believed to be the leader to sign Blake Griffin

[lefty]

Per Shams

[MultiTroll]

Whatever.

He's washed.

If he can bully some rebounds and hit an occassional trey good for the Nyets.

Another grossly overpaid NBA player.

Doubt it's gonna make any team pay for Softridge but at least after Griffin is signed that equal option will be gone.

[140]

National Buddy up Association :lol

[lefty]

National Buddy up Association :lol

Yeah they never teamed up back in the days


oh wait they did :lol

[lefty]

Whatever.

He's washed.

If he can bully some rebounds and hit an occassional trey good for the Nyets.

Another grossly overpaid NBA player.

Doubt it's gonna make any team pay for Softridge but at least after Griffin is signed that equal option will be gone.
Watch Blake turning back the clock in Brooklyn imo

[Chillen]

I like it for the Nets both him and Deandre were always a pain in the ass for the Spurs. I guess we will see how much game he has left in the tank considering he will be on a team with Durant, Harden, Kyrie. He has never been on such a team with so much talent before. This could be a huge signing for Brooklyn if Blake plays well.

[KobesAchilles]

The dude can’t even dunk anymore. He’s useless.

[Dirks_Finale]

National Buddy up Association :lol

:lol

Why work hard when you can just collude and stack your team?

[dbreiden83080]

He fucking Sucks.. He will be riding the bench..

[dbreiden83080]

:lol

Why work hard when you can just collude and stack your team?

It is sickening anymore.. Makes me question watching the game down the road if this is the new norm. Just buddy up like a coward..

So long rivalries.. Imagine Duncan in his prime going to play PF for the Lakers.. GMAB!!!

[lefty]

:lol

Why work hard when you can just collude and stack your team?


It is sickening anymore.. Makes me question watching the game down the road if this is the new norm. Just buddy up like a coward..

So long rivalries.. Imagine Duncan in his prime going to play PF for the Lakers.. GMAB!!!

New norm :lmao

Yeah if only title virgin and 2 time defending MVP free agent Moses Malone didn’t team up with stacked and perennial title contender 76ers in 82-83

If only Barkley didn’t force a trade to a competitive Suns team in 92 or to Houston in 96 with Dream and Drexler after spectacularly failing to deliver a title to Phoenix

:lol Do we need to go on or are you afraid to remove your nostalgic biased goggles ?

[daslicer]

New norm :lmao

Yeah if only title virgin and 2 time defending MVP free agent Moses Malone didn’t team up with stacked and perennial title contender 76ers in 82-83

If only Barkley didn’t force a trade to a competitive Suns team in 92 or to Houston in 96 with Dream and Drexler after spectacularly failing to deliver a title to Phoenix

:lol Do we need to go on or are you afraid to remove your nostalgic biased goggles ?

The weirdest troll on ST a 60 year old man obsessed with defending the current generation of players while discrediting past generations.

[lefty]

The weirdest troll on ST a 60 year old man obsessed with defending the current generation of players while discrediting past generations.

Im not trolling I’m serious, if you can’t handle the truth that’s too bad, grandpa :lol

[DMC]

Marquee face. The NBA is at an all time low, like pre-Bird years.

[ambchang]

Im not trolling I’m serious, if you can’t handle the truth that’s too bad, grandpa :lol

It’s not entirely true. Moses was an UFA he signed w the 6ers and the rockets matched to trade him. The 6ers also had a good team but not able to get over the lakers or the Celtics most years with dr J on the downward slope of his career.

Phoenix didn’t have any mvp caliber players.

I also can’t recall either of them faking injuries and sitting out games to force trade. They only expressed their displeasure.

That said. The only reason they didn’t do it the way :today’s nba players did is because hey couldn’t or didn’t have as many venues.

[Chillen]

It is sickening anymore.. Makes me question watching the game down the road if this is the new norm. Just buddy up like a coward..

So long rivalries.. Imagine Duncan in his prime going to play PF for the Lakers.. GMAB!!!

Don't stop there add Manu and Tony. A team with Kobe, Manu, Tony, Tim, Horry would have easily 5-peated and if you added prime Shaq, lights out.

[lefty]

It’s not entirely true. Moses was an UFA he signed w the 6ers and the rockets matched to trade him. The 6ers also had a good team but not able to get over the lakers or the Celtics most years with dr J on the downward slope of his career.

Phoenix didn’t have any mvp caliber players.

I also can’t recall either of them faking injuries and sitting out games to force trade. They only expressed their displeasure.

That said. The only reason they didn’t do it the way :today’s nba players did is because hey couldn’t or didn’t have as many venues.
Well players didn’t have the freedom or power they have today, but of they did you bet they would have done the same shit

The 76ers weren’t able to get over the hump before Moses, they were a legit contender but those Lakers and Celtics teams were even more talented

The Suns didn’t have a MVP caliber player but they were much better than Philly in the early 90s and a juggernaut in the West
KJ was also one of the best guards of the early 90s

[140]

Well players didn’t have the freedom or power they have today, but of they did you bet they would have done the same shit
Pure speculation

[lefty]

Pure speculation
No. contracts structure and facts

[140]

Second part of your sentence is nothing more than speculation to try and justify today's players lack of competitiveness tbh

[ambchang]

Well players didn’t have the freedom or power they have today, but of they did you bet they would have done the same shit

Honestly I don't doubt it. The difference is that the players who chose not to flex their powers these days and team up will never win a title and over the course of history will not be viewed favourably whereas those who do will have their sins whitewashed by the media.

The media dare not bring up the team up narrative with Lebron, nor will they ever criticize Kawhi or Davis for the crap they pulled. Harden, Irving and Durant, same deal.

Just as they won’t bring up how Kareem forced a trade to the lakers or magic forcing the lakers to fire the coach. Or a small you said Barkley forcing a trade. They most definitely will never call out Jordan for all the shit he pulled. Was Jordan really that much better than drexler? I can't say for sure but I know that Pippen was a much better player than porter or kersey added together.

Bird never had to go there because he had mchale and parish.

Duncan didn’t have to go there because he had Robinson Parker and ginobili and even then he came so close for going to the magic.

Hakeem tried to pull a Davis and was raked over coals for it then but the second he won a championship the entire history got swept under the rug as if it was because of Hakeem’s hissy fit that resulted in getting Rudy t to implement the three point barrage offence.

Robinson never forced a trade and look at his legacy.

[lefty]

Second part of your sentence is nothing more than speculation to try and justify today's players lack of competitiveness tbh

Elaborate

[lefty]

140 Jordan was so competitive he threatened to retire if Bulls FO didn’t improve the roster and he pulled the same threat if the NBA didn’t do something about the Pistons

Magic said he would have played 1 more year in College if the Bulls drafted him instead of LAL, he wanted to play with Kareem

Chuck forced trades twice


:lol look at all that 80s-90s competitiveness, OMG I can’t handle it, too many competitive tough real men

[lefty]

:lol oh and lol at people saying they didn’t sit out to put pressure on the FO
In 1992, Hakeem faked an injury to re-negotiate his contract and even asked to be traded if the Rockets didn’t meet his demands

:lol Imagine if internet/socia media was around back then, he would have been crucified

:lol double standards

[140]

Elaborate
There's not much to elaborate, you're saying what they "would've" done as a fact when the truth is you have no idea tbh. But that's par for the course for today's nba lovers

[lefty]

There's not much to elaborate, you're saying what they "would've" done as a fact when the truth is you have no idea tbh. But that's par for the course for today's nba lovers

It’s obvious with what Jordan, Magic, Dream and Chick pulled that they would have done the same shit if given the opportunity
They were a bunch of whiners too

[140]

It’s obvious with what Jordan, Magic, Dream and Chick pulled that they would have done the same shit if given the opportunity
They were a bunch of whiners too
That's just more speculation :lol

[lefty]

That's just more speculation :lol

:lol like you speculate that today’s players WOULD NOT have survived in the 80s 90s?

:lol that’s rich

At least the players I mentioned have demonstrated their behaviour when things don’t go their way, so it’s not something I made up

[Nivek_ogre]

Who cares. The nets need defense and rim protection. If anything he takes away minute from more deserving players and makes their defense worse.

[dbreiden83080]

New norm :lmao

Yeah if only title virgin and 2 time defending MVP free agent Moses Malone didn’t team up with stacked and perennial title contender 76ers in 82-83

If only Barkley didn’t force a trade to a competitive Suns team in 92 or to Houston in 96 with Dream and Drexler after spectacularly failing to deliver a title to Phoenix

:lol Do we need to go on or are you afraid to remove your nostalgic biased goggles ?

Did Barkley demand a trade to NY and NY only so he can play with Patrick Ewing? Did Ewing demand a trade to play with Reggie and the Pacers? The 90's were mostly about teams built around the solo star.. And if you had 2 in Malone and Stockton they both got drafted.. Now lets look at the Duncan era.. We had amazing rivalries in the West did we NOT? Shaq and Kobe, Tim, Dirk, Nash, all at the center of contending teams.. Was there any talk of Dirk being frustrated that Dallas can't get over the hump demanding a trade to SA? Or that Dirk wanted to play in Phoenix with Nash and Amare? Or even leaving in FA to tag up with anybody? Not that I heard.. Tim had a cup of coffee with Orlando and it went nowhere.. He stayed loyal..

This has become a game of who can out buddy up.. I am NOT saying it never happened in past era's.. I am saying it is NOW the norm to the point that all the young players coming up will see this as the only way to win rings. Rivalries are going out the window.. KD did this 2 times.. OKC and GS was a potential rivalry in the West.. GS and the Cavs just came off an epic finals.. More was to come.. But when he teamed up with GS he rigged the league for 3 years.. Now here we are again..

[Neo.]

whats funny is how a guy averaging 12/5/4 has so many people butthurt over "buddying up", as if aging ringless stars signing with a contender for cheap is something that hasnt been going on for the past 40 years.

this isn't even remotely comparable to what KD did, which was literally the only case of where "buddying up" legitimately ruined the balance of the league.

[DMC]

whats funny is how a guy averaging 12/5/4 has so many people butthurt over "buddying up", as if aging ringless stars signing with a contender for cheap is something that hasnt been going on for the past 40 years.

this isn't even remotely comparable to what KD did, which was literally the only case of where "buddying up" legitimately ruined the balance of the league.

Because Lebron, Wade and Chris Bosh hitting the Finals 4 times in a row barely rose above noise.

[daslicer]

Im not trolling I’m serious, if you can’t handle the truth that’s too bad, grandpa :lol

It's ok you are a grumpy 60 years old man with a personal vendetta against MJ.

[FrostKing]

Superteams: NBA can't sustain interest with only the product on the court. They will increasingly showcase the drama and social/political beliefs of their stars off the court. Behind closed doors the NBA probably believes it has the ability and duty to take a leadership role in the black community. Keep in mind this is predominately non-blacks in these rooms

I am in my 30s. Older than most the players. Increasingly can't relate with what they want, think or even frankly verbalize. I don't envision myself ever returning to this sports league as a fan and even my Fandom for Duke basketball is being challenged. After Mike Krzyzewski retires I'll likely be out after 25+ years. Sidenote: these discussions of lack in fundamentals, commitment and mindset are also being had at the College level. This is beyond just the NBA. I think amchang hit nail on head mentioning media.

[JamStone]

This is like Amare Stoudemire to Dallas. Anyone suggesting he is helping a stacked team be even more stacked hasn’t watched Blake play the last two years. It’s not only the fact that his knees are shot and now he shoots more three pointers than two pointers. It’s also he’s a slow it down, pound the ball, halfcourt player in a league where even the slowest teams play mostly in transition or delayed transition and first good shot offense. The Pistons as bad as they’ve been this year have been a million times more aesthetically pleasing to watch when Blake has been out. He doesn’t fit this league. His body can’t really play at this level anymore.

But I will say he may have some value as a 15 minute per game forward facilitator when the Nets might want to play a little more halfcourt, for whatever unlikely reason. I can see him getting 8 points and 4 rebounds in short minutes against the opposing team’s back-ups. But playing a much bigger role than that, I’d find it very surprising.

[Neo.]

Because Lebron, Wade and Chris Bosh hitting the Finals 4 times in a row barely rose above noise.

and they lost twice in the finals, were taken to 7 in another finals, and were taken to 7 several times in earlier playoff series. they werent cruising through the playoffs halfheartedly like GS was

[lefty]

It's ok you are a grumpy 60 years old man with a personal vendetta against MJ.
It’s ok your are a 90 year old man with a weird fetish for the 90s :lol

[Millennial_Messiah]

Whatever.

He's washed.

If he can bully some rebounds and hit an occassional trey good for the Nyets.

Another grossly overpaid NBA player.

Doubt it's gonna make any team pay for Softridge but at least after Griffin is signed that equal option will be gone.

So Griffin is pretty much Amare Stoudemire career arc 2.0? Helluva flashy dunker and powerful at the rim early in his career but later on reduced to a washed up big softy who's only good for a few jumpers?

[MultiTroll]

So Griffin is pretty much Amare Stoudemire career arc 2.0? Helluva flashy dunker and powerful at the rim early in his career but later on reduced to a washed up big softy who's only good for a few jumpers?
If the Twinky Nets can get him on some super duper PEDs and diet and exercise program maybe he could be better then he has been this year? I would think the Pistons already tried that but who knows. I haven't seen much of the Pistons but what I saw of him is he can only muscle now. Not much mobility.

He should be able to provide spot minutes and more minutes in the upcoming long 2nd half season. Plus since he raped the Pistons i don't think the Nyets are paying him much.

[gambit1990]

Who cares. The nets need defense and rim protection. If anything he takes away minute from more deserving players and makes their defense worse.
i'm REALLY hoping the nets think blake is just what they need and don't make anymore moves :lol

[Dirks_Finale]

It's ok you are a grumpy 60 years old man with a personal vendetta against MJ.


There are a lot of guys who were fans of Ewing, Malone, Miller or whoever, and because MJ kept those guys from eating, their fans hate the guy with a passion. I do suspect we have a few of those in this forum.

[Dirks_Finale]

i'm REALLY hoping the nets think blake is just what they need and don't make anymore moves :lol

Exactly.

Lateral move. Doesn't move the needle.

[Dirks_Finale]

Even KG had to be convinced that finally leaving the Twolves was a good move. Initially, he did not want to go to Boston.

I'm not inclined to totally blame the media exalting Jordan's ring count and sterling finals record as the standard, which in turn forced todays star's hands. It is part of it, and the other part is that most guys now are just wired differently. Shout out to Dame and few other real ones for staying loyal and grinding.


Did Barkley demand a trade to NY and NY only so he can play with Patrick Ewing? Did Ewing demand a trade to play with Reggie and the Pacers? The 90's were mostly about teams built around the solo star.. And if you had 2 in Malone and Stockton they both got drafted.. Now lets look at the Duncan era.. We had amazing rivalries in the West did we NOT? Shaq and Kobe, Tim, Dirk, Nash, all at the center of contending teams.. Was there any talk of Dirk being frustrated that Dallas can't get over the hump demanding a trade to SA? Or that Dirk wanted to play in Phoenix with Nash and Amare? Or even leaving in FA to tag up with anybody? Not that I heard.. Tim had a cup of coffee with Orlando and it went nowhere.. He stayed loyal..

This has become a game of who can out buddy up.. I am NOT saying it never happened in past era's.. I am saying it is NOW the norm to the point that all the young players coming up will see this as the only way to win rings. Rivalries are going out the window.. KD did this 2 times.. OKC and GS was a potential rivalry in the West.. GS and the Cavs just came off an epic finals.. More was to come.. But when he teamed up with GS he rigged the league for 3 years.. Now here we are again..

[FrostKing]

So Griffin is pretty much Amare Stoudemire career arc 2.0? Helluva flashy dunker and powerful at the rim early in his career but later on reduced to a washed up big softy who's only good for a few jumpers?
Good comparison

Maybe Amare had the superior coach & PG but I do rate him a little above Blake. Much prefer his ego.

[daslicer]

Even KG had to be convinced that finally leaving the Twolves was a good move. Initially, he did not want to go to Boston.

I'm not inclined to totally blame the media exalting Jordan's ring count and sterling finals record as the standard, which in turn forced todays star's hands. It is part of it, and the other part is that most guys now are just wired differently. Shout out to Dame and few other real ones for staying loyal and grinding.

Social media plays a huge role in how these guys are wired. I think it was either Andre Iguodola or some other player mentioned a few years ago that how during halftime guys are on their phones checking their stats and what people were saying about them on social media. Social media fucks with their mind and creates great insecurity. This feeds in these players feeling desperate to get a ring at all cost to silences all the haters on social media. I really do believe this played a role with KD and Lebron creating multiple super teams. Both are very sensitive and care what people say about them.

[lefty]

There are a lot of guys who were fans of Ewing, Malone, Miller or whoever, and because Stern kept those guys from eating, their fans hate the guy with a passion. I do suspect we have a few of those in this forum.

fify

[FrostKing]

There are a lot of guys who were fans of Ewing, Malone, Miller or whoever, and because MJ kept those guys from eating, their fans hate the guy with a passion. I do suspect we have a few of those in this forum.
Bird and Jordan. When is the last time the East was great. Both in my Starting 5

[Dirks_Finale]

fify

Did Stern have a 48 inch vertical leap?

[Dirks_Finale]

Social media plays a huge role in how these guys are wired. I think it was either Andre Iguodola or some other player mentioned a few years ago that how during halftime guys are on their phones checking their stats and what people were saying about them on social media. Social media fucks with their mind and creates great insecurity. This feeds in these players feeling desperate to get a ring at all cost to silences all the haters on social media. I really do believe this played a role with KD and Lebron creating multiple super teams. Both are very sensitive and care what people say about them.

It's a good point.

Now it begs the question of how would yesterday's players have handled the tech era? Jordan read all the buzz about himself back then and was pretty sensitive, himself.

[i'm_still_beta]

Did Stern have a 48 inch vertical leap?
:lol

MJ's 48 inch vertical leap is like Wilt beating mountain lion. Myth. But Jordan had outstanding 42-43 inch verical.

Seriously, NBA rim height is 10 feet. Jordan was 6'6'' in shoes. On his dunks his head was on the level or just slightly below rim level. That means 42-43 inches. Jordan had never dunked with his head being 5 inches higher than rim

[JamStone]

When people try to compare the difference between player mentality of current players and players from back in the 80s, they often overlook one of the simplest explanations. They go into alpha versus beta mentality, AAU buddy-buddy rationale, the evolution of free agency, the impact of social media. You guys are forgetting the biggest, most important factor. The almighty dollar. It’s money. It’s always money.

Back in the 80s, the best players were lucky to make $2 million a year. Sure, a lot of money back then. But still only reserved for the precious and elite few. Most NBA players were making less than a million per annually. Living comfortably, but far from beachside mansions and luxury yachts. Then Michael Jordan happened. Then his shoe happened. Then the Dream team happened. Then the economic globalization of the NBA happened. Michael’s last contract with the Bulls that was paying him $30 million annually was not just unprecedented in sports, but the very turning point and tipping of the tide in player empowerment. Now, these days, you’re talking about scrubs in the league making tens of millions of dollars for doing jack shit. Darko Milicic one of the biggest busts in NBA draft history and Patty Mills who Spurs fans love to hate both have career earnings topping $50 million. They’re not even stars in the league. A fucking journeyman scrub like Allen Crabbe leaves the game with over $75 million in his pockets. You get drafted and make just one more contract after your rookie deal, get one team to like you just enough, you don’t even have to be a great player and you’re not just rich, but you give your family generational wealth.

Back in the 80s, if you wanted wealth, you had to be an alpha. You had to be the big dog. Now, you can be a little shrimp in the big pond and still eat like a whale. It wasn’t about 80s players having more of a cutthroat competitive fire than today’s kids. It’s not just that. If you wanted the good life, that’s the way you do it. Be a top 10 player. Now, you can join a superstar team, play with your childhood buddy, ride another superstar’s coattails, and everybody can get paid.

You think LeBron joins the Miami Heat for a minimum contract? Think Durant goes to Golden State if they offered him the MLE? Once the money changed in the NBA, so did player empowerment. That’s the difference between players now and players back then. Free agency doesn’t change without the economic explosion first. The AAU impact, social media influence don’t matter without the change in economics.

It’s the money.

[Neo.]

When people try to compare the difference between player mentality of current players and players from back in the 80s, they often overlook one of the simplest explanations. They go into alpha versus beta mentality, AAU buddy-buddy rationale, the evolution of free agency, the impact of social media. You guys are forgetting the biggest, most important factor. The almighty dollar. It’s money. It’s always money.

Back in the 80s, the best players were lucky to make $2 million a year. Sure, a lot of money back then. But still only reserved for the precious and elite few. Most NBA players were making less than a million per annually. Living comfortably, but far from beachside mansions and luxury yachts. Then Michael Jordan happened. Then his shoe happened. Then the Dream team happened. Then the economic globalization of the NBA happened. Michael’s last contract with the Bulls that was paying him $30 million annually was not just unprecedented in sports, but the very turning point and tipping of the tide in player empowerment. Now, these days, you’re talking about scrubs in the league making tens of millions of dollars for doing jack shit. Darko Milicic one of the biggest busts in NBA draft history and Patty Mills who Spurs fans love to hate both have career earnings topping $50 million. They’re not even stars in the league. A fucking journeyman scrub like Allen Crabbe leaves the game with over $75 million in his pockets. You get drafted and make just one more contract after your rookie deal, get one team to like you just enough, you don’t even have to be a great player and you’re not just rich, but you give your family generational wealth.

Back in the 80s, if you wanted wealth, you had to be an alpha. You had to be the big dog. Now, you can be a little shrimp in the big pond and still eat like a whale. It wasn’t about 80s players having more of a cutthroat competitive fire than today’s kids. It’s not just that. If you wanted the good life, that’s the way you do it. Be a top 10 player. Now, you can join a superstar team, play with your childhood buddy, ride another superstar’s coattails, and everybody can get paid.

You think LeBron joins the Miami Heat for a minimum contract? Think Durant goes to Golden State if they offered him the MLE? Once the money changed in the NBA, so did player empowerment. That’s the difference between players now and players back then. Free agency doesn’t change without the economic explosion first. The AAU impact, social media influence don’t matter without the change in economics.

It’s the money.

well put :tu

[Seventyniner]

Did Stern have a 48 inch vertical leap?

More like negative 72 inches.

Too soon?

[Mark Celibate]

So Griffin is pretty much Amare Stoudemire career arc 2.0? Helluva flashy dunker and powerful at the rim early in his career but later on reduced to a washed up big softy who's only good for a few jumpers?

Even worse. Post-30 Amare Stoudemire was still a serviceable big, since the league wasn't just all about fast-break and only shooting 3's like it is now. But now that type of player is useless unless he can reinvent himself as a spot up three pt shooter...like Brook Lopez

[Spurtacular]

Haven't followed Griffin since the NBA went to all three shooting all the time.

[313]

He hasn’t dunked in two years, plays no defense, and shoots 8 threes a game.

he played on an injured knee in 2018 just to drag the Pistons to the 8th seed(got swept) and it pretty much ended him. Similar to the IT/Boston situation but not as glamorous. Letting players play through injuries needs to stop, it’s poor asset management.

[Spurtacular]

Still no signing?