TheStig wrote:
How would he go to detroit the following year if he was already under the 6/54 deal he agreed to sign that we pulled? He would have been under contract before last year making roughly the same money as his qo.
I assumed you meant a few months ago, since I'd said I don't see the point in still complaining about what happened over a year ago. It's been done to death.
I don't think the GM is necessarily an idiot. I don't think he is allowed to do his job like other gms. How many Owners besides mark cuban do you hear negotiating contracts, banning agents from negotiations, take it or leave it ultimatums right off the bat and interviewing coaches. My problem isn't with Pax. I don't think he wanted to let BG go personally, I really think he was overruled.
The fact that JR is more hands on when other owners aren't is just the way the Bulls are run. What you're asking is like asking why Apple, IBM and Microsoft have different management styles. I think JR being involved probably has positives and negatives, but honestly do we know enough about what really goes on to say that it's a net positive or negative? I don't think I do, if you think you do, then we'll have to disagree on it.
I will also give them credit when they put together another winner. It seems that their mission statement is living in the future with no results and just buying time. Again, I just don't see a commotment to winning. If they had a plan, they would rebuild, get rid of kirk, bg and deng and start new. But they didn't, they kept most of them despite Kirk clearly being worse than their franchise pg they drafted. Keeping a 9 million dollar backup pg on a that drafted their franchise pg while letting go their starting sg screams that they have no plan. I really don't think gar/pax are the problem, i think its the almighty oz in the background, opertating from behind the curtain.
If the Bulls traded everyone and sucked then it's certain that nobody signs here in 2010. I don't think it's a simple question of win now or win later, they're trying to do a bit of both and rebuild on the fly.
Is that the right move? I don't know, maybe tanking and trying for a star through the draft is better. My point isn't that the team always makes the right decisions, my point is that they are doing things for a reason, so I don't get why people think they let BG go to spite him or something.
Yes, thats really what it comes down to. Putting your money where your mouth is and jr doesn't. He has only been committed to leading the league in profits. If their were a profit title, he would be the gpat. greatest profit of all time.
Well then JR is at best a mediocre business man. Sports aren't where the big money is, do you see Warren Buffett running a sports team? No, because it's a fairly crappy way to make money in comparison to other options. You don't buy a sports team for making money, you do it because it allows you to feel like a god (hello Mr Cuban!)
How is it a proven formula? 11/13 LT teams made the playoffs last year. Only the knicks and wiz missed it, and the wiz would have made it if they were healthy. That leaves 5/13 teams making it that aren't paying the lt this year. And of thise teams there are exceptions, like Portland that has its 3 best players on rookie deals and had cap space and the pistons who had cap space and are trying to rebuild on the fly. Those other three teams, the bulls, hawks, and 76ers. Only one made the 2nd round, barely and promplty got elminated. So clearly with only one team that made the 2nd round that didn't pay the lt, clearly the lt is the barrier of contenders and pretenders. Till the bulls are willing to step over that line, they are just pretenders, going along for the ride and racking in the profits.
Well look at the recent title winners:
Lakers - started paying tax to get Gasol to go with Kobe
Celtics - started paying tax to get Garnett/Allen to go with Pierce
Spurs - started paying tax to put role players around Duncan/Manu/Parker
Heat - started paying tax to put role players around Wade/Shaq
None of them started paying tax for role players in the hope said role players would miraculously win the title for them.
We overpaid our role players. We overpaid Kirk, we overpaid Deng, we overpaid Noc, we overpaid Chandler. I wish we could take those contracts back. I'm glad we didn't overpay BG so that down the track I'd be wishing we took that contract back too. You said you wanted to see management change. By not giving BG a contract, I'd argue they have changed, and for the better.
