MA few years ago, when it was discovered that, beginning July 1, 2010, some of the League’s best players would all become available during the same off-season, certain teams lost their minds. And for good reason. Mired in mediocrity, many teams did all they could in order to clear cap space for the unprecedented summer of 2010. Some began this initiative as early as 2008. Certain teams were successful in their endeavors while many failed.
Last year, the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Amar’e Stoudemire, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, David Lee, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rudy Gay were available in some form or fashion. The Knicks, Nets, Bulls, Clippers and other squads were flying guys in all over the country in attempt to convince them to take their millions of dollars. A couple of the aforementioned did not attend college, so that undoubtedly served as the recruiting experience that they missed out on.
There has never been so many marquee free agents at the same time like that, quite possibly ever, in any sport. That created an incredible amount of buzz around the NBA and caused many to pay attention to the League. Even those that don’t normally pay the Association any mind. And when LeBron announced that he was going to Miami, forget it. The NBA became as popular as it’s ever been.
But this year is a bit different. And I’m not even talking about the lockout. I’m referring solely to the crop of free agents this time around. While you could form an all-star team with some of the names I mentioned above, this year we’ll probably see a bidding war for the likes of Josh Howard, Caron Butler and Nene ensue. Now, those guys aren’t bums by any stretch, but it’s not quite the summer of 2010. This year really proves just how special last summer was.
However, aside from the list of free agents, the constant trade rumors are what’s really peaking the interest of NBA junkies this time around. Speaking of which; if Chris Paul does decide to go to a contender for less money it would render some of the the owners’ and David Stern’s efforts unsuccessful because guys can choose to turn down money. Also, what happens when a team overpays for a guy like Nene (because you know it will happen)? But, I digress.
If you’re looking for your everyday, predictable basketball talk, then go somewhere else, because Kevin Burke of The Kevin Burke Project brings provocative, thought provoking content about basketball as only he can. Kevin also hosts The Hoop Doctors weekly podcast show, which you can subscribe to for free on iTunes. Follow Kevin on Twitter and Facebook
