Eh I mean more like every year everyone tries to talk the Clippers up and every year they underachieve.
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Except nobody tried to hype them up last year, and they overachieved.
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Name 'em.

Don't speak in generalities, actually sit down and do the math on what you can get for $28-30 million in 'good' players in this league. Like I said - Malcolm Brogdon is gonna cost at least $16 million on his own and I wouldn't be even a little surprised if that turns into $20 when all is said and done. That's a 'good' player. What you're talking about is veteran roster chaff.

The short answer is you can hope to get lucky, but most of the time you end up with overpaid role players who you're trying to dump within 24 months. The 'go sign 3 $10 million FA's approach' just doesn't work because of how the NBA works its cap.

For $30 million you can get Russell and see what shakes loose with the remainder or you can get, I dunno, Brogdon and Kelly Olynyk. I think you wildly underestimate what good but not great players cost right now, and what they're gonna cost in this market.

Get your stars. The high price of mediocrity in the NBA kills teams.
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Do you think he cares about being "3rd fiddle" on a team that'll contend for championships for years to come?
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Yes, I think he would.

He’s arguably the best player in the league, and at the very least he feels that he is. Why would somebody like that play 2nd fiddle to anybody? Not to mention somebody that has control of the entire organization.

There’s also the fact that he’d also be taking less money as opposed to staying in Toronto where he’s a god.
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He's not a God. Kawhi is too boring of a player and basketball isn't that popular of a sport in Canada for that.

I don't think anyone knows what Kawhi will do because he barely talks but I agree there is no way he goes to the Lakers. He is a competitor. He is going to want to lead his own team.
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Sure, all true.

But I don't think these guys really care that much about the whole "best ever" talk or whatever. Maybe it makes them soft or babies, but I just don't think it's something they really care about anymore.
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And the ones that do get eviscerated for it.

I'm a huge Russell Westbrook fan because I think he's Kobe's spiritual successor; he's a killer out there and doesn't care who he pisses off in the process.

I love guys like that but they're undeniably a dying breed. There just aren't a lot of guys out there anymore that want to go THROUGH the best. They prefer go alongside 'em.
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No one knows anything about what Kawhi is going to do...who knows, maybe he wants to play with LeBron and AD...maybe he doesn't.

Maybe he loves Toronto, maybe he hates it there...

Fuck maybe he'll sign in Orlando.

The point being and I keep seeing it with NBA talking heads and fans is that you can't get a read on him so to dismiss any realistic scenario is foolhardy.
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I just don't see anything wrong with that.

If I could make my job a lot easier, get paid out the ass for it, and get the acclaim...you'd bet my ass I'd do it.

I just hate the flack that modern day players get for it and we let a lot of legends with rings get a pass...Jordan, Kobe, Shaq, etc. they were all playing on stacked teams.
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Lol do you see all the free vacations, free food, free whatever the fuck he wants offers he’s been getting to stay?

Yes, he’s a god in Toronto and the biggest sports star in the country.
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I understand that average guys cost more in the NBA but currently the Lakers have 3 players under contract and if they add 1 more max player they will have hardly any money to fill out their roster. You have any aging player in Lebron who might have to play 35 minutes a game.

So if I was a Laker fan I would want Lebron to play way less minutes and have a deep bench ala earlier GS or like the Raptors. Don't know if they can afford that though.
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I literally said nothing about the “best ever” talk?

I’m just saying a guy that’s arguably better than Lebron today isn’t going to to want to play in his shadow and for a team that Lebron has complete control over.

I haven’t mentioned it yet, but part of the reason I’m so confident is how quick the Kawhi to Lakers rumors died down after they signed Lebron. It seems pretty clear if you’ve been paying attention that Kawhi doesn’t really want to play with Lebron. I think it’s become so obvious that it’s part of the reason he’s taking a visit. To show respect and not make it so obvious that Lebron signing there completely changed his mind.
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In the end, I think guys are finding out it's all fluff and doesn't really amount to much anyway.

For years it's all about championships, guys go where they can win and it's that they didn't do it where they were drafted.

So they've figured out a cheat to the calculus and they just do it, get paid, and win.
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I don't blame them - I might do the same thing.

But that doesn't mean I don't respect the hell out of the other guys. It doesn't mean I don't prefer root for the psychotically competitive dudes who would just as soon step on an opponents throat then help them off the ground.

I won't necessarily judge former, but I still like the latter better.
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