State of the NBA 2009

No one has commented on NBA team salaries. My research shows that the top rated teams -Boston, LA, Cleaveland etc are spending huge chunks of money above the cap. Does that mean that the cap has not really leveled the playing field as it was designed to do?. How can Toronto expect to compete? Imagine had we started the year with Turkoglu or Ray Allen or Butler or some other top quality player in addition to what we had. Looks like money talks

Very nice article VD!

Second agm - great article vd - would love to see t o get the all-star game!

I second giving White a shot.

I would love to see BC sign him for at least a 10 day with our bench so thin right now.

A 10 day contract shouldn't put us over the luxury line... we're about 400k below... about the amount of Jawai's contract... even if BC signed him for the remainder of the season... I'm sure the luxury line would still be safe.

The NBA will definitely suffer from the economic downturn however relatively speaking it will be a soft landing. The competition for entertainment money is getting harder and people will prefer to stay at home and watch on their big TV's (bought when the times were good) the sports they like. Also NBA has the larger global appeal of all the big 4 American games so there may be some revenue coming from overseas.
In addition the NBA seems to be in a golden age in terms of talent, especially at the wing positions. People everywhere will want to watch a LeBron or Dwayne as they will provide grit, skills and entertainment in one total package.
Dare I say Toronto may be positioned as a premiere market together with the classics New York, Chicago, Boston and LA? Canada may weather the storm better than US (not a guarantee though), it is a big market and the management is top class. Also it is a micro-cosm of the b-ball world: Bosh, Calderon, Bargnani, and soon to be Delfino represents the best and the biggest b-ball markets in the world. We may still use a second american All-Star however it is not a necessity. I strongly believe MLSE will go over the luxury tax if the right conditions are coming along.

First, nice article.

Regarding James White. Don't know him. But, in general I'd like to see the Raptors move away from this unearthing hidden gems in the D League or Europe philosophy we seem to have. Really, if someone's in the D League, chances are they belong there - see Hassan Adams; Jamario Moon ...

Bugs me that TO fans get all excited about a clip of a guy dunking in a contest or all star game and think - Wow! He's our answer at the wing!

Why don't we sign the guy who schooled Devin Harris in the You Tube video? He's got some game.

I would just like to see Colangelo rely less on "hidden gems" and more on drafting, trading and developing talent.

And I know people will respond - "what about Parker, Garbo ..." I say they are what they are - or were in Garbo's case. Solid rotation/bench players on a good team, not saviors.

One of the less talked about ramifications of the Marion deal is how it prepares the Raptors to avoid having to pay luxury tax when the threshold drops;

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2009/02/16/how-a-lower-luxury-tax-could-kill-10-nba-teams/

I've always said the NHL did a better job with their cap than the NBA did. In the NBA rich teams owned by avuncular billionaires (ahem Dallas) can just spend to their hearts content while other teams (Atlanta, Toronto, Phoenix) are forced to operate with a real budget on pain of dismissal.

In the NHL all teams have to fall within a certain range, period. Much more egalitarian.

In any case, BC seems to be out ahead of this rather than in danger of being over by it.

Best of luck with JO Mr. Riley, enjoy that contract.

FYI - there are no teams above the 49th. Portland sits on the 45th and is the northern most NBA city ;) Toronto is on the 43rd.

Family day means I am bored. :)

RT,

It's the difference between a "hard" cap and a "soft cap." The NHL has a "hard" cap which means you CAN'T go over it for any reason whatsoever. The NBA has a "soft cap" which can be exceeded, but once you exceed it by a certain amount (I don't know how much) you then have to pay a 1$ for 1$ "luxury tax." So conceivable, an NBA team could pay however much it wanted for salaries, but once it hits the "luxury tax" it is paying serious $$.

Silverback,

I don't think anyone is thinking a D-Leaguer is a savior... but when you're way under .500, with a weakened bench, any help would be welcome.

Drafting well and developing is all part of running a basketball team, and something I'm sure every team aspires to, with varying degrees of success. But when you're the Raptors, and you have hardly any tradable assets remaining, I think bringing in one project is doing your due diligence as a GM trying to win.

I don't care if he can dunk over a house, so long as he can play. Maybe we shouldn't sign a 10 day wing... maybe it should be a C... I don't care who it is... as long as it shows me BC is doing his job for a team with dimming hopes of a playoff birth.

I would still like to see the NBA back off of their postion that Fire sales are a bad thing. It is so hard in the current system for teams to dump their overpaid players for an injection of young talent that you really have to be suave to do it (Memphis getting Marc Gasol for example). The truth is, the system is set up to create a disparity in the league as the teams that have (Lakers, Celtics, Spus) can offer expiring contracts (cap relief) and late first round picks to crappy teams for their best players and maybe if they are lucky they will get a young player back. It means that teams have to do what Portland did and Thunder are doing which is hoard draft picks but suck for a few years (thunder are a prime example of this as they even received draft picks for taking on a salary and I believe that is why toronto had to give up a draft pick to Miami). If they would change the rules so teams could trade away players for picks again (without having both teams under the cap to do it) it might allow teams to retool faster.

Lessthanzero,

Good points. How about I revise my request? Raptor fans, if we do sign a D League phenom, can we curb our man love until we actually see the guy play? And can we be satisfied with an end of bench guy? Thanks.

McGateway,

I agree with everything you say. I think what you are getting at is something closer to the NHL system. Personally I would like to see player salaries tied to the cap percentage wise... that way if the cap goes down every player's salary goes down as well, meaning teams are not going to be unjustly punished for being prudent and below the luxury tax one year, and then all of a sudden above it.

When the NBA and PA go at it in 2011, I fully expect some serious revisions to the cap to account for the first decline since it's inception... and hopefully... some way of getting rid of these albatross contracts that keep killing some many teams year after year.

VD!

To celebrate 'Family Day' I have had some musings about some Free Agents signings the Raps might try.

Bag O'Tricks #1

A. Pachulia to back-up Bargs;
B. Wilcox behind Bosh;
C. Von Wafer or Delfino for depth at the off Guard ...

Family Day Special:

A. Shelden Williams to back-up Bargs;
B. Stephen Graham to play along side Joey and wear jersey #41 (just to f**k with people's heads);
C. Candace Parker to back-up Bosh (It's about time we had some women in this league);

Love the family day special Jenge ha ha - I think Candace could come in and start for this club.

As for White - I'd love to see Toronto take a closer look at him too. Saviour? Not at all. But he's really improved his game since I saw him at the camp Toronto held last summer (where BC signed Hassan Adams). Here's a good read on him from Draftexpress:

http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/D-League-Blog/#James-White-Knocking-on-the-NBAs-Door-Again-3106

Interesting to see how this Marion deal plays out starting Wednesday night. Apparently he's going to be wearing #31.

Wow, that was a great piece; I think the White idea is a good one since this team needs to bring in some young (see: cheap) talent to see if a diamond can be found.

I think the point about the economy is particularly important since the CBA will be up for renegotiation soon. Aside from Hunter and Stern holding joint pressers, what do you think the chances are of a lockout/strike?

To me, if the economy is down and millionaires and billionaires start arguing over money, I think the league will be irreparably damaged in the public eye; especially if unemployment continues to go up and people are struggling (You might think it's bad in Canada, but it's the center of the storm down here!)

Rob

Given the economic outlook, doesn't the Marion deal make more sense? Imagine going into the summer trying to convince someone to pay JO next year? The team was on the brink of having to pay the luxury tax already this year. With the cap and tax level dropping it would have really tied the team up. Those already over the tax (basically every current elite team) will have to pay more tax and given the economy even championship contention can't protect against significantly reduced revenues. Colangelo has always been a couple of steps ahead of most of his counterparts, and it would be interesting to see if this move fits into that reputation as he prepares for an NBA system realigned for a tighter economy. I can't believe someone hasn't looked at the possibility of Colangelo already looking to target good RFA talent from economically distressed teams that would be cap friendly in the new economy and address the team's need for youth and athleticism (Marvin Williams from Atlanta) And he could also be positioning himself to buy multiple picks this draft from teams tightening their belt for next year. I think he is being prudent about all contingencies.

Why do you fellas think Toronto has yet to host the All-Star game? They have a firt class venue and an amazing city. Theres no doubt that it would be a huge success. It baffles me. Just on a side note for you guys, you guys like to buy jerseys right? I sell authentic as a side business. If you guys want anything at all just check out my site http://jerseygod.webs.com
I can only get a few Raps players in at the moment. So if you want one let me know and I can get you them for a great price. Anyways, whats the news on marion? Is he happy to be in Toronto?

Bedhead- I cannot believe you just complimented the NHL Salary Cap. It's a ridiculous invention that will see lots of problems in the next year. Think about all the teams that are maxed out currently and as the cap goes down (let's not forget it's a HARD cap) those teams will be completely forced to shed their payrolls as their cap is tied to their total earnings. It's incredible to me that the NHL had absolutely no foresight into the matter.

As for the NBA cap, it has its issues, but at least there's flexibility there and an incentive for star players to stick with the teams that drafted them.

I would love to see an All Star game here - I think MLSE at one time bid for the 2010 or 2012 game but then dropped out. Given the costs of hosting the event, it's not exactly a huge money maker, but in the bigger picture it would really showcase the league in this city in a way it hasn't before.

With all those empty seats I fully expect Atlanta to be ripe for the picking... though we'll likely only have the MLE to throw at any one other than our current FAs.

WIlliams would be nice, but I think Childress is a more realistic target... either way... Atlanta is going to see one of the two get poached.

i would love to see a line-up next season lookin like this.

calderon
childress
marion
bosh
Bargs

Vicious D said:

Bedhead- I cannot believe you just complimented the NHL Salary Cap.

- I think the NHL cap rocks for fans, owners AND players. Fans because a team like Calgary can sign their best players to build around creating an identity fans can rally embrace. I think its good for the owners because it created a predictability in terms of salary commitments and costs, and I think it is good for players because they guaranteed themselves a fixed slice of what is a very, very, very big pie.

Vicious D: It's a ridiculous invention that will see lots of problems in the next year.

- I fail to see what is ridiculous about it...perhaps you could explain? I typically confine myself to roundball discussions here, but am willing to go head to head on the NHL cap if you are - its your site. As for 'problems' next year perhaps you are referring to the global economic meltdown/financial apocalypse/recession/depression? If so, did you after rubbing your crystal ball get your money out of the market before it evaporated?

Nobody saw this coming except for a few economists who went unheeded. Is it going to pinch some teams? Sure it will. But was it predictable? Hardly.

Vicious D: Think about all the teams that are maxed out currently and as the cap goes down (let's not forget it's a HARD cap) those teams will be completely forced to shed their payrolls as their cap is tied to their total earnings.

- So? Financial global meltdowns don't come around every year. In all the other decades where there was steady incremental growth the cap deal is a good one. For sure there will be some teams that have hard time making it or go on life-support (Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville, maybe Florida), but honestly, this is hardly new. It wasn't that long ago pre-cap that the Oilers were at death's door, and only Montreal and Toronto were expected to survive of the Canadian teams. The current agreement is much better in terms of letting teams in hockey markets survive while teams in non-hockey markets have to prove they can fill the seats to qualify for revenue sharing.

Vicious D: It's incredible to me that the NHL had absolutely no foresight into the matter.

- I recall vividly talking to my Dad - a former VP of Finance for an Oil supply company the day that Merril Lynch was put on life-support and Lehman Brothers collapsed, he said "I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime" - which puts this economic collapse and market adjustment well outside the expected range of historical events Bettman might have reasonably planned for. Its not like he built a damn that would blow over at the first hurricane, but this just happens to be a category six once in a hundred year event we are dealing with. Pointing fingers at the cap completely misses the point when you lose a fifth of the value of your major stock indexes overnight.

Now lets compare the NBA system which encourages salary inflation by allowing a handful of luxury tax paying GMs to drive the market for players up. Or how teams like Boston or LA can decide to spend twice as much as anyone else to field a roster of all-stars while other teams have to compete on the cheap. Take a quick review of the last 40 years of NBA champions and you'll find that a handful of teams willing to outspend the rest for the services of the best players consistently win title after title.

In the NBA the Raptors (I hate to burst your bubble) will never, ever win. Not because BC can't draft well, or because Bosh isn't a franchise player, but because MLSE will not pay luxury tax to let us compete man-for-man against the rich teams. We can mine Europe for bargains, and review D-leaguers till our hearts content, but without dropping the money-bomb on talent, 2nd round of the playoffs is probably our ceiling.

So thats it, we're always going to be pretenders unless lightning strikes and we have the perfect season. We might fluke a win a round in the playoffs or two, but when push comes to shove we can't buy our way in the way Dallas, LA, Boston, Houston the Knicks or Detroit can. Compare that to the Carolina Hurricanes, or the TBAy Lightning - two teams that are perrenial doormats making it to the big dance - and winning.

Vicious D: As for the NBA cap, it has its issues, but at least there's flexibility there and an incentive for star players to stick with the teams that drafted them.

- Said incentive being the ability to sign longer/richer contracts - which just puts the player into the position of demanding a 'sign and trade', nice.

Lets compare the Raptors and Flames for a moment. The Raptors lose Vince, McGrady, Oak, etc. one by one as they seek greener pastures, meanwhile the Flames have re-signed Phaneuf, Kipper, Regehr and Iggy to extensions.

So perhaps you can give an example of why you think the NBA has the better cap system?

Marvin Williams would be a good addition. Wonder how much he'd cost.

Good article Vicious, and great retort Bedhead. Well put together by both.

I second that one tea time... I think Childress has a lot of the intangibles that Parker has... only he's younger. I even see him starting ahead of a resigned Parker too.

It would likely take the whole MLE to get him. But if we draft big, it makes a lot of sense as he's a legit 2/3, and if Marion is resigned, he's a 3/4, giving the Raps a lot of versatility.

[" Given the economic outlook, doesn't the Marion deal make more sense? Imagine going into the summer trying to convince someone to pay JO next year? ...... "] .... Interloper.

Interloper brings up an interesting thought. A number of people (myself included) assume that JO will get a better return next year, by the fact that the cash outlay is less (to the recipient team), and the risk diminishes, considering JO could go down during the play-offs.

When it comes to his value, certainly it could peak just before next year’s trade deadline. But that assumes a healthy JO. For that kind of bad twist, I’d imagine only teams that are out, and now looking at the 2010 Sweepstakes to be interested. And only if they could shed longer contracts.

When it comes to this deal, I have a lot of questions. Including Interlopers.
Will the fragile state of next year’s economic picture, cause the demand for free agents to be "more economical"? Will teams be looking to shed some contracts – for monetary reasons. It might make for a good report here, to examine the financial status of all the owners, and how new credit issues might cause them to alter the game plan they had for next year.

As for all the conflicting aspects to the JO trade, I find myself still trying to digest what it means. 1st Round draft picks mean a lot. 1st Round draft picks don’t mean a lot. And I can buy one for a few million? Cap holds here. Cap holds there. Wtf. Not only does one have to understand sport talent, but one has to be a f@*king Accountant at the same time.

All I know is, I broke my Crystal Ball -- when I saw Moon doing 16 & 8 this year -- so forgive me if I say I’m not really sure how this trade will work out. It’s like a game of poker – you might have a good hand at first, but Murphy’s Law will ensure it goes sideways, when cash is on the line.

There’s lots of criticism with the whole O’Neil time line. Dispensing TJ, Nesterovic, and some draft picks / positions. Then Moon, and more draft picks. From a straightforward perspective it seems like a simpleton mistake by BC. But as I`ve gotten to "misunderstand" Basketball`s CBA, those trades absorb a lot of thought in putting them together – good and bad.

I think it’s fair to say JO didn`t really gel with the Raptors. Or maybe they with him. Unfortunate or not – I could debate that – the experiment is now over. And I realize there is more to why the Raptors have been losing, but I keep going back to that one thing, that this year seems to define, beyond the losing – AB.

In his first year, Bargs brought his skills to a rookie format – where mistakes were more tolerated. Then began and ended – that sophomore year – with Andrea as a lost soul. Year 3 became a make or break year. In most eyes – or at least the talkative ones – it was more bust, then banner. Then December 08 hit Andrea straight in the eyes, and I thought I was at a Wolverine Convention.

It may be too early to "guarantee" Bargnani’s ascension to being that "Center" guy for the Raps, but if O’Neil had anything to do with it, then I’m glad he dropped in. Expensive as he was, it may be worth the price of admission. That’s something we may not know until next year. Or maybe never. That’s what happens when you change things. You’ll never know what may have been.

Call me an optimist, but a healthy Jose, Bosh, Bargnani, and maybe Marion ... well, that would be a team I could like. Add Back-up Joey, AP (at a good price), Roko, and a few more; plus an experienced Coach – sorry Jay – and 2009 might surprise us.

[ "In the NBA the Raptors (I hate to burst your bubble) will never, ever win. Not because BC can't draft well, or because Bosh isn't a franchise player, but because MLSE will not pay luxury tax to let us compete ........ "]

Bedhead,
If I grew up in the Harold Ballard School of Economics, I might side with you on that.

MLSE will pay the luxury tax, if BC can project – key word – a greater Return. I can’t understand how MLSE can be defined as not willing to go into luxury cap territory, because it’s cheap. That it thinks too much like a Business.

If BC can do his Sell proficiently, he’ll get his luxury tax quota. His Bet will be that it’ll make more Play-off money, and hence greater profit – luxury tax inclusive – for the Shareholders. And it will be accountants who will make that a believable concept to endorse.

And one other thing for Arsenalist out there. Heard the Podcast, and wanted to say I think there would be many with a dual nature – Leafs and Raps. The commonality being: Up.. down, Up.. down -- that`s how we look at things.

RapsthoseLeafs...coaching...we have not even touched on who the new coach would be and how that might impact team composition and team performance next year. Does Triano return because he is the cheapest option available, given they'd still be paying Mitchell? Is a currently unemployed coach like a Flip Saunders or Eddie Jordan worth considering, despite limited playoff success, hoping for a Stan Van Gundy in Orlando type outcome? Or, do they risk the European coaching option, with the notion that to be competitive a different approach has to be taken to get the most out of whatever roster results from the summer makeover? How does the Bosh situation factor into the coaching decision? Should it? There's so much we don't know at this point, that this thing is still worth paying attention to.

HELLO !!!

SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS DAY AFTER FAMILY DAY....

MATIX/BANKS FOR JO...
SHOULD HAVE BEEN STRAIGHT UP NO PICKS NO CASH..BC GETS THUMBS DOWN FOR THIS..AS 2010/FREE AGENT CROPS AND 23.4M LOOK BETTER THEN 2009 FREE AGENT CROPS AND 17M..

LIST OF FREE AGENTS BIGGYC WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE T.DOT THAT ARE AVAILABLE THIS YEAR....

GUARDS...

(1)BEN GORDAN
(2)JR SMITH
(3)TREVOR ARIZA
(4)AI

BIGS...

(1)PAUL MILLSAP
(2)JASON MAXIEL
(3)BRANDON BASS
(4)CHRIS WILCOX

CHEAP AND AVAILABLE...
JAMAL MAGLOIRE
LAMAR ODOM ????

I AM OUT LIKE THE RAPS BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS THIS YEAR!!!!

Bedhead -
I'll try and qualify what I was talking about.

Teams like Pittsburgh will find themselves constantly fighting against a cap that threatens to tear apart their team just about every year. Yes, Calgary has managed to keep guys like Iginla on their team, but they haven't built a contender in the time since. The whole thing about a cap is that it's supposed to even things out between the haves and have nots, and while the NHL Cap is supposed to do that, it's definitely taken any of the ability to build a winning team that lasts for more than one year. Granted, it's a small sample size, but so far, the NHL has basically experienced Russian roulette as far as what teams end up where at the end of the playoffs. Not only that, the NHL insists on putting in a cap on how LITTLE you can spend. It's gotten so bad the past few years that those teams at the bottom have had to spend even more in a post lockout NHL world.

Now, the cap goes down, and there is no way for teams to get out and under the cap without just outright dumping salaries by buying out players or placing them in the AHL. It's pure chaos thanks to this CBA they've struck up.

Yes, the current economic situation is not something that we could have guessed about two years ago, or even before that, when the NHL decided to create their new CBA. But they didn't calculate for two things... The first was the Canadian Dollar moving to par a few years ago, which artificially inflated the cap to just about allow the same salaries in the pre lockout NHL. The second is this economic downturn which will force the cap down again. Is it possible the NHL will have to fudge their numbers to fix this problem? There's already a lot of talk about it on places like Prime Time Sports.

As far as losing players is concerned, you're really comparing apples and oranges. Hockey players want to play in a place like Calgary because it's one of the most energetic arenas in all of the NHL. It's not the absolute top destination, but they're the equivalent of the Detroit Pistons, or the Utah Jazz... Markets that easily keep players because they're markets that have tradition and energy. I'll also add to the fact that as far as character is concerned, you have a lot of character guys in the NHL as compared to the Raptors list you just tossed in. I can't even begin to name the numerous faults that Carter and McGrady had on their own and how they handled the Toronto market. Admitting to mailing it in, teasing the fans, and even just making bad calls because of their need to "be the man". You couldn't see that in the NHL unless their name is Sean Avery or something.

So look. Here's why I think the NBA cap is better.
1) Yes, teams can go over the luxury tax level, but the punishment is quite severe. Some teams do it with some success, others do not. MLSE says they'll give the green light if the Raptors are just a short step away, so I'll take their word for it. But don't forget that the teams pay double for whatever money they have over the cap. And the extra money gets re-distributed by the league to the have-nots.
2) There is actual incentive for players to stay with their teams. Financially, the league has set it up so that the best contract a player can get is with their home team. Does that prevent everyone from jumping ship? No. But it does usually give the team that drafted them a chance. Just a reminder, how many of the class of 2003 switched teams during their first contract negotiation? Bosh, James, Anthony, and Wade all stayed with their respective teams. In fact, most top players are traded away rather than re-signed with another team. Boston's big three, for example, was completely created via trades.
3) Most importantly is the length of rookie contracts. The NBA's length of contract is basically up to the team's qualifying offers. The length is four years, with the last two years being team options. This way, teams can evaluate talent with enough flexibility to get out from under a bad rookie contract should a rookie under perform or get injured. On the other hand, the teams have enough time to start to build a team around their rookie so that by the time they do have their contract negotiation, there's a reason to stay.

Anyways, there's a bunch more reasons why I like the NBA's CBA, not the least of which is a lot of the other stuff I touched on at the top.

Hey again Vicious D...

With a new post up this argument of ours may get lost, but I for one think it is worth having.

Here's my response to your latest;

VD said: Teams like Pittsburgh will find themselves constantly fighting against a cap that threatens to tear apart their team just about every year. Yes, Calgary has managed to keep guys like Iginla on their team, but they haven't built a contender in the time since.

- The whole point of the cap is to 'even out' the talent across teams in the NHL - and one way it does this is force GMS to prioritize how they spend their money and an whom. In Pittsburgh's case they collected top 3 picks for five years running and built a wicked awesome core of youth; Fleury, Whitney, Malkin, Crosby. But they also have to pay them eventually - and without a doubt some tough decisions have to be made. When Malone received a stupid mult-year offer from TBay it meant they had to let him go (and it meant that the same stupid mgt in TBay had to force Boyle out the door via bad trade too).

But that isn't a bug of the system, its a feature! Should we feel bad for the Pens because they are built around Crosby and Malkin - the top two point getters in the league and have to pay them as such?

As for Calgary (or Detroit, or San Jose or Washington or Pittsburgh) they are very competitive for the cup and all have their young stars locked up under contract for the foreseeable future. I'll ignore the argument about Calgary not being a contender because you clearly don't have a clue how good Calgary is (currently 3rd seed in the West and 11 pts up on the nearest challenger).

VD said: The whole thing about a cap is that it's supposed to even things out between the haves and have nots, and while the NHL Cap is supposed to do that, it's definitely taken any of the ability to build a winning team that lasts for more than one year.

- Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the Detroit Red Wings. They win year in and year out and have their keys guys under contract - despite the cap. So not only does the cap redistribute players, it also doesn't do so at the expense of elite teams. Quite the nifty trick I'd say.

Here's the rub you can't agree on one hand that a cap is supposed to level the playing field and then whine about how the Penguins are going to have to be creative in avoiding the Cap moving forward. What did you think would happen to a team like the Pens under any cap system?

VD said: Not only that, the NHL insists on putting in a cap on how LITTLE you can spend. It's gotten so bad the past few years that those teams at the bottom have had to spend even more in a post lockout NHL world.

- And this is a problem why? I should feel bad that Columbus and LA have to acquire some higher priced talent in order to meet the league minimum? Tell that to a fan in Columbus or LA.

VD said: Now, the cap goes down, and there is no way for teams to get out and under the cap without just outright dumping salaries by buying out players or placing them in the AHL. It's pure chaos thanks to this CBA they've struck up.

- Pure chaos? I guess. Given that under all normal circumstances (i.e. non-global financial meltdown) the cap continues to go up each year, the current problems are better considered as a 'one-off' even rather than as typical issues the league has to deal with. Besides, Denis Gauthier and Sean Avery belong in the AHL.

As for your mentioning of 'Prime Time Sports', lets get real for a minute. They are rage-mongers with their target of choice being Gary Bettman. If they can make an argument that villainizes Bettman or the CBA - whether it makes sense or not - they make it, and they do this purely for the ratings.

Here's the truth - the current floor of the CBA for spending is now what the ceiling was in year one. That means that the league revenues available for players has moved up substantially. Who is this bad for? The owners? Please. The players? I don't think so. The fans? How? So by the only metric that matters - money - the CBA has been a roaring success. So much so that neither side has made any move to re-open it.

VD said: Here's why I think the NBA cap is better.
1) Yes, teams can go over the luxury tax level, but the punishment is quite severe.

- Nothing I argue with about this. It's still a cap, but one with derived by different means.

2) There is actual incentive for players to stay with their teams. Financially, the league has set it up so that the best contract a player can get is with their home team.

- Which has created the ugly 'sign-trade' deals. Player A wants the max $s he can get, so he signs with his home team - then later that year or the following Player A starts making it known he isn't going to dunk anymore or that he really wishes he were in a place without winter...

3) Most importantly is the length of rookie contracts.

- Nothing I see to prefer in this over the NHL's CBA with its fixed rookie contract ceiling and max length.

Ask yourself why Rick Nash hasn't left Columbus? Or Ovechkin Washington? etc. They get their shot at determining their own fates when free agency arrives (at around 25-28) when they can run out their contracts and negotiate with whomever they want (ala Bouwmeester).

So bad organizations will be punished eventually by the talent deciding not to stay.

But lets review you claim the NHL CBA is bad because it puts teams like Pittsburgh against the cap (too which I say 'boo hoo') and that it prevents elite teams from forming (to which I say in my best Sam Jackson voice 'Red Wings, do you speak it motherf*cker?').

Meanwhile you prefer a cap system which allows teams like LA, Boston etc. to spend like they are the Yankees, and that encourages the poaching of talent from weaker/poorer teams (Pau Gasol of a bag of jockstraps anyone?) and the formation of unstoppable talent heavy dynasties.

For me I'd prefer a system that gives each team at least a chance to win, rather than just a chance to make the playoffs.