Interesting Yahoo Sports Article Re Free Agency

[footey]

Caught this in today's Yahoo Sports, written by Andrew Woj...

Thought it was quite intriguing, give it a read and let us know what you think.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-lebroninfluence060510

[Kwhit10]

My thoughts on all of this free agency business.

• LeBron went through that whole "no one should wear 23 and I'm going to change my number" spiel because he was going to either Miami or Chicago where 23 is retired (ironically both for Jordan).
• This doesn't bode well for the currently aging Boston Celtics.  All these free agents are coming together in the East.  Next year we will see Wade, Bron, Bosh, and Joe Johnson joined by possibly Boozer and Stoudemire.  And these guys won't be leading their own teams, they'll all be on the same team in some combination or another.

[footey]

This doesn't bode well for the currently aging Boston Celtics.  All these free agents are coming together in the East.  Next year we will see Wade, Bron, Bosh, and Joe Johnson joined by possibly Boozer and Stoudemire.  And these guys won't be leading their own teams, they'll all be on the same team in some combination or another.

Maybe, but that was pretty much the consensus last off-season, when supposedly all the Eastern conference teams made big upgrades to their rosters, especially Cleveland and Orlando (and to some extent, Boston).  Turns out to have been over-hyped, given where we stand today.  If we win the championship, keep our core intact (re-sign Ray), and KG can get back his leg strength, I would like to ride this pony one more season.

[Kwhit10]

This doesn't bode well for the currently aging Boston Celtics.  All these free agents are coming together in the East.  Next year we will see Wade, Bron, Bosh, and Joe Johnson joined by possibly Boozer and Stoudemire.  And these guys won't be leading their own teams, they'll all be on the same team in some combination or another.

Maybe, but that was pretty much the consensus last off-season, when supposedly all the Eastern conference teams made big upgrades to their rosters, especially Cleveland and Orlando (and to some extent, Boston).  Turns out to have been over-hyped, given where we stand today.  If we win the championship, keep our core intact (re-sign Ray), and KG can get back his leg strength, I would like to ride this pony one more season.

Don't get me wrong I'm not ready to blow it up regardless of what happens.  I'm just saying it's going to get tougher.  We had to go through the top two records int he league to get where we are right now (facing the third best).  But after this free agency frenzy there will still be Boston and Orlando being as good as they are + looks like Chicago and Miami as powerhouses, with New York getting better.  So the Eastern playoffs next year should be really really exciting.

[wdleehi]

I hope the chair gets pulled out of all these teams and someone comes up with a great sign and trade for these players (Ainge please)

[RondoKid]

Boozer? HAHA.

Also Lebron wouldn't of had to put in for a # change for next season if he planned on leaving. Going to a new team your allowed to change your #, staying on the same team you have to ask the NBA.

[RJ87]

Boozer? HAHA.

Also Lebron wouldn't of had to put in for a # change for next season if he planned on leaving. Going to a new team your allowed to change your #, staying on the same team you have to ask the NBA.

He did put in the paperwork awhile back in case he decides to return to Cleveland... Which I don't think happens.

[nickagneta]

Thing I found interesting is that Woj was saying that everything about who is going where will already be decided quite possibly by the time the draft occurs. Strange that David Stern is handing out fines to Mark Cuban and Steve Kerr for just mentioning Lebron's name but it's pretty much common knowledge now that the players, their agents and owners and GMs of teams with tons of cap space are already working out the details of contracts weeks before they should be and Stern is doing nothing.

I know it's near impossible for him to do anything unless stuff comes out publicly but fining Kerr for a joke with Lebron's name in it while doing nothing to Wade regarding his comments about the "player conference" or stopping these negotiations from happening before hand seems hypocritical to me.

[the_Bird]

Stern?  Being hypocritical?  Take it back!




Seriously, take it back.  I don't want him to have you shot.

[bdm860]

Eh, I think that article is crap, just all speculation on the writers part.

I mean the first 3 paragraphs are talking about how the Bulls signed Thibs to in order to sign LeBron, are you serious?  Signing a guy who has never been an NBA head coach and has no relationship (at least that I know of) with LeBron or any other of the soon to be free agent superstars is not going to help you land anybody, unless that coach is somebody like Coach K.

Thibs is not going to help the Bulls land any superstars.

[get_banners]

i think it is totally fine for players to talk amongst each other to try and get to the best scenarios to win. however, my problem is these guys are taking it to another level. they want to play coach and GM. lebron is literally holding a few teams hostage right now. it is all kind of comical, actually, since none of these guys has actually won a title (minus wade, and that title should have an asterisk on it considering the refereeing), yet they somehow think they should dictate coaching and personnel. whatever. there is a reason players don't play all these roles - they're not good at them. game 5 made it painfully obvious what kowtowing to a star who hasn't won anything does - lebron didn't know how to move without the ball because he was never coached how to do so because he's always had a yes-man for a coach. how great would it be if these kids did all this stuff and we got another lakers-celtics final next year?

[jackson_34]

Eh, I think that article is crap, just all speculation on the writers part.

I mean the first 3 paragraphs are talking about how the Bulls signed Thibs to in order to sign LeBron, are you serious?  Signing a guy who has never been an NBA head coach and has no relationship (at least that I know of) with LeBron or any other of the soon to be free agent superstars is not going to help you land anybody, unless that coach is somebody like Coach K.

Thibs is not going to help the Bulls land any superstars.

After reading this (http://www.gq.com/sports/profiles/200706/william-wesley-worldwide-wes-nba-basketball) article on William Wesley, it wouldn't surprise me if the signing of Thibs connects the bulls even more so to Lebron and probably will make them the favourites to land him.