The official 2024 NBA Playoffs thread - no tankers allowed

[Slysh]

So I'm guessing Knicks fans won't be putting Embiid in their trade machine dreams anymore?

Unrelated news, Blood in the Garden is a great yarn for those in need of a book club idea.

I also expect the same Knick fans that were calling Philly fans sooks for the 4 missed calls in the last 2 minutes of game two are totally accepting of the refs decisions yesterday.

 

[Borough Blood]

Dame down. Bucks look cooked.

 

[fidstar]

He's not obliged to take less, but he should consider it if he wants to make the most of his remaining pro years.

Taking less for the good of the franchise is a different matter altogether. That's more along the lines of whether athletes are overpaid, in which case most people would probably agree they should be paid commensurate to the value they provide.

In basketball terms though, there's definitely an argument. Players do do that, albeit often only in certain circumstances. To use some Warriors examples, David West took minimum contracts his last three years in the league with the Spurs and Dubs because he wanted to win, even though he could undoubtedly made more elsewhere. Ditto Otto Porter and Bjelica from your 2022 championship team, albeit in Porter's case it might have been a calculated gamble to rebuild his value.

Now LeBron is in a different category from those guys, but the basic idea is the same. Nobody argues that he's not worth $40-50 mil annually to the league or the Lakers from a financial POV - in fact he's underpaid in that respect. But in terms of the Lakers being a championship contender, it's definitely something to think about.

It's hard to work out the numbers this far away from July, but his player option next season is for $51.4 million. Now if he took say $10-15 mil less for next season, I don't think it would necessarily enable them to offer a third star a hefty contract, although you never know with enough trading. But if they traded away Gabe Vincent, LeBron taking slightly less might mean the difference between them being able to offer the full MLE - annual salary roughly $12.9 million - rather than just the taxpayer MLE, which comes in at only $5.2 million.

What that in turn means is that it might mean the difference between signing a player like KCP, Tyus Jones, Gary Trent, Buddy Hield, Royce O'Neale, Tobias Harris, Isaiah Hartenstein or Caleb Martin, or on the other hand being limited to adding a player like Eric Gordon or Mason Plumlee. It's not foolproof - using their MLE on Vincent last offseason is proof enough of that. But it is something, especially when the Lakers are limited in utilising other avenues to improve the roster, as people have already pointed out.

There's obvious plusses if he takes less, but the way people go on about it all the time is stupid. LeBron deserves whatever money he can get. He's underpaid if anything.

I've never once heard anyone say the same about Steph.

 

[peternorth]

MIDDLETON MIRACLE!!!!

Terrible inbounds plau but they continued their movement and area and Kris was able to hit a 3 to tie the scores.

 

[peternorth]

Siakam the Cameroonian misses the three to win the game.

OT

 

[peternorth]

Clippers Mavs now on ESPN U

 

[peternorth]

Kneesmith 3 offensive boards in one single trip down.

Middleton misses the open dunk, which wasnt that open as Tuner placed his hands on the small of Midds back

 

[peternorth]

MIDDLETON BANKS THE THREE TO TIE AGAIN!!!

 

[Richard Cranium]

ugly ugly ball in this OT. Pacers offence disappeared at half time, replaced by shitty iso ball.

 

[DT_35]

Middleton lol that’s filthy

 

[Richard Cranium]

Middleton with his second absolute fluke clutch 3

 

[NSWCROW]

OH MAH GHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD

 

[peternorth]

6.7 remaining scores tied.

HALI FLOATER!! AND 1!!!!

 

[peternorth]

Everything worked except for one thing hubie brown says

 

[Gift]

lol if Middleton hits again

 

[peternorth]

1.6 to go.

 

[peternorth]

lol bucks

 

[Richard Cranium]

Caitlin Clark every time the camera is on her

 

[peternorth]

Caitlin Clark every time the camera is on her

Focussed. In the zone

 

[peternorth]

Doncic injured during his turnover

 

[peternorth]

This is a weird game.

Exum2Green

 

[mattyc75]

He’d a top 15 guy in the league, he is helping them win.

I meant win a championship

On SM-S921B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Cyber_punk]

Clippers looking old and slow

 

[peternorth]

Terance Mann being held back

 

[peternorth]

BEAT L A!!!