Official Detroit Pistons thread

[Mainevent]

true but by then all were in their mid 30's and at the tail end of their careers.

Chuck averaged 23 & 12 and shot 50% from the field (54% from 2) the year before going to Houston. Hakeem 23 & 9. They weren't at their peaks but they were still stars and a lot of people thought it was going to work.

[froot loops]

It is totally clear Barkley went to Houston to try and snag a title. The same thing he is complaining about other people doing.

If you had full fledged free agency back then, it would have happened as well unless you were Bird and Magic on a stacked team.

It is very clear Durant and the Thunder were never going to get over the top. When your career is judged by how many titles you won, you try to win a title. Barkley still catches flak for never winning a title, if he could go back he would have engineered a trade earlier out of Philly.

[froot loops]

I'm pretty certain Durant is about at his ceiling and it didn't work at OKC.

The thing is with these old timers talking about not doing what Durant did, they weren't afforded the opportunity to do what Durant did at this age. That's why you can only look at times, when they were afforded the opportunity to go to a better title situation they pretty much always did. They are not to be believed.

[jaadam4]

there's a lot of truth to that

[froot loops]

One other thing to consider, back in the 80s the salary cap was much less restrictive to be able to trade. Draft picks were much more established. There was no such thing as trading salaries to clear the books. These days a superstar getting traded to a team as the final piece of a championship puzzle is almost nil. It is hard to imagine a Barkley to Phoenix trade nowadays.

The dominant way of the NBA is free agency. If you are superstar you are either going to try and win it in the place that drafted you or you will leave to go to a better situation.

[Kstat]

NBA teams that can attract elite free agents don't appear at random. You need a foundation to attract a Lebron or a Durant and those aren't built with more free agents.

[jaadam4]

One thing is certain, the new bloated contracts these scrubs are getting in the NBA are insane!

[whatever_gong82]

One thing is certain, the new bloated contracts these scrubs are getting in the NBA are insane!

I chuckle at how jealous the NFL players are at the guaranteed money that the NBA players get, to say nothing of MLB.

The blame for the NFL players sorry lot lays squarely at the feet of both the NFL players, the NFLPA, and the NFL Owners.

Getting the money upfront is ok, due to the violent nature of Football, but then NFL players shouldn't gripe when hoops and baseball easily clear more money overall than what the average football player makes.

[Kstat]

NFL teams employ 53 players. MLB teams employ 25. NBA teams employ 15. Of course NBA players make more.

[Futureshock]

Yup

[Kstat]

Conversely, the average NFL payroll far exceeds the average MLB payroll, which far exceeds the average NBA payrolls.

[jaadam4]

Reggie Jackson out 6-8 weeks with knee tendinitis. What a f shot that is.

[froot loops]

It happens

[ghandi]

Better now than late in season

[FVD]

Apparently this Reggie Jackson is not Mr October