NBA Offseason Thread

[Jameis1of1]

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[WilyWestbrook0]

Carmelo and OKC parting ways after all:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...hony-part-ways

Won't miss him. There was a lot of skepticism about his ability to adjust his role last year, and he never did.

[pwaldo]

Carmelo and OKC parting ways after all:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...hony-part-ways

Won't miss him. There was a lot of skepticism about his ability to adjust his role last year, and he never did.

There is now a rumor floating around that he is joining the Warriors....

[WilyWestbrook0]

There is now a rumor floating around that he is joining the Warriors....

I would like to assume you're joking, but with the way things are now, honestly nothing surprises me anymore with the players they get

[pwaldo]

I would like to assume you're joking, but with the way things are now, honestly nothing surprises me anymore with the players they get

No I was actually just joking but it looks like he might head to the Lakers or Rockets now

[jmintz]

Jordan HAD a "superteam" in his era. The GOAT coach, a top 50 All-Time wingman and either Rodman or Grant, along with a nice bench. The Bulls were a superteam in their era.

Magic's Lakers were absolutely a superteam

Bird's Celtics were absolutely a superteam.

Also, in regards to changing locations ... in previous eras there wasn't much player movement, but had their been an all-star team created in, say, Houston, in Jordan's day ... if Jordan was smart he would have moved to New York or convinced Ewing or someone to move to Chicago to play with him, as had he not done that, he would have been ringless.

If the NBA simply had one superstar on each team, say the 30 best players, one per team for the 30 teams ... LeBron would have 10+ rings by now ... however that isn't the NBA we find ourselves in, we find ourselves in a super team era, where if a single star tries to go it alone, they will never win a ring, maybe never even get out of the 2nd round of the playoffs.

Had MJ not had Pip he'd be ringless.

Had Magic not had Kareem, he'd be ringless.

Had Bird not had McHale, he'd be ringless.

Multiple star teams winning rings is the rule … it always has been.

Everyone one of those teams you're citing did it through the draft or through trades. Not one of those situations was players deciding to team up. Parish and Walton ended up on the Celtics through trades, Rodman ended up on the Bulls through a trade.

Golden State has hit home run after home run through the draft, and good on them. No one was bad-mouthing that situation at all until Durant went there.

Yes, multiple-star teams winning rings has always been the rule...but it was also always done through the draft/trades as well, until the early 00s. Sadly, there's no real way to fix it that would make the league and the NBPA happy, so I think we're stuck.

[rjabreu88]

I completely agree about the draft and trades. Most of those great teams Lakers Bulls etc were because of drafted players as well as savy trades and filling in the pieces with good signings. The super teams were not created by 2 or more stars saying hey lets play together and this is how we are going to do it. The BEST players in the league took pride in being the GUY on their franchises and beating the other BEST players.
The Lebron Wade Bosh Pairing in my opinion was the start of players teaming up in their primes. There was the big 3 with KG pierce Allen but I think they were all coming off the tail end of their primes after valiantly trying to take their teams to the top for several years.

Kobe and shaq were put together but the lakers Traded their best center in Divac which laker fans really questioned at the time. No one new Kobe would become the player he did. Pippen was stupidly traded to the bulls. Kareem to the Lakers.

The warriors I gave alot of credit too early on because of phenomenal drafting. Curry, Thompson, Draymond all lower then they should have gone. Iggy was a great under the radar signing. Its nice to see teams build that way because it gives the small markets in the league that hope that its a level playing field even though its not.

[rocksaysits420]

I really don't see the difference if you make trades to acquire top talent or sign them out of FA, FA wasn't around when those teams were playing. The lakers traded away a player or two, just to have that team waive them and then sign the player back to the team (nense the rule change). The Celtics traded for 3 HOF for there run of winning titles. Things are not going to change as far as "superteams" or players wanted to play with certain people especially with players only signing 2-4 year deals.

[Jameis1of1]

I really don't see the difference if you make trades to acquire top talent or sign them out of FA

Exactly … it makes no difference if a super-team was created through the draft or through trades or through free agency … the fact is that super-teams have always been around. The only thing that is new now is that the greatest super-team of all-time was built to stop just one guy … THAT is new. Jordan NEVER beat a super-team as by the time the Bulls were a true title contender they were the only super-team in the entire NBA.

The little meme I posted is legit … the greatest super team ever assembled was assembled to stop the greatest individual player ever … and it worked as no great individual is going to beat a great team.

[jmintz]

Sorry, but players teaming up it is NOT the same as something built organically.

It's one thing when Golden State's front office does their job. They identified talent through the draft, and built a juggernaut. That's how it's supposed to be done, and they have done it better than anyone in recent years, except maybe the Celtics and the 76ers. Outside of Horford and Redick, both of those teams' playoffs run this year were basically built on guys they drafted since (Irving and Hayward were both hurt.)

Even by trade, at the very least you're having to give something to get something. The Celtics may have traded for HOFers, but to get Parish (and #3 overall), they gave up the #1 overall pick and #13. To get Walton (who was coming off of injury-ridden Clippers seasons), they gave up Cedric Maxwell and a first rounder.

In basketball - more than any pro sport - having a star tips the balance. When a group of stars decides they'd rather play together and run the table, it sucks. I'm sorry. I'll NEVER get behind players teaming up, because it ruins the parity of the league.

As a Grizzlies season ticket holder, I have watched our front office whiff in the draft for years and have seen how it sets a franchise back a decade. It hasn't helped that we've bungled trade after trade and free agent after free agent, but there used to be a time when you could hope for something to break the right way and you can make a run. With players grouping together, we're all playing just to get into the playoffs and get swept, and that's only fun for a year or two before it loses its luster.