Team stacking in the NBA

[Dave Gray]

With Golden State now getting Demarcus Cousins, they're super stacked.  The best team in the league is adding another superstar.

I think that this is largely due to the way that the cap works in the NBA.  Because the max salary is where it is, it makes a ton of guys max players and equates guys like Lebron with guys who aren't nearly as good as Lebron.  This incentivizes guys to group up or go to markets that they otherwise wouldn't or otherwise seek a power other than money.  Money almost takes a back seat.

I'm not incredibly invested in the NBA and I don't hate the Warriors, but it's hard to get excited when you go into the season, pretty much knowing who's going to win.

I wonder what they can do to spread that out a little bit.  I've always been a fan of a loyalty system where you can pay guys a higher percentage of their salary that doesn't count against the cap, that increases as they're with the team longer.

[CF DolFan]

I think it has more to do with it only takes a few players to stack a team ... as the heat showed. I'll get beat up over this but I never thought basketball is that "professional" anyways. In my opinion if a kid can come in from high school and compete then how professional can it really be?

[Spider-Dan]

By rule, a kid may not "come in from high school and compete" in the NBA.  However, that is allowed in the NHL, as Connor McDavid showed.  But I'm guessing that's not what you were talking about.

If we're talking about "unprofessional" leagues with kids competing, it seems to me that MLB has always been the king of high school players jumping to the pros in less than a year.

[Phishfan]

I'm not super invested in the NBA anymore and prefer college basketball but I might stat watching again now that the Lakers have a superstar again. I'm really tired of seeing the same teams in the finals and didn't watch a minute of it last year. At least we know the East is going to have a different representative now.

[Pappy13]

I'm really tired of seeing the same teams in the finals and didn't watch a minute of it last year. At least we know the East is going to have a different representative now.

As long as it's nots the Lakers and Celtics every year like it was in the 80's.....whoops.

[Spider-Dan]

Pappy, when the Lakers made it to the Finals 8 times during the '80s, that was the golden age of the NBA that saved the league.  And the era when the Bulls won the Finals 6 times in 8 years was also amazing and great for the sport.  But now that the Warriors have made the Finals 4 years in a row and won 3 of them, the NBA is boring and broken. 

[Phishfan]

I'll admit to the hypocrisy but so should most people. Seeing the same teams when I have little vested interest is boring. Seeing the same teams when you are vested is a completely different feeling.

[Spider-Dan]

Food for thought: Over the last 17 years, Belichick's Patriots have been to 12 conference championships and 8 Super Bowls.  A good chunk of their success is because players are willing to take below market deals to play there for a ring... just like the Warriors.  This has been going on for much longer than the current NBA superteam era, yet you never hear the media complain about it.  Why?  Because it's Boston, not the Bay Area.

The KG/Pierce/Allen Celtics started this superteam trend, and yet everyone points at LeBron as the villain.  Why?  Because LeBron's team was in Miami, not Boston.

[Phishfan]

There is a difference that always needs pointed out. Boston did not start the trend as we see it now. Of the big three, they drafted one and traded for two. Since Lebron moved to Miami the trend has been to use free agency. I'm not arguing for or against either, just saying the comparison isn't right.

[Fau Teixeira]

There is a difference that always needs pointed out. Boston did not start the trend as we see it now. Of the big three, they drafted one and traded for two. Since Lebron moved to Miami the trend has been to use free agency. I'm not arguing for or against either, just saying the comparison isn't right.

as fun as that fantasy is, miami drafted wade and traded for both lebron and bosh, none of the three were free agent signings.

[Spider-Dan]

It's all splitting hairs.  LBJ and Bosh were basically sign-and-trade hostage situations where their original teams could either trade them or get nothing, and KG had similarly demanded a trade from MIN.  It's like giving OKC credit for "organically" building a superteam by... trading for Paul George and Melo who were demanding to get out of town.

And for the record, CLE traded for Kevin Love, drafted Kyrie, and technically drafted LeBron.

[Phishfan]

as fun as that fantasy is, miami drafted wade and traded for both lebron and bosh, none of the three were free agent signings.

If you want to play the game that way fine. Bosch and James came in on sign and trade deals, after they announced their free agent intentions to join Miami. That makes little difference in the fact the had already announced.

[Spider-Dan]

They were both re-signed by their original teams and traded to MIA for cap/contract purposes.  MIA gave two picks to TOR and five picks to CLE.

[Phishfan]

They were both re-signed by their original teams and traded to MIA.

After they announced they were leaving for Miami. The destination was set. Calling it a trade is almost a farce. What did Cleveland get? Tell me they make the same deal had James been under contract.

[Spider-Dan]

MIA gave up a total of seven picks for the pair.  That's hardly a farce.