| Lowest Committed 2010-11 Payrolls | |
|---|---|
| Team | Payroll |
| New York Knicks | $18.64 m |
| New Jersey Nets | $26.63 m |
| Miami Heat | $30.67 m |
| Chicago Bulls | $31.85 m |
| Los Angeles Clippers | $33.53 m |
| Sacramento Kings | $34.0 m |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $35.17 m |
| Washington Wizards | $41.02 m |
| Source: ESPN.com |
Well, the NBA Draft lottery has come and gone and the top three picks belong to the Washington Wizards, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets.
All three should come away with really good players, but the big prize was John Wall and the Wizards have just won the right to draft him. They seemed very excited to win the lottery, but did not tip their hand. Also, John Wall did not seem thrilled by the result of the lottery - refusing to acknowledge questions about how he fit in with Washington, instead offering a general response about helping out his team.
Washington, however, will be an exciting team with this starting lineup:
C - McGee
PF - Blatche
SF - Howard
SG - Arenas
PG - Wall
The fallout from the Wizards will likely be a move for Gil to his more natural SG spot. He is undersized, but he will score more than the opposing SG more often than not anyway. PG Shaun Livingston and combo guard Randy Foye are more likely to leave as free agents in search of better opportunities for minutes and career revivals. Miami will likely address the point guard position last, so they may be picking up pieces from the scrapheap like they have been ever since they showed Jason Williams the door.
Philadelphia will have plenty of talent to chose from even if they don't view Evan Turner as the answer. Speaking of "The Answer", he has become an afterthought due to his bad behavior and poor performance on the court. He has likely played his last NBA game for similar reasons as Rafer Alston, but he does figure to be an intriguing option for minimum money once Miami stocks up the front end of their roster. He seems a lock for the All-Star game as long as he plays in the NBA, but will his play be worth the headache?
New Jersey's slide into the third spot is the best news for Miami fans out of this lottery drawing, because it has taken some wind out of the sails of a franchise that has cleared the second most cap room, behind the New York Knicks (until Wade opts out, which would place Miami as the team with the most cap room). They are projected to draft PF Derrick Favors or SF Wesley Johnson. The odds favor Favors, but Johnson because can play SG or SF which gives them more flexibility in free agency. However, the delayed move to Brooklyn, coupled with not getting the #1 pick and people's natural desire not to work for a scary Russian boss should keep top tier free agents away. Their most realistic targets strategy will be overpaying second tier free agents and RFA's like Rudy Gay and Tyrus Thomas who need someone to be willing to wait a week to find out if their contract will be matched.
Overall, it was a positive thing that New Jersey did not win the lottery even though they still are in position to add an elite rookie + two top free agents to their roster. Had they won the lottery, Jay-Z and company would have had a far stronger pitch to the elite free agents. The day ends just as it started, with Miami at the front of the free agent line.
Kbboy80
I said it from day one, every team has their fallout boy. If the Cavs lose this will somehow all come back to Shaq “screwing up their team” without anybody mentioning this is pretty much the same team from last year that got whooped by the Magic. as far as the core goes. Delonted,MO,Big Z, Varajeo. All still here with an upgrade in talent. But it will all come back to Shaq, somehow he will get the blame even tho Clv is quick to turn away from him, bench him, and go with the core from last year in the closing quarters. Shaq has been quiet, hasnt cried, and is basically playing the role of “stiff” and just rebounding, defending and doing what is asked.
Its all so hilarious to me how on PTI the other day, idiot Wilbon proclaims “Lebron’s cast isnt all that gay. Yea he got a guy like Jamison and Mo Will but, these guys dont play good together”. Oh really? So when ESPN slobbed them for all 60 something wins they werent playing well together or were not a good enough cast? Ridiculous.
LeBron’s cast isn’t all that gay… but Sledge is.
LMFAO!!! I just caught that. What wilbon said was “Lebron’s cast isnt all that GREAT”.*
They are pretty gay tho, but you are right, not as much as Sledge.
Asylum for tonight’s game?
Sledge gets into it with me next calling me a fagget with mental retardation and childhood issues, to which I respond that I agree it is childish to call each other gay, but that he always responds by calling us faggets, which shows he can't even pick a side and stick with it... who is the retard? These comments are quickly erased from the board and then I take a few shots at Ira and soon after I get called to the principal's office:
FMB says:
May 13, 2010 at 4:30 pm
He’s a bust because our local beat writer has deemed him as such and goes around telling anyone who listens that he is a bust. Then his buddy writes a national story about how Haslem is better and the Heat have been keeping it a secret.
——————————————-
I agree 1000000 PERCENT. All you ever hear is Ira coming out of peoples mouths, as it pertains to Beasley. Which okay I get, he is our most respected local Heat Beat Writer. But does that mean its correct? Who knows, especially when you have Coach, President, and Owner saying otherwise.
OMG, our most nationally respected beat writer is Ira!
I don’t recall Ira saying that Beasley is a “bust”. Get it right. He has just written about Beasleys shortcomings and him not meeting the higher expectations most people had for a #2 pick these past 2 seasons. Even Wade has expressed the same sort of discouragement. Not to mention Pat Riley who has been approving Beasley’s limited minutes for 2 consecutive years as general manager. Beasley is not bust, where did Ira write that? At just 21 y/o, he may be a late bloomer on the wrong system, who knows. Time will tell. He could be the next Lamar Odom or the next Rasual Butler. We’ll see.
Sledge can you really say that Ira has not been hypercritical of Beasley?
20 and 10 from Beasley, Lets keep some perspective.
5 and 5 from Beasley, Beasley looked lost.
15 and 7 from Beasley following night, Beasley gave up more than he scored.
The problem wasnt in reporting the bad, it was not reporting the good.
Ira is anything but unbiased
We are all biased to some extent when evaluating players. i happen to agree with Ira most times about Beasley. His porous defense, being lost in the court, and the 10 Beasley Flaws that I’ve repeatedly posted here. I also agree that Haslem does other things on the court that Beasley just hasn’t learned yet or is incapable of. Beasley has been an inconsistent scorer, that’s all. No passing skills, treated like a rag doll in the paint, etc. etc. That’s why Wade complains, that’s why the Heat entire coaching staff headed by pat Riley has severely limited Beasley’s minutes for 2 seasons. They all agree with Ira too.
Sledge, CyrusTheVirus, et al.
Play nice, guys. Let’s try to keeps this forum civil, or at least not like the playground in grade school.
Fair warning to all – any and all impersonators will be banned. Pick your username and stick to it.
That is all.
what if its funny and positive? or not crude at least?
Why not ban trolls?
impersonator = troll
Impersonator = comedy for those who want to talk Heat basketball and have to hear the repetitive opinions of somebody who just wants to get under the skin of Heat fans.
Your protection of that blogger is a disgrace to your newspaper… get rid of the cancer or you will lose your following. Guaranteed.
Soon after a new blog topic was started and Jrod kept the dialogue going:
But what if your famous? Can you still get banned?
Because to me thats funny, not trolling, I never say hateful or crude remarks, I just use it to accentuate my points.
I know Chris T is a wise man, and will use his correct judgement.
Just trying to clean the place up a bit.
Excellent news.
agreed
Get rid of Sledge, then
What are your thoughts, comments, concerns. I don't necessarily want to be banned so I will respect the posted rules. However, now that I know we are being watched, can we actually get the trolls out? What needs to happen in order to clean out the trash?