What was the true downfall of the Pistons? Comparing the Pistons to the Spurs.

Sheed is to Duncan and KG what Rip is to Jordan and Kobe imo.

Don't sell Sheed that short.... Sheed has as much talent as any PF of the last 25 years, but not the mental makeup to make him a star, just too happy to be one of the guys...

That's why I'm selling him short when comparing him to all time greats.

Isn't this exactly what the Pistons did when they drafted and traded DJ White so they wouldn't have to pay him a guaranteed deal?

Pistons trade first-round pick, select UAB's Sharpe | MLive.com

See link above for DJ White...he was the big 10 player of the year in 2008 when the Pistons took him 29th and traded him to Seattle..

Any time you can actually trade down and get a player with a history of tardiness, academic problems, gun violence and narcolepsy; you GOTTA pull the trigger!

...and let us not forget that Joe aquired Ernie's favorite player, Trent FREAKING Plaisted in that deal as well.

Unfortunately, it was a numbers game for Plaisted and Joe had to stash him over in Europe. After bouncing around several forgetable stops overseas, Trent's finally found a home in some Ukrainian minor league where instead of money, the players are compensated with live goats and chickens.

Any player stashed overseas by Joe is the kiss of death as it relates to getting a locker with his name on it at the Palace In addition to Kyle Singler, whatever happen to Sammy Meija, Ricky Paulding, Deron Washington, and Alex Acker...some of these guys were assigned to the D League..or went overseas but infortunately they were never heard from again other than Acker being traded to the Clippers to for some guy named Capp Space...

(Piston Draft Review: Walter Sharpe | Bleacher Report)

It does jump out at me what a bad job Joe did finding and adding talent to the team after 2004/05. It is ridiculous.

It is also somewhat amazing how much love Joe has for project guys given how bad the Pistons have been bringing along young players.

When you play for the Charlotte Bobcats, is that still considered "in the league"?

Memo was stashed overseas for two years before he came back to the NBA, and he had a relatively successful career. It is quite possible that the players we send overseas are just not that good to begin with and they just don't develop as time goes by.

Keep in mind that Garnett made $28MM in 2004 and was the highest paid player in the league. I think that he was the highest paid player in the league for multiple years in a row.

Would you rather have KG in his prime for $28MM, or Sheed in his prime for $16MM?

$28M is pretty steep for anyone with the cap structure today unless the owner goes into the lux. I dunno what the cap were at the time but if it was anywhere close to today I wouldn't want KG for $28M and I would hesitate to sign Sheed at $16M. The difference in salary reflects the difference in greatness pretty well imo and none of those guys would be solid value at those rates.

OKC has it about right.

HoopsHype - NBA Salaries - Oklahoma City Thunder

They pay up for one bona fide superstar in Durant, but less than his current market value. He makes $16M this year and they have him for 4 more years after with about $1M increases. I would take that contract all day long. He's the 15th highest paid player in the league and easily one of the 5 best.

Next, Kendrick Perkins at only $7M with 3 more years and also approx $1M raises each year.

Westbrook in his final year at $5M.

Harden at only $4.6M and 2 more years with fair increases.

Sefolosha at $3.3M with 2 more years. I love that contract.

Ibacka $1.3M with 2 more years.

That's basically the core of their team and all of those contracts are below market I would argue. Nate Robinson $4.5M and Nazr $3.75M expire this year. They basically only need to re-up with Westbrook, which they will surely try to do.


This is a small market team that has constructed a beauty thanks to rules that make it possible to do so. What owner wouldn't trade rosters and salary structures with them in a heartbeat? Maybe the Bulls before Rose went down... but that's about all I can think of.


Playoff teams- # of players in the top 30 salaries in the NBA

LAL- 3 players
SAS- 1
BOS- 2
MEM- 3
DAL- 1
NYK- 3
ATL- 1
ORL- 1
PHI- 2
LAC- 2
OKC- 1
MIA- 3
UTA- 1
CHI- 1
DEN- 0
IND- 0

16 teams- 25 players in top 30

Non playoff teams with players in top 30
WAS- 1 (Rashard Lewis)
NJN- 1 (Deron Williams)
CLE- 1 (Jamison)
POR- 1 (Roy)
NOH- 1 (Kaman)

14 teams- 5 players in the top 30


There seems to be a pretty strong correlation between paying a top 30 salary and making the playoffs.

And lastly, non playoff teams with no top 30 players:
PHO
GSW
MIL
DET
HOU
CHA
MIN
TOR
SAC

If you're in this grouping, you better hope that you either have a war chest for FA, that your team is young and shows huge potential, or that you are getting a great draft pick.

great stuff.... g.reat for Oklahoma City that Durant gave them a home town discount without much issues... another reason I like him over James

James took a pay cut to play in Miami.

After taxes is it still a pay cut? I know that taxes down there make it very attractive to players signing with florida teams. The article I found fast says he'll pocket 25 million more over this contract then if he had signed with New York for instance. Did saving $25 million in taxes fuel LeBron James' Miami Heat pick? - DailyFinance

The key part.... without issues.... we found out via a tweet after the fact Durant had resigned.... no ME ME ME production on ESPN.

I get it, you like him and will defend him, and more props to you for it... I have thought negatively towards him since he was a snot nosed man child in highschool and ZERO he has done since then has made me change my mind. So we'll just have to respect each others right to think the way we do.

I HATED MJ but I always respected him, can't say the same for the snowbird in miami