I've said it before and I'll say it again: CAP SPACE IS OVERRATED

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

Yea I was giving you credit for it . . . you wern't the only one who was saying cap space was overrated or whatever the others were saying. I believe it was stomp and BNM who were echoing your thoughts . . . but hard to remember . . . that was many beers ago.

Whats with the caps?

I sometimes do that for the hell of it.

 

[rocketeer]

THAT WAS ME. I COINED THE TERM IMAGINARY CAP SPACE BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL GET YOU UNTIL THE MARKET PRESENTS ITSELF.

calm the fuck down man.

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

calm the fuck down man.

i am calm.

 

[Minstrel]

THAT WAS ME. I COINED THE TERM IMAGINARY CAP SPACE BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL GET YOU UNTIL THE MARKET PRESENTS ITSELF.

It's not just you. I've always maintained that cap space is overrated. Teams that "blow it up" in order to position themselves to have big cap space so they can sign "superstars" almost never succeed. Shaq in 1996 was the last franchise cornerstone player to change teams in free agency. There have been some good players to switch teams in free agency, but it's very rare to get a truly impact player.

I've been very hopeful that Pritchard would be able to use the cap space for an impact player, but my belief that that would happen has been low. That said, if Pritchard ends up using it to get a player who ends up being a valuable supporting player, that's probably sufficient. Turk could be that player.

 

[BTOWN_HUSTLA]

It's not just you. I've always maintained that cap space is overrated. Teams that "blow it up" in order to position themselves to have big cap space almost never succeed. Shaq in 1996 was the last franchise cornerstone player to change teams in free agency. There have been some good players to switch teams in free agency, but it's very rare to get a truly impact player.

Then for the first time in recorded history, we agree!

 

[rocketeer]

i am calm.

you overreact about everything, basketball or not.

 

[BIG Q]

I just want to point out a couple of things and hope it does not sound to much like KP jock sniffing;

1. I doubt that he for saw the economic collapse. It has stopped some key free agents from opting for free agency. It has also stopped teams cold from making trades, even when they are cash strapped and being offered a life boat deal of a salary dump. Owners are so affraid of losing their fan base they will not part with their only pieces of value to improve their situation.

2. The Darius Miles fiasco. I am sure that KP and PA never would have guessed that a piece of shit GM and owner would sabotage another teams cap. I am doubly amazed that Davis Stern allowed such an aggregious and blatant manipulation of another teams cap. It is painfully obvious that Boston and memphis had no plans of actually relying on DM for basketball skills.

With those two in mind, Portland targeted their cap money for the wrong year. They should have planned for next year, but that is not how the cards fell. Additionally, none of the big free agents would ever come to Portland. Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Amare, Nash, etc. are all going to have a circle jerk in the big markets and try to conspire to make a couple of super teams to be coddled by the NBA and put up resistance to Portlands home grown team.

Portland needs to develop Oden, Bayless and Batum while keeping the rest in tact. They are close. They just need experience and those guys to develop. There will be opportunities to pick up other pieces.

 

[BrianFromWA]

Oden will not "develop" with Blake as his PG.

 

[oldmangrouch]

It is kind of funny to look back to when the Zach-for-09-capspace trade went down. There were quite a few people back on BBF who were convinced, or claimed to be convinced, we were going to sign a Grade A free agent. Those of us who tried to point out the harsh realities of the FA system were flamed mercilessly. Oh well.......

 

[rocketeer]

It is kind of funny to look back to when the Zach-for-09-capspace trade went down. There were quite a few people back on BBF who were convinced, or claimed to be convinced, we were going to sign a Grade A free agent. Those of us who tried to point out the harsh realities of the FA system were flamed mercilessly. Oh well.......

yet the trade was still good and zach has been given away for nothing other than to get him off of the team by two teams since then.

 

[LittleAlex]

This franchise has been building-up free agency and it's promises of overnight improvement for 3-4 years now. At first it was just a diversion tactic: shut the fans up and give them something to look forward to while suffering thru the Telfair years. Then after we drafted some cornerstone players, the marketing buzz became obtaining that last franchise player to help take Roy/Aldridge over the top. This is while we were still batting around illusion of signing Paul, Williams or even Kobe.

After the media figured out that wouldnt be possible, I noticed Pritchard remarking how Allen wanted to play with free agency because he hasnt had extensive chances to while owner. Fair enough. So, basically free agency's importance, as it's been billed by the media and team, has downgraded from crucial to elevating to curious dabbling over the last 4 years.

Being responsible with salaries is important, but pinning hopes into building your team thru free agency signings is a crapshoot and in my opinion overrated as a team builder. Arguments could be made that none of the top free agents this year would even help the team. I tend to agree with HUSTLA, if thats the position he's coming from.

This is truth.

I don't think this would feel so shitty if the team hadn't built up this off season as the moment the team turns the corner.

As stated above, we have heard for years that this would be year Portland made a big splash.

How would you have felt 3 years ago if KP said his big plan was to target Hedo in the summer of 2009? I am guessing pretty underwhelmed.

I am wondering how KP is going to spin this move, if it even gets done. Hedo hasn't signed anything yet.