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The Detroit Pistons wasted no time in signing power forward Charlie Villanueva and shooting guard Ben Gordon to kick-off free-agency, as another team tries to raise the bar in the East.
Some thought the summer of 2009 would be lackluster with teams plotting and planning for 2010 but it has actually turned out to be quite the chess match.
The Cavs made the first move, answering my prayers and making the move for Shaq—even if it was six months over-due. Orlando followed with the acquisition of Vince Carter. And now Detroit signs the inside-out combo of Villanueva and Gordon.
It's safe to say that the NBA's Eastern Conference has been totally made-over as we exit the decade from the punch-line that it was entering the new millennium.
The Boston Celtics are currently making the most noise over free-agent Rasheed Wallace, a push that was brought on by Kevin Garnett. Boston has been churning in the rumor mill this off-season, but they are yet to make an actual move.
Just what Cleveland needs, the 2008 World Champs adding a 6'11" post who can shoot the three and has 153 games of playoff experience.
Actually, if you remove "the 2008 World Champs" from the previous sentence, you have exactly what the Cavs need: Rasheed Wallace.
Puzzle Pieces
The addition of Shaq should be enough to get Cleveland past Orlando. But if Boston signs Wallace, it's not Orlando the Cavs will be most worried about.
See, not only will Sheed give Cleveland another counter-punch to battle Orlando, but it takes the rug out from under the C's feet in the NBA front offices’ game of cat-and-mouse.
Joe Smith was the closest thing to a true power forward that Cleveland had on the roster in the 2008-09 season. Ben Wallace is an undersized center with no offense. Anderson Varajao has a lot of energy, a lot of hair, and little game, and J.J. Hickson is not ready to compete at a championship level.
The Cavs actually seem to miss Drew Gooden, but he lacks the diversity that a Rasheed Wallace can deliver.
Last season Troy Murphy was the only player 6'11" or taller to average more threes per game than Wallace (1.7 3PM/G). Sheed recorded a double-double every 4.7 games last year and has averaged 1.4 blocks per game over the span of his career.
Most importantly, the four-time All-Star has appeared in the playoffs 13 times in 14 years including one title in two finals appearances.
Does He Fit?
This is LeBron James' team right?
If the Cavs sign Sheed, Cleveland will be known as "The James Gang" consisting of the most outspoken personality in NBA history, and the most expletive personality in NBA history.
The addition of Shaq and Wallace may be a bit of a reality check for James. He will have to decide if he would rather star in the LeBron show or if he can share some of the spotlight in order to win a title—which will ultimately land him more time in the spotlight.
Some may think Wallace is too disruptive for the Cavs. Maybe the halftime-tweeting Villanueva would have been a safer addition than Wallace, who earns technical-tweets from the refs on a regular basis.
These notions are wrong, Rasheed Wallace is a good teammate. No, Rasheed Wallace is a great teammate.
When Sheed gets T'd its not just for show, it's his true emotions coming through. Rasheed Wallace wants to win each and every game as much as anybody on the court and he only knows how to play the game one way—with everything he's got.
Cleveland still lacks playoff experience on their roster and Wallace fits that need like a glove.
If Not Sheed?
Cleveland hasn't been active early in pursuing Wallace and there is a chance that Sheed and Garnett plan on becoming teammates.
If Wallace doesn't choose Cleveland, all the Cavs can do is pray he goes to the Western Conference (Spurs?) where he will join a team looking to knock-off the Lakers.
The Cavs will still need to sure-up the power forward position. Varejao has put a premium on himself, and I doubt Cleveland can afford the deals that Carlos Boozer or Paul Millsap are looking for.
Ron Artest or Shawn Marion would be the next-best options for Cleveland, they are more 3-4 tweeners but their athleticism and outside shooting would be a nice change at the power forward position for the Cavs.
At the second tier of talent the Cavs could look at Antonio McDyess, Leon Powe, Drew Gooden, and Chris Wilcox. McDyess might be enough to push Cleveland over the edge, but it’s very questionable because he cannot keep-up with the quicker 4’s in the NBA.
The Time Is Now
The Cavs have already made the power-play for Shaq and there are no promises LeBron will be with the team this time next-year.
If Cleveland doesn't win the title in 2010, they may never bring the trophy home.
I guarantee Rasheed Wallace will help lead Cleveland to a title, and the best part about Sheed is that he will guarantee it too.
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