Chris Paul, NBA Rookie of the Year

[GeorgiaBuck2]

I hope it happens.

 

[Bucklion]

Much as I hate the players, owners, refs, and everything to do with the NBA, I think Wilbon is right here in his column today. The NBA built its relevance through a handful of rivalries between big market teams, and primarily the Lakers v. Celtics (there were Bulls/Lakers, Pistons/Lakers, etc. as well, of course). The NBA is not the NFL...small market teams are generally not quaint not successful like they are in the NFL (GB, Pittsburgh, etc.). Though teams like Milwaukee, Utah, and San Antonio have have good runs, it is an urban sport dominated by urban teams. It's like the owners want to reproduce the NFL, and they will never be able to. Charlotte versus Denver will not be a yearly finals matchup, and if it was, no one would watch like they would a BG/Pittsburgh Super Bowl. Look through the history of the NBA, and the Lakers and Celtics have been guilty of highway robbery since the 50s and 60s. But rivalries and dynasties make the league interesting to the casual viewer. The NBA was most popular when every team had a good player to identify with, yes, but when the Finals were almost guaranteed to be Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, 76ers, or Bulls. Trying to institute artificial parity in the system they have built is a losing proposition.

 

[tsteele316]

Much as I hate the players, owners, refs, and everything to do with the NBA, I think Wilbon is right here in his column today. The NBA built its relevance through a handful of rivalries between big market teams, and primarily the Lakers v. Celtics (there were Bulls/Lakers, Pistons/Lakers, etc. as well, of course). The NBA is not the NFL...small market teams are generally not quaint not successful like they are in the NFL (GB, Pittsburgh, etc.). Though teams like Milwaukee, Utah, and San Antonio have have good runs, it is an urban sport dominated by urban teams. It's like the owners want to reproduce the NFL, and they will never be able to. Charlotte versus Denver will not be a yearly finals matchup, and if it was, no one would watch like they would a BG/Pittsburgh Super Bowl. Look through the history of the NBA, and the Lakers and Celtics have been guilty of highway robbery since the 50s and 60s. But rivalries and dynasties make the league interesting to the casual viewer. The NBA was most popular when every team had a good player to identify with, yes, but when the Finals were almost guaranteed to be Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, 76ers, or Bulls. Trying to institute artificial parity in the system they have built is a losing proposition.

of course, mike wilbon ignores the historic evolution of free agency, league expansion, and the recent collusion of players to strongarm themselves into certain destinations.

what made MJ so popular when he was slugging it out with the bulls? it was the fact that he stayed with that team, took lumps, and helped them build a dynasty instead of hatching a back door deal to run off to south beach with his butt buddies. as is typical, mike wilbon willfully ignores common sense for the sake of pontificating.

 

[3074326]

Pieces of what?

This is a superstar player in exchange for some bloated contracts.

I personally hope that the Hornets keep him and let him walk. Getting nothing will be better for them than getting albatrosses.

From last year

Kevin Martin - 23.4 PPG
Louis Scola - 18.3 PPG
Lamar Odom - 14.4 PPG
Goran Dragic - 7.7 PPG
1st round pick

That's a hell of a return for a player who is leaving at the end of the season. Far from bloated contracts. Three of those players are legitimate starters. Kevin Martin is turning into one of the better scorers in the league. The Hornets would have a very nice roster after this trade.

It's hilarious that the league blocked a trade involving a league-owned team.

 

[tsteele316]

From last year

Kevin Martin - 23.4 PPG
Louis Scola - 18.3 PPG
Lamar Odom - 14.4 PPG
Goran Dragic - 7.7 PPG
1st round pick

That's a hell of a return for a player who is leaving at the end of the season. Far from bloated contracts. Three of those players are legitimate starters. Kevin Martin is turning into one of the better scorers in the league. The Hornets would have a very nice roster after this trade.

It's hilarious that the league blocked a trade involving a league-owned team.

i'm guessing you didn't watch a lot of basketball last year. first, odom will never play in new orleans. he's already saying he won't go. dragic is a bum. he's a backup at best. kevin martin is a volume chucker and nothing more. scola's contract is absolutely awful. the hornets were tied with the 8 seed last year with chris paul, david west, and carl landry. these three stiffs make them a 25 win team. terrible deal.

 

[3074326]

i'm guessing you didn't watch a lot of basketball last year. first, odom will never play in new orleans. he's already saying he won't go. dragic is a bum. he's a backup at best. kevin martin is a volume chucker and nothing more. scola's contract is absolutely awful. the hornets were tied with the 8 seed last year with chris paul, david west, and carl landry. these three stiffs make them a 25 win team. terrible deal.

I did not watch much of those teams. Thought Scola looked pretty decent when I watched, same for Martin. Martin is top 20 in PER, Scola top 50. I'm not claiming to be an NBA expert, so I guess I'll just drop it. :p

 

[tsteele316]

I did not watch much of those teams. Thought Scola looked pretty decent when I watched, same for Martin. Martin is top 20 in PER, Scola top 50. I'm not claiming to be an NBA expert, so I guess I'll just drop it. :p

kevin martin has always been a volume chucker. scola is on the wrong side of 30 and his contract is absolutely terrible. dragic is just a bum. bottom line, NO barely got into the playoffs with 3 guys that were drastically better last year. these 3 bums make them a consistent 30 win team during a full season. terrible spot to be for a rebuilding team.

 

[Jaxbuck]

Link

In his desire to keep the All-Star point guard on the roster to maximize the league?s selling price of the team to potential owners, Stern has shot down two deals to send Paul to the Lakers.



Now, teams are leery of entering into trade talks for Paul with the Hornets basketball executives, and this could collectively cripple the franchise?s ability to get maximum value for Paul.


The Hornets front office and coaching staff is beyond devastated over this deal falling apart on Saturday night. They?re three days into training camp, and they don?t have a legitimate NBA team to put on the floor.


As a rival league executive told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday night about the possibility of getting involved in the derby for Paul now: "My initial reaction is, "Who wants to go through that headache with the NBA playing God?" You want to do a deal. New Orleans? front office wants to do a deal. And the third party ? the NBA ? says you can do it? Should I call Stern and see if they?re going to waive Patrick Ewing Jr., since he?s only partially guaranteed?" ......

So again, when Paul walks at the end of the year what exactly is it Stern did for the Hornets here?

 

[OHSportsFan]

 

[TooTall]

They all look SO thrilled to be there. I'd probably be looking just as thrilled if I had to go from LA to Louisiana.

 

[Buckeye513]

Chris Kaman looks like he's on the back end of a heroin adventure.

 

[OHSportsFan]

So, I'm not following this completely, but it looks like Chris Kamen won't be playing any games while they're in discussion to TRADE him.

And Gordon rejected an offer by the NBA/Hornets to resign so he'll be an unrestricted free agent and sign with a new team after this year...all while he's currently sidelined with an injury (I think). So the Hornets get barely any time with him...probably even trade him too this year.

And I don't even know the other guy involved that sent CP3 to LA.

Nice work, NBA. Really. Great work.

 

[Mike80]

The guy in the middle looks like he's ready to cry.

 

[OHSportsFan]

The guy in the middle looks like he's ready to cry.

EJ.

(Eric Gordon Jr.)

Watched him scored 55 points in a game his senior year at North Central High School (Indianapolis). 21-22 from the line that night. Future superstar in the league. No doubt he hated getting shipped to N.O. Such is the NBA though- disgruntled superstars run it.