Marc Stein reporting.. | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

Marc Stein reporting..

"If you can't beat the opposition, then stack the deck as much as possible to make it impossible to lose."

Whats wrong with that? The point is to win isnt it? They wouldnt be cheating. They arent using PEDs. The teams they play against have access to the same pool of players. The point is winning within the rules.

Stern blocked CP to the Lakers because it would create an imbalance and look what happened. If the league let this happen, I for one will never watch another NBA game.
 
Re: your last point, let's also not forget that if Jordan hadn't stepped away for two years the Bulls probably woulda won 8 in a row too.

Yeah, I was thinking of mentioning that, but I didn't feel like even getting into the what-if game. I supppose the argument against is it that Jordan's body might have broken down a little more if he played 2 more full years of hoops, but I'm not betting against him.

Stern blocked CP to the Lakers because it would create an imbalance and look what happened. If the league let this happen, I for one will never watch another NBA game.

Big difference is the Hornets were owned by the league at the time of that trade, so it would be more like James Dolan blocking a move Donnie Walsh made. Which of course would never happen.
 
If players are willing to take a salary deduction to win titles I have no problem with it what so ever. It's kind of cool that players can be in control of their own destiny's.
Yeah, I have zero problem with it specifically for that reason. This is part of the free agency system. If a guy wants to sign a contract for less money because they value other things more, that's their right within that system. If you really want competitive balance the Eastern Conference needs to get better, as a whole, so that the Heat have to at least be challenged. If you're a team in the West, have so many stars on one team in the East almost makes your chances better to contend, at least in your own conference

That said, let's be honest here - if Melo does sign with the Heat and it becomes a Big 4, there's going to be friction. Wade's a shell of what he used to be. James, Bosh and Melo taking a pay cut to play together and making roughly equal money is one thing, because they're all still somewhat equal players in their prime. Wade taking less money on his current contract to make him monetarily equal with those other three... he'd be really overpaid. There would be problems.
 
OiG that's the thing and I agree, if they take less money and can keep their ego's in check...more power to them. People get so annoyed when player X goes for the most cash in a place he can't win but here we have the opposite and again people complain. I'm no Heat fan what so ever I give credit when credit is due if they pull this off. Too bad the Knicks can't do it.
 
If they add Melo, basically hand them the next 5 Championships.

It seems very likely that somehow, someway Lebron and Melo will be teammates soon, whether its in NY, Miami or LA, there is just way too much chatter about it now. Whichever team gets those two (who fit perfectly with each other, might I add) is the prohibitive title favorite for the foreseeable future.

If it's Miami, I agree with those above who say they will go without a traditional pg.

Lebron
Allen
Wade
Melo
Bosh

Game. Over.

Even if Wade is just a role player, they will just lure the best veteran 3 point shooter there for the minimum and put him in to space the floor for Lebron, Melo and Bosh.
 
If they add Melo, basically hand them the next 5 Championships.

It seems very likely that somehow, someway Lebron and Melo will be teammates soon, whether its in NY, Miami or LA, there is just way too much chatter about it now. Whichever team gets those two (who fit perfectly with each other, might I add) is the prohibitive title favorite for the foreseeable future.

There was a ton of chatter about Melo and CP playing together also.

I certainly don't have any inside info, I have no idea what's gonna happen, but I wouldn't put them together for sure yet.
 
I've been a lifelong Heat fan. I mean, as a young kid who loved SU how could you not love the Heat? They drafted Seikaly and Sherm, followed by signing at various points Pearl (very short term) and Owens. I loved that team.

LeBron coming to Miami has been miserable for me. People now either love the Heat (who are the biggest bandwagon fans I have ever met. I had never really met a Heat fan before LeBron's arrival) or loathe the Heat and think that I am the bandwagon fan.

As much as I love Melo, I think him coming to Miami would put the final nail in the coffin of me ever admitting I am a Heat fan.
 
If Melo wants to cement his legacy, this seems like a no win for him. If the Heat keep winning he gets no credit - they were winning without him. If they don't win, it's all his fault. He should go somewhere where he'll have a legitimate shot at taking the title away from Lebron and co. (unfortunately that's not in NY).
 
Bird (draft chicanery)
McHale (trade)
Parish (trade)
Dennis Johnson (trade)
Walton (forced trade)

Yeah, how *dare* the Heat make a mockery of assembling a team!
Bird was draft eligible because he left Indiana after his freshman year if the Celtics didn't have 2 first round picks in 1979 they don't gamble one of them on Bird who went 6th so the first 5 could have taken him.
McHale and Parrish were traded for the 1st pick in the 1980 draft not exactly a nothing trade.
Dennis Johnson was acquired for Rick Roby who again was a solid big guy and not a FA move.
Bill Walton only played for Boston for about 1 and a half years and was acquired for the 1981 NBA Finals Cedric Cornbread Maxwell so again he wasn't forcing the Clippers to move him to Boston.


If Melo goes to Miaomi my watching of the NBA will be a lot less.
 
Horrible idea. I want Melo to succeed as much as the next guy, but a "Yankee-like" payroll stacked maneuver in the NBA would totally suck, IMO. I think it would ruin the game.
It's like those guys who go to a playground, stack the best players on their squad, & then have "next" for the whole day. Oh Lord
On the Yankees nobody was taking pay cuts. At least here these guys are actually taking cuts and playing for less money to be together. I don't really like it but in that regard I do have some respect for these guys that they want to win so much they will take less money. Highly unusual.
 
Melo will have no legacy if he stays in New York. Lose in New York and he gets the blame. Win, possibly, in a few years and I guarantee Phil Jackson will get all the credit. He should go to Miami and play with his boys.
 
Joe Cowley @suntimes_hoops about 11 minutes ago
The 'Melo to Miami talk is heating up, and rumor is the one roadblock could be DWade. LeBron and Bosh are all in for less money.
 
You know my thoughts, as a Knicks fan, on the Heat, but in some weird, twisted way I kinda want to see this happen. It would be so utterly ridiculous and the sports world would completely implode from within. It will be like an apocalyptic Four Horseman riding into everyone else's arena's and completely ending life as we know it in their wake. Media would freak the F out and I mean FREAK THE F OUT, they would become the most hated/loved/bandwagoned team in the history of ever and watching them play would be an absolute epic experience night in/night out.
 
The Heat would be an appropriate name, because the #Hotsportstakes would be unstoppable.
 
Joe Cowley @suntimes_hoops about 11 minutes ago
The 'Melo to Miami talk is heating up, and rumor is the one roadblock could be DWade. LeBron and Bosh are all in for less money.
So... the guy that's least deserving of the money is the one that wants the money.

Maybe it becomes a new Big 3?
 
So... the guy that's least deserving of the money is the one that wants the money.

Maybe it becomes a new Big 3?

Only problem with that it Wade has to opt out for it to work. There's no way he opts out without there being a handshake agreement of what he re-signs for. (He's on the hook for 2 more years at $41 million; there's no way he gets that as a FA from someone else, right?)
 
As a Heat fan I am all for this. Wade is aging and while he has been good this playoffs I have to imagine he will start fading within the next year or two. I actually wouldn't be surprised of all the "big 3" to see Wade go elsewhere to get max $ one last time. Bosh has already come out and said I'm staying and I'll take less $. Dude is a very smart guy and realizes the strengths of the Heat organization. Lebron really isn't going anywhere even if the Heat lose to the Spurs, nowhere else makes sense for him and then he has a mercenary tag on him for the rest of his life. Riley is a mastermind and has set this team up perfectly. He swung for the fences and connected and now is going to have a superstar team for the next 4+ years even if Melo doesn't come to the heat. As a Cuse fan this would be amazing. If the Heat can find a way to keep all 3 AND add Melo that would just be insane. They would clearly be representing the east for the next several years and would be the favorites to win it all every year. Everyone loves hating on the Heat, so why not make it even more fun to hate on them? And people tuning in to watch the "bad guys" always drives ratings up, because people want to see them lose. There is only 1 basketball and there would be a logjam of shots so it wouldn't go as smoothly as everyone imagines. Would take some adjusting for all of them but would be quite fun to watch, whether a Melo fan, Heat fan, or just a hater.
 
You know my thoughts, as a Knicks fan, on the Heat, but in some weird, twisted way I kinda want to see this happen. It would be so utterly ridiculous and the sports world would completely implode from within. It will be like an apocalyptic Four Horseman riding into everyone else's arena's and completely ending life as we know it in their wake. Media would freak the F out and I mean FREAK THE F OUT, they would become the most hated/loved/bandwagoned team in the history of ever and watching them play would be an absolute epic experience night in/night out.

Not sure Wade has many years left, and, at that, he doesn't play more than 2/3 of a season. I think Snoop's doppleganger, Chris Bosh, seems to like playing with LeBron (great player, great teammate), but there's speculation he may opt out and get even bigger bucks to go home to Dallas. We shall see. But, as an LBJ fan(atic) whose favorite college team is 'Cuse, and as a huge hoops fan, I'd love to see LeBron and Carmelo together ... one of the things I like most about LBJ is his passing, it's Magic-like, Carmelo could only benefit from playing with an unselfish, uber-skilled baller like that.
 
And why would Lebron want to do this?

Because Wade is about done. He needs someone else who can be relied on to score.
 

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