Blazers threaten the rest of the NBA [merged]

[Денг Гордон]

If you read the article on ESPN, one General Manger said that the memo the League sent out regarding Miles being eligible to be signed was unprecedented. He had never seen a memo sent out. Plus, since when do preseason games count? If they counted, why was Miles eligible to play when he was supposed to be suspended?

Also, the Blazers should threaten to sue the NBA issued doctor and the independent doctor who said Miles could never play again.

Personally in my black helicopter mind, I think the NBA is purposely trying to screw the Blazers because they do not want a small market team to dominate the league. They want NY, LA and BOS to reign. If PDX has 5 superstars, we will dominate. Bad for business. I think PDX should boycott all things NBA that do not include the Blazers. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it.......All right. I chilled.

Darius Miles was suspended for 10 regular season games. That was the terms of his suspension, thus it was legal for him to play in those 6 preseason games.

 

[noknobs]

You're not being penalized by the NBA if Miles makes it through 10 games. If Miles plays 10 games, he will have proved to the NBA that it was not a career ending injury, therefore, he should never have been removed from the cap. If the NBA were to rule that Miles shouldn't go on the cap, even if he played the set amount of games, the NBA would be rewarding Portland for a mis-diagnosis.

IT WAS AN NBA APPOINTED DOCTOR! It wasn't Portland who diagnosed him. DO YOU GET IT? IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH? As is, the NBA is PENALIZING Portland for something they didn't do. And since his salary was lifted from the cap, the team has moved on and signed other players under the impression that his salary will remain off the cap. Now that it will come back on, we'll be over the cap and paying luxury tax.

We're being wrongly penalized, and every other team is being rewarded for the mis-diagnosis, not Portland as you claim.

 

[Денг Гордон]

Jesus would you please get it in your head that:

AN NBA APPOINTED DOCTOR RULED MILES AS HAVING A CAREER ENDING INJURY.

This wasn't just Portland trying to pull a fast one. There weren't any shady dealings here.

Yes, we understand Portland wasn't trying to pull a fast one. But it looks like Miles injury wasn't career ending, and that the doctor was wrong, therefore Miles should go back on the cap.

 

[Blazer4life]

You're not being penalized by the NBA if Miles makes it through 10 games. If Miles plays 10 games, he will have proved to the NBA that it was not a career ending injury, therefore, he should never have been removed from the cap. If the NBA were to rule that Miles shouldn't go on the cap, even if he played the set amount of games, the NBA would be rewarding Portland for a mis-diagnosis.

Why should we be on the hook when both the NBA and players union agreed with our assessment. I've bolded the importnat part for everyone that seems to forget about this.


http://www.katu.com/news/17691544.html

This is a press release courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers

Pursuant to NBA procedures with regard to career-ending injuries, the Portland Trail Blazers have requested waivers on forward Darius Miles, General Manager Kevin Pritchard announced today.

An independent medical examiner jointly appointed by the NBA and the NBA Players Association examined Miles and determined that the damage to Miles’ right knee is severe enough to qualify as a career-ending injury.

Miles has missed all of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, last appearing in a game for the Trail Blazers on April 15, 2006.

"Given the serious nature of his knee injury, we agree with the doctor’s conclusion that Darius has sustained a career-ending injury," Pritchard said. "This allows Darius and the Trail Blazers to move forward and achieve closure to this matter. To his credit, Darius worked hard to come back, but his body just didn’t allow it to happen."

The 6-9 forward appeared in 145 games for the Trail Blazers after arriving from Cleveland in exchange for Jeff McInnis and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje on Jan. 21, 2004. As a Trail Blazer, Miles averaged 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

The third overall pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2000 NBA Draft, Miles played six NBA seasons with Los Angeles, Cleveland and Portland. He appeared in 412 games, with career averages of 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

 

[Денг Гордон]

IT WAS AN NBA APPOINTED DOCTOR! It wasn't Portland who diagnosed him. DO YOU GET IT? IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH? As is, the NBA is PENALIZING Portland for something they didn't do. And since his salary was lifted from the cap, the team has moved on and signed other players under the impression that his salary will remain off the cap. Now that it will come back on, we'll be over the cap and paying luxury tax.

We're being wrongly penalized, and every other team is being rewarded for the mis-diagnosis, not Portland as you claim.

Portland knew that there was a possibility that he could go back on the cap. They're not being punished, the rules are just playing out right now. It was Portland's decision to move forward in a direction assuming the best possible outcome on the salary cap.

 

[The Sebastian Express]

And Portland isn't fighting teams trying to legitimately sign Miles which would lead to him being back on the cap. They're saying if you sign him and do it in a really suspicious way (aka have the balls to play him two games, a minute in each, and then release him and no one else picks him up again) we're going to sue you because you're costing us 18 million dollars.

 

[Natebishop3]

Yes, we understand Portland wasn't trying to pull a fast one. But it looks like Miles injury wasn't career ending, and that the doctor was wrong, therefore Miles should go back on the cap.

It really depends on what you would qualify as "career ending". If you think hobbling up and down a court simply because the team who signed you wants to hurt your former team is a career, so be it. Do you think Miles will play after this is all over? Do you think anyone will sign him when the Blazers have his money back on their cap? Most teams have no interest in him. Surprisingly, only the Celtics and Grizzlies, two teams that were burned by Portland, have signed him....

Also, just because he can step onto a court doesn't mean he can play. If the doctors are right, he could be doing irreparable damage to his knee, which he will pay for later. How much later is undetermined.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

Portland knew that there was a possibility that he could go back on the cap. They're not being punished, the rules are just playing out right now. It was Portland's decision to move forward in a direction assuming the best possible outcome on the salary cap.

Just because he can run up and down the court for 3 minutes per game doesn't make him able to "play NBA basketball".

If he signs 2 games plays sparsely, then gets cut and never to play again...suddenly this rule becomes absolute horseshit, because I would expect the Blazers to then find every loophole in existence to fuck other teams over as long as they can.

 

[Денг Гордон]

Why should we be on the hook when both the NBA and players union agreed with our assessment. I've bolded the importnat part for everyone that seems to forget about this.


http://www.katu.com/news/17691544.html

This is a press release courtesy of the Portland Trail Blazers

Pursuant to NBA procedures with regard to career-ending injuries, the Portland Trail Blazers have requested waivers on forward Darius Miles, General Manager Kevin Pritchard announced today.

An independent medical examiner jointly appointed by the NBA and the NBA Players Association examined Miles and determined that the damage to Miles’ right knee is severe enough to qualify as a career-ending injury.

Miles has missed all of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, last appearing in a game for the Trail Blazers on April 15, 2006.

"Given the serious nature of his knee injury, we agree with the doctor’s conclusion that Darius has sustained a career-ending injury," Pritchard said. "This allows Darius and the Trail Blazers to move forward and achieve closure to this matter. To his credit, Darius worked hard to come back, but his body just didn’t allow it to happen."

The 6-9 forward appeared in 145 games for the Trail Blazers after arriving from Cleveland in exchange for Jeff McInnis and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje on Jan. 21, 2004. As a Trail Blazer, Miles averaged 12.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

The third overall pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2000 NBA Draft, Miles played six NBA seasons with Los Angeles, Cleveland and Portland. He appeared in 412 games, with career averages of 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Yes, but there is a provision in the CBA that makes it so that if a player plays 10 games in the season, than they have shown sufficient proof that they are not career ending. The CBA had provisions in place for a mid-diagnosis, and I'm assuming they didn't withhold this portion of the CBA from the Blazers.

Playing 10 NBA games a year would be 126K. That is definitely a decent career. The CBA provision makes sense.

 

[Денг Гордон]

It really depends on what you would qualify as "career ending". If you think hobbling up and down a court simply because the team who signed you wants to hurt your former team is a career, so be it. Do you think Miles will play after this is all over? Do you think anyone will sign him when the Blazers have his money back on their cap? Most teams have no interest in him. Surprisingly, only the Celtics and Grizzlies, two teams that were burned by Portland, have signed him....

Also, just because he can step onto a court doesn't mean he can play. If the doctors are right, he could be doing irreparable damage to his knee, which he will pay for later. How much later is undetermined.

He's averaging 8 blocks per 36 minutes right now. He seems like he can still play a bit.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Portland knew that there was a possibility that he could go back on the cap. They're not being punished, the rules are just playing out right now. It was Portland's decision to move forward in a direction assuming the best possible outcome on the salary cap.

This is true . . . and you know there is red flags about this situation when Miles himself is insisting he can play. He could have retired based on the report and been paid in full. Instead he wanted to keep playing.

Truth is Blazers wanted him gone and away from the other players . . . they knew the risks . . . and I'm guessing they would do the same thing if they had the decision to do over.

The email, I'm not so sure they would do again . . . really how could they think that was going to accomplish anything other than negative responses around the league.

 

[illmatic99]

He's averaging 8 blocks per 36 minutes right now. He seems like he can still play a bit.

 

[Blazer4life]

Yes, we understand Portland wasn't trying to pull a fast one. But it looks like Miles injury wasn't career ending, and that the doctor was wrong, therefore Miles should go back on the cap.

If Miles went back on the cap the ONLY fair thing to do is put him back in the property of the Portland trailblazers since he was our property prior to the ruling by the medical doctors. If they would've ruled he could play, then we would've had the chance to:

A) Play him

B) Sit him

C) Reach a buyout with him

D) Out right cut him

When a doctor (NBA and player association appointed) ruled in our favor, we made the obvious choice because it was the best thing for not only us, but for Miles as well. Now, with everything that has happened, we lose the choice to do anything listed above because the league and players association appears that it will not back their own statements made a year earlier. This, is unprecedented, unfair and whether you like to admit it or not royally screws Portland as we had options if Miles was determined able to play, now we have none.

 

[noknobs]

Portland knew that there was a possibility that he could go back on the cap. They're not being punished, the rules are just playing out right now. It was Portland's decision to move forward in a direction assuming the best possible outcome on the salary cap.

What part of "career-ending" leaves a reasonable possibility of return? This last summer brought the first hint that he might try to make a comeback and by then the damage was done. What's the point of taking him off the cap if we're just going to operate like he's on the cap for the next two years?

And again, where is the fairness in every other team being rewarded for this? I get it, you're a Bulls fan, this helps your team and so you don't have a problem with it, but if it was reversed you sure as hell would see how ridiculous this is.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

He's averaging 8 blocks per 36 minutes right now. He seems like he can still play a bit.

Ouch . . . you just lost a little credibility with that statement.

If that is how you evaluate players . . . your power rankings don't have much value.

 

[Денг Гордон]

If Miles went back on the cap the ONLY fair thing to do is put him back in the property of the Portland trailblazers since he was our property prior to the ruling by the medical doctors. If they would've ruled he could play, then we would've had the chance to:

A) Play him

B) Sit him

C) Reach a buyout with him

D) Out right cut him

When a doctor (NBA and player association appointed) ruled in our favor, we made the obvious choice because it was the best thing for not only us, but for Miles as well. Now, with everything that has happened, we lose the choice to do anything listed above because the league and players association appears that it will not back their own statements made a year earlier. This, is unprecedented, unfair and whether you like to admit it or not royally screws Portland as we had options if Miles was determined able to play, now we have none.

But Portland, when they cut him, they had the knowledge that he could come back. They were never forced to cut him, they did that on their own conviction.

 

[Natebishop3]

He's averaging 8 blocks per 36 minutes right now. He seems like he can still play a bit.

hahahahahahahahahah

 

[Blazer4life]

But Portland, when they cut him, they had the knowledge that he could come back. They were never forced to cut him, they did that on their own conviction.

Well one thing is clear. This will be addressed in the new CBA contract and I am sure things like this will NOT be allowed.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

But Portland, when they cut him, they had the knowledge that he could come back. They were never forced to cut him, they did that on their own conviction.

again, playing 4 minutes per game without doing hardly anything isn't shit. If teams are doing this out of bad faith and not because they want to give Miles a shot at his career, that's fucked. The rule was made so if Miles WAS actually able to play (which has not been displayed at all really), then the cap relief would be eliminated. However, this (to me at least) assumes that he is actually on a road to having a career in the NBA and not being used as a pawn by GMs trying to compete for next summer's free agents.

 

[Natebishop3]

again, playing 4 minutes per game without doing hardly anything isn't shit. If teams are doing this out of bad faith and not because they want to give Miles a shot at his career, that's fucked. The rule was made so if Miles WAS actually able to play (which has not been displayed at all really), then the cap relief would be eliminated. However, this (to me at least) assumes that he is actually on a road to having a career in the NBA and not being used as a pawn by GMs trying to compete for next summer's free agents.

White collar warfare.

Maybe Paul Allen should offer OJ Mayo 100 million never to play basketball again.

 

[AgentDrazenPetrovic]

White collar warfare.

Maybe Paul Allen should offer OJ Mayo 100 million never to play basketball again.

Yeah. How would the NBA like that shit. Its within the rules, blah blah blah. Teams have to have some kind of ethical standards to abide by. But to try to fuck over a team for the sake of fucking their cap room is just classless.

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Memphis also signed Steve Francis . . . who hasn't played. Could this be used to show they did not have ill intentions when trying out Miles?

Also, could the Livingston situation be used to show that teams are intersted in players who displayed NBA talent before an injury and are curious to see if they still have it. I guess the difference with Livingston is no report . . . but I'm guessing you could find a reputable doctor, approved by all sides, that would get the same diagnosis as Miles.

 

[Natebishop3]

Memphis also signed Steve Francis . . . who hasn't played. Could this be used to show they did not have ill intentions when trying out Miles?

Also, could the Livingston situation be used to show that teams are intersted in players who displayed NBA talent before an injury and are curious to see if they still have it. I guess the difference with Livingston is no report . . . but I'm guessing you could find a reputable doctor, approved by all sides, that would get the same diagnosis as Miles.

Livingston is four years younger than Miles though.

 

[Blazer4life]

Here is a breakdown of the minutes Miles played this year. The 1st 6 are with the Celtics, last 2 with Grizzlies. His stats outside of the 1st game, were not that good and were REAL bad in other games. BTW if he could play, why did it take so long for the Grizzlies to pick him up? He has been available from the beginning of the season and they have no need for a small forward, (probably their most set position with Gay). They sign him, he serves his 10 game suspension (of course they do not have to pay him at that point), plays 2 games and is immediately cut. Makes you wonder.....

WITH BOSTON (preseason)
16 minutes vs Philly
4 minutes vs Cavs
9 minutes vs Houston
13 minutes vs Cavs
9 minutes vs Nets
11 minutes vs Nets

with Grizzlies
1 minute vs Dallas (in a blowout) actually 1 minute and 30 secs.
7 minutes vs Minnesota

 

[The_Lillard_King]

Livingston is four years younger than Miles though.

I guess I was thinking that looking at this outside of the perspective of the Blazers, is it really so strange to give Miles a try out via a 10 day contract?

There are other questionable vets getting 10 day contracts . . .

 

[Natebishop3]

I guess I was thinking that looking at this outside of the perspective of the Blazers, is it really so strange to give Miles a try out via a 10 day contract?

There are other questionable vets getting 10 day contracts . . .

I know what you're saying, but Shaun Livingston was a 6'9 (?) point guard who had good court vision. Miles was merely an athletic freak. If Miles is without his athleticism, what does he have? He was never a shooter. He was never an exceptional rebounder. The guy was good at slashing and running the floor. If his knee is bad, what does he have? That's the whole point. A point guard can play well into his late 30's because of his passing ability. If Livingston can still run, which is debatable at this point, he would be enticing. If he can't get up and down the floor, well, he wouldn't be worth keeping.

 

[igotask8board]

No, he gets his entire salary.

Any proof?

I think you have this wrong. Miles gets his cash from the contract . . . paid either by insurance and Blazers or all by the Blazers.

Proof?

Ummm ...

This is an issue the NBA needs to address. It's not like the Blazers hired some phony doctor just to get money back because they didn't like the guy's character. This was a doctor approved by the NBA and the players union.

There just happens to be a loophole in the NBA rulebook that allows teams to sign medically fragile players for the purpose of fucking over a competitor's salary flexibility.

-Pop

You never know. Paul Allen is extremely wealthy.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I'm not worried about this at all. I'm not worried about NBA backlash. I don't care about other media markets. Here are the facts:

1) League-approved (and Union-approved) doctor said Miles' injury was career-ending.
2) Miller's email spoke specifically about signing Miles to a "contract for the purpose of adversely impacting the Portland Trail Blazers Salary Cap and tax positions". That's it. If you want to sign Miles, go for it. If he shows he can play, no problem. If he plays 1:45 in two games (averaging 8 blocks per 36), and then is released, be prepared to defend yourself. Forewarned is forearmed.

Now to non-facts: Billy Hunter just showed what a knee-jerk reactor he is, and why he's thought of by union leaders as a horrible union leader. (google Marvin Miller Billy Hunter) In misreading the email, he brought a racial and political aspect to this that doesn't deserve to be there. No one's telling Darius he can't play (except the Union and their doc). Portland's saying "if you do it to screw with us, be prepared".
In response to Mr. Gilbert's last line:

“I would think there has got to be a better tactic than this one.”

So would I, Mr. Gilbert, but obviously chatting over the phone hasn't worked in Ainge's or Wallace's case. Ergo, letting you and the other 28 know exactly where we stand.

 

[Natebishop3]

In misreading the email, he brought a racial and political aspect to this that doesn't deserve to be there.

Someone get Jesse Jackson on the phone... the NBA and the Players Union are trying to keep 9 million dollars out of the hands of a deserving black ballplayer (not Darius Miles).

 

[igotask8board]

I bet you Houston was trying to convince Memphis to play Miles for 4 games. They gave them a 2nd rounder, cash, and Steve Francis. I doubt Daryl Morey burried the hatchet, Batum turned out great for Portland. They sabotoged the Rockets deal with Chicaco to get Roy, and outbid them for Fernandez. I wish Morey would sign Miles. Too bad the Rockets have 15 players. That email is really sickening.