Players talk about potentially playing together all the time. It just rarely happens b/c a lot has to go right. I doubt any of them felt it was likely to happen. As for James in particular, I'm sure he went into FA weighing his options. I think the narrative that he went in knowing he was going to Miami all along but just wanted the attention is silly. He didn't know where he was going to go. I would guess that going in he expected to stay in Cleveland. It was Riley's (and Wade's) masterful sell job that got him to Miami (that and Cleveland's inability to attract FAs). Even Wade considered Chicago before committing to Miami. Bosh was a complete wildcard. Lebron wanted him in Cleveland at first. Bosh reportedly told James straight up that there's no way he's ever going to Cleveland. I think that's a big part of why James started seriously considering other teams (other than Cleveland). He realized that few FAs would ever want to go there. In the end it was the meeting with Riley that convinced James thatMiami gave him the best chance for multiple championships b/c he trusted Riley's ability to find FAs and build the team more than any of the other options.
IMO those saying that Lebron isn't as great as Jordan and Magic were at the same points in their careers have an inaccurate historical perspective. At the same age Jordan only had one championship. They hadn't had the 70 win season yet. His teams weren't considered as dominant at that time as the are now in hindsight. Magic after his first NBA finals was coined "tragic Magic". The difference is that when looking at historical players we look at their accomplishments or rely on selective memories to determine their dominance. With current players we have fresher memories and re-evaluate on a play by play basis. I saw a comparison between Jordan and Lebron done before game 7 this year. (I can't recall which Jordan final they were using but it was were he was considered dominant). Comparing the stats James shot a better percentage than Jordan 43% to 42% while averaging 23 vs 33 points. This is before game 7 when everybody was saying James was shooting poorly, but shooting worse Jordan was dominant? And of course, James dominated every other stat they had. If anybody was looking at history with an accurate eye they would see that James is as dominant as any historical player has ever been. The closest player IMO is Shaq. He was more dominant through three quarters but was a liability in the fourth and he was never as good at raising the play of those around him, but I could see the argument there.
They very well might - Kyrie / Dion / McLemore would be 3 guards that could score in bunches. Which would be important, since they wouldn't be able to guard anyone.
Legacy conversations before a player has completed his career are just so flawed it's not really worth having them. If we argue that LeBron is better than Jordan today and LeBron never wins another ring, is it still true? I think he'll end up in the conversation, but not sure it's worth having yet. I will say my one problem with the LeBron legacy thing is that it's been going on since the day he was drafted. He hasn't forced his way into the conversation, we've all just been arguing over WHEN we get to call him one. Let him earn it - he's doing a damn good job of it.
Better that then taking a stiff like Len or a guy with a torn ACL. I get that the Cavs want to get in the playoffs and play with the big boys in 2014 but I've always said their best bet would be to tank again and get a true impact guy in 2014 draft, and then hope that the main stars Kyrie and whoever get along in an OKC type situation to where they would all want to stay. Cleveland is never going to be a FA destination for the top guys. It just isn't. So you get around that by drafting well and convincing guys to stay. Whether or not hiring Mike Brown is a way to do that is debabtable.
When it comes to making comparisons with historic context I look at it like when I evaluate football prospects, I really don't look at numbers or other variables first hand, really it's about isolating ones game and making your conclusions and comparisons, thinking about other variables like who played with who and how that could determine wins and losses, can make you go crazy and be inaccurate.. The best way to do it imo, is to take the other greats in their prime and put them in lebrons situation here, and come to your conclusions as to what the team would look like..
Definitely agree - they've actually executed the OKC model fairly well - but had horribly weak drafts. They're going to turn two #1s and two #4s into Kyrie / Noel and Tristan Thompson / Dion Waiters. It looks awful, but if you re-draft at their positions, it doesn't get dramatically better (Kyrie / Kawhi / Drummond is probably my favorite re-draft option.) There's two problems with tanking again - they're probably too good to pull it off. The young guys are growing enough to win some games. They were .500 in the something like 22 games between acquiring a bench (Ellington/Speights) and Kyrie's injury. It took Varejao / Kyrie (twice) / Dion missing significant time to tank this year. And those guys are all going to be better this season. And Kyrie is starting to pout a bit about all the losing. To your point about no FA coming to CLE - the guys here are quick to leave too (much to your benefit.) I realize no one has ever turned down the rookie extension, but they're still running a risk of alienating Kyrie if they continue to tank. Again - just amazing the assets they've acquired - two #1s, two #4s, that Laker first rounder last year (that became Zeller), a future Memphis lottery pick and a future Sacramento pick plus the Miami firsts. But the drafts have sucked, they missed out on the Harden trade (OKC jumped the gun - could've had #1 pick and Waiters or additional firsts this year for Harden), and another big trade opportunity hasn't materialized. They have to hope the new luxury penalties start scaring some teams - or something insane like Dwight going to the Clippers makes Griffin available.
[video=youtube;wtPEMDMX3Cc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPEMDMX3Cc&feature=player_embedded[/video] 1:10 into it Bron tells the media to get the eff out of his face.... And Wade goes off about him and Ray Ray being the the best 2 SG in history.....good stuff....
I think Kyrie is definitely a flight risk, not right away, but after the rookie extension runs out. but before he starts complaining too much he might want to try and stay healthy for a full season.
Amen. Also - just for fun - if the Cavs had the same 4 picks they've had from '11 - '13 drafts in the '03 - '05 drafts, they could have LeBron, Wade, Igoudala, and Chris Paul.
I haven't seen him. But I will be sure to let you know how he looks if he works out. I would watch for Sam Dalembert.
I think that if you ignore the numbers you end up skewed by emotions and inaccurate perceptions of the "good ol days".
Lebron James just said that his GOAL is to END his career with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Now..he needs to shut up, so teams screw up their cap situations to chase ghosts in 2014.
I want him as a project. Sam Dalembert to play 15 minutes a game. Bird to play another 15. Bosh starts, and UD is a spot player at 10 minutes a game.
I wouldn't even mind Sammy D starting during the regular season just to save Bosh some pounding. During the playoffs obviously you play your best lineups. Is Chris Kaman a free agent? Let's get another 2003 first rounder on the team
Maybe it's just because I've sat in your shoes before, but I wouldn't count on it quite yet. He also said this:
Not finsihing career with Wade and Bosh is different from finishing career with a different team. But certainly, anything can happen. It's not worth worrying about now. I will enjoy our hopeful 3-peat and if for some reason, LBJ feels he has to leave then so be it. It's been an incredible ride that I expect to continue next eyar. I'm confident though that he will stay. Besides his relationship with Wade and Bosh, this organization has made good on every promise and has the leadership with the skills and the wherewithall to remain competetive for the forseeable future. No offense, but that simply wasn't, and isn't, the case with the Cavs. Nor will it be the case with the Lakers (new, horrible pwner in charge with terrible coach) or any other team that might have the cap space in 2014. Other than the Lakers or Cavs, what are the options? Dallas? For what?
No chance LeBron leaves after next season. Four titles in a row is his trump card to being better than Jordan. He may not finish his career in Miami, but that will be a number of years down the line.
Here's a little more of the actual quote for context. what I imagine will happen after the championship parade next year (yes, I said it) is that all 3 guys will sit down with riley/ellisburg and Arison and discuss how they can proceed together so that the rest of the team can be maximized. Perhaps they all need to take a little bit less. Perhaps LBJ gets more as he is clearly the lynchpin. Perhaps the Heat has a new tv deal by the end of next eyar which makes any luxury tax concerns moot. What pundits who talk about the need to break up the big 3 don't realize is that the Heat's cap is actually pretty clean in 2015. Putting aside any amnesty, the contracts of UD, Miller, Joel Anthony and Chalmers all expire that year. We would also be getting to the team option for Cole. Theoretically, if the big 3 opted out next eyar and resigned for a bit less, we could be under the cap in 2015 allowing to sign several reasonably priced free agents and we'll also have most of our draft picks going forward from there. this etam will look radically different in 2015 Big3 or no big 3
http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/contracts/nba/mia/ Our cap is incredibly clean in 2015 provided the big 3 opt out and sign long term at slightly lower slaries. even if none of them opt out and we keep only cole, we'll probably still be below the cap in 2015-2016, or slightly above it with rookies having joined the team the last two years. We will need to amnesty Haslem or Miller at some point though
I think if anyone is going to take significantly less, it is going to be Wade. Hard to see much benefit for Bosh to take less money.
It always comes back to Wade's knees. He's had trouble two straight years in the playoffs. If he's not at a top level, LeBron isn't going to re-up for 4 more years of Wade's decline. But I'm guessing we're all going to disagree on Wade's next 5 years, so it's not really worth arguing about.
Cavs would need a MAJOR move to be considered. If say Clippers are a team to watch w CP3, Doc, Griffin and hell, maybe Dwight.
Best thing Doc Rivers could do as the new Clippers HC?? Get value for Blake the video game beast Griffin. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
Wade will do what is necessary to keep James around. That very likely will mean taking less money so they can bring in someone like Kevin Love. Dwyane Wade is making ~$20M in endorsements per year. If he isn't on the Heat, that number very likely goes down. Physically I don't think he could carry the load for a team. His best option is to take less in Miami, and still remain a superstar while not having to carry a superstar load.
3 years later..and you still don't get it. This is not Cleveland, and this Organization is not the Cavs. Arison is not Gilbert and NOBODY is Pat Riley. So ...no...you have not sat in my shoes before, and I am not counting on anything, I have already said it is a FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
He's also performed when needed two straight years in the playoffs. He also doesn't need surgery. He's fine. Guy just had a career year for ****s sake.
First Heat transaction of Offseason... Rashard Lewis has exercised his option for the 13'-14' season at the league minimum.
The problem with your sentence is your assuming Wade is declining. There is nothing structurally wrong with either knee. What you are saying is like if superstar X had a twisted ankle and I started questioning whether he was on the decline because of it.
