Putting the F-U-N back in Phoenix!
I wuz nevar a gud spelar. Phoenix has been boring as hell to watch since they got the Big Diesel or Shaq-tus or whatever you want to call them. They have slowed their offense down to a plodding rate. Shawn Marion has been next to worthless in Miami while O'Neal has recently been playing out of his mind (for an old timer). So the trade was definitely a plus for Phoenix. But somewhere along the way, the team that was perennially at the top of the NBA in offensive efficiency (and at one time, believe it or not, 4th in defensive efficiency) fell off the curve. They gave SA a run last year in Game 1 of the 1st round and have never been the same since.
So now they trade little-used Boris Diaw, defensive specialist Raja Bell, and little-used Sean Singletary for Jared Dudley, a 2nd rounder, and Jason Richardson. So this is 1) a dumb move for Charlotte but honestly doesn't change much for them and 2) a huge coup for Phoenix. Let me just start by saying that Diaw is definitely an upgrade over Dudley, but not in the role he was playing in Phoenix. He can play 30 minutes a night and do well, as he showed a few years back when Amar'e was out. So in that case, it gives Charlotte a much needed big man. And with Richardson it allows Augustin, who has been playing his mind out, and Felton to share the court while giving Gerald Wallace, who has seen his numbers drop, a chance to pick up the pace a bit. Honestly, trading Brandan Wright for Richardson was not that smart because Charlotte was never one player away from being a playoff team. Brandan Wright has the chance to be special if he reaches his sky-high potential. He has certainly been an efficient scorer for the Warriors off the bench (8 ppg 4 rpg and 1 bpg in 17 mpg, shooting 61%). Singletary is not going to bring much but Bell gives them another defensive specialist and a veteran presence in the locker room. He's a competitor. I would be surprised if he doesn't demand a trade out soon and he will almost certainly leave in a year and a half if he isn't traded. But Bell is a complementary player. He is not going to change the fact that the Bobcats are a young team that is really going nowhere and that several of their top picks (Morrison, May, and the TO-prone Felton) have been busts or underachievers. So this trade doesn't do much for Charlotte either from a salary cap level or a personnel level other than letting their best scorer go for a desperately needed big man who hasn't played up to his contract in years.
So what does this do for Phoenix? In Richardson it brings a high-profile (if injury-prone) scorer who can space the ball well, run well with Nash, and give Shaq even more room while being able to create out of his kick-outs. He is going to put up huge numbers in Phoenix. It gives Barnes, who has been playing very well, even more playing time at SG/SF. It allows Dudley, who would probably thrive in a fast paced system with Nash, a chance to prove himself and at the very worst, he would be a low-profile backup (essentially what Diaw was but at much lower cost). They also get a high 2nd round pick (unless Charlotte makes a Faustian deal and goes on a tear) which they probably will keep - look at all the picks they have traded over the years by the way, if you want to have a short answer as to why the Suns are a mediocre team right now!! Their philosophy of trading young players and picks for proven role players and veterans (much more expensive I may add) has really backfired. So this is a huge coup for the Suns. They have instantly infused energy into a lifeless offense without giving up too much talent, they don't have any more cap burden, and they really had nothing to lose at this point. I am looking forward to see that group play - Nash, J-Rich, Hill/Barnes, Amar'e, and O'Neal. Barbosa will get better as the season goes on and he gets back in shape. This is how you bring a club back to relevance.
Also the Wizards trading a pick (as if they had that luxury) and Antonio Daniels for an unproven guard in Crittenton and an aging vet in James reeks of desperation. Caron Butler needs to hit eject before that franchise takes him down with him. Signing Arenas to a 6 year deal without any assurances of health was a bad move in a franchise that was already mediocre and more about bluster than any real brawn.
Speaking of trades, I think the Rockets oughta start exploring their options. T-Mac will return soon and Luther Head has an expiring contract and his value is as high as its going to get right now. Same with Franchise. There is always a possibility they can turn that to an even more valuable reserve, giving Von Wafer (who has played extremely well on both ends of the floor) more playing time. Head barely gets the nod as is when T-Mac is healthy (which is almost never it seems like). Not sure who they can get at that value but its clear that they still need another boost to get over the hump. Artest has been playing really well lately but when him and T-Mac are both on the floor, inevitably one will not play well. As often as not, that has been Artest. This is a chemistry issue and when the two get used to playing each other, which means T-Mac needs to man up and actually play, I think they will find a happy medium and the points will start pouring. But right now the gold standard in the West is the Lakers. With Battier back, who instantly brings the little things back into the system, the Rockets have shown much better ball movement and transition defense, but the question is will they be able to out-gun the Lakers? Its a premature question since they wouldn't face the Lakers until later the way things are but an important one. The Lakers have been inconsistent on defense and the only way to punish that is to pour on the points. Yao has played well but Artest and T-Mac will have to be in top form for this to happen. With Scola, Alston, and Battier all playing well, this is a good core and the addition of Barry (when he's healthy) will be even better. Landry and Brooks have been solid and Wafer has been a surprise. Chuck Hayes is another guy that we could shop around. At this point he doesn't bring much to the table - he is a top tier defender but offensively retarded and undersized. But I am sure some teams would gamble on him. No excuse for a big man to be shooting 30%. It would give Dorsey a bigger role too. I think best case scenario would be to shop Franchise, Head, and Hayes around and see what value we can get back. I suspect that someone will nab Franchise and maybe give us a pick or a trade kicker we can use to re-sign Mutombo, if Adelman wants a real backup center (which he has expressed). I think the issue is a luxury cap one at this point. I doubt we will be able to move Head, despite his expiring contract. We may have to settle for his inconsistent production at the offensive end (and non-presence on the defensive end). And Hayes would be a tough sell given his production and his longer contract, though he comes dirt cheap. I suspect they will be active near the deadline and make the move to get some veteran help but the real question is, will T-Mac ever grow a pair and return to form? Play through pain if need be like Kobe, Jordan, and all the greats? Or fade away with a whimper when his knee flares and leave us hanging?
So now they trade little-used Boris Diaw, defensive specialist Raja Bell, and little-used Sean Singletary for Jared Dudley, a 2nd rounder, and Jason Richardson. So this is 1) a dumb move for Charlotte but honestly doesn't change much for them and 2) a huge coup for Phoenix. Let me just start by saying that Diaw is definitely an upgrade over Dudley, but not in the role he was playing in Phoenix. He can play 30 minutes a night and do well, as he showed a few years back when Amar'e was out. So in that case, it gives Charlotte a much needed big man. And with Richardson it allows Augustin, who has been playing his mind out, and Felton to share the court while giving Gerald Wallace, who has seen his numbers drop, a chance to pick up the pace a bit. Honestly, trading Brandan Wright for Richardson was not that smart because Charlotte was never one player away from being a playoff team. Brandan Wright has the chance to be special if he reaches his sky-high potential. He has certainly been an efficient scorer for the Warriors off the bench (8 ppg 4 rpg and 1 bpg in 17 mpg, shooting 61%). Singletary is not going to bring much but Bell gives them another defensive specialist and a veteran presence in the locker room. He's a competitor. I would be surprised if he doesn't demand a trade out soon and he will almost certainly leave in a year and a half if he isn't traded. But Bell is a complementary player. He is not going to change the fact that the Bobcats are a young team that is really going nowhere and that several of their top picks (Morrison, May, and the TO-prone Felton) have been busts or underachievers. So this trade doesn't do much for Charlotte either from a salary cap level or a personnel level other than letting their best scorer go for a desperately needed big man who hasn't played up to his contract in years.
So what does this do for Phoenix? In Richardson it brings a high-profile (if injury-prone) scorer who can space the ball well, run well with Nash, and give Shaq even more room while being able to create out of his kick-outs. He is going to put up huge numbers in Phoenix. It gives Barnes, who has been playing very well, even more playing time at SG/SF. It allows Dudley, who would probably thrive in a fast paced system with Nash, a chance to prove himself and at the very worst, he would be a low-profile backup (essentially what Diaw was but at much lower cost). They also get a high 2nd round pick (unless Charlotte makes a Faustian deal and goes on a tear) which they probably will keep - look at all the picks they have traded over the years by the way, if you want to have a short answer as to why the Suns are a mediocre team right now!! Their philosophy of trading young players and picks for proven role players and veterans (much more expensive I may add) has really backfired. So this is a huge coup for the Suns. They have instantly infused energy into a lifeless offense without giving up too much talent, they don't have any more cap burden, and they really had nothing to lose at this point. I am looking forward to see that group play - Nash, J-Rich, Hill/Barnes, Amar'e, and O'Neal. Barbosa will get better as the season goes on and he gets back in shape. This is how you bring a club back to relevance.
Also the Wizards trading a pick (as if they had that luxury) and Antonio Daniels for an unproven guard in Crittenton and an aging vet in James reeks of desperation. Caron Butler needs to hit eject before that franchise takes him down with him. Signing Arenas to a 6 year deal without any assurances of health was a bad move in a franchise that was already mediocre and more about bluster than any real brawn.
Speaking of trades, I think the Rockets oughta start exploring their options. T-Mac will return soon and Luther Head has an expiring contract and his value is as high as its going to get right now. Same with Franchise. There is always a possibility they can turn that to an even more valuable reserve, giving Von Wafer (who has played extremely well on both ends of the floor) more playing time. Head barely gets the nod as is when T-Mac is healthy (which is almost never it seems like). Not sure who they can get at that value but its clear that they still need another boost to get over the hump. Artest has been playing really well lately but when him and T-Mac are both on the floor, inevitably one will not play well. As often as not, that has been Artest. This is a chemistry issue and when the two get used to playing each other, which means T-Mac needs to man up and actually play, I think they will find a happy medium and the points will start pouring. But right now the gold standard in the West is the Lakers. With Battier back, who instantly brings the little things back into the system, the Rockets have shown much better ball movement and transition defense, but the question is will they be able to out-gun the Lakers? Its a premature question since they wouldn't face the Lakers until later the way things are but an important one. The Lakers have been inconsistent on defense and the only way to punish that is to pour on the points. Yao has played well but Artest and T-Mac will have to be in top form for this to happen. With Scola, Alston, and Battier all playing well, this is a good core and the addition of Barry (when he's healthy) will be even better. Landry and Brooks have been solid and Wafer has been a surprise. Chuck Hayes is another guy that we could shop around. At this point he doesn't bring much to the table - he is a top tier defender but offensively retarded and undersized. But I am sure some teams would gamble on him. No excuse for a big man to be shooting 30%. It would give Dorsey a bigger role too. I think best case scenario would be to shop Franchise, Head, and Hayes around and see what value we can get back. I suspect that someone will nab Franchise and maybe give us a pick or a trade kicker we can use to re-sign Mutombo, if Adelman wants a real backup center (which he has expressed). I think the issue is a luxury cap one at this point. I doubt we will be able to move Head, despite his expiring contract. We may have to settle for his inconsistent production at the offensive end (and non-presence on the defensive end). And Hayes would be a tough sell given his production and his longer contract, though he comes dirt cheap. I suspect they will be active near the deadline and make the move to get some veteran help but the real question is, will T-Mac ever grow a pair and return to form? Play through pain if need be like Kobe, Jordan, and all the greats? Or fade away with a whimper when his knee flares and leave us hanging?