SMH @ Toronto Raptors

There's this article recently posted on MTO News titled "James Harden Paid Gang Member to Extort Adrian Broner".  MediaTakeOut is this gossipy, psuedo-journalism site, replete with intentionally-misleading headlines, that seems to get most of its information from social media.  They often write in a way which gives the impression that they're afraid of potentially facing a lawsuit.  For instance, their articles regularly feature misspelled words, poor editing or are sometimes downright confusing.

So as far as I can gather, the above post doesn't contain any actual reports or allegations pointing to Harden having extorted Broner (besides the headline).  Rather, it focuses on this idea that all celebrities who venture into a certain part of Los Angeles are extorted by gangbangers who demand "protection" money.

And on that note, let me chime something that I find pretty interesting.  Law enforcement is ubiquitous in the United States, besides citizens being under ever-increasing levels of surveillance, and that's especially true in big cities like Los Angeles.  Yet somehow, street gangs are able to perpetuate and proliferate.  But I guess that's a discussion for another blog.

SLICING THE NBA PIE

The reason I'm bringing that whole story up is because, reading that article had me once again thinking that there's there's no way these NBA players are making as much money as their contracts stipulate.  In other words, besides gangsters, there a whole bunch of other unsavory characters, if you will, that making millions of dollars attract.  And I would further speculate that the cut of some of those characters, i.e. the more formalized payments, are actually written into the contracts.

A quick Google search reveals that NBA players, on average, actually take home about 50% of their salary.  This is after taxes of course, besides paying "NBA escrow fees", agents and a "jock tax", whatever TF that is.

As far as those escrow fees go, if I'm reading correctly, it's a 10% cut that the league takes to ensure that the owners also profit or whatever, and players may get some of it back (tho refunds aren't common).  But that said, considering that, according to Google, a superstar's contract usually averages about 50 pages(!), then yeah, I think other parties may be written in there someway somehow, even if under those aforementioned categories.

"GENERATIONAL WEALTH"

These days, you hear the media talking alot about "generational wealth" in relation to NBA players, and they imply that, in order to pass down earnings to future generations, you have to make something like $100mil.  That's bullshit.

To most people in the world, even a million dollars - or perhaps even as low as 100k - may be considered "generational wealth", because ultimately, when you find yourself with surplus, it's not about how much extra you have but how you use it.  If you look at some of the greatest tycoons in American history, i.e. those who have built up "generational wealth", many, if not most of them, started from nothing.  They began as lackeys of the same companies or industries that they later went on to dominate.

And that's why some dudes can even make $100mil+ over their career and still end up broke.  Dudes on vet min. contracts are making "generational wealth", so long as they don't blow it on frivolous shit which, all things considered, they probably will.

KAWHI & BALLMER'S "ASPIRATIONS"

Or another way of looking at it is that virtually all money in the NBA is big money.  And all of this yappng is ultimately bringing us to Kawhi Leonard.

If I'm reading these allegations correctly, besides the gazillion dollars he's already making through his standard contract, the Clippers paid him roughly $30mil extra(!) through an endorsement deal with a third party (Aspiration) even though, according to said deal, Kawhi doesn't actually have to endorse anything.  If true, that's a pretty clever way to get extra funds to a player.  And again, Steve Ballmer is one of the greatest businessmen of 21st century America.  So you have to believe he's getting a cut of that $30mil also, besides perhaps other parties.

And then, in comes the Raptors.  If Phoenix was the surprise team of the West, then Toronto was that of the East.  This franchise is like a dumping ground for players the Knicks no longer want, and like they never, ever ever ever score an A-list free agent signing.  Yet and still, they were able to take the Cavs to seven games and, imo, even tho they lost were the better or at least more promising team.

This organization, despite its territorial shortcomings, is known to overachieve from time to time.  And that's why I said, at the conclusion of last season, they were just a player away from being contenders.  I was thinking more along the lines of a formidable big, but if you need a quality C yet can't score one, Kawhi is definitely the next option.  And that's not the mention the established history he already has with the Raptors.

But the reason I'm shaking my head is because, how long has this Aspiration shit been going on now?  But you see that as soon as the offseason transaction period began, the Clippers and Raptors tried to strike that deal quick quick quick.

What they didn't realize, or perhaps what they were trying to circumvent is that Silver and co. are really clamping down, the way I see it, on players' earnings.  That's what all this "tax apron" shit is leading to, in clearly visible terms, not contenders having trim down as much as players being paid less.  And in terms of all of this Aspiration stuff, i.e. organizations finding ways to pay players formally yet off-the-books at the same time, there's probably going to be a lot more of that going on now that dudes are systematically being paid less than their worth.  Previously, I was one of those people who viewed NBA players as being overpaid.  But now, knowing they only take home half of their salaries, I understand better.

So more specifically, the reason all of this funny - in a dark humor kinda way - is because the Raptors, all things considered, took sort of an unethical action.  It appears that they thought they could take Kawhi - shadiness and all - without having to face any of the consequences themselves.

Upon realizing that they would have to, they put the deal on hold, perhaps indefinitely, considering that the league is refusing to release a definitive timeline for the end of their investigation.  That's not necessarily the bad part because no, you shouldn't pay for any wrongdoing you weren't directly a part of(?).

But what does suck is that somehow, this whole drama has led to Toronto doing jackshit this entire offseason.  That isn't ideal, since they didn't even get past the First Round, while some of their competitors have upgraded.  So yeah, it does kinda look like they tried to beat the system but are slated to take a loss instead.

CONCLUSION

If things continue as is and if they league doesn't punish them too hard, this may actually good news for the Clippers, you know, keeping Leonard.  And that's another reason why they look guilty because, looking at their roster without Kawhi, like why would they trade away the only established star on the team, i.e. their clearly-best player?  Not only would this iteration of the Clippers likely suck (even more) without Kawhi but furthermore, it'd be really difficult for them to get national TV time (i.e. sell tickets) with this cast.  It looks sorta like a sell-fast-because-the-product-is-defective type of the scenario, with the buyer also trying to take advantage of that fact.

Parity Achieved?

Incepting is a fine art.  On one hand, you want to subtlety influence thoughts.  But in doing so, there's the high possibility of what's being relayed not being understood in full or stretched.

Let me give you an idea of what I mean.  I was the first writer, at least that I know of, who was like wait a minute, the Lakers did not have an "A+" offseason.  Right after that post, I noticed the mainstream media began embracing that idea.  But I wasn't like criticizing LAL's roster per se.

Walker Kessler, as it currently stands, is far from an "A-list center", at least in terms of production (tho he's now like a celebrity).  But at least he holds more promise for the franchise than Ayton did.

Or let me say if I were dissing anybody, it wasn't Luka or Kessler or Reaves but rather the braintrust.  Dudes have been striking out for years now.  And even in my last post, when I implied that Doncic is in a worse position (in terms of potentially winning championship) now than he was with the Mavs, let me point out that offensively, he's by far the most-versatile PG in the league.  So the logic would sorta be that yeah, go out there and get him the best 5 you can afford and then fill out the middle, sorta like the Knicks have done, since wings are more or less in abundance these days.

I'm sure I even said this before, that one of the many major mistakes the Lakers have made of late was last year, they should have traded Lebron, not AD, for Luka.  They're fucked up because now, the mythic Lakers' mystique that made the best of the best want to play for the franchise is no longer there.

Being LAL, you're not even supposed to be out there chasing centers type shit.  They rather should want to play for you.  And Wemby just signed like a five-year extension, I'm pretty sure fully guaranteed, so who knows when or if Los Angeles will get the best C in the NBA again.

This is something else I noticed recently.  I was the first writer, at least that I know of, who was like yeah, if Lebron wants to win a championship with one of the teams on his shortlist, the Sixers are the best option.  Then, the mainstream picked up on that also.  Prior to making that statement, they were just as much, if not moreso, advocating the likes of the Nuggets, Heat or Cavs in terms of LBJ bringing home another trophy.

Then when he finally made his decision, I was like, big fun but still, not a guaranteed championship.  After posting that, now the mainstream is questioning 'his fit' in Philly.  But prior to making that statement, it seemed that they were all for it and super excited.

So this is what I wanted to clarify.  Embiid, not Lebron, is the x-factor.  There is one thing I've been saying for like five years straight that the mainstream media never reiterated, sometimes I believe because they're too afraid or perhaps are disallowed from doing so.  LBJ absolutely sucks on defense.  He's an alltime great defensively, you know, when you go back to earlier in the century.  But now, relatively speaking, he's old AF.

They say that, when NBA players start to age, the first thing to go is their athleticism.  But with some players, except those who are really locked in on that end (like Draymond), the first thing to go is rather their defensive awareness.  Go and look at some of Kareem's games later in his career.

I spoke of this many times before, based on my own experiences and observations.  Once dudes start circling 40, you can't really count on them to play defense anymore, nor can you chastise them for not doing so, because you know, they're like elders and shit.

EASTERN TEAMS THAT CAN DEFEAT PHILLY

So the way I see it, there are currently two, maybe three teams (if the Raptors actually get Kawhi) in the East than can defeat Philly, even if the Sixers are at full strength.  First is the Knicks, and I say that with a grain of salt, because losing Mitchell Robinson was indeed a big loss.

You'll notice that the two teams that made the Finals last season, neither was dealing with major injuries.  So here's to hoping that NYK lucks out like that again.

In 2025, when Robinson was injured during the postseason, NYK got upset by the Pacers.  I don't know much about 'the dreaded second apron' and shit like that.  But maybe in this case, you know, after just winning a historic championship, Dolan shoulda just bit the bullet.

The Knicks entered the last couple of seasons with the most all-around talented starting lineup in the NBA, even moreso than OKC.  But now, presuming that Lebron will start and also with the addition of Brown, Philly is more talented offensively.

And here's further testament to just how great James is.  He's made the world more or less forget that, oh shit, Giannis just teamed up with Adebayo, instantly giving the Heat the most potent twin towers in the league and arguably even of the last 40 years, since Olajuwon teamed up with Samson.  Off the top of my head, there's only like three other teams I can think of, maybe four, that currently have viable twin towers.  But unlike the rest, Miami has two 7-footers who are basically wings.

Some years back, I predicted that the NBA will eventually get to the point where you have teams with like five Giannises, you know, like five Garnetts type shit.  The Heat right now are closest to fulfilling that prophecy.  And let's not forget that they have more of a winning culture than the Knicks or Sixers.  Old ass Pat Riley, who deadass coached the Showtime Lakers, is still in the game calling shots.  And they're one of the top three organizations not only in developing talent but getting it to mesh.

THE VALUE OF A GLUE GUY

And let's not forget the Cavs also.  They've been getting dogged a lot of late, and no one really believes in them, understandably so, since they've been one of the deepest teams for like three seasons now but never really achieved shit as a unit.  But that said, finally making to the ECF, they have experienced progress.  And despite losing Dean Wade and perhaps one or two peripheral dudes, it's not like these guys are scrubs.  They have two lock future HOFs, one in his prime - and potentially a third also.

What Cleveland needs is a glue guy at the 3 who can make all of these pieces click which, all things considered, is a formidable task.  And that's an interesting observation, because how many years now have the Cavs needed that 3?  But instead, they're out there trading for PGs and shit.

People sleep on the likes on Josh Hart (and Draymond).  He may never put up the type of stats that rationalize a max contract, but trust me, it's unlikely NYK would have won that championship without him.

When a team is overtalented yet not necessarily compatible, you usually need someone who can make it all click.  If the Cavs had Hart, they could win a championship.

Back when Lebron teamed up with D-Wade and Bosh, that player was Mario Chalmers, who never got his flowers.  When Shaq played with Kobe, the Lakers had a number of glue guys.  But those types that can actually facilitate championships, they're rare, perhaps because they don't get ample love.

You have a better chance making a name for yourself as a chuck than someone willing to sacrifice.  So besides Hart and Green, currently I can't even think of anyone else who Cleveland can slot in there to desired effect.  That's how awkward - for lack of a better word - their starting lineup is.

PARITY ACHIEVED?

Whether or not parity has already been achieved depends on your definition of the word, whether it means everyone being in the middle, or rather everyone potential champions.  We're about to enter a season, for the first time ever that I can think of, with like 10 contenders - at least three in the West (don't sleep on the Rockets) and perhaps even six or seven in the East (don't sleep on the Wizards either).  This should be interesting, you know, if the U.S. doesn't bake and become too hot to even play basketball inside.

AMENDMENT (27 JULY)

In terms of mentioning the best twin towers of the last 40 years, I forget to shoutout Duncan + Robinson.

Free Agency Talk: Lebron to the Sixers

This may be the first time I wrote an article about a single free agency decision and also the first time I've written like five articles in a row about the same player.  But hey, it is Lebron, and presumably this is the last time an offseason will be highlighted by his always dramatic decision making.  Even when he chose the Lakers back in the day, the way I remember it he made that choice fairly quickly, but still, him going to LAL in the first place was more or less a shocker.

LBJ heading to Philly isn't as monumental as it may sound in the moment, unless they win a championship.  But it is very much exciting news nonetheless.

Since acquiring Jaylen Brown, the Sixers were already considered must-watch and contenders for this upcoming season.  They weren't in a sad state like, say, the Cavs when Lebron returned to Cleveland, or the Lakers when he decided to sign there.  So basically, his presence just makes them more must watch and more contenders.  You know, championship or bust.

But there's a whole lot of side stories associated with this latest decision.  This time around, unlike when he returned to Cleveland or went to LA, Lebron's presence is not demanding that the recipient team sacrifice young talent.  But there are still a lot of people affected on the periphery.

LEBRON JAMES (WINNER OR LOSER?)

Concerning his decision, three ideas emerged from LBJ's camp over this summer.  His goals were (#1) to win another championship, (#2) to be close to his family in Los Angeles and (#3) to make the right "business" decision.  And well, at least he's achieved one of them.

In terms of that whole "business choice" shit, I mean, James just signed a 2-year, $8mil deal, if you can imagine that.  The highest scoring player in NBA history, a reigning allstar and, based on this past offseason, still the King of the game is now being paid, relatively speaking, like a peasant.  That doesn't sound like a wise business decision.

But that said, the implication going into next season was that he was slated to make significantly more from endorsements, etc. than salary.  And that likely would've been the case regardless of which team on his shortlist he chose.

What excites me the most about Lebron's decision is that finally, he's wise enough to follow the path of Abdul-Jabbar.  When Kareem was nearing the end of his career, the team he was playing for were contenders with or without him.  A couple of seasons after he retired, the Lakers still proceeded to make the Finals (with Divac).

For all-time greats that want to compete to the very end, that's the way to go - let the younger, fresher guys carry most of the burden.  Lebron signing this paltry contract makes more sense if his intention isn't to regularly overexert himself.

JOEL EMBIID (WINNER OR LOSER?)

I've been saying for like five years now that the Sixers need to part ways with Joel.  His presence is both a gift and a curse.  He proved to the x-factor against the Celtics but then was more or less a nonfactor against the Knicks.  He isn't a bad player at all, you know, when he's actually available.  At the heart of the problem, even moreso than his injuries, is the fact that, all things considered, by this point he should be making like $20mil annually instead of the max.

Anyhow, given this new roster, he's definitely, once again, the x-factor.  But now that they're actually favorites, if he does somehow fail yet again, his inefficiencies will take front and center stage.  So finally, the rest of world may see what I was talking about when I said Philly should devise other viable, contender-level options at C.

BEN SIMMONS (WINNER OR LOSER?)

Ha, I bet didn't see this one coming!  But under the presumption that Philly will be playing a lot of smallball this coming season, it would make total sense to bring Simmons back.

First of all, as far as I know, neither Maxey nor Edgecombe are exceptional defenders, besides both being undersized.  So Ben would help mitigate that issue, as all he does is defend.  And given this current Philly roster, replete with alphas, I don't think anyone will be pressuring him to shoot when he doesn't want to.

Secondly, let's not forget that Simmons can actually play the 5.  And third, a while back, before shrinking into irrelevancy, he expressed a desire to return to the team that drafted him.

If he still has it in him, i.e. the ability to play elite defense, to reiterate, it would make total sense for Philly to bring him back (especially considering that now they wouldn't have to pay him shit).  After Embiid, he's been through the most ups and downs with this team over the past decade.

Meanwhile, in terms of Simmons emerging a loser from it all, you have to imagine that he now wants to return to Philadelphia, with Lebron in town, more than he ever has since leaving.  It's not going to be easy for him seeing the team he deserted at the top of the headlines every day.

WALKER KESSLER (WINNER OR LOSER?)

I know that Kessler isn't directly affected by Lebron's decision to go to Philly per se.  He was however affected by LBJ leaving the Lakers to begin with.

So now, here's something interesting to think about.  Walker is a B-lister, and even that standing was for the most part achieved via his name being in the headlines so much over the past couple of months, not due to his actual gameplay per se.  He has instantly been thrust from playing for one of the most obscure teams in the league to now playing for the organization that has literally employed the greatest Cs in NBA history, all to championship effect.

If he's able to rise to the challenge, this is definitely a lucky break for Kessler and his brand.  But if not, well, let's just say his name is going to be in the headlines daily nonetheless, as the player who more or less replaced Lebron in LAL, and the C playing in the shadow of AD, Gasol, Shaq, etc.

LUKA DONCIC (LOSER)

Let me say this for hopefully the final time - the Mavs did not fail in eventually surrounding Doncic with complementary talent.  Besides sharing the backcourt with Kyrie (and before him Brunson), he also had the likes of Gafford, Washington and Lively on the wings, i.e. athletic, multitalented, long dudes who could complete lobs with the best of them.  Kessler is tall, but is he even athletic like that?  And that's why it makes total sense that LAL is chasing Kuminga, because he's very similar to those aforementioned players who Luka prospered with.

So what I'm predicting is that Doncic may finally be exposed.  He's been one of my favorite players, but let me be honest - I'm a bit bitter with the way the Lakers favored him over Lebron.  Not that they favored him but rather the way they did it, because he is not the answer.

After Jordan, LBJ is the greatest player in modern NBA history.  And to truly achieve that status, sorry white European players, but you have to be exceptional on both offense and defense.

But yeah, we know the NBA has changed.  So you have Luka being paid the max, while players who have to mitigate his deficiencies, like Smart and Thybulle, are being paid as little as possible.

MIAMI HEAT (WINNER)

The Heat now have the advantage of entering next season as underdogs.  Meanwhile, whether or not the Sixers' roster is superior is a matter of debate.

Well, let me say that Philly is definitely deeper, but Miami looks better defensively.  Both Bam and Giannis are in the DPOY conversation annually.  Wiggins, to my understanding, is also an above average defender, as is also Mitchell, I think.  So we're looking at a really formidable defensive squad here.  By contrast, out of Philly's projected starters, only Brown, at this point, is exceptional on defense.

And let's not also forget that Bradley Beal is out there.  Remember a few years back, the Heat were actually after him.

At that time, I argued he was overrated, achieving stardom due to being an above-average player on a below-average team, and that foretelling aged well.  But still, he isn't exactly what you would call a bum if healthy.  And if the Heat do land him, he'll be in the least-pressure situation of his career.  Dude can solely focus on shooting, which is like his biggest attribute.

Let's not also forget that the likes of Rui Hachimura and DeMar DeRozan are out there.  I don't know how much money Miami has left to spend, but they could definitely use both of those dudes.  Hachimura has been one of the biggest beneficiaries, talent wise, of the now-forced-to-shoot-threes' era of the NBA.  And they're saying that Giannis and Bam can't score from midrange, but DeRozan is one of the very best scorers in the league, perhaps top two even, inside the three-point line.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (LOSERS)

I've been doing a lot of Beard bashing of late, but it isn't intentional.  He has also been one of my favorite players.  But Harden, all things considered, is like more show than accomplishment.

Going back to this idea that now offense is exponentially more valued than defense, he's definitely been a beneficiary of that phenomenon.  And that's part of the reason why it still doesn't make sense, at least to me, why the Cavs thought he would be the one to get them over the hump.

Meanwhile, losing Dean Wade and perhaps another dude or two I can't recall right now, while acquiring no one of note in return (unless whoever they drafted exceeds expectation), the roster has actually regressed this offseason.  Not sound braintrusting at all.  Out of all the teams on Lebron's shortlist with a realistic chance of winning a championship, they probably needed him most.

STEPH CURRY (LOSER)

It's hard to call the Warriors as a whole losers, because you can't really miss what you never had to begin with.  And their offseason, though nothing to write home about, hasn't been as bad as that of the Cavs.  Also, they still have like $15mil to spend and will likely end up with Hachimura or DeRozan, the latter of which I think would be really beneficial alongside Steph and especially with the absence of Butler.

I hate saying anything bad about Curry, because one way or the other I always come to regret it.  But simply put, he isn't the headliner he used to be.

For the most part, Golden State's braintrust has failed in surrounding him with the type of players that pique current fans' interest.  So unless the Warriors are like a top four team - which is possible I guess - no one is even going to really care to watch them.

As I said before, they needed Lebron more than anyone on his shortlist in terms of generating sales.  But instead, we're going to be treated to yet another season of neverending Draymond, hoping Steph stays healthy and waiting for Jimmy to get back on the court.

Hate to beat a dead horse, but if this were to be the case, i.e. the Dubs insisting on a core of 35+ year old players, then they should've just kept Klay around (or perhaps bring him back).  At least then, we can be treated to some true Splash Bros. magic every now and then, and I have to imagine that Thompson being back will also be exciting to fans (if they can win).

CONCLUSION

The Sixers, I mean it's hard to tell, because Kawhi may still be going to the Raptors.  It's hard to tell, whether with or without Lebron, if this team is the favorite in the East.  Their wing core cannot match defensively with that of the Knicks.  In other words, despite experiencing one of those extremely rare offseasons where a team lands two A-listers, there's still work to be done here.  And in hindsight, maybe they should've made more of an effort to acquire someone like Mitchell Robinson to backup Embiid.