This NBA season, we have seen a flurry of blockbuster trades by the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Utah Jazz.
It has been two weeks since the NBA trade deadline ended, so let’s take a look at our early winners and losers...
Winners
Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki has played more like last year’s MVP since the trade that brought Jason Kidd to Dallas. In the eight games that Kidd has been with the Mavericks, Nowitzki has averaged 29 ppg on 52 percent shooting. He has also hit 1.6 threes on 52 percent shooting, a major improvement compared to season averages of .9 threes on 33 percent shooting.
Despite the 4-4 record since the trade, the Mavericks have an improved offense and still have a good defense. Kidd has been averaging a double-double and shooting the ball much more efficiently.
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks are a better team with Jason Kidd, but they will need the rest of the team to step up to make a run for a championship.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers looked like championship contenders with Andrew Bynum in the lineup, and then looked mediocre after he suffered a knee injury.
Pau Gasol has immediately given Kobe Bryant and the Lakers another chance to win a championship. Since the trade, the Lakers are boasting a 13-2 record while dominating most opponents.
Gasol has been the perfect complement in Phil Jackson’s triangle offense, and has given Kobe more options on offense other than scoring. The Lakers also have the deepest bench in the NBA, and are still awaiting the return of Bynum.
The Lakers have become sentimental favorites to win the championship, but they will still need to find a way dethrone the very hot San Antonio Spurs.
Boston Celtics
This is a no-brainer—the Celtics went from last place last season to having the NBA’s best record this season. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce are playing extremely well together, and they have a solid supporting cast.
Rajon Rondo is one of the Celtics key surprises, and the bench features exceptional energy players that can score and defend.
The “Big Three” is the heart of this Celtics team, and will look to make a deep run at a championship.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz were only 17-16 before they acquired Kyle Korver. It’s not considered a blockbuster trade, but it has proven to be a very valuable move. Since the trade, the Jazz are 22-6, which is the best record in that span.
Korver gives the Jazz a legitimate three-point threat which spreads the floor and opens easy plays for Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.
The Jazz are an improved team, but they will need to prove that they can win on the road. They are an NBA best 26-3 at home, but only 13-19 on the road. In the playoffs, losing just one home game could end a playoff series.
Amare Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns)
In the six games that Shaq has played, Stoudemire has averaged 30 ppg on 55 percent shooting, while still grabbing over nine rebounds.
Clearly, Stoudemire has benefited most playing as power forward rather than center. The Suns figured out how to bring the beast out of Stoudemire, but they will have to figure out how to bring wins and a championship soon.
Other Winners: San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, Larry Hughes
Losers
Phoenix Suns
The Suns expected to figure out their interior problems by acquiring Shaquille O’Neal. The Suns do have an improved half-court offense, but their defense has been a problem. The team is 2-4 while giving up over 116 ppg to opponents.
The Suns will need to incorporate Shaq into the team’s philosophy fast if they are to even contend in the playoffs.
Editor’s Note: The Suns defeated the Trail Blazers in Portland 97-92. The Suns shot only 41 percent, but made 34-42 free-throws and held the Blazers to 41 percent shooting.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies were trying to rebuild their team through trades and draft picks. But they traded their franchise player in Pau Gasol for mediocre players and two draft picks.
Worst of all for Memphis, they traded Gasol to a Western Conference powerhouse. The west will be extremely competitive over the next few years, so it will be a very long time before the Grizzlies can become a playoff team.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat didn’t make a bad trade. The Heat traded for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to provide more energy and athleticism for Dwyane Wade, but they are still losing, going only 2-7 with Marion and Banks.
It may be best for the Heat to shut down Wade so he can be healthy for next season, and the Heat will also get a high draft pick. The management for the Heat will be crucial if they want to re-sign Wade.
Other Losers: Denver Nuggets
Breaking Even
Cleveland Cavaliers
Lebron James needed a better supporting cast in order to help the Cavaliers contend against the elite teams. Dan Ferry pulled off an 11-player trade, acquiring Ben Wallace, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Joe Smith.
The new players have improved the Cavaliers’ interior defense and perimeter shooting. But they are still only 3-2 since the trade and they still rely heavily on Lebron James’ scoring. It’ll remain to be seen if the trade will truly make the Cavaliers playoff contenders.
Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks acquired veteran point guard Mike Bibby to provide leadership and help run the offense. Since the trade, however, the Hawks are 3-6 and are ninth in the east standings.
The Hawks still have a chance to make the playoffs in the weak conference, but it is uncertain whether Bibby alone is enough to help push the team into the playoffs.
Other Evens: Chicago Bulls
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7 months ago
Interesting.
7 months ago
Very interesting article Ling! I was anxious after the trades to see how the season was going to end up and for the most part, have been presently suprised. I found it very interesting, especially in the case of Shaq. Everyone was hating...HATING on him, but I feel like he has transitioned pretty well to the faster-paced Suns team. I was ecstatic when we (because I am a Cleveland Cavs fan) acquired Ben Wallace. Although he didn't play his best while in Chicago, I feel like maybe he needed a change of scenery and Cleveland was just the place to do it. Hopefully we can move the Cavs up to the winners portion soon!
P.S. I am interning with Bleacher Report so keep me updated on your articles and let me know if I can help out in any way!
7 months ago
and by presently, i meant pleasantly...my bad
7 months ago
Good job! Nice points!
7 months ago
The Bulls have to be in the losers don't they? After having a shot at Gasol and Kobe, getting Hughes and being sellers instead of buyers has to be a disappointment for Chicago.
7 months ago
The Lakers did well, keeping Gasol away from San Antonio where he would fit in so well. The Lakers are one good player away from being a championship team. For now, they still don't match up with Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili.
7 months ago
I still don't think anyone can take the Lakers, even the Spurs. They look almost unbeatable so far, and Bynum isn't even back yet. No one can match up with their front court, Kobe, and their depth in the playoffs.
from 7 months ago
I do agree that the Lakers look like the favorites to win the championship, even more so than the Spurs.
That being said, the Spurs have continually proved critics wrong. Last year, they were supposed to be too old, but trumped every opponent. The Spurs have a veteran team with intelligent players, and they are currently on a 10 game winning streak. Lakers also have a very deep bench, but they have not really been playoff tested, so it will be interesting to watch what happens when the playoffs come. It should be an excellent and thrilling playoffs in the Western Conference.
from 7 months ago
I think you're putting the cart before the horse. Bynum may not and, I suspect, probably won't be back, at least not in the same capacity that he was before the injury. It takes months not weeks for an injury like he sustained to 1) heal and 2) for the player to regain his conditioning and 3) for the player to regain his form and become a force once again. While Phil Jackson pointed to Phoenix as having done well with only an 8-man rotation over the past few years, I think he said that more to pump up his three young guys than anything else. The Lakers bench right now consists of three non-playoff tested kids - Rony, Sasha and Jordan. You're not going to go very far with a bench that consists of three young guys. Phoenix had all veterans coming off their bench.
The more important question here is: Can Ariza come back from his injury and regain his defensive form? Again, like Bynum, I doubt it. A foot fracture can take a while before a player trusts his ability to really push off with any kind of spring or burst. But if Ariza can manage to regain his form, then the Lakers have a chance but without either him or Bynum, they have no D. And it's the D that wins championships.
7 months ago
Nice write up! This is major piece of news to take on. I agree on many of the points you made!
On another note, word has it Paul P. is not happy with seriousness and level of intensity of the new look Celtics this season? Maybe a concern as this season progresses.
7 months ago
Good analysis Ling. While you have to like what the Celtics did, if you include the pre-season, I especially like the Gasol trade for the Lakers. And once their injured center comes back, look out, they will be championship contenders for sure.
On the flip side, one of the losers should be the Bulls for the trades they didn't make before the season. By over-estimating their core players, they refused to go out and make a splash and this has resulted in an ugly season in Chicago. They could have been in on Garnett, Gasol and/or Kobe but chose to stay intact and ended up dumping the disappointing Ben Wallace. Terrible.
7 months ago
A very good point, Ling. The purpose of a trade is not to make any particular player better. It is not even necessarily to make a team better. The result of whether a trade has been beneficial for a team is on the SCOREBOARD. Yes, a trade can certainly make a particular player better. Your example of Shaq and Stoudemire is well taken. It can even make a team better in one or two particular aspects, for example, more rebounds or more assists. But there are some statistics that are overrated and some that are underrated. Example, Phoenix. Shaq has improved his numbers over what he had done this year in Miami and Stoudemire's numbers have certainly improved. And, unfortunately, so has another number - TURNOVERS, which you didn't mention in your report. So, the trade made Phoenix as a team much, much better defensively. But offensively, it cost them more turnovers which led to more opponents' fast breaks and transition baskets.
The same is true with the Kidd trade. Dallas has lost its edge defensively while gaining a little bit offensively. The entire Dallas back court has been forced to play hardball. Why? Harris was a much better defender than Kidd. Opponents are slipping by on pick and rolls or on straight drives and going to the hoop.
So, you can't look merely at statistics and say it was a good trade because a team's rebounds are up or their assists are up or even their points per game are up. There's still the matter of fouls given up, turnovers, transition points, etc. But the only statistic that truly tells the story is SCOREBOARD!
7 months ago
I think Shaq will show his true colors by playoff time, when he will have meshed with the team and Steve Nash's playing style.
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