Doc Rivers Not Worth Boston Celtics’ Ridiculous Asking Price
The Los Angeles Clippers wisely rejected the Boston Celtics’ crazy ransom request for coach Doc Rivers on Saturday.
According to Baxter Holmes of The Boston Globe, the C’s were looking to bring back center DeAndre Jordan, guard Eric Bledsoe and two draft picks in exchange for their head coach and—possibly—veteran forward Kevin Garnett.
Clips general manager Gary Sacks was wise to balk at this proposal, as a head coach and creaky 37-year-old veteran are simply not worth four of the best movable assets his organization possesses.
For this hypothetical deal to even have happened, KG would have had to waive his no-trade clause— something he was unwilling to do back in February, when he stated he would retire a Celtic and be “buried in green.”
Regardless, the prevailing thought is that he would be willing to renounce the clause and follow Rivers—his coach since being traded to Boston back in 2007—to Tinseltown.
Rivers does seem to be more valuable to the Clippers than his current employer, as a league source “guaranteed” Holmes that Chris Paul—an unrestricted free agent this summer—would re-sign with the organization if it could acquire the 2008 finals-winning coach.
The Celtics may still have some semblance of a championship roster—with proven winners like Rajon Rondo set to return at some point during the 2013-14 campaign, Paul Pierce and The Big Ticket—but are on the cusp of having to rebuild.
Considering Rivers is in the midst of a five-year extension he signed back in 2011—which pays him approximately $7 million annually, as per the Los Angeles Times—it makes sense for GM Danny Ainge to jettison the highest-paid coach in the league in return for a wealth of young talent.
However, the Clippers would be downright foolish to give up the farm in order to bring in a coach that CP3 would like to play for.
Without Jordan, Bledsoe and those two picks, it’s near impossible to imagine a scenario in which L.A. is able to acquire the talent required to best teams in the Western Conference, let alone a powerhouse like the Miami Heat.
There’s also the major issue of head coaches not having the level of impact that most folks tend to believe.
Dave Berri of Freakonomics.com points out that a study published by the International Journal of Sport Finance found no significant statistical correlation between NBA coaches and player productivity over a 30-year period.
Berri also cites numerous other studies and brings further proof to these issues in his thorough argument, which is highly suggested reading for those that believe the Clips should have pulled the trigger on the Rivers deal.
L.A.’s best chance to retain Paul and win a championship lies in recruiting a proven, veteran coach who is currently looking for work at a reasonable cost. Then it can parlay those four assets that the Celtics asked for into a slew of veteran talents, convincing CP3 to sign a long-term extension with the club.
While Doc Rivers may have a championship pedigree and near-unanimous respect around the league, there are plenty of unemployed coaches who can get the same level of production out of the Clippers roster this coming season.
The Clippers made the right call to hang up on Ainge and his ludicrous demands, and must not waver in their decision to not give up anything of significant value in order to acquire Rivers.
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Speculating on Danny Ainge’s asking price for Doc Rivers
The LA Times Broderick Turner asked some anonymous NBA executives to speculate on what Danny Ainge might ask in return from the Clippers should he let Doc Rivers out of his contract:
Two executives said the first thing Ainge would want is young players such as Clippers centerDeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe, and an expiring contract such as Caron Butler’s $8-million deal.
Then Ainge would want to trade a veteran player such as 37-year-old Kevin Garnett (he has a no-trade clause) and add guards Courtney Lee and Jason Terry in the deal to the Clippers.
Ainge also would want two first-round draft picks from the Clippers, the executives said.
That’s all?
The Clippers are lucky Ainge isn’t demanding Blake Griffin.
Not only is Doc Rivers an excellent Xs and Os coach, but he’s a master motivator that guys want to play for. He becomes a drawing card for the franchise.
Do not underestimate the stupidity of Donald Sterling. He’s a blunder waiting to happen.
He might give Ainge everything and m…
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Pitino: Sophomore C Price leaving Cardinals (Yahoo! Sports)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville sophomore center Zach Price is leaving the Cardinals’ program after two seasons.
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Are the L.A. Lakers and Boston Celtics Paying the Price for Dynasty Building
Are the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics paying the price for holding on too long to their teams?
It’s hard to blame the two franchises. With the players each team has, they always think they have a chance. The Lakers have Kobe Bryant while the Celtics have Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
I believe the Los Angeles Lakers are doing it correctly, although it’s come with some risks. Kobe is still on the team, yes, but the Lakers pulled off a trade that brought them another superstar in Dwight Howard. Granted, Howard is a free agent after this season, but he is the franchise player in waiting should he re-sign with the team. It’ll make the transition a little easier for the Lakers they’ll still always be in contention for a title.
The Lakers are simply reloading and the dynasty-building hasn’t exactly cost them. Yes, they are scratching for a playoff spot this year, but I don’t think it’s because of the mindset of the front office. We’re still all surprised they’re out of the playoffs at the moment and we didn’t foresee the team having a multitude of injuries. Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake and Metta World Peace have all missed significant time while Kobe and Howard have been banged up as well. It’s ridiculous.
As for the Celtics, they’ve defied the odds in the postseason. Every year Boston had been rumored to break the team up but because of what they had done the season before, but for whatever reason they end up keeping the team as-is. This feels like a repeat of the late 80s Celtics when they held on to Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish too long (though Len Bias, the No. 2 overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft, died two days after the event and was supposed to be their next franchise player).
Not many expected the Celtics to go to the Finals in 2010 (when they faced the Lakers). So when they kept the team in 2011, it was tough to blame the Celtics.
But they kept the team for the 2011-12 season when they probably should’ve broken it up. However, luck played a huge part in the Celtics’ deep playoff run when Derrick Rose got hurt, which was key to the first-seeded Chicago Bulls being eliminated in the first round. Boston decided to make another run this season even though they lost Ray Allen. When Rajon Rondo was knocked out for the year, they decided to keep going with this team instead of blowing it up.
It’s probably not as easy to blow the team up, but there’s really nowhere for Boston to go. They’re going to become the classic middle-of-the-road team if they keep going: not good enough to make the Finals and not bad enough to get a good draft pick. What are their plans next? Do they build around Rondo? The bottom line is that holding on to this team for too long may have prolonged the Celtics’ effort to rebuild the team.
As for the Lakers, they still have Dwight Howard. A few moves here and there (like trading Pau Gasol) and they’ll still be in the game should Howard stay. But should Howard leave, this dynasty-building of theirs would be a failure and they would have to start all over.
The good news for both teams is that Los Angeles and Boston are prime spots for free agents. So there is a chance very good players would go to either squad.
All in all, did the dynasty-building cost these teams? For Los Angeles, it will if Howard leaves. At least they can reload very quickly with Dwight.
For Boston, yes. Unless they grab a franchise player out of nowhere this summer, they are not going to be a Finals contender for the next few years to come. They have nowhere to go but down.
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New Orleans Hornets to cut price on 81% of tickets
The New Orleans Pelicans will offer fans a better value than the New Orleans Hornets.
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Deron Williams, A.J. Price exchange words
Tweet Deron Williams is the new golden boy of Brooklyn after re-signing a max contract with the Nets over the summer. Apparently Washington Wizards reserve A.J. Price wanted to take a shot at DWill, issuing a hard foul on Williams in the final minutes of their preseason game Monday evening, the first ever at the [...]
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Deron Williams Rips A.J. Price to Prove He’s the Alpha Dog in New York Now
The 2012-13 NBA regular season is just two weeks away.
Due to this fact, the anticipation is high, anxiety overwhelming and during preseason showdowns, tempers are flaring.
Such was on full display when the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Washington Wizards at the Barclays Center.
During the final minute of the Nets’ 96-88 victory, star point guard Deron Williams got into a verbal sparring match with A.J. Price. The two were separated by teammates before a physical altercation could erupt.
The bout can be seen at this link.
After the verbal battle had transpired, it appeared as if the past would remain in the past. Although Price had been talking up a storm throughout the duration of the game, many felt that it was merely a battle of NBA players looking to build their reputation and hold down their city.
Per a report via Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York, however, Deron Williams did not take things so lightly.
Instead, Williams had choice words for Price after the game. Price, a New York native, was reminded of just where he was playing and whose home he was playing in.
“I hate when people just start talking for no reason,” [Deron] Williams said. “That’s pretty much what [A.J. Price] did…Maybe he had some boys in the crowd he wanted to impress while he can with the little minutes he’s going to get this year.”
“‘It’s my home now.’ I told him that.”
For anyone wondering whose team the Brooklyn Nets were, you just got your answer.
Deron Williams has long been the alpha male of the teams he has played for. The Utah Jazz were clearly established as Jerry Sloan’s team, as he had been the head coach for 23 years.
In response to his second-tier status, D-Will had no qualms about running the legend out of town midseason (via ESPN.com). He also had no remorse in forcing his own way out of town via trade (via ESPN.com).
It now appears as if Williams is looking to make his voice heard in Brooklyn. Long the self-proclaimed leader of his respective franchises, Williams is now surrounded by the most talent of his seven-year career.
If he fails to find significant success as the big dog in Brooklyn, don’t expect the New York media to go lightly on him.
He has officially placed that label and burden of “New York’s man” upon himself with his latest remarks.
What is Defeat?
If New York is his home, it is also his territory to defend.
For that reason, this season would be considered a failure if the New York Knicks are able to accomplish anything that the Brooklyn Nets do not.
Should Carmelo Anthony and company finish the regular season with a better win-loss record, D-Will failed to defend his turf. If the Knickerbockers make it further in the postseason, the same can be said for the man who claims to run New York.
We all knew that there would be a rivalry between the two bordering boroughs. These latest remarks simply take it to another level and elevate the importance of the Nets’ instant success.
Pressure of the City
If New York is now “his home,” that means that Deron Williams is prepared to face the pressure of the city. Not only does this mean he must defeat the Knicks, but Williams must reach a level of success that is desirable and realistically attainable according to New Yorkers.
In other words, Williams must bring New York City their first NBA title since Dave DeBusschere and the Knicks won in 1973.
If he is unable to do so during his tenure with the Nets, consider Williams to have failed to represent his home. If that is what he ends up doing, don’t expect New Yorkers to remember D-Will in a positive light.
Patrick Ewing may be a legend, but even he knows of how vicious the New York media and fan base can be. The difference is, D-Will actually has the talent surrounding him to achieve legitimate success.
D-Will Above All
If this is “his home,” then what does that mean for his Nets teammates?
Joe Johnson is a six-time All-Star and has found relative consistency in terms of postseason success.
Furthermore, Brook Lopez is expected by many within the organization to become a star. MarShon Brooks has that same level of expectation, which beckons the question of how long it will take for controversy to arise on Atlantic Avenue.
What exactly has Deron Williams proven, anyways?
At this point, D-Will is an ultra-talented individual who has led his team to the postseason but never an NBA Finals appearance. He was also incapable of leading a talent-depleted New Jersey Nets team to the postseason in 2011 or 2012, posting the worst shooting percentages of his career in the process.
If he does not step up and lead this team as he claims he is capable of, it may not be D-Will’s organization to lead after all.
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LeBron James Says Nike Offers His Signature Shoes ‘All the Way Down to $160, $180′ After Price Backlash
Some people have been upset that LeBron James’ new signature shoe, the LeBron X, will cost about $300. So James decided to take matters into his own hands and let people know that there are less expensive options out there — with his idea of less expensive showing that maybe he just needs to lie low if he doesn’t want people attacking him for hawking his high-priced kicks. “We have a wide range of shoes that range from $300 all the way down to $160, $180,” he told the Florida Sun-Sentinel. James said he was not pleased that people fixated so much on the $300 price initially, “because the facts weren’t correct,” noting that the shoes — which are made with added technology and software — come in a wide variety. What James seemed to not understand is that selling any type of shoe for that amount of money will get people worked up, as many people reserve that kind of cash for things like rent or food. James looks like he’s trying to ma…
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LeBron James defends price of his new Nike shoe
Gone are the days when you could pick up a pair of high-top black Chuck Taylor’s for $9.95.
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LeBron James: Nike Drops Price of Extremely Expensive ‘LeBron X’ Sneakers
Nike made the wise decision to bring down the price of the LeBron X shoes, which would have exceeded the $300 price point for the fully loaded version.
There is something to be said for Internet outrage.
ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports the sports-apparel company brought down the price of the sneaker that is set to hit the market on Sept. 29.
As reported last month, Nike was to release the LeBron X in two versions. One would be a stripped-down version retailing for $180. A more expensive version would include Nike+ technology and would have retailed for $315, leaving many in shock, as a pair of sneakers rocketed past what were already soaring prices.
Nike quells some of those fears, via ESPN:
As it turns out, the shoe, a version of the LeBron X, will be sold in a pack for $270, Nike spokesman Brian Strong confirmed to ESPN.com on Thursday.
Sources say the majority of the LeBron X shoes that will hit the market on Sept. 29 will retail for $180. But the Nike+ enabled version of the shoe, which allows for technology to be embedded in the mid-sole of the shoe, will be sold with the sensors, the adapter and charger — together called the Sport Kit — for $270.
If you happen to already own the Sport Kit, a version of the Nike+ without the package will retail for $200, giving consumers three price points to pick from.
In the report, Nike claims no prices had previously been set, but it’s nice to think the vitriol around social-media spheres may have had a hand in driving the price to a more manageable level.
I was previously shocked that anyone would spend over three bills to own a pair of shoes, even if they came with a computer chip to measure achievements.
While I still find the price of sneakers excessive, this is a smart PR move by the company.
Regardless, nobody is forcing you to drop a lump sum most would find insane on a pair of kicks. Though I have to believe an in-demand basketball shoe selling for over $300 is not far along.
We will save our anger for whenever that might be.
Follow me on Twitter for more swagtastic updates.
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