Around the League News - 2022 Offseason Edition

[Indy]

One mistake that is frequently made is that people thing that the "maximum salary" is the value of the best players in the league. It's not. It's an artificial constraint to keep the top salaries down so the league rank and file get more money.

If there was no maximum salary several players (LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokić, Joel Embiid, etc.) who would be able to demand more than $45 million a year. Yes, it's a shitload of money, but superstars are in demand.

And Ayton's play to this point doesn't justify him being paid $30-35 million a year, but that's what the market will probably be for him. And Booker's not worth $45-50 million a year, but he'll probably end up getting that. That's the market price, and you either pay that or you start losing your players.

Or did we not learn anything from the Joe Johnson fiasco?

And Joe Johnson wasn’t the first, second, or even third best player on the team.

At that point, I think he was 2B next to Amare as 2A. Amare got all of the attention/highlights because we had Nash doing his thing, but Joe could handle the ball and create his own shot, or create for others, or hit the 3 at nearly 50%!

[The Bobster]

They could have gone forward with Nash (8-time All-Star), Stoudemire (6-time All-Star), Marion (4-time All-Star) and Johnson (7-time All-Star).

Which is still depressing 17 years later.

[JeremyG]

So then I guess every team besides the NBA champion should just fire their head coach. Problem solved!

Who said to fire the coach?

But there certainly has to be some accountability on his part for how the team performed in the playoffs after deciding to coast to the finish line in the regular season.

Of course there must be accountability. Including from Deandre Ayton.

Do you suggest that Booker also be held accountable by not being offered a super max extension?

1st Team All-NBA. Stop with the false equivalencies.

Stay focused. We were talking about accountability for how the team performed in the playoffs. Has nothing to do with regular season All-NBA selections.

[JeremyG]

And we're back to Ayton's downfall being the fault of the guy who lead the team to the Finals a year ago and just won Coach of the Year.

And Ayton is the player who led them to the Finals. Even Indy admitted that he was the MVP of the WCF.

Cool, good for Indy.

And do you really think the Suns would've made the Finals without Chris Paul as their leader? Replace him with a good but not great Point Guard, someone who's similar to Ayton's level at the position, say Mike Conley or Malcolm Brogdon.

I'm tired of this shit about "Chris Paul said he was the MVP of this or that". He says that stuff because he's a leader, and guess what, these guys aren't 100% honest every time there's a microphone in front of them. Maybe he also knows that Ayton is mentally softer than some other guys and needs more hand holding. Do we really need to go over Monty giving Ayton a pep talk during The Finals? He was basically begging him to keep playing hard because Ayton's body language looked like he wanted to give up. IN THE NBA FINALS. But OK, he was the one who led them there.

Ayton in the Finals - 14.7 pts, 12.0 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.5 stl, 1.5 blk, 53% FG%, 91% FT%

Certainly not as good as he was in the conference finals, but not an embarrassment either. And he was playing much of it against Giannis, who is either #1 or #1A when it comes to best player in the NBA.

Al Horford in the ECSF against the Bucks last month - 13 pts, 10.4 reb, 4.1 ast, 1.3 stl, 1.7 blk, 49/39/87 shooting splits

The $27M he's making this season seems fair enough for Deandre Ayton to me.

Lol, why do you hate him so much? Comparing an aging Al Horford to a 23-year old Ayton (and based on stats from one series alone) is bordering on ridiculous.

[JeremyG]

Who said to fire the coach?

But there certainly has to be some accountability on his part for how the team performed in the playoffs after deciding to coast to the finish line in the regular season.

Of course there must be accountability. Including from Deandre Ayton.

Do you suggest that Booker also be held accountable by not being offered a super max extension?

Booker came up with clunkers in the elimination games against both Milwaukee and Dallas. Where's the criticism of his play?

I haven't heard about Booker pouting over his contract.

What has he had to pout about?

And he's up for a super max extension, you would think there would be some criticism/debate about it.

[Indy]

Of course there must be accountability. Including from Deandre Ayton.

Do you suggest that Booker also be held accountable by not being offered a super max extension?

Booker came up with clunkers in the elimination games against both Milwaukee and Dallas. Where's the criticism of his play?

I haven't heard about Booker pouting over his contract.

What has he had to pout about?

And he's up for a super max extension, you would think there would be some criticism/debate about it.

It basically comes down to--you can't lose your best player that just finished 4th in MVP voting and is a 1st team all-nba player. You give him the max and build your team from there.

[Flagrant Fowl]

And Ayton is the player who led them to the Finals. Even Indy admitted that he was the MVP of the WCF.

Cool, good for Indy.

And do you really think the Suns would've made the Finals without Chris Paul as their leader? Replace him with a good but not great Point Guard, someone who's similar to Ayton's level at the position, say Mike Conley or Malcolm Brogdon.

I'm tired of this shit about "Chris Paul said he was the MVP of this or that". He says that stuff because he's a leader, and guess what, these guys aren't 100% honest every time there's a microphone in front of them. Maybe he also knows that Ayton is mentally softer than some other guys and needs more hand holding. Do we really need to go over Monty giving Ayton a pep talk during The Finals? He was basically begging him to keep playing hard because Ayton's body language looked like he wanted to give up. IN THE NBA FINALS. But OK, he was the one who led them there.

Ayton in the Finals - 14.7 pts, 12.0 reb, 1.8 ast, 1.5 stl, 1.5 blk, 53% FG%, 91% FT%

Certainly not as good as he was in the conference finals, but not an embarrassment either. And he was playing much of it against Giannis, who is either #1 or #1A when it comes to best player in the NBA.

Al Horford in the ECSF against the Bucks last month - 13 pts, 10.4 reb, 4.1 ast, 1.3 stl, 1.7 blk, 49/39/87 shooting splits

The $27M he's making this season seems fair enough for Deandre Ayton to me.

Lol, why do you hate him so much? Comparing an aging Al Horford to a 23-year old Ayton (and based on stats from one series alone) is bordering on ridiculous.

How is it ridiculous to compare them in the same context, a playoff series against the same opponent?

I don't hate Ayton. I'm making a point of his inflated sense of value by how his production against the Bucks was matched by a guy 10+ years older than him.

[Split T]

I can’t believe we’re arguing Booker and Ayton…it’s not even remotely close imo.

Yes the supermax for Booker scares me a bit as I think very few people are actually worth that…but it’s the price you have to pay. And yes I realize the regular max is the price you have to pay for Ayton, but that’s the point I guess. I’ll do what it takes to keep Booker here because I trust he will put in the work and he’s shown he can be the #1 option. He can’t do it all night, but every night, but he can do it. Ayton still has games every week that he doesn’t bother showing up for…I’m also worried he’s gonna get paid and start playing more the way he wants. Or just stop trying…he did mention that 2nd contract was his goal.

I’d just rather have a different or multiple pieces instead of what Ayton brings for the cost he’s gonna be.

[ShelC]

Also with Book, you're going to attract other stars/big name players if he's on the team. Not sure that's the case with DA in the future.

[Mori Chu]

I hear guys on here questioning Ayton's drive, his competitiveness, his dedication. And I'm here to say that is total BS. The man stays up till 2, sometimes 3 in the morning, honing his craft. Sometimes he works so hard that he has to change out the AA batteries in his gamepad. Stop questioning this man!

[ShadowHawke]

I hear guys on here questioning Ayton's drive, his competitiveness, his dedication. And I'm here to say that is total BS. The man stays up till 2, sometimes 3 in the morning, honing his craft. Sometimes he works so hard that he has to change out the AA batteries in his gamepad. Stop questioning this man!

Sounds like he has a budding career in IT. Would fit right in with others his age.

[ShelC]

Interesting departure from the Mavs given his connection to Luka

[Wally_West]

[Wally_West]

Mitchell to Phoenix to team up with Book confirmed.

[Flagrant Fowl]

Feels like Mitchell has always just been biding his time for the first domino to fall to justify his pressure on management to move him out of Utah.

[Split T]

Jazz reporters saying he’s trying to get johnnie Bryant hired as coach. Will be interesting to see if the Jazz cater to Mitchell knowing he might ask out or if they just do what they want knowing Mitchell might ask out earlier.

[Indy]

[Mori Chu]

He rates Zach LaVine as being worth more than DA. I don't see it. And he'd rather max out fat old James Harden and wacko Kyrie? Have fun with that.

[Indy]

He rates Zach LaVine as being worth more than DA. I don't see it. And he'd rather max out fat old James Harden and wacko Kyrie? Have fun with that.

You don't see Lavine as more valuable in the league than Ayton? And the difference is only 300k per year in his model. I think a shot creator and primary offensive weapon that can also create for others is worth a lot more than what Ayton gives you, even when you consider his efficiency and very good defense.

[Split T]

Ya I’d for sure put LaVine over Ayton. Harden is a different story, I wouldn’t touch him anywhere near a max