If Robin played in the NBA, he’d command max money, sissy tights and all.

Look at the Robins out there: Rashard Lewis, signed to a max deal to be Howard’s side kick. Pau Gasol, making max money as Kobe’s assistant. In Boston there are two Robins making more money than Batman. These are the three teams that have played in the finals over the past two years.

These “second best players” may not deserve max contracts, but they get them, and I don’t think Orlando, Boston, or LA regrets paying them top dollar.

Gallo is not better than Bargnani because of his upside. He’s better because of his production. They are both primarily scorers, and Gallo is a much better scorer:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=1&p1=bargnan01&y1=2010&p2=gallida01&y2=2010
One 9-13 game doesn’t change that. Gallo’s career TS% is 54 basis points higher.

Lee v. Bosh:
Lee has at least made it a question worth asking and it depends on the money both will make, but I have a hard time seeing any argument that Bosh is not a superior player by a pretty wide margin, i.e. on a different level:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&p1=boshch01&y1=2010&p2=leeda02&y2=2010

In this league Bosh IS a max player, period. There is no doubt he will get the max. Not even a question. He’s one of the best offensive bigmen in the game. Clearly he’s not the best player in the league, not one of the best 5 even, but under the NBA’s salary structure the guy deserves a max contract. A lot less deserving players have gotten max contracts. A LOT.

“we could debate the importance of defense where I think the gap IS huge”

I don’t think the gap on defense is as big as on offense.

“z- a max player-imo-is a player you build a team around. A player who can be the best player on a championship caliber team.”

A max player is by definition a guy who gets the max salary. The CBA is such that great players are underpaid (good players are often overpaid, but I don’t think that’s the CBA’s fault). Call it a “championship caliber franchise player” if that’s what you mean. If there were no max salary LeBron, Wade, Paul, Howard… those guys could make well over 20 mill per. If there were no cap at all they might get 50 mill per or something ridiculous like that.

“I think the fact that the cap is going down for the first time ever, signals the end of an era.”

I think it signals that we are in the biggest recession since the great depression… Even in that recession with the cap going down guys like Hedo and Gordon and Bargnani got paid.

“And those guys do not deserve max money”

The market seems to disagree with you. A guy like Bosh doesn’t make you a contender without some other really strong players, but if you put a half decent team around him you’re in the playoffs every year. As a fan of a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 6 years, I can appreciate the value in that.

“I seriously doubt Joe Johnson, for example will get the $60 over 4 he turned down.”

I think he will. I don’t think he’s as valuable as Bosh, though… he’s arguably not the best player on his own team.

I hear this a lot, and I assume this statement is based on productivity. That for a “superstar” he doesn’t measure up statistically to the truly elite players in the league.

But in the case of Bosh, isn’t it possible that his perceived value IS his real value? That he is worth max money because his presence on a team is enough to convince another, truly elite player, to sign with the team in the off-season. He may not deliver as well on the court as his salary would dictate, but he could, theoretically, deliver a second superstar to a team that has enough cap space to afford two max players this summer.