Re: Rogers not going to Nets (Yes he is)

[bird <birdwl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> From: Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> I've never bought into the idea that we should assume that the players 
> are always just doing what the coaches tell them or even that O'B 
> necessarily prefers the all 3 point all the time offense in any absolute 
> sense..
Well, then you don't believe Obie, because he's said that many times.  
Then again, he'd never complain publicly about the players, either.  I 
think it's much more likely that Obie approves, though.  And it's hard to 
argue with success.  But with a different line-up comes differing 
strengths and weaknesses, and I hope Obie uses more inside play in the 
upcoming season -- don't eschew the threes, by any means, but more 
in-and-out with Baker and a rotating post player would be nice to see.


> Well yeah, but we didn't move him 'cause we didn't own him. And he's not 
> good enough (especially in the Shaqled west) that there were necessarily 
> a lot of sign and trade options to try that, if Rodney would have even 
> agreed to such a thing (sign for a low enough salary that he would be an 
> attractive deal for the Cs vs testing the FA market on his own - I wouldn'
> t in his shoes).
Maybe.  And maybe there were those opportunities.  I don't think you can 
say Rogers wasn't "good enough" for the West to necessarily find a place.  
He gave Phoenix 10 and 7, too (or close to it, too lazy to look it up now)
.  Minny was a strong option right up until he signed with NJ, according 
to reports.  It was possible that skilled (or lucky) management might have 
devised a way to "move" him (I realize the C's didn't own him, but if they 
signed him and then traded him, they could, then, "move" him) to a Western 
team, or at least a team not in the Atlantic.  OK, if in the Atlantic, 
just not the Nets ... d'oh!  Then again, the major problem there is, as 
you say, Rogers signing for a low enough amount.  In fact, that probably 
*was* the sticking point, because when you offer the guy $1million, you're 
certainly not looking to take back much more than that in return.  But 
then, that's back again to the whole reason behind not keeping him at all.
  You just can't escape it.  Well, I wouldn't imagine you could, since it 
*is* the mission statement of the franchise.


> Walter made it on his last contract, when there were no luxury tax issues,
>  not on this one (part of the different situation). Sorry, but all that 
> comparing who made what will do is drive you crazy.
You're right.  A strange indication of just how much the NBA has changed, 
though.  Lot's of things are currently driving me crazy about the NBA, 
though -- things will just have to stand in line and annoy me in an 
orderly fashion, I guess.


> I don't think he's selling either, no matter how much Ray thinks he can 
> make it happen by saying so.
> As to opening the checkbook, that was addressed with setting a base 
> minimum that must be paid out in salaries. You can't force high spending 
> without getting rid of the whole idea of a cap, because what you're 
> asking for is the opposite of a cap.
Yes, well, I was talking about having my druthers, and if I have them, I 
make everybody pay the same amount in salaries.  It's drastic, but I don't 
care, that's what druthers are all about, baby.  It'd make Gaston pay for 
some talent to surround Walkerpiercebaker with.  Sure, it's simplistic, 
but so's "I'm not going to pay the tax, nope, nope, nope."  So there.

(Maybe even a way to share basketball revenues between players and 
franchise, maybe with "excess" monies being donated to charities.  One way 
or the other, something needs to change, though.)


> Other than that, we're back to the guaranteed contracts as the real 
> problem, and that's not likely to be changed, although I still think a 
> good enough sales job could be done to push through a partial elimination 
> through limiting them to a certain number per team..
I think this is in the realm of possibility.  There needs to be a way for 
teams to cut losses that are dragging them down financially, and hindering 
them from ditching no-talent for talent.  There's lot's of marginal talent 
 in the league helping to suck the Golden Goose dry.

Bird