duncan228
04-01-2010, 02:03 PM
With season almost up, few summer moves were perfect (http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/fran_blinebury/04/01/five.moves/index.html)
Fran Blinebury
NBA.com
Every NBA general manager who makes a move does it with the belief that he's improved his team. Sometimes it works out that way and sometimes it doesn't. Some of the new additions fit like a custom-made suit and some look like raggedy hand-me-downs from your older brother.
The perfect fits
Jamal Crawford: Always a "tweener" between the point guard and shooting guard positions, Crawford has been an itinerant bundle of offensive potential in the league for a decade, always searching for a place to fit in and a trip to the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks were a wannabe contender in desperate need of a spark off their bench. The result has been sheer fireworks as Crawford established himself as the leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate and helped the Hawks turn the Big Three combo of Cleveland, Orlando and Boston in the East to a foursome.
John Salmons: Never mind Shaquille O'Neal, Richard Jefferson and all of the other big names who changed teams since last year. Has there been an NBA trade this season that's had more of an immediate impact than Salmons' move from Chicago to Milwaukee? Since joining the Bucks on Feb. 18 (for Hakim Warrick, Joe Alexander and draft picks), he's moved into the starting backcourt, averaged more than 20 points, three assists, three rebounds and 1.5 steals a game and been a perfect complement to rookie point guard Brandon Jennings. The addition of Salmons has jumpstarted the Bucks to a 17-4 record, vaulted them into solid playoff position in the East and made them a real threat in the first round (and maybe the second).
Stephen Jackson: He and the Charlotte Bobcats were made for each other. His relationship with coach Don Nelson at Golden State had grown sour and he was looking for somebody to appreciate what he could do, while the Bobcats needed a lead singer for their band that was relying too heavily on Gerald Wallace. Coach Larry Brown has never been shy about taking on individualists (see: Allen Iverson). The early season trade (Nov. 16) that sent Capt. Jack coast-to-coast put Charlotte into the East playoff picture and they'll likely make the postseason for the first time.
Zach Randolph: Almost everyone thought the Memphis Grizzlies had lost their minds when they brought Randolph in from the Clippers. He could always put the ball in the hole, but he'd been regarded as selfish and had something of a checkered past. What do you know? Randolph made his first All-Star team and has been on his best behavior. He's also taken on the mantle of leadership on the young Grizzlies while leading them in points (20.9 a game) and rebounds (11.8).
Caron Butler: After riding the roller coaster too long with Josh Howard, the Dallas Mavericks made a splash on All-Star Weekend that was almost as huge as the 100,000-plus crowd that was on hand for the big game. Butler is the reliable scorer Dallas needs at small forward if the Mavs are going to make a run at the Lakers in the playoffs. If defenses spend too much time collapsing on Dirk Nowitzki, Butler can make them pay from the wing. Butler is no longer the primary scorer that he was in Washington and some think his athleticism is on the decline. But for a Dallas team that believes the future is now, he's the man for the time.
The misfits
Hedo Turkoglu: The last time anybody north of the border spent so much money on such a huge flameout, the good citizens of Canada were dousing the Olympic cauldron in Vancouver. And at least all that money got Canada a good party that lasted more than two weeks before the hangover arrived. The Raptors have gotten nothing but a giant headache since Turkoglu came in fresh with that five-year, $53 million contract last summer. The last thing the Raptors needed was another European jump shooter. He hasn't shown a spark of leadership and he most recently got himself disciplined when he sat out a game with a stomach problem and then was seen partying later that night.
Rasheed Wallace: So much for the belief that the Boston Celtics were getting the crafty, experienced, committed veteran when they signed the 35-year-old forward last July. He was supposed to give them a solid presence off the bench on offense and be a tough post defender. Wallace was not exactly in the best of shape when the season began and has spent much of the season flinging up 3-pointers any time that he touches the ball. He's well on his way to the worst shooting season of his career and was up to his old tricks of piling up technical fouls until they finally told him to knock it off.
Emeka Okafor: The New Orleans Hornets were tired of the peaks and valleys of Tyson Chandler and so they swapped centers with Charlotte to put a dependable force in the middle. The trouble is that from the moment he sat out the early part of training camp with a foot injury, Okafor never fit in with his new team and has spent the entire season filling up space -- and rarely the box score -- at center. In six seasons, Okafor's offensive game hasn't blossomed and he's little more than a very expensive garbage man around the basket, and hardly a defensive stopper. The real trouble is the Hornets might be stuck with him, since they still owe him $42 million for another four years.
Richard Jefferson: Coming off their first-round elimination by Dallas last spring, the Spurs were desperate to add athleticism and another big-time option to their offense. They spent the summer celebrating the addition of Jefferson and have spent most of the season regretting it. He's no longer running the floor and finishing fastbreaks off lob passes from Jason Kidd. His transition game doesn't mesh with Tony Parker, even when Parker has been healthy. Jefferson has had trouble finding his offense and was a virtual no-show on defense until the past month. Considering they're battling for the No. 7 and 8 spots in the West, that $15 million the Spurs will owe him for next season is feeling like an anchor.
Ben Gordon: Is it possible that alien body snatchers have pulled some kind of switcheroo with Gordon and the Detroit Pistons? This can't possibly be the same guy who scared the Celtics to their very core by averaging more than 24 points a game in that classic Bulls-Celtics first-round series. Since Pistons general manager Joe Dumars gave him a $57-million, five-year deal, Gordon has become the incredible shrinking man with career-lows in points, field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting.
Fran Blinebury
NBA.com
Every NBA general manager who makes a move does it with the belief that he's improved his team. Sometimes it works out that way and sometimes it doesn't. Some of the new additions fit like a custom-made suit and some look like raggedy hand-me-downs from your older brother.
The perfect fits
Jamal Crawford: Always a "tweener" between the point guard and shooting guard positions, Crawford has been an itinerant bundle of offensive potential in the league for a decade, always searching for a place to fit in and a trip to the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks were a wannabe contender in desperate need of a spark off their bench. The result has been sheer fireworks as Crawford established himself as the leading Sixth Man of the Year candidate and helped the Hawks turn the Big Three combo of Cleveland, Orlando and Boston in the East to a foursome.
John Salmons: Never mind Shaquille O'Neal, Richard Jefferson and all of the other big names who changed teams since last year. Has there been an NBA trade this season that's had more of an immediate impact than Salmons' move from Chicago to Milwaukee? Since joining the Bucks on Feb. 18 (for Hakim Warrick, Joe Alexander and draft picks), he's moved into the starting backcourt, averaged more than 20 points, three assists, three rebounds and 1.5 steals a game and been a perfect complement to rookie point guard Brandon Jennings. The addition of Salmons has jumpstarted the Bucks to a 17-4 record, vaulted them into solid playoff position in the East and made them a real threat in the first round (and maybe the second).
Stephen Jackson: He and the Charlotte Bobcats were made for each other. His relationship with coach Don Nelson at Golden State had grown sour and he was looking for somebody to appreciate what he could do, while the Bobcats needed a lead singer for their band that was relying too heavily on Gerald Wallace. Coach Larry Brown has never been shy about taking on individualists (see: Allen Iverson). The early season trade (Nov. 16) that sent Capt. Jack coast-to-coast put Charlotte into the East playoff picture and they'll likely make the postseason for the first time.
Zach Randolph: Almost everyone thought the Memphis Grizzlies had lost their minds when they brought Randolph in from the Clippers. He could always put the ball in the hole, but he'd been regarded as selfish and had something of a checkered past. What do you know? Randolph made his first All-Star team and has been on his best behavior. He's also taken on the mantle of leadership on the young Grizzlies while leading them in points (20.9 a game) and rebounds (11.8).
Caron Butler: After riding the roller coaster too long with Josh Howard, the Dallas Mavericks made a splash on All-Star Weekend that was almost as huge as the 100,000-plus crowd that was on hand for the big game. Butler is the reliable scorer Dallas needs at small forward if the Mavs are going to make a run at the Lakers in the playoffs. If defenses spend too much time collapsing on Dirk Nowitzki, Butler can make them pay from the wing. Butler is no longer the primary scorer that he was in Washington and some think his athleticism is on the decline. But for a Dallas team that believes the future is now, he's the man for the time.
The misfits
Hedo Turkoglu: The last time anybody north of the border spent so much money on such a huge flameout, the good citizens of Canada were dousing the Olympic cauldron in Vancouver. And at least all that money got Canada a good party that lasted more than two weeks before the hangover arrived. The Raptors have gotten nothing but a giant headache since Turkoglu came in fresh with that five-year, $53 million contract last summer. The last thing the Raptors needed was another European jump shooter. He hasn't shown a spark of leadership and he most recently got himself disciplined when he sat out a game with a stomach problem and then was seen partying later that night.
Rasheed Wallace: So much for the belief that the Boston Celtics were getting the crafty, experienced, committed veteran when they signed the 35-year-old forward last July. He was supposed to give them a solid presence off the bench on offense and be a tough post defender. Wallace was not exactly in the best of shape when the season began and has spent much of the season flinging up 3-pointers any time that he touches the ball. He's well on his way to the worst shooting season of his career and was up to his old tricks of piling up technical fouls until they finally told him to knock it off.
Emeka Okafor: The New Orleans Hornets were tired of the peaks and valleys of Tyson Chandler and so they swapped centers with Charlotte to put a dependable force in the middle. The trouble is that from the moment he sat out the early part of training camp with a foot injury, Okafor never fit in with his new team and has spent the entire season filling up space -- and rarely the box score -- at center. In six seasons, Okafor's offensive game hasn't blossomed and he's little more than a very expensive garbage man around the basket, and hardly a defensive stopper. The real trouble is the Hornets might be stuck with him, since they still owe him $42 million for another four years.
Richard Jefferson: Coming off their first-round elimination by Dallas last spring, the Spurs were desperate to add athleticism and another big-time option to their offense. They spent the summer celebrating the addition of Jefferson and have spent most of the season regretting it. He's no longer running the floor and finishing fastbreaks off lob passes from Jason Kidd. His transition game doesn't mesh with Tony Parker, even when Parker has been healthy. Jefferson has had trouble finding his offense and was a virtual no-show on defense until the past month. Considering they're battling for the No. 7 and 8 spots in the West, that $15 million the Spurs will owe him for next season is feeling like an anchor.
Ben Gordon: Is it possible that alien body snatchers have pulled some kind of switcheroo with Gordon and the Detroit Pistons? This can't possibly be the same guy who scared the Celtics to their very core by averaging more than 24 points a game in that classic Bulls-Celtics first-round series. Since Pistons general manager Joe Dumars gave him a $57-million, five-year deal, Gordon has become the incredible shrinking man with career-lows in points, field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting.