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LeBron doesn't want to take step backward
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports columnist
Published on Thursday, Dec 04, 2008
CLEVELAND: The Cavs barely looked like they were working in dismantling the New York Knicks Wednesday night.
This was your basic one-sided, blowout yawner of a victory. The 36-point margin was the largest ever by a Cavs team over the Knicks, for those counting.
It's the way things are going to be for the Knicks this season — and next. A couple of weeks back, New York gutted its roster, sending its two leading scorers elsewhere for guys who won't be playing in New York for long.
Those deals were about clearing salary cap space for 2010.
The next deal will be about buying a house in 2012.
And the next about the team's uniforms in 2016.
That's what New York is planning for. The future. Not now. Not the folks who buy the tickets in Madison Square Garden that cost $200. They don't matter.
The Knicks say they do, of course. But they don't. Not this year, at least.
Yet everyone who follows basketball in New York now thinks LeBron James will happily waltz up East to play there in 2010 if and when he becomes a free agent.
Why not leave a winner to join a losing team with no chance of beating good ones? Would the 10-for-10 free-throw night James had Wednesday be 11-for-10 in New York?
Whatever.
When the free agent class of 2010 hits the market — if it hits the market — it might include James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Amare Stoudemire.
But what about now?
The Knicks were simply awful. Yes, they were on the second of a back-to-back, but they were down 32 in the third quarter.
That made them 2-5 since the trades, the two wins over Washington and Golden State, who started Wednesday with eight wins between them.
It will be a long rest of the season in the Big Apple.
The other team on the floor was the Cavs, who also will have a ton of salary cap space in 2010.
To gain that space, General Manager Danny Ferry has carefully manipulated the roster so contracts expire after next season. When that time arrives, the Cavs will have the wherewithal not only to retain James and more of their current players, but also to add another superstar.
There isn't another team in the league that can do that.
Because the Cavs can go over the cap to retain their players, while other teams have to stay under the cap — expected to be $64.6 million — to sign free agents.
That's in the future. In the present, the Cavs are 15-3 and 10-0 at home.
They are as good as any team in the league, East or West, and should still be playing in June.
This same group of players will stay together next season. The only contracts that expire after this season belong to Wally Szczerbiak, Lorenzen Wright and Tarence Kinsey.
That leaves a championship-caliber team.
James quipped before the game that all the talk of 2010 did not bother him or his team.
''We're good,'' he said.
He's right.
But as James also said, the Knicks will hear about 2010 from now until then. ''They got better things to do,'' James said.
Yet some consider it New York's birthright to sign James.
His decision will come down to several factors, and the most important is the ability to win championships.
He has the chance to win one this season in Cleveland, his hometown.
That's something Michael Jordan never did. He never played in his hometown. James does, and if he wins one or more in his hometown, he will separate himself from the other all-timers.
Don't doubt the importance of that to James.
And don't doubt the importance of James saying he is the league's highest paid player. If he stays in Cleveland, James can sign a deal worth $133 million — give or take $10 million or $20 million. If he leaves, it's $110 million — give or take a few hundred thousand.
Hard to say how he'd get by without that extra coin, but it matters to every athlete. And God knows the guy is hurting for endorsement money in Cleveland.
Let's not forget that James — well — he actually likes playing in Cleveland and living in Bath. The inferiority complex that infects this area might not allow us to believe that fact, but he does.
This might sound like a rose-colored view of the hometown, so let's look realistically.
James will get a max contract no matter where he plays, but in Cleveland, it'll be a lot more max.
The Knicks gutted their team and are selling a sham to their fans. The Cavs competed last year and will compete this year and next. Given the ownership and management, there's no reason to think they won't compete beyond.
The Knicks are not going to be a whole lot better in 2010.
If James wants to go back to the days of Jeff MacInnis and Kevin Ollie in 2003, well, best of luck to him.
But the fact of the matter is that he's on a team that can win.
And can win for a long, long time.
The Knicks?
They're a losing proposition.
Patrick McManamon can be reached at pmcmanamon@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/.
CLEVELAND: The Cavs barely looked like they were working in dismantling the New York Knicks Wednesday night.
Get the full article here.
Comments
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Posted 09:53 AM, 12/04/2008
There is an old saying which perfectly describes the difference between the Cavs and their opponents this season, especially the Knicks.
The Cavs, and the Cav-nots!
Posted 10:16 AM, 12/04/2008
LeBron will disappoint us like Manny and Jim and all the other great athletes. He can get more money if he plays elsewhere just like Manny did when he went to Boston...wait...no he can get more money if he stays. Well, he could get more endorsement money if he plays for the Knicks? No...that's wrong too. Well, he could go play for a better team right now just like Jim Thome did when he signed with the Phillies. Oh wait, that's not right. The Cavs are 15-3 and maybe the best team in the league. Well, he can't leave to play for his hometown because he's already there. Oh of course, his buddy Jayzee (don't know the spelling) in NY...that's the reason for leaving. He can go hang out with him in the fancy clubs of NY. How ridiculous! If LeBron became a free agent tomorrow, are we to really believe he would leave the Cavs to go play for the Knicks? The Knicks need to get better quick if they want any real shot of landing LBJ. I can just see the newspaper headlines in July 2010: It Is Home, Sweet Home For Lebron!
Posted 10:47 AM, 12/04/2008
Just because the Knicks are taking such desperate attempts to get LeBron, and their media is drooling at the thought of a possibility, I hope every major free agent realizes how pathetic they are and passes on their offers, and the only free agent the Knicks can sign is Larry Hughes.
Then Spike Lee can make a crappy movie about it and try to get us all to have sympathy for him, right before telling us how we need to vote.
Posted 10:47 AM, 12/04/2008
Just because the Knicks are taking such desperate attempts to get LeBron, and their media is drooling at the thought of a possibility, I hope every major free agent realizes how pathetic they are and passes on their offers, and the only free agent the Knicks can sign is Larry Hughes.
Then Spike Lee can make a crappy movie about it and try to get us all to have sympathy for him, right before telling us how we need to vote.
Barberton, OH
Posted 12:05 PM, 12/04/2008
LeBron and his 'entourage' of managers should also keep in mind the ownership in the decision. The Dolans own the Knicks, and as any Cleveland Indians fan will tell you, the Dolans are some of the worst owners in the sports business. The Isaiah Thomas saga ALONE should tell you how the ownership there operates.
Posted 01:53 PM, 12/04/2008
Who cares if he leaves. If he goes after the money (which ALL of us would do) then more power to him. Everyone acts like he is their friend because he is from this area. Let him go and lets get players here who WANT to be here and not in it just for the money.
Suwanee, ga
Posted 09:06 PM, 12/04/2008
Check the NBA rules. While the Knicks and anyone will be free to go after LeBron in 2010. None of them can offer a bigger contract then the Cavs. If, LeBron dumb enough to leave for promise of title that no team can truly make. He'll do it for less then the Cavs can pay him. Nike also has already said his changing markets will not change how much he makes from them. He might get more deals being in NYC. But, he won't make more from some of his best endorsements.
Suwanee, ga
Posted 09:08 PM, 12/04/2008
Also any team that clears that much salary cap between now and 2010 for one player will not be in position to go after the NBA title any time soon.
Posted 09:32 AM, 12/05/2008
Sure they will. Boston went from doormat to NBA champs with the addition of 2 aging all stars. It can happen.
Posted 01:53 PM, 12/05/2008
Best article Pat's written in years.
