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basketball

Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 12:31PM / Members only

after reading this article by john hollinger about the rockets (it talks about the options they have with yao still injured), it got me thinking.

for the western conference semi-finals, the rockets still managed to beat the lakers twice without yao, mcgrady, or mutumbo. as hollinger points out, they had $25 million in salaries going up against the lakers' $75 million.

now, what if the rockets, or any team for that matter, built a team without superstars? ie. they have no max-level contract players? so, rather than have mcgrady for $20 million, they have 2 or 3 players with the same money?

if you figure the salary cap is $59 million and each team can have 15 players, that works out to $3.93 million per player. let's just say $4 million per. that's actually a decent amount. it's not too far below the mid-level exception of $5.58 million.

so, let's say for the top 8 players on the team, you give slightly more than the mid-level: $6 million. that totals $48 million. then you split the remaining $11 million with the last 7 players, or about $1.5 million each. with the top 8 players, you have the starting 5, plus the backup point, wing (SG/SF), and post (PF/C).

(or, give the top 5 players $7 million, the next 3 $6 million, the next 3 $1 million, the last 4 $750k.)

what this does is two things:

1) it creates insurance. if one or two or three players are injured, you have a just-as-capable backup there and aren't totally screwed. similarly, if one of the players blows up and another team gives him a huge contract, again, you aren't totally screwed.

2) it has flexibility. if you have an internal "player cap" of $6 million, you will never be stuck with an untradeable contract (unless you really overpaid for that player, which is hard to do with a $6 million contract). a bunch of $6 million and $1.5 million contracts are easier to move than a big $20 million one.

so, while you might not be able to put a super-awesome starting 5 on the floor, if you draft/bid well, you could put a decent product on the floor at all times - regardless of injury. and if you had 8 players that were all very good players (but no superstars) ... it still might be able to beat out the teams with 1 or 2 superstars and cheap role players. you'd be able to rotate your players in and give people rest while the other team leans on its superstars and wear them out.

personally, after the last few years of following the rockets (and wizards) ... i'm jaded on superstars. in most cases, if your main star gets injured, you're basically a lottery team. the rockets have been pretty much without a superstar during the entire yao/mcgrady era (the two players combined have played only about 50% of their games over their careers), and because their team and payroll is more balanced, they still manage to almost always get in the playoffs.

the pistons are another good example (not counting the past year). they had 5 players that were all very strong and no one had a max level contract. during that time they managed to get to the eastern conference finals or further like 6 times in a row from 2002-2008, even winning one title in the process.

or, an even more extreme example would be to have your top 10 players all be at the mid-level. that'd total $55 .8 million, then give the last 5 players about $640k each. and then go with bill simmons and malcolm gladwell's idea about having a full-court press team. have your starting 5 play a more traditional style, and have players 6-10 play something totally opposite, like the full-court press.

back when people used to play street fighter 2 in the arcades, my brother an i used to both play guile, but we had very different styles. when we'd play other people, one of us would go first. then the other one would play the second round. then whichever of us did better would take the third round (if it came to that). it worked really well. i think it'd make sense to do that for basketball, too.

heck, you could go super extreme and have 15 players all making $4 million per year and have 3 teams-of-five with very different strategies. and then rotate them in each for 16 minutes (for a total of 48 minutes). so each team would get 1 and a third quarters to play. and since each team-of-five would only need to play 16 minutes, they could go 110% all out.

the main problem with this idea, though, is that players like to play a lot of minutes. if everyone only got 16 minutes, they'd be pretty unhappy. the two team idea works better because you could probably give the starting 5 about 30 minutes each, and the full-court 5 about 18 minutes each.

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business ideas for artists

Sunday, Jun 28, 2009 12:57PM / Members only

from helping to run alivenotdead.com, i've been able to understand the economics of the different art industries here.

from my point of view, i think the indie filmmakers have it the toughest. a film is generally much harder and more expensive to make than an album (or short film versus a song), and harder to monetize. indie films have a very tough time getting into theaters, and no one buys dvds these days. if they put it on the internet, they don't make any money on it.

so i was thinking ... at least with music artists they can do concerts. so, why couldn't filmmakers do something similar? maybe convince a theater to let indie artists screen their work one night each month. the theater sells tickets, and shares the proceeds with the artists. that would be the equivalent of bands doing concerts. and if you pick an off day for the theaters, the theater would probably have a better turnout doing this AND the theater would be supporting the local film community.

or, for the music industry.... the way i see it going, physical cd sales will go the way of merchandise. only the hardcore fans will buy it. everyone else will buy/steal the digital version. so, why not look at the visual art (or comic book) models and make the physical cds collectible? let's say selling 10,000 cd's would be considered a huge hit. what if instead, you made a super collectible special edition that you only made 1,000 of, but they each sold for 10 times as much? you could also do the same for dvd's.

or, taking it one step further.... what if you treated each song as a work of art (kind of like a painter's paintings) and sold the song to a collector? if someone bought the song, then you'd give them the master for them to hang up in their house. in the album, next to the song name, you'd list them as the owner. put them in the music video (if there is one). and any money generated from that song would be split between the music artist and the person that bought the song. the owner could also later sell the song to someone else if they wanted.

i know it sounds weird, but ... like ... doesn't everyone have a favorite song? wouldn't it be cool if you could actually buy it? or if you had a favorite band, and you commissioned them to make you a song? the music artists could price their songs at a level where they'd cover all the costs of producing the songs, plus make some extra money as well. and then any money made from album/song sales would be split between the song owners and the artists, but for the artists it would just be gravy since they are already profitable from selling the songs.

hmm, not sure if these ideas are too crazy. just thinking that maybe you can take what works in one industry and transpose it to another industry.....

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mj .... i want you back

Saturday, Jun 27, 2009 3:31PM / Members only

been listening to old mj and jackson 5 songs (and covers) while i've been working today. my own mini-tribute.

what a sad loss. at least he'll enter the pantheon of greats that all passed away early: elvis, princess di, james dean, marilyn monroe, bruce lee, jfk. i bet they're partying away in heaven now, away from the sneering taunts of the media.

when i was still in elementary school, he was at his peak. i remember back then i would daydream that he would show up at our school and i could hang out with him.

even in the 90's people were saying he wasn't cool and made fun of him and my feeling was always "dude, if he showed up right now you would be fawning all over him".

may he rest in peace.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xANiW9yWvGE

hmm, just wondering ... what are your favorite michael jackson songs?

mine are:

man in the mirror
smooth criminal
i want you back
billie jean
beat it

here's another great song:

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gWvBXS2t4A

looking at a bunch of his videos. i have to say that i think he looked best right around this time (early 80's).

23 comments– Add a comment
Pixar grants girl's dying wish to see 'Up'

Friday, Jun 19, 2009 7:53PM / Members only

rest in peace!

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/pixar-up-movie-2468059-home-show

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more sightings

Sunday, Jun 14, 2009 6:22PM / Members only

saw these billboards while wandering the halls of the mtr today. recognize any of these folks?

i also saw two billboards of race, but since i was in a cab at the time, didn't have time to take photos!

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bvngo
posted on Friday, Jul 3, 2009 11:32AM [Report]

Responding to the basketball budget post: the 80s Kings went cheap and got nowhere. They were consistently at the bottom of the NBA ladder and were only seen on national tv once a year, for years. Only when they're willing to spend money on talent were they able to get anywhere. It only works if all the teams aren't willing to spend to get the best possible players and players aren't out to get the best contract for themselves.
Kewei Tay
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 2:25PM [Report]

thanks!!! u r the sweetest, i am trying to be HUGE, but i might settle for something less :p i'm trying i'm trying!!!
Lunar Franklein
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 1:17PM [Report]

thank-you (^o^)/~
Simon Yin
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 12:39PM [Report]

won't be able to make it....wish we could be there! show them the PLEE in BJ!
Sean Tierney
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 11:44AM [Report]

It's all the same; if the word 'Less' appears in the subject line, then it's about the miniature guitar.
Simon Yin
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 11:20AM [Report]

knock 'em dead in BJ!
Haruka Ashida Ostley
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 10:49AM [Report]

Hi Partick, thank you for posting at Artist Update ! :))))
senhman
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 8:29AM [Report]

Yeah, the twins were pretty annoying. I have a theory about the complexity of the designs. They kinda grew on me, and I've gotten used to them. They're still a bit overly complex, but I think if they're too simple, like the cartoons, they'll end up looking like Power Rangers.
Yung Yung Yu
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 4:53AM [Report]

thx
Marie Jost
posted on Thursday, Jul 2, 2009 2:17AM [Report]

Sorry, but I haven't seen "Be kind, rewind". I think in HK the" direct to the people" approach may really have a chance to take off. Again, it is the geographically compact nature of the city and its high population density that would lend itself to this approach. But what to do around here (North Carolina)? I haven't a clue.
Haruka Ashida Ostley
posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2009 9:26PM [Report]

Yes, It was very nice meeting you Patrick! :)) What you guys started is amazing. I am enjoying AnD! :)) thank you! Hope to see you again soon.
Marie Jost
posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2009 7:43PM [Report]

Per your comment--in the US, outside of the NYC and LA areas, are there really many local indie filmmakers? The only ones I've heard of in this area make documentaries, academy award winning documentaries, and their films don't even play this area. Is the audience these days too fragmented to create a critical mass for films not distributed by the majors, I wonder? With the loss of our art houses, I have to wonder, besides the latest cineplex films, does anyone see a movie in the theater anymore? I know I hardly ever go to the movies anymore, yet I watch about 100 films a year on DVD. I think we are only a few years away from direct streaming of movies from Netflix as the only delivery system apart from sitting in a movie theater (DVDs as the main means of viewing films are going to be phased out very soon, it seems). At that point, direct-to-video releases can become very important. Then you can draw an audience from all over the US for your film (speaking only of the US, now). I guess the problem then is to generate enough buzz so that people know what you've got and that they'd be interested in seeing it. Also, if you have 2 viewers in Topeka, 3 in Chicago and another 2 in Ft. Lauderdale, how do they coalesce into an audience rather than a collection of isolated individuals who have no awareness of other fans of a particular film? To get this to work, I think you have to have a forum for people who are interested in the same films to meet. I know Netflix has a forum or something akin to one (I just learned this yesterday, though I've never visited it), but is that enough? I think we are most definitely in uncharted territory and probably a number of different things will work--maybe different things for different geographical areas. HK is easy--it is so geographically circumscribed and so densely populated--that this sort of direct to the people marketing will probably work with enough word of mouth. The US is so diverse, especially outside of LA and NYC, that maybe a variety of different solutions specific to particular geographical realities will have to be tried before the one that will work for a given area is hit upon. It may take some trial and error for markets like Minneapolis, Topeka and Mobile to find out what works for them. Once a film has created some buzz, maybe you can tour it like they do with book tours. But you have to have the buzz first for people to show up. That usually means high-profile celebrity author or local celebrity who has called in a lot of favors to fill those seats. With 21st century media options, there really should be a better way. It is probably out there as plain as the nose on my face, I just can't see it yet.
HKGFM
posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2009 4:07PM [Report]

Hi there RD,

We sure do have plenty of Unsigned artists playing the ALIVEnotDEAD channel at HKGFM.

You can check it out at www.HKGFM.net
Cain McInerney
posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2009 11:25AM [Report]

Thanks! Done!
Wu Di
posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2009 4:43AM [Report]

i will bring her to our party in beijing :-)
MissScarlett
posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2009 3:58AM [Report]

I haven't seen this on anyone's blog dedicated to MJ, but his official site has a place on the front page for fans to leave memories and message. Could you put the link where people will find it?

http://www.michaeljackson.com/
Kristina Lao
posted on Wednesday, Jul 1, 2009 12:39AM [Report]

Hiya,

Thanks for the comment on youtube! Really glad you like the song! Hopefully more will be on the way soon :)
Kongo Rikishi (Esan Shi)
posted on Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009 9:12PM [Report]

Thanks.
Candy Lo Hang-Yin
posted on Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009 8:42PM [Report]

only that I was the beautiful, cutie Minnie Mouse :P
Chris Chung
posted on Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009 5:48PM [Report]

Damn, seems like theres not many good movies out at the moment, any cool movie releases in HK? theyre releasing Ip man 2 this fall right?
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rottendoubt

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born in la, moved to maryland when i was 5, then back to california to go to college. joined one of my best friend's company in xiamen and ended up moving to china...
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born in la, moved to maryland when i was 5, then back to california to go to college. joined one of my best friend's company in xiamen and ended up moving to china. now working on a new project with boys from alive (alivenotdead.com) and spending most of my time in hong kong. lots of changes in my outlook on life, the universe, and everything over the past few years. abc, but my chinese ain't that hot. super high metabolism, though it's slowed down a lot recently. look young, feel old. while driving, the guy in your rearview mirror singing at the top of his lungs to himself. highly optimistic, except when it comes to girls. tend to only like the ones that wouldn't like me back. believe strongly in karma and the golden rule. agnostic. not interested in politics. tend to assume the best in people. oblivious to sarcasm and jokes. feel that life is too short; felt that way for as long as i can remember. if you're not happy where you are, do something about it. take the road less traveled. afraid of heights, speed, and the supernatural. wish i could fly like superman. left handed. obsessive compulsive. very neat. drink socially, but don't smoke or do drugs; i don't trust my willpower if i start. poor willpower, but strong ideals - which unfortunately can result in hypocrisy. pick things up quickly, but also quickly lose interest in things. bad at keeping in touch. lazy, but ambitious. overpowering conscience. can't cheat or tell lies at all. introspective. care too much about what other people think. shy and aloof with strangers. yet if i'm in a club and a song i like comes on, i will be the first one on the dance floor. want to be popular. want to be in a band, be in a movie, write a book, create a game, and more -- if only there was enough time to do it all! try to push people to reach their potential. nerd leader. want to be the nice guy that doesn't finish last.

Professional Bio
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Patrick Lee is the CEO of alivenotdead.com, an online community for artists and their fans, with over 1,350 artists and 445,000 registered users. Patrick was also the Executive Producer of "The Heavenly Kings", directed by Daniel Wu (Best New Director, 2007 Hong Kong Film Awards). Prior to alivenotdead.com, Mr. Lee co-founded and served as CEO of Rotten Tomatoes (rottentomatoes.com), a leading entertainment website focused on movie reviews and news and one of the top 1,000 most trafficked sites in the world (according to Alexa). Rotten Tomatoes was sold to IGN Entertainment in 2004; and IGN was subsequently sold to News Corp in 2005. Mr. Lee also co-founded and served as CEO for Design Reactor (designreactor.com), a leading Internet marketing firm focused on the entertainment industry. Design Reactor’s portfolio of clients under Patrick's tenure included Disney, ABC, Warner Bros., and Artisan Entertainment, among others. Patrick holds a BA in Cognitive Science from the University of California at Berkeley.
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Age: 35
Gender: Male
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