Around the league: June 2014

[Mori Chu]

I like Dragic+Bledsoe, I just worry about overpaying Bleds. I absolutely wouldn't max him out, and I think giving him a huge salary just sets up Dragic to be upset about that contract compared to his own. Then we'll owe Dragic a ginormous extension and we'll have blown almost all of our cap room on two guys. This is a concern even if you assume they keep playing great together and that they both stay healthy, which are not certain.

[carey]

A must read on the guy we used to call Doris around these parts for being so soft...

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2014/st ... onio-spurs

The capper comes from Cleveland Cavaliers general manager David Griffin, who, like Quinter, was an integral part of the Suns' front-office team when Diaw was acquired in a sign-and-trade for Joe Johnson orchestrated by then-Suns personnel chief Bryan Colangelo.

"Boris walks into the gym one day wearing flip-flops and holding his customary cappuccino, which was a staple for him every morning," Griffin recalled. "It was during pre-draft workouts, so he sees the Vertec [machine] and asks what it is.

"We tell him it measures your vertical leap by determining how many of the bars you can touch. He asks what's the highest anyone has ever gone, and we tell him Amare' [Stoudemire] cleared the entire rack.

"Boris puts down the cappuccino, takes off his flip-flops and clears the entire rack on the first try. Then he calmly puts his flip-flops back on, picks up his cappuccino and walks away, saying, 'That was not difficult.'"

[Shabazz]

This part resonated with me. Nothing drove me crazier:

Which leads us to Nash's favorite Boris story. Or what folks from the Seven Seconds Or Less days refer to as the "That's What You Think" story ... which sounds even better when Nash says it with his attempt at a French accent.

"He kept driving to the hoop, and he'd basically be right on top of the rim and kicking it out to the corner for a 3 instead of just laying it in," Nash said. "I don't know if he didn't want to get fouled and go to the line or if he just didn't want to shoot, but we couldn't take it any more.

"I yelled at him, Raja yelled at him, everyone was yelling at him: 'Borrrrris! Just f------ lay it in. You're right on top of the rim. We need your points, man. Don't you understand? The layup is wide open!'

And he just said: 'That's what you think.'

"You know what? In looking back, maybe he was right. It was infuriating at the time, but when you watch him play, you realize that he sees things other people don't see. Such a smart, smart player."

That last sentence seems like revisionist history. It was just about always the wrong play to make those passes. It was even more frustrating when he'd pass it off after a whistle.

[Mori Chu]

He often WAS open and passed anyway. And not even debatedly open, but truly and clearly wide open, for layups and he'd pass it out. Oh well.

[carey]

He often WAS open and passed anyway. And not even debatedly open, but truly and clearly wide open, for layups and he'd pass it out. Oh well.

That's why I was perfectly fine with him being dealt away. Even though I thought he was one of the most fundamentally solid Suns we've ever had. He was just soft for about a year and a half run w/ us and I couldn't take it anymore. It's the same with LB. Loved him to death but there's only so many head-down drives to the hoop I can take where everyone knows you ain't passing the ball.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

I haven't made that clear?

1. I don't like that he's had two major knee injuries in his first four years in the league. Plus, in just this season alone, he had the shin issue and then hurt his hand late in the year.

2. I think we're a better team when the Dragic is the primary ball handler.

3. I think Dragic is a better player when he is the primary ball handler.

4. I don't like paying the max or close to it when we already have an All-NBA point guard and have needs at just about every other position.

5. I don't think Eric Bledsoe is worth the max or close to it, nor do I think that's good value contract. And I think small market teams, especially those without superstars, need to focus on getting good value contracts. I think we're seeing that with San Antonio. And I think we saw that with that Detroit as well. The way to beat these 2 and 3 superstar teams is through depth, team play, perimeter shooting, and ball movement.

6. I don't think the Bledsoe-Dragic combo is a championship level combo. I think if you commit to it, you're very close to capping the team's potential. It will be another iteration of 2nd round losses, top 3 finishes but constantly coming up short. Of course, that's just my read on the situation. I'm not going to pretend that I have definitive analysis that that will absolutely be the fate of the combo.

I'm totally on board with points 1,4 and 5. And even if I disagree at least to some degree on the others, I think those 3 are more than enough to be looking for an exit where we flip Bledsoe for another difference maker player, but at the wing or the post. Not assets, but players actually woth keeping. Bledsoe himself was worth to keep, but injuries are piling up on him quickly.

Right from top of my mind, I'm thinking Detroit as a partner on a trade that would balance both teams. S&T Monroe for Bledsoe straight up, or send a pick from our side, if you are willing to concede that albeit Monroe is still unpolished, he still has lots of untapped potential.

[Aztec Sunsfan]

As for Boris, he is a microwave player, but the passing version, instead of the usual microwave scorer that you either love or hate as much as his ball hogging results on points or missed shots.

When Boris is on, you get marveled with his court vision and fundamental play. When Diaw is off, he is stuck on an "extra pass mode" that results on dead end plays and hurried shots from the perimeter.

San Antonio was the ideal place to resurrect his career, with it's disciplined system predicated on passing, but above all, with Popovich and his no non-sense aproach. I would have liked to see Pop' reaction as he watched Boris arriving with flip flops and a capuccino to training camp.

[In2ition]

I thought this was curious:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/la ... story.html

The team has no coach, an aging star in Kobe Bryant and few players under contract -- all contributing to 40-1 odds from Bovada.

The Lakers are tied with the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors with the 15th-best odds in the NBA. The Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans all have 50-1 odds.

Also behind the Lakers are the Minnesota Timberwolves (66-1), Atlanta Hawks (75-1), Charlotte Hornets (75-1), Phoenix Suns (75-1), Orlando Magic (150-1), Sacramento Kings (150-1), Milwaukee Bucks (200-1) and Philadelphia 76ers (200-1).

The Suns (48-34) have curiously long odds considering they finished the season just one game behind the eighth-place Dallas Mavericks. The injury-riddled Lakers won just 27 games, a full 21 behind Phoenix.

[TOO]

What a fuckin joke.

[SwingMan]

What a fuckin joke.

Just consider the source.....

[Mori Chu]

It's not really a joke. Gambling places set odds not based on how likely they think it is for the team to win, but on what people are going to bet. They are trying to set the odds exactly such that half of the people will bet each side, so that no matter what happens, the house will get a profit. The fact that the Lakers have better odds just means that more LA Laker fans are willing to bet them to win the title even if the team is horrible than there are Suns fans who would do the same.

[INFORMER]

Flip Saunders is an idiot. Trade Love now. Saunders will never get better offers than the ones that are out there now.

[SDC]

Kobe Laughs Off Klinsmann's Criticism As Comical

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/stor ... orts-teams

Kobe Bryant is rooting for the United States at the World Cup in Brazil, but that doesn't mean the Los Angeles Lakers star is on board with everything the team's coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, has said.

In an interview with ESPN, Bryant took exception to comments Klinsmann made in which he criticized what he sees as an American custom of sports teams catering to their star players.

"I thought it was pretty funny," Bryant said in Brazil, where he's taking in three World Cup matches. "I thought it was pretty comical, actually. I see his perspective. But the one perspective that he's missing from an ownership point of view is that you want to be part of an ownership group that is rewarding its players for what they've done, while balancing the team going forward. If you're another player in the future and you're looking at the Lakers organization, you want to be a part of an organization that takes care of its players while at the same time, planning for the future."

In an interview with The New York Times Magazine in December, Klinsmann questioned why a team like the Lakers would give the 35-year-old Bryant a two-year, $48.5 million extension when his best days on the basketball court are behind him.

"This always happens in America," Klinsmann, a native of Germany, said in the interview. "Kobe Bryant, for example -- why does he get a two-year contract extension for $50 million? Because of what he is going to do in the next two years for the Lakers? Of course not. Of course not. He gets it because of what he has done before. It makes no sense. Why do you pay for what has already happened?"

Bryant thinks the U.S. coach needs to take a look at the bigger picture when evaluating how teams in the U.S. operate.

"Jurgen is a coach, a manager," he said. "He's not a GM or owner of the franchise. When you look at it from that perspective, it changes a little bit. But you probably could have used another player as an example."

and this is why the lakers are a mess and will be so for the next 2 seasons. nobody wants to coach this team and star free agents will wait kobe out until after 2016.

[SwingMan]

Kobe Laughs Off Klinsmann's Criticism As Comical

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/stor ... orts-teams

Kobe Bryant is rooting for the United States at the World Cup in Brazil, but that doesn't mean the Los Angeles Lakers star is on board with everything the team's coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, has said.

In an interview with ESPN, Bryant took exception to comments Klinsmann made in which he criticized what he sees as an American custom of sports teams catering to their star players.

"I thought it was pretty funny," Bryant said in Brazil, where he's taking in three World Cup matches. "I thought it was pretty comical, actually. I see his perspective. But the one perspective that he's missing from an ownership point of view is that you want to be part of an ownership group that is rewarding its players for what they've done, while balancing the team going forward. If you're another player in the future and you're looking at the Lakers organization, you want to be a part of an organization that takes care of its players while at the same time, planning for the future."

In an interview with The New York Times Magazine in December, Klinsmann questioned why a team like the Lakers would give the 35-year-old Bryant a two-year, $48.5 million extension when his best days on the basketball court are behind him.

"This always happens in America," Klinsmann, a native of Germany, said in the interview. "Kobe Bryant, for example -- why does he get a two-year contract extension for $50 million? Because of what he is going to do in the next two years for the Lakers? Of course not. Of course not. He gets it because of what he has done before. It makes no sense. Why do you pay for what has already happened?"

Bryant thinks the U.S. coach needs to take a look at the bigger picture when evaluating how teams in the U.S. operate.

"Jurgen is a coach, a manager," he said. "He's not a GM or owner of the franchise. When you look at it from that perspective, it changes a little bit. But you probably could have used another player as an example."

and this is why the lakers are a mess and will be so for the next 2 seasons. nobody wants to coach this team and star free agents will wait kobe out until after 2016.

When I see this stuff, I think back on Danny Manning's time here. In 1994, Manning, a bona-fide star in his prime and averaging some 22 points a game for the Clippers & Hawks the season before, came here in a $1 million dollar deal with assurances that he'd get a fat payday later. Manning was averaging 18/6 off the bench before Joe Kleine fell on him in February, 1995. He was never the same after that (though he won 6th man in 1997-1998), but Jerry Colangelo made good on his promise just the same, handing over a 6 year, $30 million deal (? Could've been a shade more - going on memory) while Manning was rehabbing a torn ACL.

Was he worth it? Probably not as far as present physical condition, but it was all about integrity. Manning could've gotten a hell of a lot more on the open market, yet sacrificed all that for a relative pittance to play here - Jerry Colangelo returned that sacrifice by keeping his promise through & through.

[Mori Chu]

and this is why the lakers are a mess and will be so for the next 2 seasons. nobody wants to coach this team and star free agents will wait kobe out until after 2016.

Absolutely right. I think free agents would still go there if they thought the team was going to have a chance at being a contender. But Kobe's presence is not a draw, and if anything, it's a concern / turn-off for prospective free agents. That team is a mess.

[INFORMER]

Of course you find it comical, Kobe, you're the one getting paid. The "rewarding" argument is such a joke. Kobe hasn't been playing for free. He' more than been fairly compensated by the team and endorsements. There was no need for a "thank you" contract. It was a stupid decision by the Lakers. I don't blame Kobe for saying yes to it, but to paint it as a sound move is just silly.

[Ring_Wanted]

In his mind he even left money on the table. He could have demanded 30M plus 7.5%, so the Lakers better thank him for taking one for the team.

[SDC]

Kobe Laughs Off Klinsmann's Criticism As Comical

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/stor ... orts-teams

Kobe Bryant is rooting for the United States at the World Cup in Brazil, but that doesn't mean the Los Angeles Lakers star is on board with everything the team's coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, has said.

In an interview with ESPN, Bryant took exception to comments Klinsmann made in which he criticized what he sees as an American custom of sports teams catering to their star players.

"I thought it was pretty funny," Bryant said in Brazil, where he's taking in three World Cup matches. "I thought it was pretty comical, actually. I see his perspective. But the one perspective that he's missing from an ownership point of view is that you want to be part of an ownership group that is rewarding its players for what they've done, while balancing the team going forward. If you're another player in the future and you're looking at the Lakers organization, you want to be a part of an organization that takes care of its players while at the same time, planning for the future."

In an interview with The New York Times Magazine in December, Klinsmann questioned why a team like the Lakers would give the 35-year-old Bryant a two-year, $48.5 million extension when his best days on the basketball court are behind him.

"This always happens in America," Klinsmann, a native of Germany, said in the interview. "Kobe Bryant, for example -- why does he get a two-year contract extension for $50 million? Because of what he is going to do in the next two years for the Lakers? Of course not. Of course not. He gets it because of what he has done before. It makes no sense. Why do you pay for what has already happened?"

Bryant thinks the U.S. coach needs to take a look at the bigger picture when evaluating how teams in the U.S. operate.

"Jurgen is a coach, a manager," he said. "He's not a GM or owner of the franchise. When you look at it from that perspective, it changes a little bit. But you probably could have used another player as an example."

and this is why the lakers are a mess and will be so for the next 2 seasons. nobody wants to coach this team and star free agents will wait kobe out until after 2016.

When I see this stuff, I think back on Danny Manning's time here. In 1994, Manning, a bona-fide star in his prime and averaging some 22 points a game for the Clippers & Hawks the season before, came here in a $1 million dollar deal with assurances that he'd get a fat payday later. Manning was averaging 18/6 off the bench before Joe Kleine fell on him in February, 1995. He was never the same after that (though he won 6th man in 1997-1998), but Jerry Colangelo made good on his promise just the same, handing over a 6 year, $30 million deal (? Could've been a shade more - going on memory) while Manning was rehabbing a torn ACL.

Was he worth it? Probably not as far as present physical condition, but it was all about integrity. Manning could've gotten a hell of a lot more on the open market, yet sacrificed all that for a relative pittance to play here - Jerry Colangelo returned that sacrifice by keeping his promise through & through.

kobe didnt sacrifice anything and was never underpaid in his last contract. and no other team would pay him 50 mil for the next 2 years even before the injury.

[SDC]

lakers has two options on coaching fron:

1) kobe or steve nash becomes player coach

2) they're still paying mike brown right? get him back on the lakers coaching seat. (not ideal, but what choice do they have?)

[Sunsfan4life]

Clippers trying to unload Jared Dudley's contract and may be wiling to attach a 1st rd pick to it.

Wow that trade is looking even more lopsided...