Fortunately (or unfortunately), players contracts are usually much higher than the coach’s, and much tighter in terms of control. You can’t simply fire a player without paying him his full contract, and they are onerous enough on the team’s cap space to prevent teams from simply doing that. After all, a bad player may still play well, you just have to cater to him a little.
Whereas a coach’s much smaller contract could be eliminated without counting towards cap space, and you can immediately go out and get another coach somewhere or elevate one of the assistants. Can’t do that with players, as all the decent players are either with teams already or require some kind of buyout from another team to get
Spoiled players piss me off too, but in the end, you’re not watching for the coach, you’re watching cause of the players
I don’t disagree with any of this in particular. However, several of the players involved in the walkout (Tracy McGrady, Chris Wilcox, Tayshaun Prince) are free agents after this season. So those guys are basically out the door already and may find the free agent waters more treacherous on account of this little stunt.
“Welcomed back?” He was suspended without pay for 68 games (the Warriors voided his contract and the NBA suspended him for a year, but both were reduced in arbitration) and then he was traded to another team. And anyway Sprewell appears to be a classic case of what goes around comes around since he either priced or attitude-d himself into early retirement, and has had a series of legal and financial problems since then.
He was nuts but if he got his game back he would still be playing. His legal and financial problems were not caused by the league. He got suspended for 68 games which unfortunately was followed by a lockout.
He’s 40, so I doubt he would be playing now. The Wolves offered him a three-year contract for $21 million in 2005. That was his first contract after the choking incident, and he probably would have gotten more if he had not proved he was a selfish nut. Anyway he thought that contract was beneath him and he never played again.
I didn’t say they were.
The lockout had nothing to do with Sprewell’s problems. He played seven more seasons after it ended.
As bad as their actions were, they still have some value.
It’s like a good girl/boy dating a bad boy/girl. Everyone things they will be able to tame them
Yes, their attitudes were bad, but if Detroit didn’t play them and didn’t try to wring some value out of them, they are out tens of millions of dollars. If they walk as free agents, the team gets nothing in return. It’s the same reason why Toroton, Cleveland, and now Denver and Utah eventually relented and traded their stars. Teams are terrified that these guys really will leave as free agents and the team will get nothing back
I don’t have a list with me, but the most significant example in the past 15 years I can think of is Shaq leaving the Magic as a free agent. No trades, no getting value back. Lakers went on to win 3 titles and the Magic were a doormat for 10 years until they drafted Dwight Howard. Teams are terrified of letting FA’s walk, no matter how badly they behave.
Most free agents walk. Yes, it’s in the team’s interest to get the most value of those players, but in the case of the Pistons, that meant they should have played Hamilton instead of benched him, and should have done everything they could to trade him and Prince. They did neither.
Sign and trades are relatively common for star players, but not for all players. (The Pistons tried to make a big splash a few seasons ago by signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, and neither of those involved trades. LeBron and Bosh’s moves to Miami were also trades only in the technical sense. Both players said they were going to sign in Miami, and after that was done, their teams belatedly agreed to sign them to contracts and then trade them to Miami for draft picks. It let the players get more money and longer contracts, and let Toronto and Cleveland get something back. But they were going to Miami regardless.
Detroit Pistons
Traded Billups, after 6 division title and a championship in which he was the finals MVP. They got Allen Iverson out of the deal.
Dead owner, no leadership, needed cheap no name coach until they could offload team
Kuester
3 years as an NBA player
Took Pitino’s Boston University team from 20-9 to 15-13 in two season
5 years as the George Washington University head coach, an amazing 1-27 record in 1988-89.
.43 winning percentage as a college head coach
19 years as an NBA assistant
As 1st year head coach .329 winning percentage
Prince/ Hamilton
Combined 19 years in the NBA, 6 division title and an NBA title on the most unselfish, team oriented, championship teams I have ever seen.
Prince has an Olympic Gold Medal, Hamilton is a 3 time all star
The team failed the players. Yeah, the sit out was a pretty stupid protest, but i don’t hold it against any of these guys. The problems start at the top.
McGrady sucks, but I believe Prince and Hamilton still have some value. Prince’s length can be an asset on defense plus he doesn’t need the ball to be effective. Hamilton seems like he’s a pretty hard worker and in great shape. He reminds me of Ray Allen: someone who can get the shot off and run off a million screens. On a contender, I wouldn’t say they were useless.
That’s why I think Detroit would be loathed to not play these guys and try to get something back. They have huge contracts, they have value, and letting them go for nothing wouldn’t be an improvement on the team.
The Pistons are spinning their wheels while 2 sides negotiate the sale. This is the 2nd time it has been close to selling and then just revved at the light. The sale includes an entertainment empire and a basketball team. Will the new owners keep Dumars? Will they have a high budget? The team is so far up in the air that it is a mess.