In the Long Term, We're All Over Paying

A Tweet (oh dear God, I've become one of Them) from Lemur NBA Head Ric Bucher inspired this. Bucher's point was that you should not sign away a "energy player" -- which is to say, a guy whose stock in trade is defense and/or all-around play -- to a big contract, because (a) he'll lose the fire that made him useful in the first place, and (b) he's going to be exposed as limited with increased playing time and prominence.Well, at least that's what I think he thinks. Twitter's 140 character limit is making me extrapolate a bit.There's something to this, of course; a talented player can always hump up with a better attitude, at least for a short period of time. (See the playoff career of Tim Thomas and Jerome James, among many other sprint artists.) The hustle guy can't, at least not theoretically. There is, however, one qualifying point.Long-term contracts are *rarely* in the best interests of the club... in any sport. They exist as a by-produc...