Offical 2009-10 NBA Season Thread

[i nasmatic i]

^
Good nomination.

 

[CP1708]

Yeah, I don't know how you'd keep Rick from winning the award.

It's funny, MVP is best player best team, coach is the guy that gets 7th place with scrubs. Go figure.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

shaq kisses up to the team hes on c'mon now then he burns them right when he leaves

...shaqs just a comedian now i mean dude did say him and kobe were the best 1-2punch in Laker history (a history with a duo of wilt/jerry west and magic/kareem)...oh lets not forget this unforgettable this popular shaqism earlier thisyear


From the Akron Beacon Journal:

The words came easily, without hesitation and seemingly with the thought required before going for the bold splash. In Shaquille O'Neal's estimation - one based on four championship rings and other honors - he's found basketball nirvana. And in of all places, Cleveland.

"Like I said before, one through 15, it's probably the best team that I've been on," O'Neal said. "I've always been on management to get me the shooters I needed and the power forward I needed, but here [we have that]."

 

[pdouly33]

Who was the power forward he needed? Varejao?

 

[i nasmatic i]

First return of ASG voting is supposed to be released today.

Apparently Kobe leads the entire league in voting. Wade leads the entire East.

 

[scott frost]

Some #'s related articles regarding revenues, etc. Buddy of mine forwarded them to me from a link on Bill Simmon's twitter account.

[h2]Forbes lists NBA franchise values[/h2]
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Associated Press

NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Lakers are the NBA's most valuable team, and 12 franchises lost money in the 2008-09 season, according to Forbes magazine.

In its annual listing of the value of NBA franchises, Forbes finds Lakers to be worth $607 million, up 4 percent for the league champions. Second are the New York Knicks at $586 million, but that is a 4 percent drop. The Knicks led the rankings for the four previous seasons.

The Chicago Bulls ($511 million), Detroit Pistons ($479 million) and Cleveland Cavaliers ($476 million) round out the top five.

At the bottom of the 30-team rankings are the Milwaukee Bucks at $254 million. The league average worth is $367 million, down 4 percent, according to Forbes.

The teams losing money in the last 12 months are the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, New Jersey Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Hornets, Memphis Grizzlies and Bucks.

Teams' average operating income was $7.8 million, with the Lakers at the top with $51.1 million, just ahead of the Bulls at $51 million. Portland's value has increased the most, by 10 percent, while the Kings and Grizzlies each have dropped the most, by 13 percent.

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

[h2]NBA ticket revenue slides 7.4 percent (UPDATE)[/h2]
Posted on: December 9, 2009 9:37 pm

Edited on: December 9, 2009 11:23 pm

Score: 213

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Average paid attendance is down 3.7 percent in the NBA through the first quarter of the regular season, sending gate receipts plummeting 7.4 percent, according to league documents obtained by CBSSports.com.

Net gate receipts, the money teams make from ticket sales, fell to an average of $828,985 per game, down from $894,823 at the same point last season. Only nine teams were up or flat in average net gate receipts through Nov. 29, while 21 teams saw a decline.

The numbers are important because they reflect how even teams with relatively healthy paid attendance - such as the Mavericks, who are averaging 15,373 - are suffering due to pricing pressure from the recession. Dallas' paid attendance is down 8.2 percent, but its gate receipts are down 15.9 percent.

They're also important because ticket revenue factors into the overall basketball-related income (BRI) figure that is used to set the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds for next season. The NBA has stood by its projection of a decline in overall revenue this season between 2.5 percent and 5 percent, which would result in the salary cap declining from its current $57.7 million to between $50.4 million and $53.6 million. But a bigger than expected decline in BRI would seriously hamper certain teams' plans to be big spenders in the 2010 free-agent market.

The hardest-hit franchise so far is the Detroit Pistons, whose net average gate receipts are down a staggering 42.8 percent year-over-year, according to the figures reported by teams to the league office. The Pistons made an average of $537,263 per game on ticket sales through their first eight home games, down from $938,833 at the same point last season. The Pistons, located in the epicenter of joblessness, have seen paid attendance slip 22 percent, to 14,821 from 18,993 in the first month of 2008-09.

The other teams suffering the most at the gate are the Sacramento Kings (average gate receipts down 36.2 percent), Minnesota Timberwolves (down 24.4 percent), Phoenix Suns (down 23.8 percent), Los Angeles Clippers (down 23.3 percent), Milwaukee Bucks (down 23.2 percent), and Golden State Warriors (down 22.3 percent). Clearly, the Suns' bottom line has not benefited from the team's 15-7 start, nor have the Bucks been able to translate excitement over rookie point guard Brandon Jennings into ticket revenue.

The Atlanta Hawks (15-6), long challenged in the attendance department but off to their best start in a decade, have seen a league-high 26.8 percent increase in net gate receipts - to $468,036 per game, up from $369,157 at this point last season. Atlanta is selling an average of 10,573 tickets per game, up from 7,900 at this point last season. The other top gainers in net gate receipts are the Denver Nuggets (up 20.3 percent), Orlando Magic (up 17.7 percent), Portland Trail Blazers (up 12.3 percent), and Cleveland Cavaliers (up 11.8 percent).

UPDATE: Mike Bass, the NBA's senior vice president for marketing communications, said gate receipts are down less than the league projected.

"All of our teams have been very responsive to the financial concerns of our fans," Bass said in a statement to CBSSports.com. "The majority of our teams have held or lowered ticket prices this season, and all have introduced a number of creative, family-friendly ticket options in response to the financial difficulties our fans are facing. The response has been extremely positive as attendance is off slightly from last year, which was our third highest attendance in history."

League-wide, average paid attendance through Nov. 29 was 13,187, down 3.7 percent from 13,699 at this point last season.

The five best:

Cleveland: 18,157, up 10.4 percent
Portland: 17,714, down 0.5 percent
New York: 17,523, up 4.2 percent
Boston: 17,067, up 0.8 percent
Bulls: 16,272, down 2.4 percent

The five worst:

Memphis: 6,879, up 6.8 percent
Sacramento: 7,606, down 21.1 percent
Milwaukee: 8,331, down 26.7 percent
Philadelphia: 8,701, down 16.4 percent
Charlotte: 8,969, up 4.7 percent

The disparity between high-revenue teams and low-revenue teams is one of the key issues looming with owners and players preparing for negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement. As expected, owners have notified the players' association that they will not extend the current agreement, which expires after the 2010-11 season.

Compared to full-season figures for 2008-09, the number of teams netting less than $500,000 in gate receipts per home game has grown from five to eight, with the Sixers, Kings, and Bobcats joining the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Bucks, Pacers, and Hawks in the under-$500K club. But pricing pressure also has affected the high-revenue clubs. Compared to full-season totals from '08-'09, the number of teams netting at least $1 million per home game has shrunk from 12 to seven, with the Suns, Thunder, Rockets, Warriors, and Suns dropping out of the $1 million club.

 

[jmause3]

So we are the third most valuable team in the NBA and our owner is too cheap to spend money. Reinsdorf FTL

Damn we suck right now

 

[bigmike23]

Donnie Walsh met with his entire U.S.-based scouting department Wednesday to discuss the future and perhaps one glaring mistake from the not-so-distant past.

"I'm pretty sure the name Brandon Jennings will come up," said one team official.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
The decision to pass on Jennings in June's draft has backfired for the Knicks, and Walsh has not been shy about assigning blame to members of his scouting department, many of whom are holdovers from the Isiah Thomas administration.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
"I couldn't get a feel for his game," Walsh said of Jennings last month. "One scout said he thought Brandon Jennings was very good. I said, 'If he's that good you should come in my door every five minutes and tell me.'"

Jennings, who played in Italy last season, was selected 10th by Milwaukee and has flourished in his rookie season. Meanwhile, the point guard-starved Knicks used the eighth pick on power forward Jordan Hill, who has played just 80 minutes in 10 games for a team with a 7-15 record.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
As the Knicks president, Walsh is ultimately responsible for the pick and yet he continues to hint that part of the problem lies within the scouting department he inherited. Mark Hughes, Rodney Heard, Walker D. Russell and Steve Yoder were all hired by Thomas. Russell, in fact, was believed to be one of Jennings' strongest advocates.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
***@ and Scott McGuire are the longest-tenured scouts going back to the '90s. Walsh's hires were Ben Jobe, John Gabriel and Misho Ostarcevic, who runs the department. Walsh reportedly has been interested in hiring Chris Mullin, Billy King or Billy Knight as GM, but it is believed that Garden chairman James Dolan doesn't want to add front-office staff. According to a source, Dolan vetoed Walsh's plans to bring in George Felton as a scout last summer.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
In a recent interview with SI.com, Walsh hinted that ownership wouldn't allow him to revamp the front office.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
"I could have hired some amazing people," Walsh told SI.com. "But there are some things you can't ask the owner to do, and that's eat some of these (front-office and scouting department) numbers."

That Dolan would be loyal toward Thomas' hires is not surprising. Dolan continues to maintain a relationship with Thomas, the former Knicks coach and president who is now coaching Florida International University. Dolan dined with Thomas and invited him to be his guest for the Knicks' season opener in Miami on Oct. 28.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
When Walsh was hired to run the Knicks, it was Dolan who insisted that Thomas have a role in the organization. Thomas was eventually reassigned to a consulting position, and according to a team source, had Thomas not accepted the FIU job he would have remained employed by the Knicks.

Judging from his recent comments, Walsh doesn't sound thrilled about having to retain all of Thomas' hires. But he may not have a choice.

Thomas and his staff are responsible for drafting Trevor Ariza, David Lee and Wilson Chandler. And it appears that some of those same scouts liked Jennings.
http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Donnie+Walsh
Perhaps they could have pushed harder or maybe they didn't want to step on anyone's toes.

"It's kind of like what I'm hearing with the players: They don't think they're going to be here, so they don't want to play hard," Walsh told SI.com. "I'm like, 'What are you talking about?' They've got to play hard, and I haven't said I wouldn't take them back (as free agents), because if they're good enough, that would be one of my options. So that doesn't compute to me, the same way if you've got scouts working for you - they work for the New York Knicks."

 

[CP1708]

Interesting situation there. Ariza, Lee and Chandler aren't terrible finds. But they gave up on Trevor too quick, and seem ready to let Lee go nextsummer don't they?

10 better go the way they hope, or it could get real ugly out there.

 

[airmaxpenny1]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

Walsh reportedly has been interested in hiring Chris Mullin, Billy King or Billy Knight as GM, but it is believed that Garden chairman James Dolan doesn't want to add front-office staff. According to a source, Dolan vetoed Walsh's plans to bring in George Felton as a scout last summer.

Who in the hell would think King, Knight or Mullin would be successfull after their horrible jobs so far? I swear the GM's are like an old boy network,how can such a easy job be done so horribly by so many people.

 

[al3xis]

Walsh is a loser for that one. Stay strong in your opinions, $#@* we're only 25 games in.



I remember a rookie once drafted by Isiah...quick, shifty lefty, with all the freedom and minutes needed..

He emerged a marginal player and never built on his ROY season.


Things will unfold, if you're wrong....you're wrong years down the line....not in December of Year 1. Don't throw those people under the bus,it's YOUR call.

 

[eneyekayee]

 

[CP1708]

Yeah but he got traded to Portland, IE, career suicide, so that's not really his fault.

If Jennings doesn't come out here, then he'll be fine.

 

[al3xis]

Originally Posted by CP1708


he got traded

exactly.

 

[kiddin like jason]

After committing a second-quarter foul, Chris Paul turned and asked the official scorer how many fouls he had been charged with. Rambis couldn't resist. "You've committed five," Rambis yelled at the Hornets' point guard, "but they've only called two on you."

 

[bigmike23]

Originally Posted by Al3xis

Walsh is a loser for that one. Stay strong in your opinions, $#@* we're only 25 games in.



I remember a rookie once drafted by Isiah...quick, shifty lefty, with all the freedom and minutes needed..

He emerged a marginal player and never built on his ROY season.


Things will unfold, if you're wrong....you're wrong years down the line....not in December of Year 1. Don't throw those people under the bus, it's YOUR call.

so i see what you did there

If wash can see him and his scouts missed so can you allen

 

[al3xis]

yup, he's a better talent and player than jordan hill right now.

if he remains the same player, do i want to succumb to giving him a max deal? nope...we'll see where he takes his game from here.

 

[bigmike23]

and CP is right going to Portland did kill Damons Career

 

[eneyekayee]

DP.

 

[eneyekayee]

How exactly did it "kill" his career? I'm just curious...Is it because he played with the "Jailblazers"? That squad was loaded. Yes,he smoked too much, but that was going to happen anywhere he played. *shrugs*

I agree more with Allen on this one. Yes NY should have taken him and BJ is a great talent, but he doesn't seem like a winner. He is more concerned aboutgetting his. He will more likely have the career of a Marbury, Francis etc. (best case IMO). Dude is not a true 1, he's a gunner. I would personallyNEVER sign that type of player to a MAX.

Who was the last team to win the title with a gunner at the point?

 

[CP1708]

Ya'll see the deal Toronto got for Damon though?

I don't care how good Damon was or not, you gotta do that deal at the time. 2 firsts, 1 second, couple young kids in Alvin Williams and Gary Trent, and avet Kenny Anderson. They got cash too I think. Damn. That's a helluva hall for a little guard.

 

[CP1708]

For one, Portland had Dunleavy as a coach, that's death right there.

Then, they did have a lot of talented guys, but a bunch of idiots that ran the asylum. If Damon had a team where he could get Sheed on the block, throw itdown to him, and either let him get the bucket (assist for Damon) or kick it back to Damon off the double team for a 3, he woulda been cool. Problem was,Sheed was out there at the 3 line hangin with Damon.

Then you had Pippen tryin furiously to prove that he could win with out Mike, and just total losers in Bonzi and Z-Bo......... shoot, Damon never had a chance. That whole team was garbage. Anthony out there takin minutes, Sabonis standing next to Sheed at the 3 point line, it was comical.

And people can

and

all they want at that roster, the way it was constructed and managed was puregarbage. Owner was dumb, GM was dumb, coach was beyond dumb, and then the players (who were mostly all vets and well groomed players) got dumb. Media wasdumb, state is dumb, fans are dumb..........


Sorry bout that last part, couldn't help myself. But the rest of that stuff is true. You throw in a Phil Jax, or a Sloan, (provided they wouldn'tquit after one day) and then maybe that roster coulda done something. They woulda had Sheed on the block, Damon spotted up in a corner, Steve Smith on theother side, Sabas feeding the post, yes, feeding the post, with Pippen movin around, Bonzi and Zach off the bench with Schrempf and Anthony as those coldblooded vets in crucial minutes, yeah, mighta had somethin. But Dunleavy didn't have that. He couldn't get that to work. So, Damon just smoked outinstead.

 

[al3xis]

Steve Francis
Stephon Marbury
Gilbert Arenas
Ben Gordon
Damon Stoudamire

among others..throw AI in that group if you'd like..

couple things in common; mostly on bad teams and found early success, shoot first guards thought to eventually have the potential to be true PG's...afterrookie deals...overpaid, severely.

He has to become more than a guard taking 20 shots a night or he will see the same fate. if he changes his game and improves to me more Chris Paul thanSteph...good for him and the knicks really did #!@! up.

if Tyreke is strictly thought of as a PG by Sac...he applies here as well. Must improve as a PG to be worth the money he will pull in, in 4 years.


Houston took Jason Collins one spot in front of Zbo in 01....completely missed on the talent/ability between the 2...Portland saw promise still after 4 yearsand locked him into a max deal...fortunately they got out of it, but think Houston is disappointed they didn't get that same chance?



We just don't know yet. Not for a while...not months, but years.


* my point with Damon was Toronto realized he was not the STAR they thought they had his rookie year. so he got dealt.

We react too early to rookies, for the good ones and the bad ones. Look at the post above this...Derrick rose a bust...this after all the praise hyped on himlast year.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Didn't Damon get dealt because Isiah got canned and that got him mad to the point where he didn't want to stay in Toronto?

 

[bangdak]

Ariza would have never succeeded here in NY.
and chris mullin isnt that bad of an gm.