Ray Felton (Photo. Stephen Hill)I’m not a big fan of expansion in pro sports. That sounds funny coming from a guy born and raised in Seattle, who wouldn’t have the Mariners or Seahawks were it not for MLB and NFL expansion in the late-1970s, and who’s favorite NFL team (the Browns) wouldn’t exist if the League hadn’t granted Cleveland an expansion team in ‘99, but that’s how I feel. While it’s cool for a city to get a new sports franchise (just as it sucks to lose one; thanks, Clay Bennett), once you get past a certain number of teams, the diluted talent pool in any sports league becomes notable. In the NBA, I always felt like 27-28 teams was a good number. And aside from some sad faces in certain cities, the overall product would benefit if we cut it down from the current 30 teams. Just for fun, if we got rid of three of the League’s financial bottom-feeders — Memphis, Atlanta and Charlotte — and put them together into one Southeast franchise (giving the League 28 teams), how would that team look?
PG: Ray Felton
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Gerald Wallace
PF: Josh Smith
C: Pau Gasol
Bench: Jason Richardson, Rudy Gay, Mike Miller, Al Horford, Marvin Williams, Nazr Mohammed, Mike Conley Jr., Kyle Lowry.
That’s a deep squad. Now obviously this wouldn’t happen even if the NBA folded some franchises — the League would disperse these guys amongst the other existing teams — but I’d definitely rather watch this squad than the current-day Hawks/Bobcats/Grizzlies.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Taliban says:
That team would crush people’s souls. Doesn’t that same general “quality over quantity” argument pertain to the number of games played in the League? Do you think that if the season was 62 games instead of 82 games you would see the type of shitty attitude that you do out of a guy like Jermaine O’Neal?
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
T.M.P.B.W.O.T.P. says:
Cutting the season down by 20 games would make me feel like the players weren’t earning those monster contracts. Everyone would have to take a pay cut due to lost revenue from ticket and merchandise sales and TV money.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Akash says:
Missing Okafor in the lineup, throw him in and we got a new dynasty
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Celts Fan says:
Exactly! Plus, each game would mean so much more and the rivalries, etc. would be that much more heated. I think every major league is at it’s max or more (looking at you hockey) and shouldn’t expand anymore, with contraction being a good solution in a lot of cases. More talent on every team is always a winning recipe when you take away the bottom feeders and ignored teams. Even the average playoff teams back in the 70s had 2-3 HOFers, with the title teams typically having 4 or 5 (or more when you look at the old-school Celtics and Lakers.) Now, even the best teams have 2 usually, 3 max (Celts, Spurs, Suns maybe.) That would improve the product on the floor and make games that much better. It makes too much sense and costs too many dollars, so it’ll never happen, but every pro league (other than football, which is about right) could benefit from shedding 2-5 teams…
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Austin Burton says:
You’re right, I forgot Okafor. Put him on the bench in place of Nazr.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:08 pm
GEE ...Go and get ya money lil' shoebox boi says:
Naw I love expansion. Gives cities a new look and also adds to the excitement of teams who haven’t been in long doing well with a good gm, coach and players.
LOL bottom feeders have their place, and they also add to the dimension of 1 player or 2 on a team really becoming bonified stars rather than getting caught up in a talent pool sometimes where they are over-looked.
Then you have certain players that bond with certain teams or cities and create a legacy there. I am for the more the merrier.
If it was up to me give each state 1 NBA team and lets get it! Oh and as far as the number of games, we should keep that, but def. bring these high %@$ salaries down all across the NBA board.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Keith says:
Great idea Austin! Shoot it over to Commish Stern. LOL!
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Vertman says:
Hello?! Am I reading this on Dime?! This is the worst piece of crap I’ve yet to read on here! I assume you had nothing else to write so you thought of this garbage, and that’s putting it nicely!
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Myrie says:
Ok whatever….better question is:
What city would this team be in?
Atlanta is not a sports city. Memphis keeps losing money. And in Charlotte, the fans hate the owner(s). So, if you wanna eliminate teams, what city/state would this team play for?
Vegas? Oklahoma City? Vermont? Kentucky? other?….
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
MiCkeY MoNDaY says:
That wouldnt be a bad look….
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Austin Burton says:
I was trying to think of a city and it was tough. Maybe somewhere else in North Carolina besides Charlotte?
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:40 pm
GEE ...Go and get ya money lil' shoebox boi says:
I am down with Vegas or in VA. If that was to happen.
I think Atl. is a fine sports city. The Falcons did go to the Super Bowl once (even though they lost). The Braves have done very well before. The Hawks will have their day. Atl. just gets a lot of bad breaks.
Real poor decisions mainly.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Austin Burton says:
I think what he meant is that Atlanta fans don’t support their teams. The Hawks have been drawing weak crowds ever since I can remember.
January 23rd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Myrie says:
North Carolina is not desperate for a pro baskeball team.
Imagine if this team played in Myrtle Beach(SC) or Virginia Beach(VA)….
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Celts Fan says:
That’s a good call Myrie. Another thought could be Raleigh, NC or beat that d-bag Clay to OK City
January 23rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
GEE ...Go and get ya money lil' shoebox boi says:
You really think he meant that lol…?
Ok I will give you that on The Hawks having weak crowds, specially having been to some of them games back when. I think the thing is you have to find a model that works and then follow it or at least use it in your creation.
Atl. loves star power (see Mike Vick). Atl. needs to go after a major, major star. I am talking Kobe, LeBron, or Wade. Then from there they should build.
I mean I love the whole team they have going now, but Atl. really ain’t gone get behind these dudes unless they crack the playoffs.
If you want season sellouts you have to get a major basketball wise for Atl.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Myrie says:
Atlanta is a fine city (overall). Link that lil funny looking comic said in his chronicles standup–you can have all your dreams come true in Atlanta or get punk’d at a stoplight and die….
But I don’t see Atlanta as being a sports town. The fans seems disinterested in supporting the local teams. The Atlanta Braves won all thru the ’90s and fans didn’t show up until the World Series.
The Hawks haven’t sold out a game since the Omni (yeah…taking it back for you young whippers; what you all know about the Omni?).
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Juanito says:
I love Atlanta and lived there for years, but it’s a lame sports town outside of UGA football (which isn’t even in Atlanta, mind you). I went to a game of the 2000 NLCS to see the Braves and Dbacks…the place was only 2/3 full…FOR THE FREAKING NLCS!!!! Hawks games were way worse. I went to see them play Sacramento in ‘02 with some Turkish friends. The stands were full of other Turks cheering for Turkoglu plus Serbs cheering for Vlade and Peja…85% of the arena cheering for the opposing team. Really sad. Ditto for Thrashers and Falcons (probably way worse post-Vick now). Too many transients in the ATL. No one is from there, but they live there. Kinda like LA and DC as well.
January 23rd, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Celts Fan says:
The problem w/ Atlanta is that it has a ton of transplants. These people may change addresses, but their team loyalties remain the same. They’ve been a horrid sports city as long as I can remember. Some major star power would help (where would it not?) but you need to be able to support a team through the rough years too. fair weather fans aren’t fans!
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:44 pm
kowtz says:
YOU NEED A CITY, BETTER OUT THIS IN VEGAS…
COZ IN NO WAY CAN A CITY PAY MONSTER LUXURY IF THIS IS YOUR LINEUP…
That’s 41 Mil $ for 08-09 season… only for 3 players… JRICH, PAU, and JoeJ…
and they aren’t even Boston Material…
Put in Mike Miller’s 9, Gerald Wallace’ 8.5, and MarvWill’s 7…
you have roughly 66 Mil $… for 6 players…
and the 9 players left?
Josh Smith 3M
Ray Felton 4M
Rudy Gay 2.5M
Al Horford 4M
Nazr Mohamed 6M (I like Stro or Wright here instead)
MCJ 5M (Contract year)
Kyle Lowry 1M
JCN (PAU’s PG) 0.5M
EMEKA 7M
That’s 99 Million Dollars… Big Whoop… they better beat everybody badly… Take note that I even dropped Darko’s stupid ballooned contract…
or else they’ll be like Dallas at 93 Mil, and New York at 88.8 Mil…
One things for sure though… KNICKS will welcome this line-up for 99 Million Dollars… ;D
QUESTION: Who’s gonna run the team? Mike? Who’s Gonna Coach?
January 24th, 2008 at 12:33 am
Stallion says:
All I have to say is that plenty of opponents would feel violated having to play a team with Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith, and Emeka Okafor all on the same team.
January 24th, 2008 at 4:21 am
Benoit Benjamin says:
And you caould call the franchise the Haboblies. Now who wouldn’t pay to watch the Mematlotte haboblbies play?
January 24th, 2008 at 11:24 am
doc says:
Put them in Philly and whoever can have the Sixers