It speaks volumes about his competitiveness and desire to be the best. It also speaks on the dangers of approaching things that haven’t happened with absolute certainty. From when he was a teenager, we felt that tomorrow would be promised today; that LeBron’s development into an all-time great was a given. I was as guilty as anyone.
As we’ve learned, it wasn’t a given. We’ve missed out on a chance for greatness. And that’s what in my mind, as a fan of basketball, is the worst thing about this all.
Free Agency Winners Article Here
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