*NBA THREAD* Abe will be missed (5 Viewers)

[Frostillicus]

Would really depend on what level of college kids played for the US.

5 Mo Walkers, no bench.

Bronze medal, imo.

 

[scoobus]

Nah I like it how it is now.

 

[Juxtatarot]

I don't think college kids could even beat a team like Finland let alone France, Turkey, Slovenia, Argentina, etc.

All these teams you mentioned are pretty terrible this go around. It's not 2006 anymore.

We disagree. Those teams have veterans that play in the top European leagues. I think you're overrating our hypothetical college All-Star team.

 

[Moe.]

How good do you think Pooh Jeter would be right now as a college player?

 

[Cliff Clavin]

When will Canada start qualifying for these? Feels like within the next 10-15 years they will be right there with Spain in terms of best non-US teams.

Gotta think it'll be closer to 5years if all the best players play. Zero depth.PG: Stauskis, Ennis

SG: Wiggins, Joseph

SF: Bennett,

PF: Thompson, Nicholson

C: Olynyk, Sacre

I'm sure I'm missing a bunch. At worst, they'd all be D1 players.

 

[thecatch]

When do we hit the panic button on Rose? He looks terrible.

 

[pollardsvision]

When will Canada start qualifying for these? Feels like within the next 10-15 years they will be right there with Spain in terms of best non-US teams.

Gotta think it'll be closer to 5years if all the best players play. Zero depth.PG: Stauskis, Ennis

SG: Wiggins, Joseph

SF: Bennett,

PF: Thompson, Nicholson

C: Olynyk, Sacre

I'm sure I'm missing a bunch. At worst, they'd all be D1 players.

Canadian basketball fans really feeling it now. Guess nobody cares about poor Stevie Nash anymore.

 

[Kev4029]

When do we hit the panic button on Rose? He looks terrible.

I would have been hitting the panic button after he came back last year and looked awful then got hurt again.

From what I've read (I haven't watched any of this FIBA stuff), he looks explosive but hes just playing awful, which is what it looked like last season as well. I think hes shooting around 20% now in the tournament. Coach K definitely should have taken Lillard over Rose.

Mentally its got to be tough to come back after a couple fairly serious knee injuries.

On a somewhat related note, is Faried going to get the tournament MVP? If George and Durant were still playing, its unlikely he would have even made the team.

 

[Kev4029]

Sounds like Monroe took the qualifying offer. I'm amazed that nobody came in and offered him a near max deal. Its a shame for him because his value is going in the wrong direction. Two years ago he was almost guaranteed to be a max player but after one more season of playing PF with Smith and Drummond, he might have to take a two year show-me kind of contract next off season.

 

[Leeroy Jenkins]

When do we hit the panic button on Rose? He looks terrible.

I would have been hitting the panic button after he came back last year and looked awful then got hurt again.

From what I've read (I haven't watched any of this FIBA stuff), he looks explosive but hes just playing awful, which is what it looked like last season as well. I think hes shooting around 20% now in the tournament. Coach K definitely should have taken Lillard over Rose.

Mentally its got to be tough to come back after a couple fairly serious knee injuries.

On a somewhat related note, is Faried going to get the tournament MVP? If George and Durant were still playing, its unlikely he would have even made the team.

So he gets to knock the rust off this summer and be a little better off when he comes back to Chicago.Bledsoe was practicing with lebron and Tristan Thompson the other day according to Instagram.

 

[Kev4029]

When do we hit the panic button on Rose? He looks terrible.

I would have been hitting the panic button after he came back last year and looked awful then got hurt again.

From what I've read (I haven't watched any of this FIBA stuff), he looks explosive but hes just playing awful, which is what it looked like last season as well. I think hes shooting around 20% now in the tournament. Coach K definitely should have taken Lillard over Rose.

Mentally its got to be tough to come back after a couple fairly serious knee injuries.

On a somewhat related note, is Faried going to get the tournament MVP? If George and Durant were still playing, its unlikely he would have even made the team.

So he gets to knock the rust off this summer and be a little better off when he comes back to Chicago.Bledsoe was practicing with lebron and Tristan Thompson the other day according to Instagram.

That doesn't help team USA. At some point he's going to get benched and that's not going to help his recovery much.

 

[Britney Spears]

The ratings for this World Cup thing is a total disaster here in the US. Nobody cares. Some cable cartoon outrated it the other day.

We should just start sending college kids and call it a day. Risking elite pros for something so useless is completely crazy.

I love the NBA and dont even know when/where these games are on TV.

 

[thecatch]

The ratings for this World Cup thing is a total disaster here in the US. Nobody cares. Some cable cartoon outrated it the other day.

We should just start sending college kids and call it a day. Risking elite pros for something so useless is completely crazy.

I love the NBA and dont even know when/where these games are on TV.

Yeah it's not particularly well marketed. This morning the game was on at 10:00am eastern. Not exactly prime time.

 

[Mario Kart]

I've held the belief that when the Bucks were sold, they were going to be moving in a few years. This story doesn't take away that belief.

The National Basketball Association has Milwaukee Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens on the clock.

Under terms of Herb Kohl's $550 million sale of the team to Lasry and Edens, groundbreaking and construction of a new arena are linked to the expiration of the Bucks' current lease at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, according to a source familiar with the deal. The lease expires Oct. 1, 2017.

That's a more compact — and firm — timetable than had been understood in the immediate wake of the sale, when it was reported that plans for an arena had to be in place by November 2017.

If a new arena is not ready for play in three years, the deal contractually allows the NBA to buy the team back for an estimated $575 million. That, in turn, creates the possibility that the team, which has called Milwaukee home since 1968, could move to a market waiting to snap it up.

Neither the Bucks nor the NBA would comment. When Kohl sold the team last spring, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Kohl had put in place provisions to ensure the team stays put.

"The date is in the provision as part of the sale agreement," the source said. "It's written as such. When you get to the point where (a new arena) is not going to happen, (moving) will have to be discussed at that point."

There is no shortage of cities waiting to become one of 30 with an NBA franchise: Las Vegas, Kansas City, Louisville and Seattle have been mentioned as suitors, even new markets in Canada. And there seems to be no shortage of wealthy people willing to secure a franchise; Steve Ballmer paid $2 billion for the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Marc and Wes have no intention of moving the team whatsoever," said the source. "But they understand that a new arena is a significant necessity for the ongoing success of the franchise, which is to have a state-of-the-art facility that rivals their counterparts."

'Weak-sister' franchiseAs with other professional sports leagues, there is a constant push to keep team facilities up to date. In Milwaukee, the NBA regards the BMO Harris Bradley Center as deficient: There are too few premium seats, the square footage is a fraction of today's NBA arenas, and there are too few revenue-generating amenities.

There is another reason that the NBA wants up-to-date facilities in Milwaukee.

"They don't want a weak-sister franchise," said another source who has experience in the sale and valuation of professional sports teams. "And it affects the value of other teams."

The BMO Harris Bradley Center is the third-oldest arena in the 30-team NBA, behind current arenas in Oakland for the Golden State Warriors, and Sacramento for the Kings. It also happens to be the third-smallest arena behind those in San Francisco and Sacramento.

"That's not a good place to be," said the source familiar with the purchase agreement.

Both the Warriors and the Kings are on track to build new arenas. The new Golden State Warriors arena, with an estimated cost of $500 million, will be built near the San Francisco Bay Bridge and is expected to be ready for the 2018-'19 season; the Sacramento arena, with an estimated cost of $477 million, is expected to be ready in 2016.

The San Francisco arena is largely privately funded. The Sacramento arena carries a public subsidy estimated at $255 million.

Developing modelA Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce panel has been working to develop a financing model for a new arena, expected to cost between $400 million and $500 million. The MMAC group is working with the Hammes Co., a developer that has a sports development business.

At the same time, Edens, who Lasry said last week is currently running the franchise as its managing partner, has an arena development team in place. At some point, according to Ted Kellner, a new Bucks investor who is chairing the MMAC panel, the two groups will get together and form a plan.

Whatever plan surfaces likely will have to wait until after the November elections and when the state Legislature returns in late January, says Timothy Sheehy, MMAC's president.

Sheehy said he was not privy to the terms of the purchase agreement, but said he believed the NBA is serious about a deadline for a new arena. So does Mayor Tom Barrett.

"But I view this less as a deadline and more as a starting line for a catalytic development downtown spurred by the need for a new arena," Sheehy said. "That's our focus."

Putting a team on notice to build a new arena or face the possibility of moving is not new. The effort to build a new arena in Sacramento dates to 1996, when then-Kings owner Jim Thomas proposed a new arena to replace the Arco Arena.

Brewers implied threatThe implied threat of moving a team is also not new in Milwaukee. In 1996, before a stadium financing package to build Miller Park was reached, then-Milwaukee Brewers president Bud Selig, who simultaneously held the position of interim baseball commissioner, had publicly said the Brewers could move.

In April 1996, then-Gov. Tommy Thompson said Selig had never said anything about moving the team to him personally, but angrily noted he would back away from any deal if a threat was made.

Would Milwaukee be given such leeway if the expected political and community debate and discussion take years rather than months?

"It's on a case-by-case basis," the source familiar with the sale said.

Barrett said that, in anticipation of the 2017 deadline, city officials are studying several sites that could be the new home for the Bucks and other tenants, including the Milwaukee Admirals, the Marquette University men's basketball team, and other entertainment.

A number of sites are under consideration. Barrett has said he would like to see an arena as close to W. Wisconsin Ave. as possible. A lot at N. 4th and W. Wisconsin Ave. is available, but city officials and others knowledgeable about that site say it would be a tight fit even with the acquisition of additional property.

Others have suggested tearing down the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panther Arena, the new name for the old Milwaukee Arena. That building, the annex just west of the arena, and the Milwaukee Theatre would accommodate a new arena.

But Franklyn Gimbel, the longtime chairman of the Wisconsin Center District, said he opposes tearing down the buildings. UWM just signed a 10-year partnership with the Wisconsin Center District board to use the arena for its men's basketball team, although the school can opt out of the deal should the arena be designated for the new arena site.

A site just north of the BMO Harris Bradley Center, between N. 4th and N. 6th streets and adjoining W. Juneau Ave., also is under consideration. BMO Harris Bradley Center officials say the site is just big enough for an NBA-style arena.

Both Edens and Lasry, as well as Sheehy, have said some form of public financing will be needed to raise enough money to build the arena. How much the public will be asked to contribute and in what form — a sales tax, a tax incremental financing arrangement or, perhaps, diverting the income tax paid by NBA players and front-office personnel to pay off debt service — has not been determined.

What makes Milwaukee's case different is the $100 million Edens and Lasry have committed to a new arena. In addition, former senator Herb Kohl has committed another $100 million. And there is anticipation that additional private investment will be found.

But there is pushback, too. County boards in Ozaukee, Waukesha and Racine counties, still chafing over the 0.1% Miller Park stadium sales tax, have gone on record against any public taxation for a new arena or expanded convention center.

 

[Mr. Retukes]

I wonder how pissed Ballmer will be if the Bucks go to Seattle.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

http://deadspin.com/hawks-scandal-sparked-by-racist-remark-about-luol-den-1631874464

 

[TobiasFunke]

http://deadspin.com/hawks-scandal-sparked-by-racist-remark-about-luol-den-1631874464

The full quote from Ferry was pretty awful:

http://deadspin.com/hawks-minority-owner-gm-danny-ferry-got-racist-on-a-co-1632301212

Starting to understand why Atlanta has trouble attracting free agents despite having cap space and a decent roster.

 

[Abraham]

I can appreciate that there are atill people that think that way, but how oh how do you rise to such a position in pro sports with those views and without realizing there is always someone listening or watching?

 

[TobiasFunke]

I can appreciate that there are atill people that think that way, but how oh how do you rise to such a position in pro sports with those views and without realizing there is always someone listening or watching?

There's so much here that makes no sense. The racism is bizarre enough without context, but then you add the fact that it's Luol Deng, who by all accounts is a class act, and who went to the same school and played for the same college coach as Ferry. You'd think Ferry would already know about his character, or at least that he'd have a much better source than a racist scout.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The 10's of fans in Atlanta will be crushed.

 

[thecatch]

I can appreciate that there are atill people that think that way, but how oh how do you rise to such a position in pro sports with those views and without realizing there is always someone listening or watching?

There's so much here that makes no sense. The racism is bizarre enough without context, but then you add the fact that it's Luol Deng, who by all accounts is a class act, and who went to the same school and played for the same college coach as Ferry. You'd think Ferry would already know about his character, or at least that he'd have a much better source than a racist scout.

Wasn't there speculation he was just quoting the souting report? If so it certainly shows poor taste but it doesn't make Ferry a racist.

 

[TobiasFunke]

I can appreciate that there are atill people that think that way, but how oh how do you rise to such a position in pro sports with those views and without realizing there is always someone listening or watching?

There's so much here that makes no sense. The racism is bizarre enough without context, but then you add the fact that it's Luol Deng, who by all accounts is a class act, and who went to the same school and played for the same college coach as Ferry. You'd think Ferry would already know about his character, or at least that he'd have a much better source than a racist scout.

Wasn't there speculation he was just quoting the souting report? If so it certainly shows poor taste but it doesn't make Ferry a racist.

That's what Ferry says, but if you read the email it makes it sound like he was the one making the statements even if they were just the product of information he'd received.

And frankly, even if he was just reading a scouting report word for word it's still pretty bad. If you had to go in front of the people who run your company to discuss a big hiring decision and you had comments like that from HR, would you just share them without hesitation? Wouldn't you pause and say "holy #### this is some messed up stuff here"? The guy who wrote the email attributes the comments to Ferry and doesn't say anything about him thinking they were problematic.

 

[Mr. Retukes]

Kareem comes to Levenson's defense

Well, the pitchforks are already sharpened and the torches lit anyway, so rather than let them go to waste, why not drag another so-called racist before the court of public opinion and see how much ratings-grabbing, head-shaking and race-shaming we can squeeze out of it? After all, the media got so much gleeful, hand-wringing mileage out of Don Sterling and Michael Brown.The only problem is that Atlanta Hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson is no Donald Sterling. Nor is his email racist. In fact, his worst crime is misguided white guilt.

I read Levenson’s email. Here’s what I concluded: Levenson is a businessman asking reasonable questions about how to put customers in seats. In the email, addressed to Hawks president Danny Ferry, Levenson wonders whether (according to his observations) the emphasis on hip-hop and gospel music and the fact that the cheerleaders are black, the bars are filled with 90% blacks, kiss cams focus on black fans and time-out contestants are always black has an effect on keeping away white fans.

Seems reasonable to ask those questions. If his arena was filled mostly with whites and he wanted to attract blacks, wouldn’t he be asking how they could de-emphasize white culture and bias toward white contestants and cheerleaders? Don’t you think every corporation in America that is trying to attract a more diverse customer base is discussing how to feature more blacks or Asians or Latinos in their TV ads?

Back when the original Law & Order first launched, there was a cast shake-up that added more women, reportedly in an effort to attract more female viewers. MTV shows like Finding Carter and Teen Wolf can’t get through an emotional scene without a pop song coming in to sing to the viewer what they should be feeling, because that’s what their demographic wants. Car companies hire specialized advertising agencies to create ads to appeal specifically to women, blacks and Latinos. That’s business.

Sure, there are a few assumptions he makes that make me cringe a little. For example: “My theory is that the black crowd scared away the whites and there

are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a significant season ticket base.” On the other hand, I have no evidence that he’s wrong on either count.

Even if he is, the question still needed to be raised, because racism is a realistic possibility as to why whites in Atlanta may not be coming.

To Levenson’s credit, in that same paragraph, he dismisses fans who complained about the arena’s site as code for racist fear that “there are too many blacks at the games.” He further decries the white perception that even though the percentage of blacks in attendance had lessened, they still feel it’s higher and therefore somehow threatening. His outrage seems authentic.

Businesspeople should have the right to wonder how to appeal to diverse groups in order to increase business. They should even be able to make minor insensitive gaffes if there is no obvious animosity or racist intent. This is a business email that is pretty harmless in terms of insulting anyone — and pretty fascinating in terms of seeing how the business of running a team really works.

The thing that makes me mad is that Levenson was too quick to rend his clothing and shout mea culpa. In his apology, he wrote, “By focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans.” But that’s not the message in the email at all. If the seats had been filled, even if by all blacks, the email wouldn’t have been written. He wasn’t valuing white fans over blacks; he was trying to figure out a way to change what he thought was the white perception in Atlanta so he could sell more tickets. That’s his job.

 

[TobiasFunke]

Kareem comes to Levenson's defense

Well, the pitchforks are already sharpened and the torches lit anyway, so rather than let them go to waste, why not drag another so-called racist before the court of public opinion and see how much ratings-grabbing, head-shaking and race-shaming we can squeeze out of it? After all, the media got so much gleeful, hand-wringing mileage out of Don Sterling and Michael Brown.
The only problem is that Atlanta Hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson is no Donald Sterling. Nor is his email racist. In fact, his worst crime is misguided white guilt.

I read Levenson’s email. Here’s what I concluded: Levenson is a businessman asking reasonable questions about how to put customers in seats. In the email, addressed to Hawks president Danny Ferry, Levenson wonders whether (according to his observations) the emphasis on hip-hop and gospel music and the fact that the cheerleaders are black, the bars are filled with 90% blacks, kiss cams focus on black fans and time-out contestants are always black has an effect on keeping away white fans.

Seems reasonable to ask those questions. If his arena was filled mostly with whites and he wanted to attract blacks, wouldn’t he be asking how they could de-emphasize white culture and bias toward white contestants and cheerleaders? Don’t you think every corporation in America that is trying to attract a more diverse customer base is discussing how to feature more blacks or Asians or Latinos in their TV ads?

Back when the original Law & Order first launched, there was a cast shake-up that added more women, reportedly in an effort to attract more female viewers. MTV shows like Finding Carter and Teen Wolf can’t get through an emotional scene without a pop song coming in to sing to the viewer what they should be feeling, because that’s what their demographic wants. Car companies hire specialized advertising agencies to create ads to appeal specifically to women, blacks and Latinos. That’s business.

Sure, there are a few assumptions he makes that make me cringe a little. For example: “My theory is that the black crowd scared away the whites and there

are simply not enough affluent black fans to build a significant season ticket base.” On the other hand, I have no evidence that he’s wrong on either count.

Even if he is, the question still needed to be raised, because racism is a realistic possibility as to why whites in Atlanta may not be coming.

To Levenson’s credit, in that same paragraph, he dismisses fans who complained about the arena’s site as code for racist fear that “there are too many blacks at the games.” He further decries the white perception that even though the percentage of blacks in attendance had lessened, they still feel it’s higher and therefore somehow threatening. His outrage seems authentic.

Businesspeople should have the right to wonder how to appeal to diverse groups in order to increase business. They should even be able to make minor insensitive gaffes if there is no obvious animosity or racist intent. This is a business email that is pretty harmless in terms of insulting anyone — and pretty fascinating in terms of seeing how the business of running a team really works.

The thing that makes me mad is that Levenson was too quick to rend his clothing and shout mea culpa. In his apology, he wrote, “By focusing on race, I also sent the unintentional and hurtful message that our white fans are more valuable than our black fans.” But that’s not the message in the email at all. If the seats had been filled, even if by all blacks, the email wouldn’t have been written. He wasn’t valuing white fans over blacks; he was trying to figure out a way to change what he thought was the white perception in Atlanta so he could sell more tickets. That’s his job.

Yeah I think most people agree with Kareem. Most of the immediate reaction I saw- before the Ferry story- was that there had to be something more to it.

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

FYI, if anybody wants to do an NBA WIS draft (3rd annual), we still need a few more people. We'll probably be drafting sometime in the next week or two.

If you are a regular poster in here and aren't part of this league, I think you are basically admitting you don't really know anything about the NBA and should henceforth be ignored.

No excuses.

ETA: Check out the line-up of your fellow posters not afraid to back up their NBA cred.

1. TRE

2. Frosty

3. Abe (on probation)

4. Kev0429292929

5. Gr00vus

6. Spartans Rule

7. Yo Mama

8. No. 16

9. Arsenal of Doom

10. Moops

11. Kraft

12. Sammy - Yo Mama had two teams iirc, so you're in.

13. Scoobus

14. Coyote5

15. Eephus

16. Jomar

17. 8ebok24

 

[Sammy3469]

I can appreciate that there are atill people that think that way, but how oh how do you rise to such a position in pro sports with those views and without realizing there is always someone listening or watching?

There's so much here that makes no sense. The racism is bizarre enough without context, but then you add the fact that it's Luol Deng, who by all accounts is a class act, and who went to the same school and played for the same college coach as Ferry. You'd think Ferry would already know about his character, or at least that he'd have a much better source than a racist scout.

That's the part I don't understand...Ferry should know Deng already. Granted neither is on the level of Laettner, G Hill, Jay Williams in terms of returning to Duke, etc., but both are still on good terms with the Duke network. It's totally bizarre.

 

[thecatch]

I can appreciate that there are atill people that think that way, but how oh how do you rise to such a position in pro sports with those views and without realizing there is always someone listening or watching?

There's so much here that makes no sense. The racism is bizarre enough without context, but then you add the fact that it's Luol Deng, who by all accounts is a class act, and who went to the same school and played for the same college coach as Ferry. You'd think Ferry would already know about his character, or at least that he'd have a much better source than a racist scout.

Wasn't there speculation he was just quoting the souting report? If so it certainly shows poor taste but it doesn't make Ferry a racist.

That's what Ferry says, but if you read the email it makes it sound like he was the one making the statements even if they were just the product of information he'd received.

And frankly, even if he was just reading a scouting report word for word it's still pretty bad. If you had to go in front of the people who run your company to discuss a big hiring decision and you had comments like that from HR, would you just share them without hesitation? Wouldn't you pause and say "holy #### this is some messed up stuff here"? The guy who wrote the email attributes the comments to Ferry and doesn't say anything about him thinking they were problematic.

Like I said, it's poor judgment. And I can imagine a context it would be a fire-able offense. But *if* his version of the story is true and people want his head for reading his organization's scouting reports in a meeting where said reports are obviously relevant (though obviously should have been better edited), seems like firing him is over the top.

 

[TobiasFunke]

I can appreciate that there are atill people that think that way, but how oh how do you rise to such a position in pro sports with those views and without realizing there is always someone listening or watching?

There's so much here that makes no sense. The racism is bizarre enough without context, but then you add the fact that it's Luol Deng, who by all accounts is a class act, and who went to the same school and played for the same college coach as Ferry. You'd think Ferry would already know about his character, or at least that he'd have a much better source than a racist scout.

Wasn't there speculation he was just quoting the souting report? If so it certainly shows poor taste but it doesn't make Ferry a racist.

That's what Ferry says, but if you read the email it makes it sound like he was the one making the statements even if they were just the product of information he'd received.

And frankly, even if he was just reading a scouting report word for word it's still pretty bad. If you had to go in front of the people who run your company to discuss a big hiring decision and you had comments like that from HR, would you just share them without hesitation? Wouldn't you pause and say "holy #### this is some messed up stuff here"? The guy who wrote the email attributes the comments to Ferry and doesn't say anything about him thinking they were problematic.

Like I said, it's poor judgment. And I can imagine a context it would be a fire-able offense. But *if* his version of the story is true and people want his head for reading his organization's scouting reports in a meeting where said reports are obviously relevant (though obviously should have been better edited), seems like firing him is over the top.

I suppose it's possible he was just reading word-for-word from a scouting report and was as repulsed by what he was reading as most people would be hearing it. But considering that the letter that just kills Ferry (and nobody else) came from a minority owner who was at the meeting, that seems pretty unlikely.

 

[Juxtatarot]

Ferry's a dead man walking.

By the way, I wonder if the negative information about Deng came from the Bulls (hopefully not the racist stuff though). Although by all accounts Deng is a high character guy, quality teammate and would be a good addition to any locker room, things didn't end well between the Bulls and Deng. There were those failed extension talks and friction over the Bulls medical staff and how the Bulls managed that botched spinal tap. It is understandable that there could be hard feeling on both sides.

 

[Sammy3469]

Ferry's a dead man walking.

By the way, I wonder if the negative information about Deng came from the Bulls (hopefully not the racist stuff though). Although by all accounts Deng is a high character guy, quality teammate and would be a good addition to any locker room, things didn't end well between the Bulls and Deng. There were those failed extension talks and friction over the Bulls medical staff and how the Bulls managed that botched spinal tap. It is understandable that there could be hard feeling on both sides.

I wouldn't be shocked if it was the Cavs either. Ferry was the GM there as well.

 

[No. 16]

FYI, if anybody wants to do an NBA WIS draft (3rd annual), we still need a few more people. We'll probably be drafting sometime in the next week or two.

If you are a regular poster in here and aren't part of this league, I think you are basically admitting you don't really know anything about the NBA and should henceforth be ignored.

No excuses.

ETA: Check out the line-up of your fellow posters not afraid to back up their NBA cred.



1. TRE

2. Frosty

3. Abe (on probation)

4. Kev0429292929

5. Gr00vus

6. Spartans Rule

7. Yo Mama

8. No. 16

9. Arsenal of Doom

10. Moops

11. Kraft

12. Sammy - Yo Mama had two teams iirc, so you're in.

13. Scoobus

14. Coyote5

15. Eephus

16. Jomar

17. 8ebok24

What AoD said. This is probably the funnest draft each year and really takes minimal time after the message board draft.

 

[Gr00vus]

FYI, if anybody wants to do an NBA WIS draft (3rd annual), we still need a few more people. We'll probably be drafting sometime in the next week or two.

If you are a regular poster in here and aren't part of this league, I think you are basically admitting you don't really know anything about the NBA and should henceforth be ignored.

I'm a regular poster in here and am part of this league. And I'm basically admitting I don't know anything about the NBA and should continue to be ignored (except perhaps the occasional Laker news/take post).

By the way, if there's any particular highly regarded NBA player you'd like gooched, PM me and I'll try to draft them.

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

New TV deal probably getting done before the season starts.

Same TV partners: Disney and Turner. Under the current deal, Disney pays $485MM and Turner pays $445MM.

New deal, which would kick in fall of 2016, Disney and Turner will each be paying over $1 BILLION per year for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.

Still some details to be haggled out, but the deal is expected to run 8 or 9 seasons. Disney and Turner want to get this done before their exclusive negotiating window ends and Universal and/or FOX try to get in the NBA business.

The major team construction effect here is the salary cap is going to shoot WAAAAAYY up for the 2017 season, the main reason why LeBron signed just a 2-year deal this summer.

Both the players and owners have the option to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement after one year under the new TV deal, so be wary of owners spending like crazy in summer 2016 then locking the players out in summer 2017 because salaries are too high.

 

[Kev4029]

New TV deal probably getting done before the season starts.

Same TV partners: Disney and Turner. Under the current deal, Disney pays $485MM and Turner pays $445MM.

New deal, which would kick in fall of 2016, Disney and Turner will each be paying over $1 BILLION per year for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.

Still some details to be haggled out, but the deal is expected to run 8 or 9 seasons. Disney and Turner want to get this done before their exclusive negotiating window ends and Universal and/or FOX try to get in the NBA business.

The major team construction effect here is the salary cap is going to shoot WAAAAAYY up for the 2017 season, the main reason why LeBron signed just a 2-year deal this summer.

Both the players and owners have the option to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement after one year under the new TV deal, so be wary of owners spending like crazy in summer 2016 then locking the players out in summer 2017 because salaries are too high.

I read somewhere that the NBA is considering a significant bump to the salary cap in 2015, prior to the new deal, so there isn't as big of a jump in 2016. Either way, we'll be some some dumb owners/GMs doing some cool stuff in the next few offseasons.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

New TV deal probably getting done before the season starts.

Same TV partners: Disney and Turner. Under the current deal, Disney pays $485MM and Turner pays $445MM.

New deal, which would kick in fall of 2016, Disney and Turner will each be paying over $1 BILLION per year for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.

Still some details to be haggled out, but the deal is expected to run 8 or 9 seasons. Disney and Turner want to get this done before their exclusive negotiating window ends and Universal and/or FOX try to get in the NBA business.

The major team construction effect here is the salary cap is going to shoot WAAAAAYY up for the 2017 season, the main reason why LeBron signed just a 2-year deal this summer.

Both the players and owners have the option to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement after one year under the new TV deal, so be wary of owners spending like crazy in summer 2016 then locking the players out in summer 2017 because salaries are too high.

I read somewhere that the NBA is considering a significant bump to the salary cap in 2015, prior to the new deal, so there isn't as big of a jump in 2016. Either way, we'll be some some dumb owners/GMs doing some cool stuff in the next few offseasons.

Can't wait to see what the Pistons and Knicks do

 

[EYLive]

Is there a bigger ball hog than James Harden? What a Sucky McSuckerson that guy is.

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Hopefully everyone caught Lance's rap debut: http://www.audiomack.com/song/hhs1987/hot-ngga-freestyle

Sounds like he's ready to get to work with Kemba.

Who hasn't rapped over this beat yet?

 

[Bruce Dickinson]

New TV deal probably getting done before the season starts.

Same TV partners: Disney and Turner. Under the current deal, Disney pays $485MM and Turner pays $445MM.

New deal, which would kick in fall of 2016, Disney and Turner will each be paying over $1 BILLION per year for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, and TNT.

Still some details to be haggled out, but the deal is expected to run 8 or 9 seasons. Disney and Turner want to get this done before their exclusive negotiating window ends and Universal and/or FOX try to get in the NBA business.

The major team construction effect here is the salary cap is going to shoot WAAAAAYY up for the 2017 season, the main reason why LeBron signed just a 2-year deal this summer.

Both the players and owners have the option to opt out of the collective bargaining agreement after one year under the new TV deal, so be wary of owners spending like crazy in summer 2016 then locking the players out in summer 2017 because salaries are too high.

I read somewhere that the NBA is considering a significant bump to the salary cap in 2015, prior to the new deal, so there isn't as big of a jump in 2016. Either way, we'll be some some dumb owners/GMs doing some cool stuff in the next few offseasons.

Interesting. My back-of-an-envelope calculation on the new national TV deal says the cap should raise at least $20MM from it, and that doesn't include any revenue sharing from the new wave of phenomenal local TV deals the teams are signing these days.

Can wait to see what the big boys will offer to the small market teams to raise the cap a year ahead of the new revenue stream.

 

[Spartans Rule]

Can't wait to see what the Pistons and Knicks do

Probably nothing ridiculous now that they're run by Van Gundy and Jackson rather than the 80s Pistons backcourt.

I'd rank the Kings as most likely to comically abuse the extra space. Maybe the Nets too, if they aren't still over the cap anyway.

 

[sports_fan]

FYI, if anybody wants to do an NBA WIS draft (3rd annual), we still need a few more people. We'll probably be drafting sometime in the next week or two.

If you are a regular poster in here and aren't part of this league, I think you are basically admitting you don't really know anything about the NBA and should henceforth be ignored.

No excuses.

ETA: Check out the line-up of your fellow posters not afraid to back up their NBA cred.

1. TRE

2. Frosty

3. Abe (on probation)

4. Kev0429292929

5. Gr00vus

6. Spartans Rule

7. Yo Mama

8. No. 16

9. Arsenal of Doom

10. Moops

11. Kraft

12. Sammy - Yo Mama had two teams iirc, so you're in.

13. Scoobus

14. Coyote5

15. Eephus

16. Jomar

17. 8ebok24

What AoD said. This is probably the funnest draft each year and really takes minimal time after the message board draft.

This is a pay league?

 

[Frostillicus]

FYI, if anybody wants to do an NBA WIS draft (3rd annual), we still need a few more people. We'll probably be drafting sometime in the next week or two.

If you are a regular poster in here and aren't part of this league, I think you are basically admitting you don't really know anything about the NBA and should henceforth be ignored.

No excuses.

ETA: Check out the line-up of your fellow posters not afraid to back up their NBA cred.

1. TRE

2. Frosty

3. Abe (on probation)

4. Kev0429292929

5. Gr00vus

6. Spartans Rule

7. Yo Mama

8. No. 16

9. Arsenal of Doom

10. Moops

11. Kraft

12. Sammy - Yo Mama had two teams iirc, so you're in.

13. Scoobus

14. Coyote5

15. Eephus

16. Jomar

17. 8ebok24

What AoD said. This is probably the funnest draft each year and really takes minimal time after the message board draft.

This is a pay league?

$12, if I recall correctly. But you get to see your team in action through the magic of words!

 

[Eephus]

RIP Marvin "Bad News" Barnes

His NYT obit is worth a read if you don't know the legend.

 

[Notorious T.R.E.]

FYI, if anybody wants to do an NBA WIS draft (3rd annual), we still need a few more people. We'll probably be drafting sometime in the next week or two.

If you are a regular poster in here and aren't part of this league, I think you are basically admitting you don't really know anything about the NBA and should henceforth be ignored.

No excuses.

ETA: Check out the line-up of your fellow posters not afraid to back up their NBA cred.

1. TRE

2. Frosty

3. Abe (on probation)

4. Kev0429292929

5. Gr00vus

6. Spartans Rule

7. Yo Mama

8. No. 16

9. Arsenal of Doom

10. Moops

11. Kraft

12. Sammy - Yo Mama had two teams iirc, so you're in.

13. Scoobus

14. Coyote5

15. Eephus

16. Jomar

17. 8ebok24

What AoD said. This is probably the funnest draft each year and really takes minimal time after the message board draft.

This is a pay league?

$12, if I recall correctly. But you get to see your team in action through the magic of words!

The only thing you pay for is your team in the Whatifsports simulation. You get to see it perform on fantrax all year and then during the simulation, plus you get the joy of drafting with Moops.

 

[the moops]

 

[Limp Ditka]

This should be fun......

Donald Sterling - C - Clippers

An attorney for former Clippers owner Donald Sterling suggested that the departure of Hawks owner Bruce Levenson due to a racially-insensitive email is "just the beginning."

The lawyer, Bobby Samini, went on to say: "There's not a single owner in the league who doesn't have an email, a conversation, a conference-call comment, that by this standard that's been established by [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver, wouldn't completely taint them." Sterling has employed a team of investigators and lawyers to dig up dirt on other NBA executives and owners, and they're still "very active" according to Samini, so unfortunately this story may not end with Sterling, Levenson and embattled Hawks GM Danny Ferry.

 

[Joe Summer]

Funny that Sterling's investigative team was unable to break the Atlanta story. Did he hire Trump's "birther" investigators or something??

 

[TobiasFunke]

http://deadspin.com/hawks-scandal-sparked-by-racist-remark-about-luol-den-1631874464

The full quote from Ferry was pretty awful:

http://deadspin.com/hawks-minority-owner-gm-danny-ferry-got-racist-on-a-co-1632301212

Starting to understand why Atlanta has trouble attracting free agents despite having cap space and a decent roster.

So, yeah.

Woj bomb

 

[Joe Summer]

http://deadspin.com/hawks-scandal-sparked-by-racist-remark-about-luol-den-1631874464

The full quote from Ferry was pretty awful:

http://deadspin.com/hawks-minority-owner-gm-danny-ferry-got-racist-on-a-co-1632301212

Starting to understand why Atlanta has trouble attracting free agents despite having cap space and a decent roster.

So, yeah.

Woj bomb

Summary: Gearon hated Levenson and Ferry and used fake outrage as an excuse to oust them.

 

[TobiasFunke]

http://deadspin.com/hawks-scandal-sparked-by-racist-remark-about-luol-den-1631874464

The full quote from Ferry was pretty awful:

http://deadspin.com/hawks-minority-owner-gm-danny-ferry-got-racist-on-a-co-1632301212

Starting to understand why Atlanta has trouble attracting free agents despite having cap space and a decent roster.

So, yeah.

Woj bomb

Summary: Gearon hated Levenson and Ferry and used fake outrage as an excuse to oust them.

Did Gearon have much to do with ousting Levenson? That's not described at all there.

Probably also worth adding that there's no indication that Ferry was "just reading scouting reports." Scouts might have informed his opinion but it sounds like the word choice was all him. I'd say that's the big takeaway, along with detailing the general mess and animosity in the Hawks front office.

 

[Moe.]

Spain down by 7 at half against France. It would be a disaster for them to go out in the quarters.