Washington Post: Why LeBron James Should Sign With The Wizards
by Mike Prada on May 28, 2010 1:23 PM EDT
Email
PrintI'm actually kind of surprised it took so long for someone to write something like this, but alas, we finally have a mainstream article about why LeBron James should sign with the Wizards. It's from Michael Abramowitz of the Washington Post, and it goes through a lot of the usual reasons: good foundation, big star, big basketball city, proximity to Obama, etc.
There are definitely a couple logical leaps (LeBron would be way bigger than Alex Ovechkin, you don't build through the draft in the NBA), but it's still an interesting read. Check it out.
And with that, have a great Memorial Day Weekend! Posting will probably be light until Monday night, since I'm out of town.
42 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
LOL
Follow me on twitter - http://twitter.com/TheRealTPruitt
by pantslessyoda1 on May 28, 2010 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd be conflicted
He would be a great addition and we’d instantly be contenders, but I don’t like the idea of only being able to afford really cheap talent after that. We could use the money to build a better overall team over the next couple of years, rather than a few stars surrounded by garbage.
I think that having two or three superstars would make everyone around them a lot better, too
Javale McGee isn’t a very good player when he’s trying to go one on one with people (although he’s better than he’s given credit for), but his field goal percentage is going to go way up if his sole role in the offense is to catch lobs and score off of put backs. Having guys like Lebron, Gil, and Wall together on the same team would allow us to sign guys who do one or two things really well (Posey, Roger Mason Jr., and Szerbiak types) and let the stars do all the heavy lifting, as opposed to having to be concerned with getting a small forward who can create a shot or a backup point guard who can really create open looks for his teammates.
That said, we’re not getting Lebron, since he needs to play with guys who can shoot really well and we don’t have a single player like that on our roster other than Miller. Gil can shoot, but he’s not an elite three point shooter like Richardson or Morrow or Gallinari.
Follow me on twitter - http://twitter.com/TheRealTPruitt
by pantslessyoda1 on May 28, 2010 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions
booooooooooooooo....
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on May 28, 2010 2:24 PM EDT reply actions
Same here
I still think New York could work, though, depending on how committed Bosh is to defense. They’re really going to need someone who can protect the rim.
Follow me on twitter - http://twitter.com/TheRealTPruitt
by pantslessyoda1 on May 28, 2010 6:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Hey look! They're talking about us in the newspaper!
Nobody is talking about James coming to D.C., except a few out-of-their-minds bloggers
maybe Joe Johnson
puts in a good word for us at the FA Summit.
This thing is going to make Yalta look way minor league.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
Eh...
I wouldn’t jump for joy, but I’d cheer on the Wizards as a team. Winning might make my dislike for LeBron fade a little. Buckhantz is the true LeBron hater. Wonder how he’d feel…
I've given my opinion on this matter several times but here it is again...
If you have the chance to sign the best player in the world, you do it.
by hibachi on May 28, 2010 3:10 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
two words that won't make lebron james come here: FLIP SAUNDERS
so lebron is going to leave a 60 win team for the wiz and flip. LOL.
Flip has a good record as a successful coach. Hasn’t won a championship, but has taken some good teams deep in the playoffs. He wouldn’t be the reason. I like your first sentence: leaving a 60 win team for the wiz. Doesn’t add up.
I put my money where my mouth is on Intrade. I think he’s staying in Cleveland.
My swag was phenomenal.
Or he is going to join the Nets
who don’t have a coach?
Or the Bulls? How has that Del Negro scenario played out?
Or the Heat, who are rumored to be pushing out their coach to reinstall Riley?
Or the Clippers?
I think that of all the teams with money, the Wizards offer the most stable coaching situation.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
except for the Knicks
and the shine might be off D’Antoni due to Gentry’s success.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
You guys beat me 2 it
Knicks with D’Antoni are the only comparable coaching situation.
The Heat have a 39 year old Spoelstra.
CHI, LAC, NJN, CAVS have no coach currently.
by forthepeople on May 28, 2010 3:53 PM EDT up reply actions
yes but all those teams with no coaches
offer jebron the chance to hand pick a coach. that’s a strength, not a weakness.
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on May 28, 2010 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions
not sure if thats a strength
do you really want Lebron dictating how you run your franchise from the outset? BayArea made this point in another post, and I’ve come to agree with him, Lebron also has to bear partial blame for the situation that the Cavs now find themselves in.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
yeah i personally think it's all messed up priority wise
as far as building a team.
i meant a strength as far as getting james to sign with your team.
"how ironic - you came here with a mouse in a bottle, now YOU are the mouse in the bottle" - B.M. Smith
by little stevie colter on May 28, 2010 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree
I think a franchise would be making a huge mistake if it HAD to sign Calipari if they wanted Lebron.
It can def. be seen as an asset, however, if I’m looking at an uncertain coaching situation I might think twice as a FA.
It would be interesting to see if JVG comes up in any of this – for all the talk of Jackson and Calipari – the rumor mill has sorta quieted down on him going anywhere.
The artist formerly known as ledellforlife.
Aren't a lot of available options better than Flip
Tom Thibodeau is probably the most important guy to watch. If Lebron likes him I could definitely see them joining forces in Chicago.
Phil and coach K aren’t going anywhere.
In my opinion, Flip is equal to or greater than all the other candidates.
by forthepeople on May 28, 2010 4:52 PM EDT up reply actions
How good?
How good do you think the Wizards would be next season with James? How many wins? How far in the playoffs?
DC does not need Lebron, they have
Wall!!
by Mikko Leinonen's opposite on May 29, 2010 12:22 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I'd support Lebron....
but I enjoy hating on him much more.
by Kuruption on May 29, 2010 1:46 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
At the end of the day, the conversation really doesn't matter
Because Bron and Gil would just end up colliding in the first practice and all 4 knees would explode…..
I dont want LeBron.
I’d rather have Wall with our draft picks and then sign someone else either this or next year who doesn’t always need the ball in his hands to be successful like LeBron. Both Wall and LeBron need the ball in their hands, it wont work. Plus LeBron is a douche.
The Shanahan era is going to bring the Redskins back to Glory! Great QB and an actual O-line.
The Q is not where is LeBron going, but where are Lebron and Wade going?
LeBron is packaging himself with another superstar; who is likely going to be Wade. He is not going back to tired old Cleveland with no other superstar to play with (aging Jamison proved he does not count) and Cleveland is not attractive to Wade or Bosh. No way he comes to Washington because we no longer have a superstar (though we will have a budding one in Wall!) nor do we have the cap room to get one with LeBron. He goes to Chicago, N.J. or New York.
I agree that the only fun we have had the past two years is hating on Lebron, and that has proven to be pretty fun.
Bosh in a sign and trade is a possibility
As is Wade in a sign-and-trade…..
That’s the only way to get LeBron in Washington with another superstar….
The Wizards would have to give up a lot to get Wade (or Bosh):
Blatche ($3M), Young ($1.7M), McGee ($1.4M), Thornton ($2M), sign Josh Howard to a reasonable contract ($5M), sign Livingston to a reasonable contract ($4M) PLUS give up this year’s #5 pick and the #30 pick PLUS probably our 2012 First Rounder to get Dwayne Wade….
Then, if my math is right – with Arenas ($17 Million), Wade ($17 M), and 10 Cap Holds (@ $500K each)….The Wizards would have barely enough to offer LeBron a Max contract ( ~ $16.6 Million)… After that, the Wiz would have to fill in the roster with minimum contract players….at least 10 of them…..
Then we’d have a team where three players all NEED the ball in order to score….. Who takes a back seat? Arenas, for sure… but does Wade defer to LeBron?
All in all, this seems like a bad plan….
I like the “lets get more picks, and build through the draft” plan better…
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
On the other hand.... if Miami can dump Beasley and Daequan Cook
They could offer both Bosh and LeBron max contracts… to come play in sunny Miami (with no State income tax)… LeBron, Wade and Bosh could work…..
Illinois (Bulls) = 3% (flat rate)
New York (Knicks) = 8.97% (assuming highest tax bracket)
New Jersey (Nets) = 10.97% (assuming highest tax bracket)
Washington (Wizards) = 8.5% (assuming highest tax bracket)
Ohio (Cavaliers) = 6.24% (assuming highest tax bracket)
With a $100 Million contract, a basketball player can save himself between $3 Million (Illinois) – to almost $11 Million – simply by choosing to play in Miami….
Anyone who thinks that doesn’t play a major part in the decision process is fooling themselves.
Tax info courtesy of http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/ind_inc.pdf
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
NYC also has an income tax
so that’s another strike against the Knicks.
But I think the tax differences are probably overblown. Creative accounting can make a big difference, and NBA players have half the year free to do lots and lots of charity work.
I don't think they are overblown
You make more money if you play in Florida. Period.
by BayAreaBullet on May 30, 2010 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Great analysis Rook6980 -
And it reinforces the idiocy of thinking Lebron is coming to DC. Miami, however, looks pretty good for him, especially if as rumored Riley coaches again.
I think part of the scam goes something like this:
Nike pays LeBron $100k for an appearance or motivational speech. That sets the market for LeBron’s time. During the off season, LeBron makes, say, 20 appearances for charities, but instead of getting paid for each appearance, he takes a tax write off instead. $100k/appearance x 20 appearances = $2 million in tax write offs. Plus he gets to look like a great, caring human being, which only helps his marketability as a pitch man for Madison avenue.
It’s a proven fact that the really, really rich pay less taxes, percentage-wise, than ordinary Americans.
by yop32 on May 30, 2010 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Many reasons for DC to keep Lebron away
1. He wants too much money. Sound familiar?
2. He’s a prima donna. Sound familiar?
3. He wants the ball too much. Will young players have time to develop around that?
4. We are stuck with Gilbert for now.
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
This will be by far the greatest dilemma for me as a sports fan..
The team I love the most acquiring the player I loathe the most. After too many years of wishing the guy would lose everytime he touched the court, to turn around and try to root for him for 82+ games a year would be extremely difficult. I just pray that he doesn’t come here!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Days of NBA Lives: Wherein Roy Hibbert tap-dances to Maine
- Grizzlies Valentine’s Day cards are the key to love
- Kevin Love would like the NBA to take the MLB’s approach on All-Star games
- Kobe Bryant fires a few hilarious salvos at Jeremy Lin
- Brandon Jennings states the obvious regarding his 2014 free agency, everyone goes nuts
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
