Re:All the whining about Gaston

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

Is it any surprise that many NBA bosses, INCLUDING GASTON, are being prudent 
with the luxury tax? Even the miami heat that has previously spent money like 
water in the early years of pat riley is holding back now.
                     ***********************************

  You're dead wrong about Miami.
  The Heat played it cheap last summer and it cost them big time.  Then to 
top it off there was no luxury tax, so they gutted their team for nothing.  
The owners have done an about face and given Heat management the OK to spend. 
 In fact, the Heat already have spent more than the Celtics with just 7 
players under contract.  And the Heat are not alone.
Even the Memphis owners have recently given West the green light.

I did this salary comparison for another board.  All my numbers came from 
Hoopshype.

Since we don't know exactly what the luxury tax threshold is, lets just go by 
teams over the Celtics salary (1st group)--  teams just about the same (2nd 
group)-- and teams under the Celtics salary (3rd group) .

* Denotes less than 12 man (incomplete) roster 

Portland           $96.7M    11 players*
New York         $75.5M    12 players
Dallas-             $63.4 M   10 players*
Lakers              $61.5M    12 players
Kings               $60.3M    14 players
Memphis         $56.1M    13 players
Nets                  $55.1M    13 players
Suns                 $54.4M    13 players
Sixers                $53.6M    11 players*
Atlanta             $53.2M     9 players signed *
Bucks               $53.1M      9 players*
Miami               $52.9M-     7 players*
Indiana            $ 52.7M    12 players

Boston-          $51.8M     11 players* 
Sonics             $51.3M    10 players*
Toronto          $51.3M     11 players*
Minnesota      $50.9M      6 players*

Spurs               $47.3M    11 players*
Golden State   $46.5M   11 players*
Denver-           $44.5 M   13 players
Orlando           $44.2M    12 players
Cleveland-      $44.1M    13 players 
New Orleans   $43.6M    13 players
Houston          $41.5M    10 players*
Jazz                   $41.2M     8 players*
Detroit-            $39.7M      9 players*
Chicago-         $36.6M    11 players* 
Washington   $34.6M    13 players
Clippers           $22.5 M     9 players*


13 teams have already spent more than the Celtics.   The T-Wolves and Sonics 
will almost certainly spend more when their rosters are full.
There's a possibility other teams may also.
When half the teams in the league are spending more than you are, and you are 
still dangerously close to the supposed luxury tax threshold, it's hard to 
argue that everyone is showing fiscal restraint.  And how many teams in the 
second and third groups are legitimate playoff contenders?  It's no fluke 
that all the big boys, save for the Spurs, are in the first group.