Players now dictate new "super teams"

[Gray Mule]

Super teams. All star players now dictate where they will play.That means, there are two or at most three great teams, playing in majormarket cities who are capable of walking all over every other team.We ain't one of the elite. Any one want to argue that point?The Nets now join King James and his mighty men. What can be done? You just know that they are going to beat up on everyone else.What chance do all the other teams have? Slim and none and Slim is sick.The western teams will face much the same. Super players getting together, as wehave saw here in the east. Superman says, "I'll only play for the Nets." And it'sa done deal. Yell and scream about all the GMs who let this happen. If he refusesto play any where else, what can you do or say?Let's form a league for these super teams. There will only be about three in the eastand three in the west. The rest of us can form another league and let the big boysbeat up on each other.Presently, we have The Harlem Globe Trotters VS The Washington Generals.When you watch, is there ever any doubt as to who will win the game? The NBAis headed in that direction. The owners have no control. The league has no control.The players are running everything.Am I bitter because Superman didn't come to Atlanta? Heck no. If he doesn't wantto play here then I don't want him here.I'm sad because I feel that the NBA as we have known it, is coming to an end. Parityisn't anywhere in sight or sound. Players have no feeling for their team, their cityor their fans. Ask Cleveland about this. Super team #1 - - That's all that mattered.Ask those Florida fans who just lost Superman.Oh, well. As they say, "Cheer up. It could be worse." Then, usually, that's correct.Things get worse.I usually close by saying, Go Hawks. Now, I've got too ask, why?

[wolvetigers]

You are right

[xhawk]

I think what helps the "super" teams is the way playoff games are spaced. Teams used to need depth because they only got a night off when they traveled. Now, in the first round, you might have three days between games. However, I don't think super teams are unbeatable--we can still compete.

[ATLJA316]

I hate, hate, hate it.This is really going to have an impact on small market teams.I think what Kevin Love does in Minnesota after next season will really tell the story of how the next several years in the NBA will go.I'm gonna go ahead and predict he ends up on the Lakers, leaving Minnesota high and dry.

[Wretch]

This is part of the reason why I despise what Miami did. It all becomes less about competition, and more about the easiest way to get a ring. I don't have anything against Dwight Howard wanting to play in Brooklyn or anywhere else. I've never had anything against free agents. Players should have the right to play where they want to play and they should be paid what the market is willing to pay them.As far as the Hawks are concerned, I don't blame players for not wanting to come here. This franchise has done nothing to pick it's nose up out of the sand. It's just been one mediocre cycle after the next.Regardless though, I would like to see something done about the "super team" trend. It's going to be great for ratings, but if nothing is done...the NBA will be a complete joke before long. There are already too many games and too many teams making the playoffs with too little chance of accomplishing anything. I don't believe I would want to see true parity across the board. I don't think there should be 16 evenly matched teams every year, but four and a strong 5th from each conference would be great for the game. That's not going to be possible the way these guys are starting to dog pile on top of each other and refuse to play for anyone but their chosen super team.WHat's really pissing me off more than anything though...are these ridiculous teams HELPING the super teams get it done.

[ATL_BALLER]

This is part of the reason why I despise what Miami did. It all becomes less about competition, and more about the easiest way to get a ring.

Yep. For all the LeBron love - and yes, for as dominant as he was this playoff season - at the end of the day he still took the easy path.

[LucastheThird]

WHat's really pissing me off more than anything though...are these ridiculous teams HELPING the super teams get it done.

Exactly, I figured Dan Gilbert would be the last owner to allow his team to help a star player leave his team to go where he wants to go. Looks like I was wrong.

[NJHAWK]

The nba has never been about parity. There have only been a handfull of teams that have won titles in the last 25 years. Look how many of the leagues titles belong to the Lakers and Celtics. As far as teams that can win a title well look at it like this;Nets ( if Howard trade ever happens) Howard forced his way thereHeat: Lebron and Bosh bailed on their teams in a collusion plotLakers: Got Pau and Nash for peanuts. Kobe forced his way there hell even Shaq bailed on his team to go there back in the dayThe only teams that has a chance to win a title that were built and not hijacked are the Thunder and maybe, maybe the Spurs but I cant see them doing it.

Edited July 10, 2012 by NJHAWK

[red2play]

They should have the salaries reflect those who stay in the city that they were drafted in. When you leave to go to another city, you should lose 40% of your salary and they shouldn't be able to transfer a max contract player either. Let's see if a player is willing to lose (instead of 20 mil getting 12 mil thusly losing) 8 million per year and one less yr on their contract too.

[ggp]

The nba has never been about parity. There have only been a handfull of teams that have won titles in the last 25 years. Look how many of the leagues titles belong to the Lakers and Celtics. As far as teams that can win a title well look at it like this; Nets ( if Howard trade ever happens) Howard forced his way there Heat: Lebron and Bosh bailed on their teams in a collusion plot Lakers: Got Pau and Nash for peanuts. Kobe forced his way there hell even Shaq bailed on his team to go there back in the day The only teams that has a chance to win a title that were built and not hijacked are the Thunder and maybe, maybe the Spurs but I cant see them doing it.

The NBA has never been about parity. Truer words have never been written.

[AHawks89]

[DrReality]

Will be interesting to see what King Stern does about this

[Guest]

I kind of find this funny. On the one hand, people are pissed that players can choose their team...in what other profession are you angered that someone can choose where to work? Seems unAmerican to me.At the other side of the issue, yes this IS a problem. The problem isn't the choosing part as much as also getting max salary deals to go along with this (don't tell me Lebron/Bosh/Wade aren't max, its close enough). That's a problem with the CBA. But don't worry, someone will SURELY come up with a new patch that will solve the problem this time. I know they will. Those past 3 and 4 tries they were just feeling everything out. They've got the solution this time. Or maybe the next, I'm not sure yet.

[Sothron]

What bothers me is listening to Stern and some of the NBA "experts" on ESPN or online or in print media that defend this. They talk about how super teams are good for ratings and good for revenue. Ok, short term sure. But what about long term? Why be a fan of a local team that isn't a super team when you literally will watch any good player you have demand to be traded to a super team or walk that way as a free agent?That is the long term ramifications of this crap. People will simply stop caring about their local teams. There's no way the NBA can exist as a serious league if it only has two or three teams in each conference that people actually care about or have a real chance to win a ring. People say the NBA has always had parity problems and I agree with that but it was never like this. We've never seen superstar and all star players essentially refuse to compete against each other and instead only want to play together to get an easy path to a ring.

[NineOhTheRino]

I have to disagree with considering the Nets a "super team". Joe, D12, and DW are natural losers. The Nets will be breaking that trainwreck up in 2 years. Just be patient. Our superstar player is on the way. This time around we have to actually draft the mofo though.

Edited July 10, 2012 by NineOhTheRino

[Final_quest]

I honestly can't watch the super teams, unless I'm cheering against them. It's the players that are doing it. I think what KG and Ray Allen did a couple years ago set the recent trend, make a team of 3 superstars. All we can do now is cheer for them to lose, and they will lose at times. Just like in the Olympics when Team USA loses to teams that only have 1 or 2 NBA players. This is a team game and only one person gets to take a shot at a time. I would like something to happen to restore competitve balance though.

[ATLJA316]

Will be interesting to see what King Stern does about this

I'm not sure there's anything he can do. All of this is possible via the CBA that was just inked a few short months ago. Stern also said this would more than likely be the last CBA of his tenure.

[Mutombolievable]

Is the solution to get rid of superteams actually to get rid of max salaries? Check out this blog. I agree with what this guy is saying and think it's a good idea. http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/32196/if-the-nba-is-serious-about-parity

[macdaddy]

I saw Kevin Love complaining that Minn. isn't surrounding him with good players. The truth is that there just aren't enough players to go around to make every team a contender or even to make 16 teams contenders. Plus players act like the are entitled to win a championship. To me the real problem is the league and the 'officiating'. Whether you believe there is deliberate fixing or just star calls it amounts to an unfair advantage for star players and their teams. If the officiating was done correctly then balanced teams would have a chance at competing for the title. But this is what Stern and many others believe would result in bad ratings.

[Admin]

They should make it where if you re-sign with your own team to stay with them and not to be traded that you could get a nice big signing bonus that doesn't count against the cap... or an annual extra amount that doesn't go against the cap. For example, let's say that Dwight could get $40 million but only $20 million of that would count against the cap. My spin would be that he'd only be able to get that extra $20 million by signing a long term deal with his current club once his contract expires. So $40 million to sign a max extension with Orlando or $20 million to go to another team whether as a FA or via SnT but either way that club only has to count the $20 million against the cap. That gives players a major reason to stick with the teams that drafted or traded for them and gives that team a competitive chance to keep that star player.