I think they've done a reasonable job of encouraging loyalty by allowing current teams to pay slightly more in max contracts, but I'd like to see that taken further really. I want a team to get salary cap exceptions based on a rolling average of length of time players have been on the team. Increases stability, encourages more attention to drafting and developing young players. At the same time shorten the max duration of rookie deals so players are empowered to leave if they feel their career is being harmed by the current situation. With that you've aligned the incentive for both team and player towards development. Currently teams can't invest in long term development over immediate production at least in part b/c they fear spending that effort on a guy just to watch him go to greener pastures when he hits free agency. Let the home team pay a lot more, let the salary cap be flexible according to loyalty, let young players be empowered, and reward veterans for loyalty. Vets are incentivized to help young guys have a good experience because if they stick around the teams cap overall goes up and that means more potential money for the vets.
This is not even close to true, at least partially because you ignore lost productivity as a direct cost of smoking.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4862676/
This is only true if Nicholls was privy to internal discussions at ESPN about the need to increase diversity. Even then I would find it arguable that opposing a diversity initiative, especially in a public media industry, could be considered racist.
I don't know if it's ironic but I'm more or less in the same boat. I'll probably watch because I think Phoenix is a somewhat compelling team but Milwaukee minus Giannis for a 7-game series is a foregone conclusion really.
If ESPN wanted to right the ship of NBA coverage they'd get rid of Jay Williams, Jaylen Rose and really any one else on their NBA studio crew currently. Hire the Knuckleheads podcast to do what they do live. If you have to have a lady, steal Candace Parker and let her bring the technical analysis. Profit.
Maybe it's because every time I see her she's talking to Jalen rose, but I don't think Taylor is that good. Not like Nichols is hall of Fame material either. Everybody loses. ESPN will continue to show more Stephen a Smith until that's all it is.
I'm not saying he's a spare, just that he's not your #1 foundational piece. I'm also not sure it's a foregone conclusion that he's better than any of the options in the draft at the spots suggested in the trade speculation post. I agree OKC would be mildly worse with either the proposed Detroit or Cleveland trades but I also don't think Detroit or Cleveland would be any better.
They're playing the Hawks, man. I know they were a pretty good story for the playoffs, but it's a mirage.
Suns with the gentleman's sweep if they stay healthy and no Giannis.
SGA is not statistically a guy a that's going to move the needle for any of those teams. Is he even better than Colin Sexton? Why would they swap Sexton AND #3 overall for SGA? That's crazy talk.
Or CA is the only state treating the climate crisis as real and you don't think the accelerating global death spiral should interfere with your freedumb to choose a fucking kitchen sink. I'm team fuck you.
LMAO. Nah, fuck Paul George. He is as front running a guy as there is. They led basically the whole game last night and Reggie Jackson was the one answering little runs by the suns. When he leads them wire to wire when the rest of the team is not playing well it will be the first.