Dr. Trade: Musings On Wallace, Powe, Butler, and Oberto

Either way though, this edition of Dr. Trade should hit most of you bright and early with a breakfast platter of the latest NBA signings and trades. Let's get to the expert-level analysis right away!

Completed Signing: Ben Wallace to Detroit

Oh Ben, what would have happened to your career and the future of the Pistons had you never left? 

I don't want to make it seem as if Wallace has been completely ineffective during his Midwest stops in Chicago and Cleveland (he must really love the Great Lakes or something...), but his big contract has not matched his production from the day he signed it.

Still a much better than average defender and rebounder, albeit declining every year, Wallace has been such an absolute stiff offensively that it was hard to keep him on the floor for quality minutes. Again, these things might have been overlooked, if it wasn't for the "Team's Third Best Option"-type of money that he got.

Yet, we soon forget that there was a time when Wallace was an absolute wrecking ball on the glass and the defensive end. If Chicago hadn't called Joe Dumar's bet that Wallace was about to seriously decline, it's absolutely certain that a number of other teams would have.

So what does Wallace bring back to Detroit now besides nostalgia for Rip, Tayshawn, and Joe D? 

I do like the ability to plug in Wallace for a lock-down five minutes here or there, but how is there not a lot of skill-set duplicity between Ben and Kwame Brown? Wallace could have been an effective mentor on a number of young teams, but Detroit's front line is pretty veteran laden at this point.

On the positive side though, there have been a lot of voiced concerns by writers and fans about the lack of toughness that the new-look Piston's front line may or may not have possessed. Wallace can still bang with the best of them in the paint.

All in all, I hope that Wallace can contribute in a meaningful way with the last vestiges of his old Piston's running mates, but I'm not sure that this signing adds all that much to the Detroit arsenal.

Completed Signing: Leon Powe to Cleveland

I'll open myself to the rightful hatred of many by saying that, while I'm not officially a Celtics fan, having grown up a Wolves and Kevin Garnett follower, I have developed a certain level of interest in Boston. 

Having followed the Celtics through their title-run season, (again, because of Garnett), I was absolutely impressed by the sheer energy and will-power that Leon Powe exhibited during that year. 

Here was the quintessential bench forward in my mind. A guy who could absolutely pick his team up with a key offensive rebound, a rim rattling flush, or a hustling defensive play. 

Boston absolutely lacked the ability to make the big defensive turn last year on the front line. This was obviously a big symptom of missing KG and James Posey, but I also believe that Powe's absence had a lot do with it.

So why didn't Boston re-sign this guy? Worse yet, why did they let him go to one of the two key teams that could win the East instead of Boston?

I frankly have no answer for either of those questions.

I don't want to overestimate Powe's contributions or exaggerate the significance of this signing, but this might be as big a haul for Cleveland as Shaq, Moon, or Anthony Parker.

Raise those dropped jaws and let me explain myself. 

Shaq adds the physicality and presence that Cleveland's front line lacked last year. Moon and Parker add some size and skill sets that the Cavs' undersized backcourt did without in the past. 

Cleveland's only remaining weakness was that they still lacked a true power forward, and one who was a glue guy, explosive, and athletic. If healthy, Leon Powe fits that bill extremely well, and the Cavaliers now are truly without a glaring weakness anywhere on their roster.

The tickets aren't punched yet because there are too many other good teams out there, but like it or not, Cleveland is ready to rock in LeBron's final contract year.

Completed Trade: Rasual Butler to Los Angeles Clippers (for second round Draft pick)

Purely a salary dump by New Orleans, Rasual Butler fills the same shooter role for Los Angeles that Quentin Richardson did during the 32.1 seconds that he was actually a Clipper this summer.

You may recall that, in a long-past Dr. Trade installment, I mused about a three-point specialist being the only true remaining weakness in Clipperland (besides good karma, chemistry, and fate).

Butler is a streaky, somewhat one-dimensional player, but he provides the long-distance shooting that is needed to space the floor when L.A. is in their heavy half-court sets.

This was a nice little trade for the Clippers, and a good sign that Donald Sterling might actually be willing to spend a dime or two to round out this talented group that has haphazardly been assembled. Hey, the last time he did that, the Clips did make the playoffs.

Now for the Hornets, besides Peja & Posey (sounds like a 60s folk duo), what three-point shooting do they have on their roster?

Completed Signing: Fabricio Oberto to Washington

I am really surprised that Oberto did not return to Europe.

Many fans probably know him as just that "weird looking white guy on the Spurs who isn't Matt Bonnor," but Fabricio was actually a very effective player for the Argentine national team in Europe. He was actually considered somewhat of an attractive (not physically you sickos) prospect when he came over.

His game never translated well to the NBA however, and outside of being a very good pick setter, his numbers and effectiveness were consistently underwhelming.

I would think that he would have seen greener pastures financially and professionally by returning across the pond, but perhaps he's set on finishing his career in the states. 

Don't expect him to play much at all as the Wizards front line may be thin, but they're young and developing. JaVale McGee, Andre Blatche, and Dominic McGuire will gobble up whatever minutes Haywood, Jamison, and Butler aren't using.

With all the incoming guard help from this year's offseason, coupled with a supposedly healthy Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards might be a nice sleeper in the East this season. Oberto will bring some playoff experience to the practice floor, but he'll probably be wearing a suit and tie a lot of the way.

Trust me on this one. After all, I am a Doctor.

- Doctor Trade