Layup Lines: Would you rather chase rings or chase bags?
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J.R. Smith was a guest on an episode of the No Chill with Gilbert Arenas podcast that aired this week. Arenas and fellow host Josiah Johnson sparked an interesting conversation with Smith about the money vs. rings debate.
Here’s what Smith had to say about Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, who have remained loyal to the teams that drafted them — teams that could offer them more money — rather than forcing their way onto teams better suited to contend for championships.
“I love Dame. I love his game. I respect him for doing what he’s doing. But at the same time, it’s like, you’re just going to rot in Portland bro? Like, you are unbelievable. …
“Brad! You nice! I’m not about to rot in D.C. Like, it’s a nice place. The city is nice, but…my career. I’m trying to win bro.”
However, when Johnson chimed in with the $250 million price tag on Beal’s recent contract extension, Smith had to re-think what he was saying. And the truth is, all of us would.
It’s cute to think we’d all sacrifice a few tens of millions of dollars for the sake of winning, but none of us can definitively say we’d do that unless we were faced with that decision. Just because you team up with other star players doesn’t mean you automatically win a championship — just ask the former Nets trio from a year ago that’s now all but split.
The truth is, jumping teams to chase rings isn’t a real thing for max players in their primes who aren’t named LeBron James or Kevin Durant. Chasing rings is only something role players or players in decline do. Outside of them, only the elite of the elite can actually pull it off, because only those players swing the fortunes of a team so drastically to make it worth the risk. And if that’s what they want to do, good for them.
As for the others, you can’t blame them for not wanting to sacrifice the goodwill (and massive paydays) they’ve built in one city for something that isn’t guaranteed anyway. I’m not necessarily saying chasing bags is the way to go, but KD to Golden State was a sure thing. LeBron to Miami was a sure thing.
Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard bolting for teams that don’t already have one of those top five players only sounds good in theory. They wouldn’t be automatic champions. So the alternative is trying to build something where they are, which is kind of admirable. And if it doesn’t work out, they can still chase the ring somewhere else when their prime is over.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
I’m sure Jimmy Butler would have loved for Beal or Lillard to join him Miami next season, but since they’re both content with staying put, he’ll have to continue shouldering a giant load.
Preparing for that, Butler hit the gym with renowned skills coach Chris Brickley. And after the video hit the Twitter streets, all anyone could talk about was Butler’s hair because, well, let’s just say it’s a lot longer than when we last saw him. The internet had jokes about his new locs, as our guy Sykes wrote:
“No, you’re not tripping. Jimmy’s hair didn’t grow a whole 12 inches in the span of just a couple of months since we last saw him. That hair is, in fact, not his own hair.
He went and got some extensions. Why? Who knows. But he got them. There’s a whole video showing the process.
It’s like magic, y’all. This caught so many people off guard. But the jokes? The jokes were absolutely incredible.”
One to Watch
(All odds via Tipico.)
Sarah Gordon/The Day via AP
Seattle Storm (+135) at Connecticut Sun (-3.5, -108), O/U 158.5, 7 PM ET
I’m rolling with the Sun in this one against the spread. They’re riding a three-game winning streak and have a 2-0 record against the Storm this season, winning those games by an average of nine points.
Shootaround
— The Warriors owe it to Steph Curry and their core to prioritize the present.
— Former Wizards draftee Cassius Winston has signed a contract with FC Bayern Munich.
— Mark Jackson thinks the Knicks could have beaten MJ’s Bulls if they hadn’t traded him for Doc Rivers.