handicapping the n.b.a.

here's a quick, 150-word analysis of each of the relevant trades that went down over the past month in the nba.

hornets: bonzi/mike james received. gone: bobby jackson/haluska/second-round pick to houston. memphis gets some players too.

this trade makes sense: rafer alston is just not the answer at point guard. bobby jackson could step in there, right now, and pick out a better shot then alston. since bonzi wells obviously doesn't fit into houston's plans, and mike james obviously doesn't either, it makes sense for the rockets to step in and get a potential starter.

the hornets are now committed: bonzi is amazing in the playoffs, and there's no backup for CP3. it's championship contention time.



cavs: get wally, ben wallace, joe smith, delonte west.
bulls: get larry hughes, drew gooden, cedric simmons, and shannon brown.
sonics: get ira newble, donyell marshall, and adrian griffin.


i don't know if the cavs get better. there, i said it. i think that, in principle, drew gooden is useless, but isn't ben wallace just as useless? joe smith is a nice piece here, and delonte west will be able to team with gibson in the backcourt (as will wally) and the cavs should (should) be a deeper team.


but examine the trade again. isn't larry hughes intrinsicly useful simply because he can get his own shot? isn't that the problem that the cavs have now? how did they improve that facet of the team? and can varejao handle being second fiddle to big ben?

the bulls get a repreive from ben wallace, and larry hughes should be able to teach thabo something. i mean, i guess.

and the sonics are LOL. what a joke. enjoy, OKC.

sonics: get brent barry, elson, and a first-round pick.
spurs: get kurt thomas.


nice move by the sonics here, since brent barry basically makes wally expendible in some vein. i mean, that team sucks, so trading kurt thomas for a first round pick makes a lot of sense.


kurt thomas is tough, so the spurs seem to be gearing up for a slugfest with the other teams.


mavs: get kidd, antoine wright, malik allen
nets: get devin harris, diop, ager, hassell, and two first round picks.

this is a real risk by the mavs. if kidd can't D up, then it will be harder for them to win. antoine wright is useful, but it's all or nothing.


the risk is compounded by sending diop to the nets, because erick dampier is a only a part-time guy.


the nets get better immediately, and they got far more value than did the sixers for a.i.; consider a world where your team immediately gets a big man who can block shots to spell an existing big man who can block shots. if there's a downgrade on offense, it's not by much, since harris will be able to get to the rim at will. and here's to having a point guard who can shoot.

suns: shaq.
heat: the matrix. marcus banks. some draft picks.

this trade doesn't make the heat any better, because now it really exposes the lack of depth that the team has. they'll get a high pick next year, which, if they have any luck whatsoever, will yield either mike beasley or derrick rose, the two guys who can help immediately.

as for the suns: defense is an issue. it always has been, and part of the reason that the suns had an edge on the lakers was marion's stifling d on odom. that's gone now, and amare has to fend for himself against gasol.

lakers: gasol.
grizzlies: crittenden, kwame, marc gasol, and two first round picks.

this trade sort of depends on crittenden's upside. i think it's quite high, and pau gasol was poisoning that team.

for the lakers, it was brilliant. but this has all been said before.

hawks: mike bibby.
kings: shelden williams, lorenzen wright, a. johnson, lue.

this was a no-brainer for both teams. shelden williams is not as bad as atlanta made him look, and anthony johnson could be useful. those other three guys will be gone next year.

mike bibby should get the hawks into the playoffs this year, and they have the closest thing to a 'punchers chance' of any of the bad eastern conference teams, particularly if they can somehow congeal that talent.

jazz: korver.
sixers: giricek + first round pick.

this is an upgrade. it has worked. korver now spreads the floor.