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SB Nation 2011 NBA Finals

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban Are The REAL Villains Entering The NBA Finals

By Tom Ziller - NBA Editor

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MAY 21: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban looks on in the first quarter as the Mavericks take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Oklahoma City Arena on May 21, 2011 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

You think the Miami Heat are wearing the black hats entering the 2011 NBA Finals? No, the Dallas Mavericks and their leader -- Mark Cuban -- are really what's wrong with the NBA.

May 31, 2011 - Without question, the Miami Heat are the villains of the 2011 NBA Finals, just as they have been the villains of the entire season. Since LeBron James uttered the words "South Beach" on ESPN back in July, and since he, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh took the stage at the AmericanAirlines Arena to celebrate their very existence, and since King James -- already hated by many for, well, being King James -- said the goal was to win "not one, not two ... not seven" championships -- since all of that, the NBA Most Wanted Moral Criminal List has been the Miami Heat roster, replicated in full and sorted by minutes played.

That isn't changing now, and should the Heat beat the Dallas Mavericks, as they are heavily favored to do, it won't end there. There will be a dozen columns bemoaning the new NBA, written by the self-important and self-appointed nobility of the pundit class. They'll bemoan that James, Wade and Bosh took team-building into their own hands when their teams -- Wade excepted -- couldn't handle it themselves. They'll rail that the ring is cheapened by the dark way in which the superpowers joined. They'll lament that the Mavericks, a team built the right way was beaten by a fraudulent champion, a victor with an asterisk.

Let me tell you something about the Dallas Mavericks.

Only one team has spent more money in the last decade than the Dallas Mavericks. Not the Lakers, not the Heat: only the New York Knicks, for a time led by an Isiah Thomas with a credit card and no conscience. The Mavericks have spent $851 million on payroll in the past decade, some $130 million more than the Lakers and $240 million more than the Heat.

So what, right? Well, the NBA has a little thing called "the salary cap." It's used to cap salary that teams are allowed to pay out in order to keep player payroll down and create an even playing field.

But it's a soft cap, with exceptions and routes in which teams that are so inclined can exceed the cap. Some would call some of these methods "loopholes." Like signing a retired Keith Van Horn to a contract solely to trade him for Jason Kidd, a deal that cost the Mavericks $10 million, and was legal under Bird rights rules despite Dallas being tens of millions of dollars beyond the cap. (Bird rights aim to allow teams to re-sign their own players in excess of the cap. Teams like the Mavericks instead use it to make high-dollar deals over the cap.)

The Mavericks work around the system by including draft picks in deals to get trades done ... then buying back into the first round almost every single year, to the tune of $3 million a pop, cash that doesn't count against the salary cap. Dallas works deals like the Peja Stojakovic buy-out/Alexis Ajinca trade this season. (What happened there? Oh, the Toronto Raptors decided to buy out Peja, taking a financial hit well in advance of the trade deadline. The Mavericks quickly signed him to a minimum contract. In a total and complete coincidence, the Mavs quickly traded prospect Alexis Ajinca to the Raptors with cash to cover his salary and a future second-round draft pick for the rights to a Greek dude who will probably never play in the NBA. The Mavs couldn't legally trade for Peja without giving up a key player -- a Stojakovic for Ajinca trade would have been illegal -- so they borked the system set in place to limit salary, and did it through the back channels, claiming all the way that the deals were totally separate. Riiiight.)

After that shenanigan went down, Mavericks bankroller Mark Cuban had the audacity to take the league-owned New Orleans Hornets to task for accepting more salary in the Marcus Thornton-Carl Landry swap. Cuban has to pay 1/29th of the Hornets' payroll, you see, and that $10,000 or whatever was just a bit too steep ... for a guy paying his roster $90 million.

Mark Cuban and the Mavericks have been abusing the NBA salary cap and trade rules for years, completely ignoring the standards by which teams are supposed to abide for the good of the league, for the good of the fans. The NBA is careening toward a lockout. You know why? Because teams who cry and plead about how much cash they're dropping every season have to overspend on everything to keep up with The Benefactor and his ilk (James Dolan, Jerry Buss and Paul Allen). The NBA is headed to a lockout because Mark Cuban and friends flog the salary cap until it bleeds, pushing and pushing and pushing for the smallest advantage on the court.

And you're mad because Miami clears the decks, signs three of the best players in the NBA, and marches to the NBA Finals? Give me a break. LeBron and Dwyane and Ch Bo and Pat Riley ain't the villains here. The Heat played by the rules (more or less) to assemble this team. The Mavericks stretched salary rules to the last thread, and have done so for a decade, and have done more than every team but the Knicks to send payroll on its upward trajectory over the past 10 years.

Root for the Mavericks if you choose, but don't root against the Heat because they're the bad guys. If you do, you're indicting the wrong suspect.

Read More: nba finals 2011, Jason Kidd (G - DAL), Chris Bosh (C - MIA), LeBron James (F - MIA), Dwyane Wade (G - MIA), Alexis Ajinca (C - TOR), Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat

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Tom Ziller

NBA Editor

I write about the NBA for SBNation.com and the Kings for Sactown Royalty. I live in Sacramento, love freedom and wish that taco truck would just get here already.

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And you’re mad because Miami clears the decks, signs three of the best players in the NBA, and marches to the NBA Finals? Give me a break. LeBron and Dwyane and Ch Bo and Pat Riley ain’t the villains here. The Heat played by the rules (more or less) to assemble this team. The Mavericks stretched salary rules to the last thread, and have done so for a decade, and have done more than every team but the Knicks to send payroll on its upward trajectory over the past 10 years.

Are you though honestly mad about how the Mavericks have used the salary rules or is this opinion really just a retort to the whole anti-Heat thing?

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 11:55 AM EDT reply actions  

Let's put it this way

I wouldn’t be writing this if it were Bulls-Mavs, you know?

by Tom Ziller on May 31, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions  

Okie dokie

Don’t blame you. If I had your job I would probably end up doing the same thing quite frankly. It’s a shame how these weird storylines get regurgitated all year long and even though the playoffs when the play on the court (what actually frickin matters) has been pretty darn enjoyable (and possible the last we’ll see for quite some time too).

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions  

Must there be a point/counterpoint structure, though?

I know you’ve got to write what the almighty editor demands, but this format just doesn’t work when it’s so one-sided. Props on trying to work past that.

I think the innuendo out there is that I'm just picking and choosing which guys to run off, and people bring it up that I've medical-ed more people. Well, yeah, I medical them...I don't make those decisions, either. The doctors make them, and we have great doctors." -Nick Saban

by Semicorrect on May 31, 2011 3:46 PM EDT up reply actions  

so wally

you’re angry that Mark Cuban is using his wealth to compete for a championship? Cuban haters baffle me. Everybody loves HD and online streams, and if it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t be any. GO MAVERICKS!!!

Brad James

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With Coach Zorro on our side, we will slice opponents to ribbons. Tim Tebow gives me hope and I already have faith and charity in my heart! I see a propitious future rife with Lombardis for our Broncos!

by the new Bradfather on May 31, 2011 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yes but LeBron is evil

by OmarLittle on May 31, 2011 12:04 PM EDT reply actions  

you're an idiot Ziller

mavericks aren’t the only ones with back channel dealings, do you remember the Pau Gasol trade? There are tons of handshake deals between teams. Every team can also go over the “soft” cap. But not everyone is buddies with Lebron James. Maybe you should redirect this anger to the true demise to the NBA, David Stern.

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:08 PM EDT reply actions  

David $tern

and De Smith are the antichrists of professional sports. Mercenary jackasses, both of them.

Brad James

Follow me on Twitter

With Coach Zorro on our side, we will slice opponents to ribbons. Tim Tebow gives me hope and I already have faith and charity in my heart! I see a propitious future rife with Lombardis for our Broncos!

by the new Bradfather on May 31, 2011 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions  

not a heat fan at all actually

but nice job of distracting from the fact you called someone an idiot for saying things he never said. Really painting a picture there and it ain’t the one you intended to paint.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions  

his whole pt

was the fact that mavs spend the most money and that they have back channel dealings?

every team can go over the cap and every team has back channel dealings, so what exactly is the point of this article

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions  

His point was limited to Mavs vs Heat

And pointing out that between the two, it’s really Mark Cuban and company that are the eviller bunch, if you want to talk about roster/salary cap shenanigans.

Eat 'em up, Tigers!

by ahtrap on May 31, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions  

You guarantee it?

You’ve lost before you even started.

"Grant is a genius." - section214 - 5/17/11

by otis29 on May 31, 2011 2:20 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

IQ

If you made good arguments, supporting by facts, you wouldn’t need to throw your IQ out there to try to “win” an argument. Your IQ has little to do with how well you discuss and debate basketball. It also has very little to do with your reading comprehension. You presume that a high IQ equals a high IQ. In reality, a person’s intelligence can manifest itself in many different forms.

Care to try again?

Never forget, I'm an idiot.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 3:09 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

You may be right,

and even regarding me, because I agree with otis29. But you’ll always be uglier and we can get smarter.

/ Wondering if I should change my signature

by kwill on May 31, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions  

Compared to the Heat

People demonize talent for assembling themselves, but shrug when the richest NBA owners exploit every loophole in the books to get an edge, sending the NBA to a labor stoppage in the end. I don’t get the double standard.

by Tom Ziller on May 31, 2011 12:25 PM EDT up reply actions  

the difference

is that NBA owners are supposed to assemble the best talent that they can afford. Legendary players aren’t supposed to SEEK help from another star player. They should want to do it on their own. Like a man.

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions  

Since I already know what road you are going down

you do realize that MJ often tried to tell the Bulls front office who to draft, sign as a free agent, and trade for right?

The whole dialogue on the Lebron stuff is so weird to me. And this is coming from someone who can’t stand him.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 12:34 PM EDT up reply actions  

but he didn't want to join Bird or Magic

there’s a difference between adding a piece and joining forces with one of the top players in the league

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions  

Bird, Jordan, Magic, all the early legends

said they would have never done that. they wanted to beat the best competition

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions  

LOL!!

All three of the guys you named had two other hall of fame players on their respective teams.

"Call Kenny Loggins cause you're in the Danger Zone!"

by CarlosSpicyWeiner on May 31, 2011 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions  

the equivalent

would be Bird, Jordan and Magic on the same team…don’t get it twisted

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions  

I wasn't aware Bosh is one of the top 3 players in the league

Must be the case, otherwise your argument fails.

Magic had a dude named Kareem. He was pretty good from what I’ve heard.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions  

so, we're going literal

ok, it would be like Bird and Magic on the same team

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:51 PM EDT up reply actions  

Heat Loyalist in denial....still

People nitpicking over Boshs’ stats and rank. The same Bosh that made himself known by going on a rip in Toronto due to lack of offensive talent. Stop playing games, Bosh is “nice!” Only reason he IS even labeled #3 out of the trio is because of the talent that overshadows him. My point is Miami’s trade was the Cheesiest trade in history. Fact.

by Slimmpickinz on May 31, 2011 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions  

He's a top 50 all time player.

"Call Kenny Loggins cause you're in the Danger Zone!"

by CarlosSpicyWeiner on May 31, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions  

Pippen was 34 when Jordan retired his second time

As for Jordan’s first retirement:

led the Bulls in scoring, assists, blocks and the entire league in steals, averaging 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals, 1.9 three-pointers, and 0.8 blocks per game, while shooting 49.1% from the field and a career-best 32% from the three-point line. For his efforts, he earned the first of three straight All-NBA First Team nods, and he finished third in the MVP voting. The Bulls finished the season with 55 wins, only two fewer than the year before.

Via Wikipedia

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

Again, Magic and Kareem

Both were top 5 players during their careers.

Never forget, I'm an idiot.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

No, they had the luck of the draft

Not all players are lucky enough to have another Hall of Famer drafted to their team. The notion that teaming up with Hall of Famers is only noble if done through the draft is foolish.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions  

still didn't see Malone, Barkley do that

in their prime, they tried to win with the team they had until the back nine of their career when they were no longer the same dominant player

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions  

LOL you are either really young or intentionally ignoring reality

I was unaware that Barkeley already passed his prime when he demanded out of Philly. Oh but I am assuming that is okay though because he went to a team without a at that moment top 5 player. That is the new line that everyone follows.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 1:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

I'm neither

and yes it does matter. the whole point is that Lebron wanted to join another top 5 player to win a championship

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions  

Okay

So basically it’s okay for Barkeley to quit on his team and demand a trade in his prime because the team he got traded to had KJ as their second best player. So basically, a Top 5 player in the league can quite on his team so long as there isn’t a top 5 player on the team he is joining. So basicially Carmelo Anothony is a gentleman and a scholar for pairing up with Amare (even though Melo could very well not be Top 5).

Yet when a Top 5 player leaves his team and joins with another Top 5 player then it’s a whooooooole different situation.

Yeah because that makes sense.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions  

pretty much

do you really think anyone would care if Lebron went to Indiana or Toronto? Maybe cleveland would, but no one else in the world would be up in arms about it.

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions  

Malone

Pretty sure he had another Hall of Famer on his team throughout his prime.

Never forget, I'm an idiot.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions  

Kareem basically forced Milwaukee to trade him

he was drafted as lou alcinder to the bucks

by Iltown on May 31, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

I really disagree with this

I do think that Scotty was a top 5 player while playing with MJ, his stats just didn’t show it because he deferred to Jordan. Pippen was an incredible player.

by Merickel on May 31, 2011 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions  

I've never gotten this comparison.

So, it’s okay for Pippen to be MJ’s sidekick since Da Boos drafted him, but it’s not okay for LeBron/Wade/Bosh to decide to play together? To take less money to do so? Why?

AJ Pierzynski: You have to want to catch.

by 2ndHalfAdjustments on May 31, 2011 1:37 PM EDT up reply actions  

That was my issue.

“The Decision” started it, and that ridiculous ceremony killed any shred of respect as far as sportsmanship goes with the Heat.

by VenomySnicket on May 31, 2011 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions  

I think there's something to that

It’s an emotional reaction formed from the distaste of “The Decision”.

"Grant is a genius." - section214 - 5/17/11

by otis29 on May 31, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions  

sorta, until Wade turned himself into a thug

NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.

by mmmmm on May 31, 2011 8:58 PM EDT up reply actions  

The shrug is probably ignorance...

this is the first time I’ve read an article on the back-door dealings of owners. It’s not because I’m not interested, I just haven’t… gotten around to it, or stumbled across one.
And by comparison, I couldn’t help but notice “The Decision.”

So… I guess I’m saying, well-done, sir.

by Sheedwasright on May 31, 2011 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions  

The shrug is probably ignorance...

this is the first time I’ve read an article on the back-door dealings of owners. It’s not because I’m not interested, I just haven’t… gotten around to it, or stumbled across one.
And by comparison, I couldn’t help but notice “The Decision.”

So… I guess I’m saying, well-done, sir.

by Sheedwasright on May 31, 2011 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions  

The Mavericks are villains?

right, Dirk Nowitzki is such an a-hole, so is Shawn Marion, right? They’re just cheap shot artists who pay off the refs, I get it. No wonder we beat the Lakers and Thunder! (note heavy sarcasm)

Brad James

Follow me on Twitter

With Coach Zorro on our side, we will slice opponents to ribbons. Tim Tebow gives me hope and I already have faith and charity in my heart! I see a propitious future rife with Lombardis for our Broncos!

by the new Bradfather on May 31, 2011 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions  

did you bother to read the article?

by tkired on Jun 1, 2011 3:26 AM EDT up reply actions  

Very Technical

You explain your case well regarding the salary cap. Yet you failed when comparing these 2 teams.

Apples an oranges.

by Slimmpickinz on May 31, 2011 12:09 PM EDT reply actions  

We need to get Lacob and Gruber to read this.

They need the schoolin….usefull material here for new owners LOL!

by Only In Fairfax on May 31, 2011 12:11 PM EDT reply actions  

Aaaaaaaannnd... You're a Moron

Yup! Who’s mind are you trying to change!

by Rienone on May 31, 2011 12:12 PM EDT reply actions  

presumes there was a compelling argument to counter

NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.

by mmmmm on May 31, 2011 9:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

Yeah! The Mavericks are the villians, wait what?

I enjoy rooting for narcissistic a-holes and self-entitlement instead of cheering on loyalty and humbleness. But that’s just me.

Oh, me <3

by bruce182 on May 31, 2011 12:21 PM EDT reply actions  

Loyalty and humility

I’m laughing out loud, bud. You’ve bite the line.

by Tom Ziller on May 31, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions  

how is that funny?

Dirk could have jumped ship to OKC or LA, he stayed. That’s loyalty.

by TheCylon41 on May 31, 2011 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions  

Wade, Bosh and LeBron all took less money

So the Heat could re-sign Udonis Haslem. Should we ignore that? Is that not loyalty?

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions  

Please

Tell me how I’m wrong.

Haslem was a guy who was facing his last contract, so he wouldn’t be able to take a minimum deal. Particularly since other teams such as Denver were dangling higher offers. He wanted to stay in Miami, where he had played his whole career and where his family had roots, but thought he would have to leave. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh took less money so the team could keep him. Haslem still took less than Denver’s offer, if my memory serves correctly.

Oh wait, does your loyalty argument only apply to superstars?

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions  

You're so right

The noble thing to do would be to continue to play for franchises with a track record of not being able to draft or sign the supporting cast needed to win a championship.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 12:58 PM EDT up reply actions  

Riiiiiiiiiight

Everything except acquire someone who could actually help him win a championship.

Never forget, I'm an idiot.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions  

LeBron: “I want a championship team”
Cleveland: “Here’s Antwan Jamison”

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

by BigStein on May 31, 2011 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions  

Don’t forget about 102 year old Shaq.

"Call Kenny Loggins cause you're in the Danger Zone!"

by CarlosSpicyWeiner on May 31, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions  

Free agency happens in professional sports.

The Chicago White Sox love Paul Konerko, but if they hadn’t given him a fair-market deal, his ass would have left for Boston/Baltimore/LA the first time or Arizona the second time. If you work for Google, but some other sofware company comes to you with a better job offer, are you going to be loyal to Google? The court is the office of LBJ, etc. They have every right, when presented with the opportunity, to go work for a better run company with smarter employees. People dislike LBJ for what he did because of the way he did it.

AJ Pierzynski: You have to want to catch.

by 2ndHalfAdjustments on May 31, 2011 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions  

no, it's not loyalty

sacrifice maybe, but not loyalty.

Greatest Inventions Ever? 1. TiVO, 2. Boobs, 3. Baseball

by willamos2 on May 31, 2011 1:25 PM EDT up reply actions  

You think the Heat followed the nontampering rules?

I think you’re dreaming if you don’t think the players talked about this well before last summer. Anyway, it isn’t so much the way the Heat assembled their team that rankles, it’s the way they entered the season assuming they had already won seven championships.

As for Mark Cuban, most fans wish they had a free-spending owner who makes the most of the rules. I think it is a far greater shame that there are owners like Sterling and Reinsdorf who never, ever exceed the cap despite raking in high profits in major metropolitan areas.

by Tim S. on May 31, 2011 12:35 PM EDT reply actions   2 recs

No one thinks the Heat are truly evil.

We think they’re a bunch of pompous douchebags, who united together to create the biggest off season side show in NBA history, and were declared 3 Kings before they took a meaningful shot together. Forgive us NBA fans who would rather spend our energy booing those primadonnas, while rooting for the 7 foot, awkward shooting, soft spoken German who took $16M less over 5 years so his front office could make enough deals to get him a team to help him get to this point.

"You're failing Seymour; what is it with you and failure?"

by Maximilian on May 31, 2011 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

Hey I'm in the same boat as you

but believe it or not, some people go into hyperbole about how they are evil and cheated. Maybe they don’t believe it but they dress up their animosity towards the Heat into something more than “Those guys are Hollywood as hell, screw them.”

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 12:45 PM EDT up reply actions  

Aw man, all that $600K they gave up a piece (Big 3)

How do they feed their children, I wonder.

"You're failing Seymour; what is it with you and failure?"

by Maximilian on May 31, 2011 2:42 PM EDT up reply actions   3 recs

lmao

I was thinking the same thing. lol

These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson

The key to championships = SIGN LUTHER HEAD!!!!!!!!

by Marty Mart on May 31, 2011 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

lmao

I was thinking the same thing. lol

These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson

The key to championships = SIGN LUTHER HEAD!!!!!!!!

by Marty Mart on May 31, 2011 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

Reinsdorf is on record as saying he would exceed the salary cap if he felt the presented

plan would win a title. The Heat weren’t the only team with the idea of signing more than 1 of the Big Three last summer. I’m not defending Mark Cuban so much as Reinsdorf, who really has a cheapskate reputation he doesn’t deserve, IMO.

AJ Pierzynski: You have to want to catch.

by 2ndHalfAdjustments on May 31, 2011 1:46 PM EDT up reply actions  

There is no reason in the world the Bulls couldn't be as successful as the Lakers

except that Reinsdorf is a cheapskate. He passed on several free agents and missed out on others because of his reputation. He is one of very few owners never to pay the luxury tax, and he and Sterling are the only owners to refuse to pay it even though they were making immense profits fielding teams who consistently lost more than they won. Yes, he claims that he would be willing to exceed the salary cap if it would win him a title. Let’s see what he does next (that is, if the new CBA still allows owners to exceed the cap).

by Tim S. on May 31, 2011 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions  

He paid MJ some $30 million in 1998.

He gave Ben Wallace a $60 million deal.
He just gave Carlos Boozer an $80 million deal.
He gave Luol Deng a $72 million deal.
He gave Scottie Pippen a contract to retire on after signing him to a deal and then trading him to Houston.
The reason they weren’t able to get T-Mac during his free agency (when he was good) was because they freaked him out at the airport by having Benny The Bull to greet him off the plane – not because JR wouldn’t pay up.
The Bulls tried to sign two of the big three last summer, the Heat were just able to get all of them.
What free agents have their been JR wasn’t willing to pay?
I don’t see any of the Bulls failures of the years (80s and the last decade) as being attributable to Reinsdorf and his checkbook. Even if you’d kept the ‘98 Bulls together, they were gassed and a 7th title was no sure thing. The decision to change organizational philosophy and build through drafting was sound (they did have Artest & Elton Brand), but undone by a terrible coaching hire.
The ’Baby Bulls’ idea of 2002-2007 failed because you didn’t have the one guy to go to (and they wouldn’t trade Luol for Kobe). The ‘08/’09/‘10 Bulls struggled because of an awful coach and lack of a secondary offensive option.
I still don’t get where Jerry’s rep as a cheapskate comes from.

AJ Pierzynski: You have to want to catch.

by 2ndHalfAdjustments on May 31, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions  

*have THERE been. 'Xcuse.

AJ Pierzynski: You have to want to catch.

by 2ndHalfAdjustments on May 31, 2011 3:36 PM EDT up reply actions  

Jordan was underpaid for years.

And deserved every bit of that $30 million. Pippen, too, deserved what Reinsdorf gave him late in his career. But don’t forget that Krause pushed hard to trade Pippen during Jordan’s first retirement. And Reinsdorf was unwilling to pay Jackson, the best coach in the league.

Reinsdorf did “go for it” with Wallace, but he did so with a non-scoring rebounder because he did not have to pay him anywhere near the max and he still did not pay the luxury tax. He “went for it” on the cheap, and all he accomplished was to make a horrid team into an average team — for a while. He also overpaid Wallace in part to sabotage one of the best teams in the East, the Pistons.

He gave Boozer $80 million, but again, that was not the max and still allowed him to remain below the cap — even this year, when the Bulls had a golden opportunity to win it all, Reinsdorf was determined to remain below the cap. Could he have gotten more than Boozer? Maybe not, but one reason the best free agents may have gone to Miami is that Miami has successfully gone for it before, luring Shaq and winning a championship. Since 1998, Chicago had a record of failure.

Deng got $72 million because it was cheaper than trading for Pau Gasol, who was on the market — much as I love Deng, Pau is better. The Lakers got him because they were willing to go above the cap.

I don’t know why they couldn’t get T-Mac, but their eagerness to blow up the Bulls and show they didn’t need Michael Jordan didn’t help. For some reason, the Lakers have never blown up a team the way the Bulls did in 1998. Reinsdorf’s strategy was cheaper, and actually made the Bulls more profitable than the Lakers, but it didn’t win championships.

It has been rumored that the Bulls had a chance to sign or trade for Pau Gasol, Kevin Garnett, and Kobe Bryant. We know that other teams did successfully pull off the first two trades, and we know that at one time Kobe was caught on tape saying he was determined to come to the Bulls. We also know that the Bulls have never gone over the cap. Who knows how many other free agents they could have had if Mark Cuban or Jerry Buss had owned the team? It has to be some, right?

That terrible coaching hire you mention in the late 90s was another result of being cheap. The Bulls have consistently hired the cheapest coach available. Even Thibs said that other teams offered him more money, but the Bulls were lucky enough to have the better players (and I mean lucky — Rose was the result of tremendous luck). How much better would Rose be today if Vinny Del Negro hadn’t been his coach the first two years? How fitting that VDN when from the Bulls to the Clippers.

If you still don’t understand where Jerry’s rep as a cheapskate comes from, look again at this article about Mark Cuban. Jerry is the anti-Cuban.

by Tim S. on May 31, 2011 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions  

Ooops on the Boozer deal . . .

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

by lietothegirls on May 31, 2011 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

Ooops on the Boozer deal . . .

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

by lietothegirls on May 31, 2011 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

Reinsdorf is clueless

one must wonder if the Bulls have tapped out. I don’t really see how this team as presently constituted can go much farther. Good luck moving Boozer’s albatross deal. Perhaps the Magic are daring ERRR stupid enough to take him?

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by the new Bradfather on May 31, 2011 7:58 PM EDT up reply actions  

I never said that.

Reinsdorf has run the most profitable franchise in the league. He’s not clueless, he’s just cheap.

And I do hope that he is now willing to spend some money on a team with great potential. We will see.

I agree that Boozer isn’t going anywhere. He played better in the regular season than the playoffs, so I’m hoping that he was playing hurt and will get better.

by Tim S. on Jun 1, 2011 5:51 AM EDT up reply actions  

Calling Reisndorf 'clueless' is just ignorant.

Name me another owner in American sports who has brought 7 titles to one city.

Do I always agree with his methods? No but I disagree with the assertion that he’s some tight-fisted bastard. Frugel, yes. He’s not the Clipper owner.

AJ Pierzynski: You have to want to catch.

by 2ndHalfAdjustments on Jun 1, 2011 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions  

typical

as a troll he IS major league though – no amatuer. I’ve never seen any actual sports discussed by him in his many alias’ though. .. .

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

by lietothegirls on May 31, 2011 4:05 PM EDT up reply actions  

Sees new article about LeBron, trolls comment section

“MJ reference”
“Couldn’t do it by himself”
“LeBron will never be the best”

BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

by BigStein on May 31, 2011 12:58 PM EDT reply actions   1 recs

The real villans in the NBA are Stern, Clay Bennett,

and every owner who voted to allow the Sonics to move to OKC.

At least Cuban voted against the move, even if it was for selfish reasons.

by TJDirk on May 31, 2011 1:29 PM EDT reply actions   4 recs

yeah, cuban is the real enemy here

for being so willing to spend and build a great on the court product while the other billionaire owners in the NBA willingly penny pinch their way to 35 win seasons.

twitter

by shaqfor3 on May 31, 2011 2:01 PM EDT reply actions  

which is why

so many experts believe an NBA lockout is expedient. Stupid frugal tools. Generally, NBA owners are like the Cincinnati Bengals’ Mike Brown.

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With Coach Zorro on our side, we will slice opponents to ribbons. Tim Tebow gives me hope and I already have faith and charity in my heart! I see a propitious future rife with Lombardis for our Broncos!

by the new Bradfather on May 31, 2011 8:03 PM EDT up reply actions  

Personally on Lebron (off topic)

His whole marketing scheme was a turn off for me since he joined the league. “King” James? Really? Yes he his size and athleticism pair up with his talents nicely but his nickname alone is ridiculous. Its almost contradictory of his accomplishments. “Air” Jordan, “Mailman” Malone, “The Glove” Payton; all these names given to compliment their play style/ successes over the years.

This kid gets labeled as King. He was doomed to be disliked with the arrogant aura the media, friends, family have provided for him……

True Miami fans are off my radar, band wagoning (former Cleveland) or Lebron watchers are almost as ridiculous as

by Slimmpickinz on May 31, 2011 2:01 PM EDT reply actions  

It was a high school nickname

If you’re issue with LeBron is PR, then you’ll never like him. And that’s a shame, because he’s an incredible basketball player.

I’m not a Heat fan, far from it, but they play incredible basketball and it is enjoyable to watch. If PR is the only thing preventing you from enjoying such things, I feel sorry for you.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions  

Whether or not I agree

I ain’t ever going to pull the “I feel sorry for you” card unless it’s in the middle of some elaborate joke or my only goal is to talk down to someone.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 3:48 PM EDT up reply actions  

and by the way, no I don't like Lebron and yes a lot of it is the PR stuff he does

Noah said it best, he’s “Hollywood” as hell. We like and dislike players for all kinds of reasons. Personally I think the Heat blowback right now is way overblown with hyperbole and we have created some really weird double standards for Lebron and company that make zero sense to me.

That being said, I ain’t rooting for them and yeah a lot of it is Lebron. Whether Lebron is an incredible basketball player, stuff like his obnoxious fake PR campaigning is annoying and fake as hell to me. He’s not ruining the NBA or evil or disrespecting MJ or whatever other nonsense, I just don’t like to see him win games because his whole gimmick annoys me. I don’t care if he’s an incredible basketball player, I don’t like him so please don’t feel sorry for me.

Heck, I am pretty sure KJ is a pretty incredible basketball and his whole PR screaming “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!” pissed off some people [even those who don’t mind dirty play] and I ain’t feeling sorry for them.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions  

The lowly Sacramento Kings

I don’t mean it in a condescending way, and I apologize if it came across that way. I just wish people didn’t get caught up in the narratives and the PR.

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by Exhibit G on May 31, 2011 4:12 PM EDT up reply actions  

The narrative is what confounds and frustrates me

it’s really weird and it’s starting to reach the “NBA commentators blatantly drooling over Eva Longoria on live TV” uncomfortable level.

Words of wisdom from the great Billy Dee Williams

Oh so you disagree. Well then, here is a mature, sophisticated, and compelling rebuttal.

by wallywagon11 on May 31, 2011 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions  

Kudos

Nothing wrong with giving a nod to the celebs attending the games but lets get it together people.

by Slimmpickinz on May 31, 2011 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions  

I think the Heat play ugly basketball myself

I want to see passes that lead to assists, and you know, actual PLAYS being run more than 10% of the time.

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

by lietothegirls on May 31, 2011 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions   3 recs

here here

These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we fucked up the end game. - Charlie Wilson

The key to championships = SIGN LUTHER HEAD!!!!!!!!

by Marty Mart on May 31, 2011 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions  

i could do without the ridiculous assymmetry of touch foul calls

and the goon-boy thuggery that Wade has demonstrated during these playoffs.

NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.

by mmmmm on May 31, 2011 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions  

Dont get me wrong, i respect his game but...

… thats as far as it goes. I’m not blind to the fact he is talented but this young man has a long road ahead of him. As for his “highschool” nick name, cute, it just shows the shallow, lack luster mind frame of people today. I say this often but many people aren’t fans of teams but more the Players today, fickle.

by Slimmpickinz on May 31, 2011 3:27 PM EDT reply actions  

I can never forgive Lebron

not for leaving (well, a bit), but for the torture he put Cavs fans through with a ‘decision’ he had obviously long since made. The timing of the announcement, the self aggrandizing nature of it, his whole dismissal of their fans and his attitude of being bigger than the sport.

And no, I’m not from Cleveland.

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

by lietothegirls on May 31, 2011 3:56 PM EDT reply actions  

I can never forgive Lebron

not for leaving (well, a bit), but for the torture he put Cavs fans through with a ‘decision’ he had obviously long since made. The timing of the announcement, the self aggrandizing nature of it, his whole dismissal of their fans and his attitude of being bigger than the sport.

And no, I’m not from Cleveland.

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

by lietothegirls on May 31, 2011 3:56 PM EDT reply actions   1 recs

The NBA, and any sports league is ultimately about the fans - who pay all the bills

Any league, team or player who forgets that does so at their future peril.

"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower

by lietothegirls on May 31, 2011 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions  

Scroll up to prior convos.

There are no Loopholes, what they are doing is legal, and teams do it all the time. There are other owners who are tighter with their billions than others…

by Slimmpickinz on May 31, 2011 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions  

The Heat did nothing wrong in assembling their team...

….and neither have the Mavericks. All arguments that any side “abused” the system is silly. If it’s not illegal, than it’s not illegal. Simple peezy yep n eazy.

Quit your bitchin all of you’s. And, yes, LeBron James is still a punk ass twat. But that has more to do with his legacy and his own actions than anything Miami did. Why wouldn’t MIami want LBJ? Who wouldn’t?

A corrupted system is what the NBA, and ultimately human nature, is. It’s corrupted because Humans are corrupted. Everyone cheats, and what pisses us off is not the cheating, but the actual success from the result of the particular act of cheating.

Wah. Just enjoy the Finals.

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by pookeyguru on May 31, 2011 6:24 PM EDT reply actions   2 recs

concur

It is silly to accuse either organization of being more ‘villainous’ in regards to how their team’s were assembled. Neither broke any rules. Who really cares? Nobody is rooting for Pat Riley or Mark Cuban to run up and down the court.

People are vilifying the Heat based on the perceived characters on the court. Real or fabricated, Lebron’s perceived character is that of a self-absorbed douchebag. Wade’s perceived character has tanked rapidly as the season has progressed and especially in these playoffs with the way he has run roughshod over players and the flagrant foul rules. Both are are perceived as getting absurd deference by the officials. Bosh is well … Bosh.

Real or just perceived, they are simply not ‘likable’ unless you are rooting for Miami laundry.

Dirk, on the other hand, just doesn’t inspire the same kind of dislike. The Mavs also are the underdogs, based on all the ‘experts’.

So its perfectly understandable that most people who aren’t Heat fans are pulling for the Mavs.

NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.

by mmmmm on May 31, 2011 9:18 PM EDT up reply actions   1 recs

Agreed

Derrick Rose will be suspended by the NBA because he has broken too many ankles.

by jrobulls on Jun 1, 2011 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions  

It used to be that great players won championships by making everyone else around them better. The Heat look to be on the verge of the first AAU championship. It’s a subtle difference, but not at all insignificant.

by paulcowens on May 31, 2011 9:57 PM EDT reply actions  

Great article, especially in preparation for the dreaded lockout. I never thought about salary cap bending in this way before, at least not seriously.

But, boy did the comments turn into a crap-fest quickly.

by tkired on Jun 1, 2011 3:36 AM EDT reply actions  

Hit the Nail on the Head

This is why I’m rooting for the Heat. While I’m eternally grateful for the Mavs defeating the Lakers, that was a pick your poison series. Glad the lesser poison won.

Not a fan of the Mavs, especially not Mark Cuban. He’s many things that are wrong with the NBA in general.

by Smills9133 on Jun 1, 2011 5:32 PM EDT reply actions  

Wonderful Article Ziller

I still won’t be rooting for either team. I really would like it to go to seven games and for David Stern to run out steal the trophy and put the lockout into effect right then and there…

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by Grayson on Jun 5, 2011 1:00 AM EDT reply actions  

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