"It's All About Me"

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

July 9, 2003
Free Agents: It's All About Me 
Joe Schaller
    

Free Agent Values: Using my own tried-and-true salary scale I have calculated 
approximate values of free agents for the coming season. Projected 
improvement of decline is figured using the factors outlined in "The TPR Formula" 
feature.


Most Likely Bargains: 
We know who's getting the most attention from the spin doctors however if I 
were looking for a bargain the list would start with Brad Miller, Jason Terry, 
P J Brown, Jon Barry and Rasha Nesterovic. 
For lower level bargains I would consider Corey Maggette, Lucious Harris, 
Gary Trent, Darrell Armstrong, Travis Best, Jerome Moiso, Kevin Ollie, Eric 
Piatkowski, Vladimir Stepania, Erick Strickland and Brian Skinner.


Free Agent Salary Values for coming season

$22 million--Tim Duncan

15 million--Jason Kidd

14 million--Jermaine O'Neal

13 million--Elton Brand

12 million--Karl Malone

11 million--Gary Payton

10 million--Brad Miller, Jason Terry

9 million--P J Brown

8 million--Gilbert Arenas, Andre Miller, Alonzo Mourning

7 million--Jon Barry, Rip Hamilton, Rasha Nesterovic

6 million--Juwan Howard, Corey Maggette, Reggie Miller, Lamar Odom

5 million--Speedy Claxton, Lucious Harris, Scottie Pippen, James Posey, Kenny 
Thomas, Gary Trent

4 million--Darrell Armstrong, Travis Best, Earl Boykins, Elden Campbell, 
Derrick Coleman, Antonio Daniels, Adrian Griffin, Robert Horry, Stephen Jackson, 
Jerome Moiso, Kevin Ollie, Eric Piatkowski, Vladimir Stepania, Erick 
Strickland, Rod Strickland

3 million--Chris Anderson, J R Bremer, Dion Glover, Donnell Harvey, Jumaine 
Jones, Tyronn Lue, Walter McCarty, Scott Padgett, Brian Skinner, Shammond 
Williams

2 million--Kenny Anderson, Eddie House, Fred Hoiberg, Jim Jackson, Damon 
Jones, Voshon Lenard, Lee Nailon, Michael Olowokandi, Cherokee Parks, Chris 
Whitney

1 million--Mark Blount, Dan Gadzuric, Jelani McCoy, Ira Newble, Steve Smith, 
Jake Voskuhl, Walt Williams

It's All About Me: 
"This is my second time coming short of winning that championship trophy, so 
I've got to find a team -or stay with the Nets- that has a better chance of 
winning that championship trophy. That's what I play this game for."-- Jason 
Kidd


What is really mind boggling is the mainstream media letting a quote like 
that slide without criticism. They are quick to criticize a player such as David 
Robinson or Keith Van Horn for a perceived "softness" however when it comes to 
an out-and-out "me first and screw the rest of the team" attitude, it is 
apparently acceptable and even honorable. What the hell is going on?! Are the 
sportswriters all French?!

If nobody else has the guts to take a stand for truth, honor and integrity 
then I will. It is a downright cowardly thing to abandon one's teammates when 
the chips are down and attempt to attach oneself to the coattails of a champion 
with the notion that winning a championship will somehow define his career as 
a "winner". Not only does it define their careers as cowards it puts them in a 
no-win position in which they appear merely as tag-a-longs on someone else's 
team -Shaq's team, Duncan's team- ,and if they don't win it just emphasizes 
all the more their misguided and dishonorable objectives-- not too bright.

Apparently Kidd feels he has failed everywhere he has played. Too bad. Karl 
Malone has the opportunity to retire as the greatest player of all time, a la 
John Stockton. All he has to do is finish his career in Utah as the longest 
with just one team, a far greater achievement than a championship ring- something 
owned by many of the most sorry-ass players in NBA history.

Gary Payton could have ended his career in Seattle however he didn't have the 
strength of character or leadership abilities and now he too figures he can 
leech on to someone else's winner. No honor, no loyalty, no integrity-- 
tarnished legacy. Are John Stockton and David Robinson the end of a lost breed?

If the media let's these bums get away with their self-serving missions it 
can only have a destructive influence on the league. This is a team game and 
teams win championships, not individuals. Are the mainstream pundits willing to 
sacrifice the integrity of the NBA in order to avoid controversy? Have they 
become cowards also?


Total Performance Ratings (The Total 12)

Scoring

Scoring Efficiency

Ballhandling

Rebounding

Disruptive Defense

One on one Defense

Team Defense

Team Game Pace

Positional Norms

Schedule Strength

Projected Improvement or Decline

Teams Wins Adjustment
Ratings indicate productivity per minute played. See my feature "The TPR 
Formula" for more information.


Joe Schaller