Count me as someone who sees it as bad cap management.
Under this CBA, I think any time you see a GM spend close to the cap, and not make the playoffs, that GM is going to be deservedly feeling the heat for his decisions. I've noticed that this year, under the new CBA, that GMs are in the spotlight much more. Unlimited spending was a great way to cover up mismanagement in the past.
As for Atlanta, they spent like a contender, but didn't achieve like one. Yes, they had injury problems, but, by spending the cap amount, they didn't give themselves any breathing room.
As for the carry over, I'm not sure if I'm a fan of this system. What are the conditions for bonuses. I know it applies only to certain players (coming off an injury, or, over a certain age, I think). Are teams and players free to set the bonuses as they see fit, or, are they restricted to only certain criteria. Specifically, can contracts be signed with bonuses tied to team playoff success (like Hasek's contract, which as signed under the old CBA)?
If so, I can see great abuse of this system. Teams looking to make a major push in one season, and then knowingly rebuild the next can load up on players with low base salaries, and big bonuses. The next year, they blow the team up, and rebuild, but, they can put together a team that they otherwise wouldn't be able to afford ina cap world. If they go over the cap, they just take it out of next year's payroll.
I would rather have seen the excess amount spent be multiplied by a factor (say 1.5) and then reduced from next years payroll. Ideally, it would be cumulitive, with that factor increasing by every couple of million. That way, if someone tries a really aggressive strategy, they could lose $10-15 million in payroll the next season.