Rockets: CP0 quitting on his team AGAIN

[DMC]

Not golf? We got a tight one at Pebble right now!

I've never played golf. I like to watch when Tiger is on the prowl just to see the leaders their pants. It's almost as good as hearing Mark Jackson's flowing tears during the Finals.

[lefty]

I really can't stand this league. These made players fold at the first sign of adversity and "want out" to a situation where they have to do less to win.

today's NBA:

more concerned about twitter and Instagram followers than the on-court product
the on-going storylines and off-season drama draw more interest than the actual on-court product
the on-court product is basically And-1
losing players "face timing" with celebrity fans of the team that humiliated you
"Superteams"
"My brand"
"NBA Owner is the new 'N Word' "
"Fans have to sit with their tongues out like thirsty dogs hoping one of the top 5 players chooses their team or that the ping pong balls bounce their way."
"Uncle Dennis and Lavar Ball."

[GAustex]

Not golf? We got a tight one at Pebble right now!

Pressure is setting in at Pebble Beach

[Millennial_Messiah]

IDK man, you gotta respect that he took the challenge of beating State head on and got close in 2018. It ended up being for nothing but that's the chance you gotta take to win if you don't luck out into getting a big cap bump the year you're a 73 win team and your best players are all on under market value contracts so you can add another franchise guy.

When the recession hits by next fall and the cap stagnates and/or goes down, and TV stations start to negotiate prices/buyouts because everyone is streaming...

[midnightpulp]

Pressure is setting in at Pebble Beach

Woodland holds on

[GAustex]

Woodland holds on

I’m good with that
He’s a good dude

[DeadlyDynasty]

Woodland holds on

Happy for him

[midnightpulp]

Happy for him

Indeed.

[GAustex]

Indeed.

Surprised show ponies Rose and Brooks could not reel him in
Woodland sacked up and got it done

[Chris Fall]

these NBA stars with their petty self-en lement.

This is something I’d like to see the next CBA negotiations address. If stars really want to control things when they’re still under contract, then there has to be consequences to them NOT honoring those contracts. I’d propose that if a player under contract demands a trade and does so by refusing to play, then if traded, they forfeit their current contract, lose their Bird rights and by consequence the chance at a future super max for at least the next three seasons, and they must play the following season on a one year MLE salary.

Let’s see CP3 demand a trade with his guaranteed $120+ million on the line and only a one year MLE salary available for his age 35 season. If that’s really and truly what he wants, then those are the consequences. Otherwise they shouldn’t have signed those big max guaranteed contracts in the first place. This player control is getting stupid.

[midnightpulp]

these NBA stars with their petty self-en lement.

This is something I’d like to see the next CBA negotiations address. If stars really want to control things when they’re still under contract, then there has to be consequences to them NOT honoring those contracts. I’d propose that if a player under contract demands a trade and does so by refusing to play, then if traded, they forfeit their current contract, lose their Bird rights and by consequence the chance at a future super max for at least the next three seasons, and they must play the following season on a one year MLE salary.

Let’s see CP3 demand a trade with his guaranteed $120+ million on the line and only a one year MLE salary available for his age 35 season. If that’s really and truly what he wants, then those are the consequences. Otherwise they shouldn’t have signed those big max guaranteed contracts in the first place. This player control is getting stupid.

Can't do that, bro. Those provisions you're suggesting amount to little more than slavery!

Also, it's just the nature of the sport. In no other sport can one player change a franchise's fortunes to this degree, so players have an absurd amount of leverage and they know it. I'm sure some will read this as me siding with the "evilllll owners," but I'm siding with the fans who basically play these player's salaries. These players also sign the contract with "us," so to speak. So honor that you signed and then you can leave when it's up.

[baseline bum]

these NBA stars with their petty self-en lement.

This is something I’d like to see the next CBA negotiations address. If stars really want to control things when they’re still under contract, then there has to be consequences to them NOT honoring those contracts. I’d propose that if a player under contract demands a trade and does so by refusing to play, then if traded, they forfeit their current contract, lose their Bird rights and by consequence the chance at a future super max for at least the next three seasons, and they must play the following season on a one year MLE salary.

Let’s see CP3 demand a trade with his guaranteed $120+ million on the line and only a one year MLE salary available for his age 35 season. If that’s really and truly what he wants, then those are the consequences. Otherwise they shouldn’t have signed those big max guaranteed contracts in the first place. This player control is getting stupid.

They already lose their chance for ever getting a supermax unless the trade happens while on their rookie contract. Also I think holding out can nullify a contract if the team pe ions the NBA and one of their doctors finds the player holding out to be healthy.

[tenbeersbold]

NBA has flat lined and is losing viewers in the USA.
That's why the League is pushing international so much...there's only so many low IQ drama queens you can push this product onto in the USA
But there's a lot of untapped low IQ overseas and up north.

LOL all the diversity talk about Toronto during the Finals,no one bothered to mention that Oakland actually is more diverse than Toronto

[djohn2oo8]

played as a humorous moment on social media. But some within the Rockets organization saw it differently -- a public glimpse at the difficult dynamic between the franchise's two stubborn stars, who are at drastically different points in their careers: one a perennial MVP candidate in his prime, the other showing signs of physical decline.
The friction between the two manifested again during the Rockets' playoff finale. Harden and Paul had tense exchanges regarding Harden's ball dominance and Paul's desire to run set plays as the Warriors pulled off a comeback during the fourth quarter of Houston's Game 6 elimination loss, team sources said. Paul made sure he didn't share the microphone with Harden that night, getting dressed faster than usual and taking his turn alone at the podium before Warriors coach Steve Kerr, breaking NBA protocol of coaches conducting their news conferences first.
When Harden took his turn at the podium, he declared, "I know exactly what we need to do. We'll figure it out this summer." He declined to elaborate.
The prevailing belief in Houston -- and hope, certainly -- is that the tension between the Rockets' stars isn't atypical for the NBA and can be managed. And that's a must, given the unlikelihood of getting equal basketball value for the 34-year-old Paul in a trade, considering he is owed $124 million over the final three years of his contract.
The roots of the issues between Harden and Paul, according to team sources, are differences in preferred playing styles and personality.
Harden is arguably the best isolation player in league history, capable of carrying the Rockets to elite offensive efficiency by going one-on-one over and over again. That style also worked well for Paul during the Rockets' 65-win campaign in 2017-18, when Paul ranked behind only Harden in isolation efficiency among high-volume players.
But Paul noticeably lost a step last season, as evidenced by analytics and the eye test. Paul pushed for more plays and sets in the Houston offense, more screening and deception, despite Harden being in the process of putting together a historically dominant individual offensive season.
"Chris wants to coach James," says a source familiar with the stars' dynamic. "James looks at him like, 'You can't even beat your man. Just shut up and watch me.'"
According to sources, Paul was also frustrated by what he perceived as Harden's tendency to ignore unglamorous details that impact winning -- such as moving when he gives up the ball to help spacing -- and wasn't shy about expressing those concerns.
It has reached a point, team sources say, where Paul cherishes the chance to play without Harden on the floor. On several occasions, according to team sources, Paul barked at D'Antoni to keep Harden on the bench while he was running the second unit. Harden simultaneously would lobby -- or demand -- to check back into the game.
The Rockets, who had the league's best record after the All-Star break despite any differences between their stars, were statistically better during the regular season with Paul on the court without Harden (plus-9.2 points per 100 possessions) than with them together (plus-5.7) or Harden without Paul (plus-5.8). However, those numbers are skewed by the fact that solo-CP3 minutes almost always come against the opponent's bench unit.


That trend didn't hold up in the playoffs, when starters' minutes typically get extended. The Rockets were at their best when Harden and Paul played together during the playoffs, posting a plus-6.4 net rating compared to minus-1.5 with only Harden and minus-4.6 with only Paul.
Harden, by nature, tends to avoid conflict but was pushed hard enough to snap back at Paul from time to time. That's what happened during the Rockets' elimination loss, when, team sources said, Harden told Paul he didn't always know best and had talked too much.
"Chris has a personality where he just doesn't let anything go," a team source says. "He just keeps pestering and pestering and pestering and pestering. Sometimes James has had enough -- and not just him. That's what makes [Paul] a winner and also what keeps him from being a big-time winner. He's got to temper that."

[djohn2oo8]

Paul is right that Harden doesn’t move without the ball. They should run more set plays.

[djohn2oo8]

But damn Paul always been that petty?

[Capt Bringdown]

Surprised that Paul didn't injure himself whilst coming up with this announcement.

[Chucho]

PLEASE end up in LA. PLEASE.

[Killakobe81]

Paul is right that Harden doesn’t move without the ball. They should run more set plays.

Nothing wrog wiith Rox diversifying their offense more ...
Harden would be filthy in a State type offense.

But ... my only concern is Harden relies on his dribble game to set a rhythm ... he was great in a more pass and cut role when he played in OKC ... he didnt play like that there.
but my guess is he prefers having everything flow through him and the offensive metrics apparently back him up since rox efficiency numbers in RS were near historic.

[Killakobe81]

PLEASE end up in LA. PLEASE.

No, you

[Killakobe81]

But damn Paul always been that petty?

yes, he been y since his nola days ...
Plenty stories of petty beefs over card games and bowling

[Chucho]

No, you

It's a perfect fit, tbh. Paul is the personification of LA: A broken down, unlikable, toxic cesspool living on reputation and the past "glory days". Said glory days and reputation really come from the people who were near and around them at the time and being overly glamorized by the media.

But at the end of the day, it's a filthy, dirty, broken down hole, no matter how you want to dress it up. LAL and Paul go hand in hand like Kobe and "No!".

[Killakobe81]

It's a perfect fit, tbh. Paul is the personification of LA: A broken down, unlikable, toxic cesspool living on reputation and the past "glory days". Said glory days and reputation really come from the people who were near and around them at the time and being overly glamorized by the media.

But at the end of the day, it's a filthy, dirty, broken down hole, no matter how you want to dress it up. LAL and Paul go hand in hand like Kobe and "No!".

you dont know about L.A. and i lived in Sa for 4 plus years and LA for 25 plus ...
neither are holes but LA has the better lifestyle SA (if you live in the burbs) a better place to raise a family (though Frisco/Prosper Texas is even better than SA)

[timtonymanu]

Chris Paul continuing his gotry. It's easy to forget how much I hate him when he's been so unsuccessful and a choker in the NBA.

[Chucho]

you dont know about L.A. and i lived in Sa for 4 plus years and LA for 25 plus ...
neither are holes but LA has the better lifestyle SA (if you live in the burbs) a better place to raise a family (though Frisco/Prosper Texas is even better than SA)

I know plenty about LA. It's a hole. You lived in a hole. Your anger is understandable.