tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post4276613147304363567..comments2023-10-31T06:31:41.395-04:00Comments on Bottom of the Barrel: Who Is This LeBron James Guy? He Plays Basketball? In the NBA?Bengoodfellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-27785375699396253252010-07-02T08:47:12.862-04:002010-07-02T08:47:12.862-04:00Anon, Jay Mariotti telling someone else to sublima...Anon, Jay Mariotti telling someone else to sublimate his ego is classic isn't it? <br /><br />Casey, I really don't think Wade and James on the same team would work. Even supposing it did work, like you said they wouldn't have enough money to sign any other players around them. The thing about this is that they could sign veterans who want a ring, but Wade/Bosh/James salaries aren't coming off the books and if the cap doesn't rise then the Heat won't have a whole lot of other options in 1-2 years when the veterans leave the team. <br /><br />I think signing two of them may work, and then surround them with quality role players. You can get 2-3 quality players for a max contract guy. I would go that route.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-23434842414479549422010-07-02T07:52:56.014-04:002010-07-02T07:52:56.014-04:00Yeah, I read this morning that if James/Wade/Bosh ...Yeah, I read this morning that if James/Wade/Bosh went to MIA, the Heat would be something like $12k under the cap with only Chalmers and their draft picks on the roster. They could only sign minimum-salary players then. And while there are likely some vets who'd give up the cash to win the ring, I don't know how many, or how much they could be counted on throughout the reg. season/postseasonThe Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03323030436625176444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-42119900790570209762010-07-01T23:24:22.173-04:002010-07-01T23:24:22.173-04:00OK, am I the only one who laughed when I heard Jay...OK, am I the only one who laughed when I heard Jay Mariotti had written an article telling Lebron to sublimate his ego? <br /><br />Jay "I do two seconds of research at most on any given topic but I'll still act like I know more than you" Mariotti?<br /><br />What a clown.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-81195114287953945572010-07-01T21:35:36.519-04:002010-07-01T21:35:36.519-04:00Rich, I forgot a/b the Rockets had Olajuwon, Drexl...Rich, I forgot a/b the Rockets had Olajuwon, Drexler and Barkley one year also. They were older, but they also didn't win it all. Basically, as you showed this wouldn't be the greatest collection of players on one team of all-time. <br /><br />You also correctly pointed out that while those great players were great players, Jordan and Kobe needed role players to step up and hit big shots. They just can't do it themselves. Great example a/b how Perkins the 5th best player on the team was a big loss for the Celtics. You can't just put random guys around these star players and expect the team to win. <br /><br />Now the Heat did draft a couple bench guys, but they didn't really get a starting PG or C, so those spots are still open. After spending all that money on those three guys, where do you get a quality PG and C? <br /><br />The reason the focus wasn't on Wade is b/c everyone's focus is on James, which is stupid. If Wade wanted to take less money he could do it and get a good team around him. That's also what I was trying to say, that none of these guys want to take a discount to win a championship (or at least don't seem to want to), so this could never happen. <br /><br />Mariotti just says "if and when" because sucks and wants to claim Miami is really the best spot for those three guys. What's funny is that I think a team with Wade/Bosh, James/Bosh would be a great team and Wade and James shouldn't play together. Signing two max contracts and then filling the team's other needs w/ the excess money would probably work better than signing three max contract guys. <br /><br />Haha, I missed the playoffs thing a/b all the games being televised. Damn me! Good call.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-76213323521779982462010-07-01T18:37:26.833-04:002010-07-01T18:37:26.833-04:001) In 1988, Worthy, Kareem and Magic won a title p...1) In 1988, Worthy, Kareem and Magic won a title playing under Pat Riley.<br /><br />In the mid-1990's Phil Jackson coached a team with Rodman, Pippen and Jordan.<br /><br />Heck Rudy Tomjanovich (spelling) coached a Rockets team with Drexler and Olajuwon.<br /><br />2) As for Jordan "only" needing Pippen and Kobe "only" needing Gasol: first, Pippen was named one of the fifty greatest players in NBA history; Gasol took a terrible Memphis team to the playoffs. These guys weren't scrubs.<br /><br />Second, Jordan also needed BJ Armstrong, Tony Kukoc, Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr and others to play well and/or hit game winning shots in the playoffs. Kobe has/had Fisher, Odom and Horry play key roles in his championships. <br /><br />Third, having three max players severely hampers a team's ability to put together a good bench and get the role players that seem to glue these championship teams together.<br /><br />For example, a team with three "superstars" and one good player was beaten by a Lakers team with "only" Kobe and Gasol. The critical turning point? An injury to Kendrick Perkins... <br /><br />As you also pointed out there was a very stacked Lakers team with FOUR future HOFs and they didn't win a championship. <br /><br />3) Wade has a history of injuries. He's played 7 seasons and missed more than 20 games in 3 of them. <br /><br />4) Who plays center? Who is their PG? I don't care if Lebron, Bosh and Wade are on the same team. You're not winning shit if Jermaine O'Neal and Carlos Arroyo round out your starting 5. If they lose Udonis, their top two guys off the bench would be Beasley and Chalmers...<br /><br />5)<b>As for money, how much does James need?</b><br /><br />Why does Jay only focus on James? How much money does any of this year's big free agents need? Does Wade need 18 million a year? Why the fuck doesn't Wade take a "hometown" discount and make the super team happen, seeing as how he'd benefit almost equally.<br /><br />6) Continuing with Mariotti's grammar: <b>If and when the Miami superteam comes to fruition, I suspect the league will want to televise all 82 regular-season games and every playoff game</b><br /><br />If and when? Why is "and when" there? "If and when" is used when something is likely (often overwhelmingly so). No one knows wtf is going on with the Lebron, Wade or Bosh, so using "if and when" is egotistical when "if" would work just as well. <br /><br />As for televising "every playoff game," maybe I should subscribe Jay to TV Digest because it may shock his tiny brain that all of the playoff games are already televised.FormerPhDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12837594679660975599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-34590880270907725332010-07-01T17:24:04.334-04:002010-07-01T17:24:04.334-04:00HH, your explanation makes sense and I am upset I ...HH, your explanation makes sense and I am upset I missed that. He means the opposite but he is saying that a "superteam" would work if LeBron could accept that he could be Jordan. <br /><br />I am not sure if an editor should catch that or not, but it was a good catch on your part. Clearly, subconsciously Mariotti wants LeBron to go to Chicago.Bengoodfellahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09401971573776672570noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-102327997051254703.post-60415368689216731632010-07-01T17:07:56.554-04:002010-07-01T17:07:56.554-04:00It's doable, as we saw at the Bejing Olympics ...<strong>It's doable, as we saw at the Bejing Olympics two years ago -- just so long as LeBron relinquishes the idea that he never can be Jordan. </strong><br /><br />Jay Mariotti is such a professional writer that he doesn't seem to accept ... grammar. From context, he clearly wants LeBron to give up trying to be as good as Jordan. The proper way to phrase this is "LeBron relinquishes the idea that he CAN be Jordan." If LeBron relinquishes the idea that he CAN NEVER be Jordan, he actually gives up the idea that he can't be Jordan, meaning he thinks he can be Jordan.<br /><br />I'm not sure if my explanation makes sense, but Mariotti is wrong.HHnoreply@blogger.com