Yet it is remarkable that the Pistons did make the playoffs while he is rapidly rebuilding the roster. He traded Billups for a huge expiring contract. They weren’t championship contenders with Billups, and he’s a year younger than the 34 year old AI.

Dumars let one of his best players over the last decade go as a free agent: Sheed. Sheed’s 34 years old, too.

Look at the roster without those two:

Stuckey, Hamilton, Prince, Maxiel, and Kwame Brown would be the best 5 players they could put on the court. Maxiel is really short at PF – 6′5″, and has never played starter’s minutes. Brown is an outright bust of a 1st/1st draft pick. Hamilton is the guy you’d expect to be leading scorer, and with only a little help from Prince, they’re quite offensively challenged.

Use the cap space cleared by AI and Sheed departing on 26 year old Ben Gordon and 27 year old CV and the team is set at two positions for the next 4-5 years. For a team that _was_ hurting for offense, Ben Gordon gives them a go-to scorer, and CV is no slouch either.

After those signings, the lineup looks like:
Gordon
Hamilton
Prince
CV
Kwame

Rather solid at 4 positions with a pair of young guards (Stuckey, Bynum) and Maxiel forming the core of a decent 2nd unit.

The C position looks like a disaster, and the roster has small-ball written all over it. Stuckey, Gordon, Hamilton, Prince (at PF), and CV (at C).

So Dumars goes out and signs a couple of veteran bigs: Chris Wilcox and Ben Wallace and the C position looks old but deep. Wallace might have enough gas in the tank to give the Pistons 24 minutes – most of Q1 and Q4, start of Q3. He still can play some D and board and block shots, but is even more injury prone these days than Luol Deng.

After these moves:
Gordon/Stuckey
Hamilton/Bynum
Prince/Hamilton
CV/Maxiel
Wallace/Wilcox/Kwame

I have Hamilton playing some SF since they’ll want to play some small ball to get their wings out there as a unit. They might get pushed around some, but 6′9″ Prince and 6′11″ CV bring decent height and agility.

I haven’t even factored in the three draft picks Detroit added over the summer. All listed as SFs, but they actually bring some height. The big question is whether any can contribute. A lesser question is how much does it take to contribute more than Kwame Brown?

SF Austin Daye is 6′11″. SF Jonas Jerebko is 6′9″. SF DuJuan Summers is 6′8″ and 236 lbs.

That’s 3 guys 6′11″ and another 6′10″ and 3 more at 6′9″. They’re not going to be a small small ball team at all.

Those three rookies may or may not contribute, right? How about bringing in one of the best big man coaches the league has seen in the past decade or more: Brian Hill. Smart move, and all the insurance one can expect for the rooks.

It’s not a championship team, it is a team rebuilding on the fly. That is one hell of a quick rebuild so far. I don’t see any reason they won’t make the playoffs again, and they could be a lot better than anyone expected at the time of the Gordon/CV signings.

Dumars may not even be done yet.

In some cases, close friends of teammates were lost, but new doors opened as they welcomed in other players that will be key to the run at the Finals.

Last season was like a dramatic first part of a movie, this season will be the sequel.

So many storylines will be a part of this second showing that will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

These are the ten worthy stories that you should keep on eye on for the second showing of what looks like one of the best seasons ever…

Honorable Mention: How will Andre Miller change the Blazers?

10. Wizards: a top team in East

This Washington team has always had talent, but lingering injures held them back from their full potential. If they remain healthy this season, which I think they actually will, they could easily be the fourth best team in the East.

Gilbert Arenas is a top player in the league when he is 100 percent healthy. Caron Butler is one of the more underrated players in the league and has improved drastically from his earlier years.

Antwan Jamison is always capable of a big night. Not to mention, they have playoff experience and have added some nice young guards in the offseason. The Wizards will be a force this year.

9.Sophomore class rising

The top players from this draft class is Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo. Both of them will elevate their statuses even higher this season. Rose went nuts in the playoffs and will carry his momentum into this season. With the loss of Ben Gordon, he will also be relied on more to score.

Mayo will become a scoring machine while working on other aspects of his game such as defense. He will establish himself as the face of the Grizzlies franchise. The two surprises of this class are Brook Lopez and Anthony Randolph.

Lopez will be the second option on the team without Vince Carter. Randolph will emerge as a star himself and as the third best player from this class, ahead of Lopez and Michael Beasley.

8. Rookies not as bad as advertised

This year, people were hating on the draft class. They said no one will be an all-star besides Blake Griffin which is false. This class has many other studs such as Tyreke Evans, Stephen Curry, James Harden, and more.

Evans could be as good as Griffin and could possibly go down as the best player in this draft class once his shot improves. Curry will be good depending on how much Don Nelson plays him. James Harden will be a key factor to the young Oklahoma City Thunder who will make noise in the future.

7. Finally All-Stars

There’s been a few players in this league that have never been named an all-star, and it’s unbelievable when you watch them play.

Some of those players are Kevin Durant, Deron Williams, and Al Jefferson. All three of these players will be all-stars this upcoming season. They are all young and have improved every year they have been in the league.

Unless someone emerges out of nowhere, it’s safe to say that these three guys will all be all-stars for the first time in their careers this season.

6. Spurs are not done, yet

It looked like the San Antonio Spurs were done being a top team in the league. Injures and age were starting to take over. The lack of depth hurt as well. When people were starting to give up on them, they made a great move to get Richard Jefferson from the Bucks.

Not only did they keep Roger Mason Jr., but they added a legit scoring option and capable defender in Jefferson. He also has lots of playoff experience with the Nets.

5. KG guarantees the title

Maybe the injury got to Garnett’s head, but he guaranteed back-to-back championships for the next two seasons.

“I talked to [Garnett] and he guaranteed the championship in 2010 and in 2011,” Wyc Grousbeck said. “He was as fired up as he’s ever been.” [quote from the Boston Globe]

Last offseason, Paul Pierce claimed he was the best player in the league. This offseason, Garnett guaranteed back-to-back championships. What’s next, Rajon Rondo calling himself the best point guard in the league?

4. Vinsanity will help Magic more than Hedo

One of the more controversial moves of this past offseason was the Magic trading for Vince Carter. Because of this and money, Hedo Turkoglu left the team for the Raptors. Experts are saying that this deal was bad for Orlando. They are wrong.

Carter is a better passer than Turkoglu and at times played point guard for the Nets when Devin Harris was on the bench. Carter is motivated right now and will play at the top of his game. He has also never played with a big man of Dwight Howard’s caliber. It will benefit both of them greatly.

3. Finals: Shaq and LeBron vs. Kobe?

This seems like the Finals that every NBA fan would want. Not only is it the two best players in the league against each other, but another rivalry is in it as well.

Most fans seem to not care about Shaq vs. Kobe as much anymore, but it will certainly make things much more intriguing seeing O’Neal and Bryant facing off on the grand stage of the basketball world. Not only that, but the two best players in the league will collide too.

This could go down as the greatest Finals of all-time if it actually went down.

2. Will the Lakers repeat?

Most teams in the Championship hunt got better, including the champions themselves. They lost a vital part of their team in Trevor Ariza, but gained arguably the best defender and toughest player in the league in Ron Artest.

Not only that, but the Lakers were able to re-sign Lamar Odom who was causing some drama during the contract negotiations. Andrew Bynum should be 100 percent healthy this season and continue to improve. Pau Gasol showed that is isn’t soft anymore during the Finals against Dwight and the Magic.

Kobe is still the best player in the game and Fisher will be clutch as usual. The question is, will they have the same fire that they had last season, this season?
1. Is the King going to remain a Cavalier? Who else will leave?

The big talk of the league has been whether or not LeBron James will remain with Cleveland or will he sign with New York, New Jersey, or perhaps another team. The Knicks have been doing everything so they could build their roster in a way where they can acquire the Chosen One.

James has said he wants to stay in Cleveland, but he also said he wants to explore his options. We will have to keep a close eye on this situation.

Dwyane Wade is also a free agent. He already said he will leave the Heat if they don’t build a championship contender. Chris Bosh has been rumored to want to leave Toronto for a while now. With the Heat and Raptors just mediocre teams, it seems likely that Wade and Bosh would leave.

If they do leave, will they sign with the same team and make that team a powerhouse? Stay tuned for my article next offseason and you could possibly see these three players in different jerseys and even more excitement in the best professional sports league, the NBA: “Where Amazing Happens.”

In today’s NBA, it seems less and less likely to build your team around a dominant big man.

You have players such as LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Paul. None of them play power forward or center, but they are the franchise players for their respective teams.

When you look into it, there are not as many teams building around a big man or looking for one in the NBA Draft. The last great franchise big man drafted was Dwight Howard.

People like Greg Oden and Yao Ming were both drafted because the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets were looking for these centers to be the cornerstones of their team, unfortunately, both have had injury plagued careers thus far.

Kevin Durant was picked right after Oden in the 2007 NBA Draft. He is currently one of the better young players in the league. He plays shooting guard and small forward. So far, he has proven that the Blazers made the wrong pick.

The point guards are starting to rule the courts more and more.

There are terrific young studs in the league such as Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, and countless others.

You can’t say the same about centers.

The only center currently in the NBA that can be a franchise player is Dwight Howard. End of story. You can’t build your NBA franchise around any other center today, with the exception of Oden if he ever gets past those injuries.

Andrew Bynum is not a franchise player and Al Jefferson is naturally a power forward. There is really, not much sense in arguing that Bynum or Jefferson are centers you can build a championship team around.

Look at the 2008 NBA Draft. A center was not selected until the 10th pick. What about the 2009 NBA Draft, the most recent one.

There were only two centers picked in the first round, alone. Only two!

One of them was the second overall selection and people are calling him a bust before he has even stepped onto an NBA court.

The top pick for the 2010 NBA draft is slated to be a point guard named John Wall.

See for yourself, there are only two teams in the whole league building around a center. Only one of them seems to be on the right path as of now.

There are about six to eight teams building around a power forward, though.

Everyone else in the league is either building around a point guard, shooting guard, or a small forward.

The game that we all know, is now being overrun by the smaller men on the court.

Let’s see how successful each top team in the league has been:

Franchise Players

Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant
Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce
Cleveland Cavaliers: LeBron James
San Antonio Spurs: Tim Duncan
Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard
Denver Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony

Only two of the top six teams in the league are building around a big man.

Are power forwards and centers the right way to build your team around now?

Should you have a point guard that can pass the ball phenomenally, that makes his teammates better, a slashing wingman that can score 40 plus on any given night, or a big man that anchors the paint and can score with his back to the basket.

A lot of things have changed since the 90’s in the NBA, and it looks like the trend of building around guards and small forwards is becoming one of them.

Laptop, Laptop, where’s Laptop!? Don’t look now but Memphis might have another Point Guard controversy on the rise. Marcus Williams not only had a great showing in Vegas, but he dominated as a floor general. The guy was the co-leader in assists, once again showing why he was so highly touted since his high school days. I remember after his rookie year, everyone was on his jock (can I say that?) that he was up there with the class of Deron Williams, Chris Paul, and Raymond Felton as the league’s next generation of great PG’s. Then the UConn product suffered a stress fracture in his foot which set him back greatly his 2nd season in the league.  By the time Marcus cameback, the reigns were handed over to newly obtained Devin Harris. Let’s throw out his Golden State experiment last year, the scene there just wasn’t a great one with inconsistent PT and Stephen Jackson already filling the playmaker role.

If you can hear me Chris Wallace, every non-Lakers fan already hates you, do us a favor and give the man a chance!

Speaking of giving somebody a chance, how about the Knicks giving my boy Mo Nuts a shot! Almond has to be one of the freshest outcasts that intrigue me because of his great D-League showings of dominance.  If you can drop 50 in any league, you have skills (minus local YMCA’s, sorry Ostertag no comeback for you). Mo Nuts is wet with his stroke, and can fill it up anytime. Throw in the D’Antoni factor that lets him shoot anywhere on their offensive end of the court, we might have something going here. No way am I saying the guy is going to be going in the top 5 of any fantasy drafts any time soon, (you’re more than welcomed to take him there if we are in the same league though) but Morris Almond could become a decent spot up shooter like Kapono if he’s given the chance.

From one D-League All-Star to another, how has Gary Forbes not been offered a deal yet? Guy is a Legend in my mind, leading the Minutemen to an upset of Syracuse in the Carrier Dome few years back.  He has everything you would usually take a waiver on: size, potential, versatility, high B-Ball IQ; I mean what else do you want?  Forbes averaged 18pt/6reb/5ast last year in the D-League, which is pretty good if you ask me.  If this draft class was sooooo weak, why hasn’t this guy been given a camp invite over your 2nd round pick, that’s a given bust, you took to fill your summer league squad with? Send that bum to Europe to stash while you give a real player a shot. If you ask me, Gary Forbes is the next Matt Barnes once he is given a shot on a squad.

Whether they rebound, block shots, or just throw down massive dunks, they are usually the players built around championship teams.

I have narrowed the list down to six of the best frontcourts in the league, three from each conference to form the elite frontcourts in the NBA.

**Yao Ming and Luis Scola not on list due to Yao being injured and not being able to play next season**

Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins/Rasheed Wallace (whoever starts)

Garnett will be healthy next season, but his sidekick in the frontcourt has yet to be decided. Perkins and Wallace are both great post defenders.

We already know that Perkins can work well with Garnett. He is tough, a good rebounder, and one of the better post defenders in the league. Wallace is a good post defender as well and has the ability to spread the floor with his three-point shooting.

Garnett is one of the best power forwards of all-time. He was injured for a large chunk of last season and the Celtics could have used him in the playoffs. He is the leader of this team and has emphasized defense to the point where it got them the championship.

Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard

This frontcout might be undecided as well. Lewis might move down to play small forward while either Marcin Gortat or Brandon Bass will play power forward alongside Howard.

Despite that, I’m going to use Lewis until we see who actually starts at the power forward spot. Lewis is among the top of the league when it comes to shooting, and he is 6′10″. His shooting skills help Howard do the damage in the paint.

Howard’s offensive game might be limited for now, but he has been working with Patrick Ewing this offseason to improve. His defense hasn’t even reached its full potential which should be scary for the rest of the league.

Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani

The sleeper of this list, Bosh and Bargnani are poised to be one of the better frontcourts in the whole league this season.

This is the final year of Bosh’s contract, so we’ll see him play like he did at the start of last season. You know, the Bosh that people were calling an MVP candidate. We don’t know if he will stay in Toronto, but he has improved every year since he has been in the league.

Bargnani is due to have his breakout season this year. With Hedo Turkoglu and Jose Calderon and their playmaking skills, it should be easier for Bargnani to cash in on his three point shooting talent.

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum

The best frontcourt of the Western Conference belongs to last season’s champion, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Gasol has established himself as a top three power forward on any given night. He has a nice touch around the rim and can shoot from mid-range. Critics call him soft, but he proved in the Finals that he is not by playing great defense on Lewis and Howard when called upon.

If he can stay healthy this season, Bynum can be an all-star. Without Shaq or Yao, the only real competition Bynum will have will be against Al Jefferson, Andris Biedrins, and Memhet Okur. He has some low post moves on the offensive end, but needs to improve his defense.

Carlos Boozer and Memhet Okur

Rumors are that Boozer will be traded, if so, the Jazz would still be on this list due the talent and skill that Paul Milsap possesses.

Boozer is a tough post player and can stroke it from mid-range with his smooth jumper. He is a beast on the boards and can hold his man down low in the key.

The high arching shot of Okur is one of the most deadly in the NBA. He is arguably the best shooting big man in the game today. He can play the post on offense, but needs to improve on his post defense.

David West and Tyson Chandler

This previous season, this frontcourt was not as great as they were in the year before. Nonetheless, they still have what it takes to be at the top.

West has nights where he can expolde for 40 plus. His defense is questionable, but he makes up for it with his soft jumper and ability to own defenders in the paint.

With the help of Chris Paul, Chandler and Paul have the best pick ‘n roll in the game. They lost it last season when Chandler had an off year especially with injures, but he is still ferocious around the rim and is an amazing shot-blocker.

There are many great backcourts in the league, but I have narrowed it down. 12 players, six backcourts, here is the list in no particular order.

Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen

While Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce get most of the credit for Boston, the duo of Rondo and Allen have been crucial to the success of the Boston Celtics.

Rondo is a good defender, can rebound, pass, and score when needed upon. The main flaw of the speedy guard is his shooting. Rondo is a horrid perimeter shooter, but it can be made up for with the shot of Ray Allen.

Allen is the best shooter in the league and has been for many years. His defense has improved since becoming a member of the Celtics. Allen may not be the star he once was, but he was the catalyst for the Celtics last season when Garnett was injured.

Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter

This tandem have yet to play a game alongside each other, but on paper they’re one of the best backcourt teams in the league.

When Nelson was healthy, he was an all-star. He was one of the best scoring point guards in the league and could still get at least five assists a game. Like half of the team, Nelson has unlimited range.

Carter is happy to be playing in his hometown and on a team that has a legitimate chance to win the championship. Look for him to be rejuvenated and have one of his best seasons ever this year with the Magic.

Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson

Bibby and Johnson are the most underrated in these group of guys. Both are quietly carrying the Hawks to the high tier of the Eastern Conference.

You have a veteran leader in Bibby. He has tons of playoff experience and is very clutch. He may be getting older, but he is still a quality scorer and good shooter.

Johnson might be the best shooting guard in the league not named Kobe or Dwyane. He is clutch, one of the better scorers in the league, and a good passing two guard.

Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili

This duo has proven that they can win many rings together, and oh yeah, factor in the greatest power forward of all time and a great coach into it as well.

Parker is the best point guard in the league at attacking the rim and either finishing or getting to the free throw line. The three point shot has been taken out of his arsenal, but his mid-range game is deadly.

Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Ginobili is an amazing player. He can shoot, score, and pass. The injury last season has made people forget him, but he is still one of the best two guard and will show it this upcoming season.

Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant

This could be the most controversial pick, but Fisher has shown that he can be a great role player alongside the best player in the league.

Fisher is the locker room guy and veteran presence for the Lakers. He is one of the best role players of all-time and is extremely clutch—just ask the Spurs.

The best player in the league, Kobe Bryant has got to be on this list, unless if it was him and the infamous Smush Parker. No explanation needed for the Black Mamba.

Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson

Don Nelson said that he plans on starting Ellis as the point guard and Jackson as the shooting guard this season, if that is the plan, then these two definitely belong in here.

After a horrendous season with the moped accident, Ellis will come out strong this season and go back to the form he once was before the injury. He showed glimpses of that at the end of last season. He isn’t a traditional point guard, but his mid range shot in unmissable.

Jackson is becoming one of the most underrated players in the league. Although his turnovers are high, Jackson is the best passing forward behind LeBron James. He can do it all from defending to taking the last shot, Captain Jack is an all-around player.

Every season there is a select group of players that become even better than they previously were and have breakout seasons. Most of these players go on to win the NBA’s most improved player award.

This upcoming season should be nothing short of fascinating when it comes to these players that will have tremendous seasons.

It was hard just to pick the five players, but I believe these players will make big names of themselves this season and prove that they should be household names.

PG: Aaron Brooks

The little man from Oregon, Aaron Brooks made a name for himself during the 2008-09 playoffs. Brooks played magnificently against the Portland Trail Blazers and the champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Earlier in the season, Rafer Alston was traded and the Rockets had no choice but to put the quick Brooks in the starting rotation. The Rockets soon found out that it was a good move.

Brooks is not the traditional pass-first point guard and has a scorers mentality. Throughout the playoffs he averaged 17 points and shot 42 percent from beyond the arc for Houston.

Other than Yao Ming and possibly Shane Battier, Brooks was the most important player for the Rockets during their playoff run, not Ron Artest who was a chucking machine.

Look for Brooks to be one of the higher scoring point guards this season especially with Yao and Tracy McGrady out.

SG: Courtney Lee

Many experts did not like the Vince Carter deal to the Orland Magic for one reason, Courtney Lee. They said why would you give up a young stud in Lee.

Some of them have some points and Lee will be an amazing player for the New Jersey Nets, a team that will need an extra 25 points a game without Carter.

Lee did not do too well in guarding Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals, but what can you expect? Bryant is the best player in the league and Lee should great effort in defending him.

Playing alongside four scorers in Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, and Dwight Howard won’t get you many touches, but Lee still managed to put up eight points a game in 25 minutes.

He claims that he can be a great scorer for the Nets and even Shaquille O’Neal said that Lee will be one hell of a player.

SF: Wilson Chandler

It’s looking more and more unlikely that the New York Knicks will keep David Lee and/or Nate Robinson. This leaves it for Wilson Chandler to put the Knicks on his back.

Chandler is a long, versatile defender and is good at blocking shots and playing the passing lane. He is also a solid rebounder.

What has surprised people the most is his ability to score. He has nights were he can score 20 plus, mostly when Lee or Robinson or struggling, he steps up and takes the game under his wing.

Al Harrington and Chandler will be the main players for the team next year. Even if Lee and Robinson re-sign, Chandler is poised to have a breakout year.

Rumors are that Chandler has worked hard in the off-season along side Danillo Gallinari and is ready for a chance to get the Knicks into the playoffs.

PF: Anthony Randolph

Anthony Randolph is the player in the group of guys that will have the best season. In little glimpses of action Randolph didn’t do much in the early part of the season. Don Nelson didn’t like him and he was immature and trade talks rose.

Near the middle of the year, Randolph earned more minutes with his hustle. He played with a positive attitude and always gave it his all on the court. He can play the point and he is just half an inch shy of seven feet. Not only that, but he has gained 20 pounds of muscle this off-season.

Rumors are that Randolph has been working on his shooting with sharp-shooting Anthony Morrow. If Randolph develops a shot, he may be impossible to defend.

Randolph dominated the Summer League and was robbed of the MVP. His impressive performance got him an invite to the Team USA mini-camp.

Nellie has penciled Randolph in as the starter at the power forward position for this season, and numerous experts are predicting a breakout season from this future superstar. Not only does he have the skill, but he has the work ethic and will to become a star in the league.

C: Andrea Bargnani

Cashing in is this off-season, Andrea Bargnani is ready to be the center for the Toronto Raptors. People have compared this guy to Dirk Nowitzki for being a seven-footer with the ability to shoot like a guard.

Bargnani isn’t a good rebounder, but his defense has improved in the later course of the season last year.

He averaged 15 points a game last season, scoring five more than he did the previous season. Look for him to average around 15-19 points this season. Him and Chris Bosh will become one of the better, yet softer front courts in the league.

This will be the season where all the years of waiting pays off and Bargnani takes off the bust label as some see him as.

I’m not sure that Bargnani can live up the expectations of a number one pick, but he will show that he can be at least a borderline All-Star.

It has been so crucial to many teams that they are giving up for the current time and just constantly putting up losing seasons with no commitment to winning until they get James.

The New York Knicks are the biggest example of this whole fiasco. The Knicks were looking to get LeBron for a while and realized that they can not get James with the so called wits of Isiah Thomas. He was fired and Donnie Walsh took over the New York empire.

The Knicks have made tons of trades this past few seasons to get rid of players with high paying contracts. During the course of losing players, New York has lost Zach Randolph, Stephen Marbury, Jamal Crawford along with numerous others. The Knicks have gotten many players whose contracts end during the offseason of 2010.

The main target of New York has been LeBron James. While they do have a chance to get players such as Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Steve Nash, and others, the rumors are making it look like the Knicks are aiming for the Chosen One. Who can blame them? James has the potential to go down as the greatest player ever.

As for playing with the Knicks, it would help him become an even bigger icon. Most of the big stars in the league have played in big markets.

Michael Jordan played for Chicago and Magic Johnson played for Los Angeles. It’s only fitting for a King to play in the most known place in America.

James himself has said that he has no intentions of leaving Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I’m happy in Cleveland. I don’t have any plans on going anywhere,” James said. “These fans have done everything to support me. I’m excited about being here.”

LeBron has been found sporting a New York Yankees hat almost everywhere he is off the court, but half of the country wears these Yankee caps.

These LeBron talks haven’t been too nice to the current franchise players for the Knicks: David Lee and Nate Robinson.

Both of these players are unhappy with the Knicks attempts to re-sign them and are both considering leaving.

This brings up the main point of this article, is it worth losing your current best players just so you could have the money to sign an even bigger star the next season. Have the fans had enough suffering with the continuous losing seasons just to wait for the King?

What if James and the rest of the free agents of 2010 sign with other teams because New York has no one left? You could give them tons of money, but what would be the point of signing a big name star when he is the only player on the team that is a good player? You will still be in the same position with the constant losing.

The New York Knicks front office better hope to work their magic during the 2010 off-season. If the Knicks do not get at least one of the big name free agents, get ready to see some heartbroken fans in city that never sleeps.

They said with the addition of Carter, the Magic are going to lose Hedo Turkoglu and a rising star in Courtney Lee. They lost both of these players for what, a washed-up Carter who will make the Magic worse? That is where the critics have been constantly wrong.

Last year, the New Jersey Nets were predicted to be the worst team in the league. Carter led the way for the Nets, and they passed expectations as early as the All-Star break. They were eliminated from playoff contention in the last weeks of the season.

Now people are saying the addition of Carter will stunt Dwight Howard’s growth as a player. Those people are ignorant. Has Vince messed up the play of Devin Harris? No, he took the backseat and let Harris do his work while Vince led the team with words.

Everyone on the Nets gave up after a losing streak when it looked like they had no chance at the playoffs, but Carter said that he won’t give up on the team. Where were the critics then? When Carter admitted on giving up on the Raptors, he was young, and analysts around the globe started hating on him, but when he made the comments about helping the young Nets team no matter what, the so-called experts ignored it.

Carter has been playing with more effort on the offensive and defensive end of the floor. His passing is extremely underrated, as he is one of the best passing shooting guards in the league, if not the best.

He may not be the human highlight reel anymore, which makes people hate on him, but he is a better basketball player now. He may have bad games every now and then, and that’s when the haters are at their peak, which gives Carter a bad rep.

People say Carter is injury prone, but he has played in nearly every game ever since playing for New Jersey. In reality, Vince is a top-five shooting guard in the league for sure, maybe even top-three on his best nights behind only Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, who are the best players in the league along with LeBron James.

Being traded to the Orlando Magic is just a new chapter in the career of “Half-Man, Half-Amazing.”

We all know what Carter is capable of when he is rejuvenated, and that is exactly what he will be this upcoming season. He is playing for a team that was just in the NBA Finals, and it’s the team he dreamed about playing for ever since he was a little kid.

Vince has also never played with a dominant big man like Howard before, which will benefit both of them.

Carter is unselfish and will help Howard become a better player. While Howard will be the main attraction for the Magic offense, this will be what Vince has always wanted. He never wanted to be the main guy on a team, and now he has the chance to be the second option.

With the pressure off of Carter, he will be a more efficient player.

Turkoglu was clutch for the Magic last season, but Vince was just as clutch if not more, himself. He hit many critical shots that won games for the Nets, and look for him to do the same in Orlando.

The critics may love to hate on Vinsanity, but don’t let that get to your head. The Magic made the right move and traded for the underrated Carter.

You will all see that when the season starts; the Magic will show they are still the top team and the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

What were “my initial thoughts”, you ask?  Glad you did.

Bottom Line Up Front: I actually think that this cap drop as a result of basketball-related income (BRI) is worse than many expect, and for different reasons.  This post will focus on the marquee guys, but believe-you-me there’ll be a trickle-down effect.  That’s for another post, though.

Every basketball mind around, it seems, is coming to the conclusion that this anticipated cap drop is going to be bad for teams who’ve been maneuvering for cap space in the “Summer of LBJ”–though it’s also the Summer of Wade, Bosh, Anthony, Joe Johnson, Pierce, Redd, Dirk, Nash. potentially K*be, and a host of others .  My contention is that it’s going to end up putting a  hurt-lock on the big-money players, …and that (gasp!) you might not see that many opt-outs.  I’ll talk specifically about these Early Termination Option (ETO) guys–LBJ, Wade, Bosh.

From what I understand, these Class of 2003 alumni who signed their extensions in summer of 2006 will make $15,779,913 on a max deal this year, and if they don’t opt out will make $17,149,244 next year (since each re-signed with the team that drafted them, they are allowed 10% raises from their base year rather than the standard 8% max raise). Most assumed that they would opt out this summer, b/c at the 7-year point of their careers (which they’ll hit in July 2010) the max salary goes from 25% of the cap (for instance, what Brandon Roy is projected to be extended for this summer) to 30% of the cap.  My guess is that, in July 2006 when they signed these extensions, most assumed that this increase of 5% in max salary would be a great incentive to test free agency and make more money while going exactly where they wanted.  Remember that making assumptions make a….nevermind–Mom may actually read this one.

Here’s the math:
The 2003 alumni, in 2009-10, will make $15,779,913, and are guaranteed $17,149,244 next year if they do not exercise their ETO.  But let’s say the cap is at 50.4M, the low end of today’s projections. Max salary in the league will only be 15,120,000 (30% of the $50.4 salary cap).  Of course, there’s a provision in the CBA that says a player can always make 105% of his last year’s salary as a max, so LBJ, if he opts out, can only sign a contract starting at $16,568,909–about $600k less than he was guaranteed if he just would’ve not opted out.  And let’s say he does leave CLE for NYK or wherever…since he’s not resigning with the team that owns his Bird rights, he’s only able to get a max contract of 5yr/93.2M through the summer of 2015. A grip of money, to be sure, but if he just finished his CLE contract, and then started his next one in the summer of 2011 at 105% of his previous year’s salary, he’d make 97.8M over that same period on a base salary of $18,006,704 (assuming he left CLE and was only getting 8% raises–if he goes in a Sign-and-Trade deal, or stays with Cleveland, it goes up to a hair below $100MM). So by opting out in the summer of 2010 instead of letting his contract run out in summer 2011, he loses 4M–guaranteed.  Ditto for Wade and Bosh.
K*be actually stands to lose more, since instead of opting out of a $17M salary he’d be opting out of a $24.8M salary.  Do all those same calculations and add 45%.

I think this is going to be a bigger deal than people think, and it’s going to cause agents and players at some point to step back and say “whoa”. First, teams like NYK are going to have about $10M in cap space less than they thought a couple of years ago when they started this “Cap Space 2010 or Bust!” plan, and everyone else will have the luxury tax floor drop to about 10-15M lower than they were hoping it’d be. Second, players who thought they’d be getting a big jump in pay are actually going to lose money if they exercise their ETO and opt out. I don’t know if leaving CLE one year early for NYK is worth 4-6M to LBJ, or if it’s a small price for Wade or Bosh or Anthony or K*be to pay to play wherever they want to…but if they’re trying to max out their pay it’s best not to opt out next year and wait until 2011 or 2012. The longer they can build up salaries at 10% before taking the hit of starting a new “max salary contract” the better.

Perhaps in the next post we’ll explore the idea/fallacy that there are teams who will be able to sign two (or three!?!) of the superstars.