Let's focus on one trade in particular, involving Cleveland, Chicago and Seattle. I believe that The Cleveland Cavaliers got the best of this deal. They acquired 4 players who are prepared to help them right away. They gave up literally nothing in return. Donyell Marshall, Ira Newble, Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden. They received Ben Wallace, Delonte' West, Joe Smith and Wally Szczerbiak.
They exchanged inconsistent players for players who know their role in this league. Every night you know that Ben Wallace will get rebounds and he'll defend, Joe Smith will be consistent off the bench giving you 10ppg and 6rbg, Wally Szczerbiak will score and Delonte' West will bring an all around game.
The Larry Hughes experiment did not pan out in Cleveland. He was a huge disappointment from the start. Injuries and inconsistent play turned the stomachs of many fans..Nick naming him "Laura" Hughes because of his fragile body. Seriously, this situation was doomed from the start because Hughes did not provide anything The Cavs needed. He never really accepted his role. Maybe he'll be better off in Chicago where he can take on more of a leadership role. He can mentor younger players.
Drew Gooden aka The Boozer replacement. I am not sure if he was ever The Cavaliers power forward of the future. Drew is a decent player but he makes too many bonehead mistakes. You can not have your 6'10 power forward living in fantasy world on the basketball court. Some nights, he would play up to his potential. While other nights, he have aspirations of being a point guard, leading fast breaks. If he could ever figure out the mental aspect of the game, he'll be fine. He has a nice mid range jumper and a decent hook shot but he lacks the main ingredient that is needed by all power forwards and that's "power". Drew is simply a forward.
I will not waste any time commenting on any of the other rubbish the Cavs traded away because there is not much to say...except Ira Newble plays hard when given the opportunity.
Grading the trades.
Cavs: B - Took on a lot of salary in this trade but filled their needs.
Bulls: D - they did not upgrade anywhere
Sonics: A - now they have a lot of cap room which allows them to be flexible in the free agent market
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment