Money Talks: Sacrifices! Part 1
CP3 ruined the Rockets, literally and figuratively.
Game 7, western conference finals; the Houston Rockets shoot 7 of 44 from 3-point range.
7 of 44!
At one point the Rockets missed 27 straight 3 pointers but did that stop them from letting that thing fly? Nope. And why would it? They had lived by the three all season; but on this night they died by it. Losing to the Golden State Warriors is in a tightly contested matchup by just 9 points. Chris Paul did not play in this game 7 nor did he play in game 6 because of an injured hamstring suffered late in game 5. The Rockets had won game 5 despite losing Chris Paul and had gone up 3–2 in the series, putting Golden State, perhaps the most powerful basketball team in NBA history, on the brink of elimination. Many believe, including myself, that had Chris Paul been able to play in game 7 the Rockets would have defeated the Warriors and been on their way to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1995.
So Chris Paul literally ruined the Rockets’ chances by getting hurt. Had he been on the floor, the floor general extraordinaire surely would have been able to settle the troops in the midst of them shooting themselves out of the playoffs and into the off-season. Surely a player of his savvy and influence would have put them in position to get more quality looks near the rim rather than allowing them to continue to shoot 30 footers. It’s not entirely his fault though; injuries are a part of the game and you can’t really do anything about them. CP3, however has had this knack for getting hurt at the most inopportune times which has probably cost him chances at more playoff success than he has had.
Which brings me to my next point about how CP3 ruined the Rockets figuratively speaking.
Fast forward to last summer. The off-season. Coming off an opportunity squandered and the belief that you could have beaten Goliath. Chris Paul and the Rockets were eager to get back to the grind and show everybody the season was not an aberration; that they were indeed the best team in the league. Chris Paul even posted a picture on his Instagram account with the caption “UNFINISHED BUSINESS…RUN IT BACK” after signing an extension for $160M over 4 years. That is $40M/year in case math is not your forte.
Don’t get me wrong, Chris Paul deserved his money because he is a big time player but that sure does not leave a lot of money on the table for anyone else to partake in. At what point do you say you know what I think I can take a little bit less in order to give my team the best chance to put together a roster that can compete for a championship. Chris Paul really forced Houston’s hands. Now with all the money tied up in himself, James Harden, and Clint Capela who signed a 5 year $90M deal just days after Chris Paul re-signed, there was not much left to give to your defensive stalwarts and shooters who were vital pieces to your success. Trevor Ariza left and went to the Phoenix Suns on a 1-year deal and Luc Mbah a Moute headed to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Houston tried to do the best they could and patch the hole by signing Carmelo Anthony (who we will talk about more later in this post), but Carmelo has never been known as even a solid defensive player and at this stage in his career, his offensive brilliance just doesn’t make up for his defensive deficiencies. Houston found themselves in second to last place in the western conference (at 11–14) through December 10th this season. For a while it looked like they had little chance of even returning to the playoffs. They have scratched, clawed, and fought their way back since then, but that is a far cry from the team that just went toe to toe with the juggernaut out in the bay.
You see basketball is about chemistry and how the pieces on your team fit together to form a winning system. Sometimes; actually most times, in basketball, sacrifices have to be made in order to develop that system. At some level, there has to be sacrifice in order to make the whole thing work. We have seen examples of this time and time again.
In 2010, when Lebron James sent shockwaves across the NBA by announcing “The Decision” to join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, there was much speculation about how this could actually work. Part of that speculation was how the financial aspect was going to work in order to get three max level players under the cap and still have enough money to fill out a roster. Someone was going to have to sacrifice in order to make this work. James and Bosh both took less money than they could have gotten by re-signing with their respective teams. It was Wade though, the teams star who had already delivered a championship to the city, who sacrificed the most.
Wade not only had to sacrifice cash to make it work but he had to sacrifice his role and status within the organization. Wade had the clout, the talent, and the resume to say “look I’m not taking less, these guys are coming to join me. I’m the champion, I’m the franchise cornerstone, I’m the guy that did the recruiting, I deserve to be paid.” Wade didn’t do that because he realized somebody has to give up something in order to reach the intended goal which is to win a championship. That’s just the person that Wade is; he has been sacrificing his entire career.
Wade has played in Miami for 15 years and he has never, not once, been the highest paid player on Miami’s roster. I’m sure Wade would have liked to have been recognized for all he’s done for the Heat franchise by being accommodated financially but in the end he realized legacy is not about how much money you have in the bank it’s about championships. How many rings do you have on your fingers? How do you get your name in the conversation when people are discussing the pantheon of basketball greats?
Winning. Of course.
One half of the banana boat crew (Anthony not pictured) realized this and they have 6 championships and 4 Finals MVPs to show for it. The other half not so much, and that’s why Paul and Anthony have only been as far as the conference finals once each.
While we’re here lets talk about Carmelo for a moment. In all fairness to Melo, the whole conversation about his career might be different had the Pistons drafted him at number 2 in the 2003 NBA draft. Carmelo is absolutely big time and a proven winner as he led the Syracuse Orange to the NCAA title in 2003. Even when surrounded by the right players and system he proved in 2009 that he could carry a team to the brink of a championship.
So Anthony’s ringless fingers are not entirely his fault. Even still, Melo had the chance in 2006 to change the trajectory of his career and solidify his spot amongst the greatest the game has ever seen. Carmelo had the same opportunity to take a three-year deal with a fourth year player option that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh had. In fact, that is what James subtly advised Melo to do. That way they would all be free agents together in the prime of their careers and have the opportunity to possibly play together. Anthony took the five-year deal, which meant more guaranteed money, but he missed his opportunity to be apart of one of the greatest events in NBA history.
Not only did Melo miss that opportunity in 2010 but he missed another opportunity to change the narrative of his career in 2014 when he re-signed with the New York Knicks for a whopping $124M over 5 years. Anthony could have signed with the Chicago Bulls, a team that had just lost to the Heat in the second round of the playoffs. Chicago looked like it was just one star away from potentially being able to beat Miami; one guy that you could just throw the ball to in crunch time and say take me there. Carmelo, it seemed, was that guy. The situation was also tailor made for him because just like in 2009, Melo would have had a team behind him that was gritty, tough nosed defensively, and played hard. A team that could mask his liabilities on defense and let him shine on offense.
Carmelo passed.
Chicago would have only been able to give him up to $50M less than what the Knicks could offer but sheesh. Of course I don’t know what Carmelo’s situation was like with his wife and son and any other off the court factors but I’m almost willing to bet my house that he wouldn’t have been hurting with $74M. Sometimes in order to get to the top of that mountain sacrifices have to be made, but Carmelo just couldn’t pass on the cash.
Tim Duncan, arguably the greatest power forward in league history, made $236.4M over the course of his career. Kevin Garnett banked $326M over the course of his illustrious career, almost a whole $100M more. Duncan has five championships to Garnett’s one. Duncan, in part, made it possible for the Spurs to make the playoffs for 21 consecutive seasons. Not just because of his dominance on the court but because of his leadership and willingness to sacrifice so other guys could be comfortable.
The same thing has happened with the players in Golden State. Because their superstar is so selfless and plays with such joy they are able to enjoy championship level basketball year in and year out. Kevin Durant could have gotten much more money had he stayed in Oklahoma City but he saw the winning culture that had manifested itself in Golden State. He wanted to be a part of that. Stephen Curry gave up some of his role, some of his mystique and grandeur in order to accommodate another MVP and top five player. Klay Thompson is on record saying he’s willing to take less money in order to stay in the bay and keep the dynasty alive.
One of the big story lines that has developed this season is the mystery surrounding the pending free agency of New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis. He has been linked in rumors to a number of teams including Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Miami, Boston, and Los Angeles (Lakers). The huge question is where will he end up and when? Will he wait and play out the last year of his contract in New Orleans or force a trade to another destination with the Lakers being the projected front runner. If the latter happens or if he signs with another team after next season he would be eligible for less money than the $239.5M he could make by resigning with the Pelicans. When Davis was asked about potentially leaving that kind of money on the table his response was, “Money or legacy, I think my legacy will win that battle every time.”
It remains to be seen, but if this quote is any indication of Davis’ mindset regarding this topic and he follows through with these sentiments, then he too gets it.
Sacrifice.
Yes, sacrifice on the part of the player is crucial for building a winning situation but that does not absolve ownership and management from all responsibility. We will see in part two how sacrifice on the part of the front office is equally as important in building a championship contender in the NBA.
To be continued…
Written by: Jerrell Walker
Follow on IG: _keepitrell
