T Park
02-25-2005, 02:44 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/mmonroe/stories/MYSA022505.6C.COL.BKNmonroe.df440f64.html (http://)
Mike Monroe: Spurs, 76ers are clear winners at trade deadline
Web Posted: 02/25/2005 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
Scoping out the new landscape of the NBA after the typical bustle of trade deadline deals and picking the winners and losers ...
In other words, determining which of the league's general managers is most in need of psychotherapy.
Clear winners: The Spurs, who got a legitimate backup center; Allen Iverson, who got a pass-oriented superstar teammate on the 76ers, now one of the four best teams in the Eastern Conference; the Rockets, who got the point guards they needed badly and somehow dumped Mo Taylor and his contract; and the Bucks and Mavericks but for different reasons after dealing with each other.
Definite losers: The Celtics, who brought back a guy their general manager couldn't wait to get rid of a couple of seasons back; the Knicks, who managed to get smaller and expand their bloated payroll at the same time; and the Kings, who traded their best big man for three undersized "bigs."
Winner No. 1: If the team with the best record in the league can have a glaring need, the Spurs had one without a legitimate backup for center Rasho Nesterovic.
It is one reason they pursued Karl Malone — Tim Duncan could have played in the pivot alongside Malone — and the No. 2 reason they were willing to trade Malik Rose to the Knicks for Nazr Mohammed. The No. 1 reason, of course, was Rose's contract, which is even bigger now that he is a Knick, owing to a trade "kicker."
On nights — like Wednesday against Yao Ming — when Nesterovic gets in foul trouble, the Spurs now can counter with a 6-foot-10, 250-pounder who likes the rough-and-tumble in the paint.
Winner No. 2: It wasn't long ago that Iverson was making noises about wanting out of Philadelphia because the Sixers hadn't surrounded him with players capable of helping him make another trip to the NBA Finals. Webber may be the perfect interior teammate for A.I.
With Webber, the Sixers may not be the best team in the East, but they clearly are best in their horrid Atlantic Division. And what team will want to meet them in the Eastern Conference playoffs?
Winners No. 3 and No. 3A: The Mavericks got marginally better by trading Calvin Booth and Alan Henderson for Keith Van Horn.
Neither Booth nor Henderson was making major contributions in Dallas. Van Horn always has been sort of a poor man's Dirk Nowitzki. Now he is a very rich man's version of a poor man's Dirk Nowitzki.
By dumping Van Horn's outrageous $15.7 million salary, the Bucks cleared enough salary-cap room to fend off overtures this summer from other teams lusting after their best player, Michael Redd.
Winner No. 4: With Bob Sura hurting, the Rockets' point guard situation was so bad they were praying for the return of Charlie Ward. Now that they've got Mike James and Moochie Norris, they don't need Ward at all, and that's a good thing.
Loser No. 1: Boston's Danny Ainge clearly needs a session on the couch after bringing Antoine Walker back to Beantown.
As one agent put it, the Celtics' reacquiring Walker was — an agent's words now, not mine — "like going through chemotherapy and then trying to get cancer again."
Wasn't it just two years ago that Ainge determined that Walker and Paul Pierce could not co-exist on the same roster and moved Walker to Dallas?
The Celtics' move smacked of major panic, most likely because the 76ers — only marginally more awful than the Celtics — pulled off the best deal of the week by snaring Webber.
Loser No. 2: The thinking behind Sacramento dumping Webber was nearly as clouded as Boston's.
Had the Kings not taken back Kenny Thomas' bloated contract — $45 million over six seasons, including the rest of 2004-05 — it would have looked like a clear-cut salary dump. Instead, Joe and Gavin Maloof will be signing huge contracts for Thomas ($6.5 million next alone), Corliss Williamson ($6 million next season) and Brian Skinner ($5 million next season) until the 2006-07 season, Williamson's final contract season. Plus, Thomas is a player who likes to dominate the ball, which makes him fit right in on a roster that already has Cuttino Mobley, Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic.
Wait and see: It was evident the Hornets wanted to rid themselves of malcontent Baron Davis and desperately wanted to do the same with Jamal Mashburn's contract. If Davis can stay healthy, he and Jason Richardson will be the most potent guard tandem in Golden State since Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond.
Mike Monroe: Spurs, 76ers are clear winners at trade deadline
Web Posted: 02/25/2005 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
Scoping out the new landscape of the NBA after the typical bustle of trade deadline deals and picking the winners and losers ...
In other words, determining which of the league's general managers is most in need of psychotherapy.
Clear winners: The Spurs, who got a legitimate backup center; Allen Iverson, who got a pass-oriented superstar teammate on the 76ers, now one of the four best teams in the Eastern Conference; the Rockets, who got the point guards they needed badly and somehow dumped Mo Taylor and his contract; and the Bucks and Mavericks but for different reasons after dealing with each other.
Definite losers: The Celtics, who brought back a guy their general manager couldn't wait to get rid of a couple of seasons back; the Knicks, who managed to get smaller and expand their bloated payroll at the same time; and the Kings, who traded their best big man for three undersized "bigs."
Winner No. 1: If the team with the best record in the league can have a glaring need, the Spurs had one without a legitimate backup for center Rasho Nesterovic.
It is one reason they pursued Karl Malone — Tim Duncan could have played in the pivot alongside Malone — and the No. 2 reason they were willing to trade Malik Rose to the Knicks for Nazr Mohammed. The No. 1 reason, of course, was Rose's contract, which is even bigger now that he is a Knick, owing to a trade "kicker."
On nights — like Wednesday against Yao Ming — when Nesterovic gets in foul trouble, the Spurs now can counter with a 6-foot-10, 250-pounder who likes the rough-and-tumble in the paint.
Winner No. 2: It wasn't long ago that Iverson was making noises about wanting out of Philadelphia because the Sixers hadn't surrounded him with players capable of helping him make another trip to the NBA Finals. Webber may be the perfect interior teammate for A.I.
With Webber, the Sixers may not be the best team in the East, but they clearly are best in their horrid Atlantic Division. And what team will want to meet them in the Eastern Conference playoffs?
Winners No. 3 and No. 3A: The Mavericks got marginally better by trading Calvin Booth and Alan Henderson for Keith Van Horn.
Neither Booth nor Henderson was making major contributions in Dallas. Van Horn always has been sort of a poor man's Dirk Nowitzki. Now he is a very rich man's version of a poor man's Dirk Nowitzki.
By dumping Van Horn's outrageous $15.7 million salary, the Bucks cleared enough salary-cap room to fend off overtures this summer from other teams lusting after their best player, Michael Redd.
Winner No. 4: With Bob Sura hurting, the Rockets' point guard situation was so bad they were praying for the return of Charlie Ward. Now that they've got Mike James and Moochie Norris, they don't need Ward at all, and that's a good thing.
Loser No. 1: Boston's Danny Ainge clearly needs a session on the couch after bringing Antoine Walker back to Beantown.
As one agent put it, the Celtics' reacquiring Walker was — an agent's words now, not mine — "like going through chemotherapy and then trying to get cancer again."
Wasn't it just two years ago that Ainge determined that Walker and Paul Pierce could not co-exist on the same roster and moved Walker to Dallas?
The Celtics' move smacked of major panic, most likely because the 76ers — only marginally more awful than the Celtics — pulled off the best deal of the week by snaring Webber.
Loser No. 2: The thinking behind Sacramento dumping Webber was nearly as clouded as Boston's.
Had the Kings not taken back Kenny Thomas' bloated contract — $45 million over six seasons, including the rest of 2004-05 — it would have looked like a clear-cut salary dump. Instead, Joe and Gavin Maloof will be signing huge contracts for Thomas ($6.5 million next alone), Corliss Williamson ($6 million next season) and Brian Skinner ($5 million next season) until the 2006-07 season, Williamson's final contract season. Plus, Thomas is a player who likes to dominate the ball, which makes him fit right in on a roster that already has Cuttino Mobley, Mike Bibby and Peja Stojakovic.
Wait and see: It was evident the Hornets wanted to rid themselves of malcontent Baron Davis and desperately wanted to do the same with Jamal Mashburn's contract. If Davis can stay healthy, he and Jason Richardson will be the most potent guard tandem in Golden State since Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond.