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04-28-2008, 12:07 PM
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April 28, 2008
N.B.A. Teams’ Flashy Trades Give Way to Less Brilliant Play
By HOWARD BECK (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/howard_beck/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
DALLAS — In the dreary days of winter, Western Conference executives reached for the ultimate mood enhancer: the blockbuster trade. And they gorged on it. All-Stars crisscrossed the continent, fans swooned, oddsmakers scrambled and everyone started dreaming of June parades.
“Shaq is a winner, a champion,” Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr said after acquiring Shaquille O’Neal (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/shaquille_oneal/index.html?inline=nyt-per) from Miami on Feb. 6.
Two weeks later, the giddiness moved to Dallas, as the Nets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newjerseynets/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ Jason Kidd (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/jason_kidd/index.html?inline=nyt-per) became a Maverick.
“He’s going to help us because at the end of games, he just knows how to win,” Coach Avery Johnson said.
It was all quite exhilarating at the time. But the headlines of mid-February have now become the headaches of late April.
The Suns (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/phoenixsuns/index.html?inline=nyt-org) lost their first three playoff games to the San Antonio Spurs (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/sanantoniospurs/index.html?inline=nyt-org) before winning Game 4 on Sunday to prolong their season. No N.B.A. team has won a series after trailing by 3-0. The Mavericks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/dallasmavericks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) were routed twice by New Orleans to open their first-round series and faced a 2-1 deficit heading into Sunday’s Game 4.
It was an astonishing sight — two of the elite teams of the last half-decade combining to go 1-5 to open the playoffs. Two championship contenders facing first-round elimination. Given the radical changes they made two months ago, it seemed more than coincidence.
“I think both teams did as good as they could, are working through some stuff,” the Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/n/dirk_nowitzki/index.html?inline=nyt-per) said. “I think early on, both teams had some troubles. But I think once they got used to each other a little bit more, both teams started to play pretty good basketball.”
But good basketball is not the same as championship basketball, which is why the Suns were being bullied by the Spurs and the Mavericks were struggling with the upstart Hornets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/neworleanshornets/index.html?inline=nyt-org). Nowitzki, who is close friends with the Suns star Steve Nash, seemed doubly pained.
“It was tough to watch the Suns,” Nowitzki said.
Each trade came with caveats and criticism in February, but the moves seemed justifiable at the time. The Mavericks, who flamed out in the first round last year, needed toughness, defense and veteran leadership, qualities that were attributed to Kidd. The Suns, whose breakneck style got them 60 wins a year but not a finals appearance, needed a low-post force to help contend with bigger opponents, specifically the Spurs.
The potential drawbacks were equally clear. The stars they acquired are in the twilight of their careers: Kidd turned 35 last month, O’Neal 36. They have a reputation for souring on coaches and teammates during bad times. And their new teams had to make major midseason adjustments in style and identity.
The Suns are no longer the freewheeling, shoot-it-in-seven-seconds team that overwhelmed opponents with speed and 3-point shooting. They are still acclimating to life in the halfcourt.
The changes in Dallas were less drastic but still significant. There is no more critical position than point guard, and Kidd — though one of the best in N.B.A. history — is nothing like the player he replaced, Devin Harris. Kidd is a pass-first point guard with a poor jump shot who is at his best in the open court. Harris is 10 years younger, much quicker and more likely to take the shot himself.
The Suns seemed to adjust well enough, going 21-13 after making the trade for O’Neal. Dallas had a more rocky transition, going 16-13 after acquiring Kidd.
Johnson has bemoaned the Mavericks’ inconsistency and did not dispute that the trade was a factor.
“You can’t ever really look at a stretch this year where you can say, Boy, that team was really hot,” he said. “Like I told our team, this would be a great time to do it.”
It is rare for an N.B.A. team to make a major in-season trade and win the title. But if there are regrets, no one will acknowledge them now.
“I would make the same trade 100 out of 100 times,” the Mavericks’ owner, Mark Cuban (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/mark_cuban/index.html?inline=nyt-per), said in an e-mail message.
The Suns and the Mavericks could only stare in envy toward Los Angeles. The Lakers (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/losangeleslakers/index.html?inline=nyt-org) fueled the “Deal or No Deal” whirlwind Feb. 1, when they acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis. They went 29-9 after making the trade and finished with the best record in the West.
The Lakers had the least adjustment to make. A highly skilled big man, Gasol is an ideal fit in the Lakers’ offensive system and a perfect complement to Kobe Bryant (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/kobe_bryant/index.html?inline=nyt-per). The Lakers have a 3-0 lead on the Denver Nuggets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/denvernuggets/index.html?inline=nyt-org), another team waiting for dividends from a blockbuster trade — the December 2006 acquisition of Allen Iverson (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/i/allen_iverson/index.html?inline=nyt-per).
Some adjustments take longer than others.
“You’d love to go through a training camp and get used to each other more,” Nowitzki said. “But you just don’t have that time if you trade in February.”
.
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April 28, 2008
N.B.A. Teams’ Flashy Trades Give Way to Less Brilliant Play
By HOWARD BECK (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/howard_beck/index.html?inline=nyt-per)
DALLAS — In the dreary days of winter, Western Conference executives reached for the ultimate mood enhancer: the blockbuster trade. And they gorged on it. All-Stars crisscrossed the continent, fans swooned, oddsmakers scrambled and everyone started dreaming of June parades.
“Shaq is a winner, a champion,” Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr said after acquiring Shaquille O’Neal (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/shaquille_oneal/index.html?inline=nyt-per) from Miami on Feb. 6.
Two weeks later, the giddiness moved to Dallas, as the Nets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/newjerseynets/index.html?inline=nyt-org)’ Jason Kidd (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/k/jason_kidd/index.html?inline=nyt-per) became a Maverick.
“He’s going to help us because at the end of games, he just knows how to win,” Coach Avery Johnson said.
It was all quite exhilarating at the time. But the headlines of mid-February have now become the headaches of late April.
The Suns (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/phoenixsuns/index.html?inline=nyt-org) lost their first three playoff games to the San Antonio Spurs (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/sanantoniospurs/index.html?inline=nyt-org) before winning Game 4 on Sunday to prolong their season. No N.B.A. team has won a series after trailing by 3-0. The Mavericks (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/dallasmavericks/index.html?inline=nyt-org) were routed twice by New Orleans to open their first-round series and faced a 2-1 deficit heading into Sunday’s Game 4.
It was an astonishing sight — two of the elite teams of the last half-decade combining to go 1-5 to open the playoffs. Two championship contenders facing first-round elimination. Given the radical changes they made two months ago, it seemed more than coincidence.
“I think both teams did as good as they could, are working through some stuff,” the Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/n/dirk_nowitzki/index.html?inline=nyt-per) said. “I think early on, both teams had some troubles. But I think once they got used to each other a little bit more, both teams started to play pretty good basketball.”
But good basketball is not the same as championship basketball, which is why the Suns were being bullied by the Spurs and the Mavericks were struggling with the upstart Hornets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/neworleanshornets/index.html?inline=nyt-org). Nowitzki, who is close friends with the Suns star Steve Nash, seemed doubly pained.
“It was tough to watch the Suns,” Nowitzki said.
Each trade came with caveats and criticism in February, but the moves seemed justifiable at the time. The Mavericks, who flamed out in the first round last year, needed toughness, defense and veteran leadership, qualities that were attributed to Kidd. The Suns, whose breakneck style got them 60 wins a year but not a finals appearance, needed a low-post force to help contend with bigger opponents, specifically the Spurs.
The potential drawbacks were equally clear. The stars they acquired are in the twilight of their careers: Kidd turned 35 last month, O’Neal 36. They have a reputation for souring on coaches and teammates during bad times. And their new teams had to make major midseason adjustments in style and identity.
The Suns are no longer the freewheeling, shoot-it-in-seven-seconds team that overwhelmed opponents with speed and 3-point shooting. They are still acclimating to life in the halfcourt.
The changes in Dallas were less drastic but still significant. There is no more critical position than point guard, and Kidd — though one of the best in N.B.A. history — is nothing like the player he replaced, Devin Harris. Kidd is a pass-first point guard with a poor jump shot who is at his best in the open court. Harris is 10 years younger, much quicker and more likely to take the shot himself.
The Suns seemed to adjust well enough, going 21-13 after making the trade for O’Neal. Dallas had a more rocky transition, going 16-13 after acquiring Kidd.
Johnson has bemoaned the Mavericks’ inconsistency and did not dispute that the trade was a factor.
“You can’t ever really look at a stretch this year where you can say, Boy, that team was really hot,” he said. “Like I told our team, this would be a great time to do it.”
It is rare for an N.B.A. team to make a major in-season trade and win the title. But if there are regrets, no one will acknowledge them now.
“I would make the same trade 100 out of 100 times,” the Mavericks’ owner, Mark Cuban (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/c/mark_cuban/index.html?inline=nyt-per), said in an e-mail message.
The Suns and the Mavericks could only stare in envy toward Los Angeles. The Lakers (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/losangeleslakers/index.html?inline=nyt-org) fueled the “Deal or No Deal” whirlwind Feb. 1, when they acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis. They went 29-9 after making the trade and finished with the best record in the West.
The Lakers had the least adjustment to make. A highly skilled big man, Gasol is an ideal fit in the Lakers’ offensive system and a perfect complement to Kobe Bryant (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/kobe_bryant/index.html?inline=nyt-per). The Lakers have a 3-0 lead on the Denver Nuggets (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/sports/probasketball/nationalbasketballassociation/denvernuggets/index.html?inline=nyt-org), another team waiting for dividends from a blockbuster trade — the December 2006 acquisition of Allen Iverson (http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/i/allen_iverson/index.html?inline=nyt-per).
Some adjustments take longer than others.
“You’d love to go through a training camp and get used to each other more,” Nowitzki said. “But you just don’t have that time if you trade in February.”
.