Shaq trade rumors nothing more than media hype
Shaq trade rumors nothing more than media hype
As is usually the case, the media was abuzz with a lot of garbage rumors and conjured tales hoping to make the final hours before the NBA trade deadline more exciting than they really were. None of the reports surrounding Phoenix Suns big man Shaquille O'Neal came to fruition, but several trades did go down in recent days that will affect this year and next on the hardwood floors across the league.
Don’t believe the hype.
Once again, the usually wise words of Public Enemy (specifically, Chuck D, Flavor Flav and members of the Bomb Squad) rang true on Thursday. In the hours leading up to the 3:00 p.m. Eastern trade deadline, the conventional sports press was falling all over itself to sell the idea that Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal could be on his way to Cleveland to join LeBron James and the Cavaliers. False media – we don’t need it, do we?
What we do need is to sift through all these trades and see which teams to follow and which ones to fade. Some teams who added talent will fare worse against the betting odds. Those who dumped talent to clear salary may actually be worth supporting.
Houston Rockets: Follow
The Rockets traded point guard Rafer Alston to the Orlando Magic in a three-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, Houston received Memphis guard Kyle Lowry and Orlando forward Brian Cook. This is being portrayed as a cost-cutting surrender for the Rox after swingman Tracy McGrady (knee) announced he’d be out for the rest of the season. But I would argue that trading Alston for a bag of marbles would have made Houston a better team.
It isn’t that Alston can’t play. He’s got a good handle and can play some defense, but Alston is not a gifted shooter, nor does he distribute the ball enough. At least sophomore Aaron Brooks can score (52.0 true shooting percentage to Alston’s 48.4) and provide a little D. So adding the defensively gifted Lowry is like a bonus for the Rockets. There’s even a chance that Cook (39.4 percent from downtown in his career) will find the game that deserted him when he was traded to Orlando in 2007.
Chicago Bulls: Fade
This is hardly a condemnation of the moves GM John Paxson made at the deadline. Rather, this is about one of my ongoing themes when it comes to the 26-27-1 ATS Bulls: the eternal undervaluing of Joakim Noah. First, the arrivals and departures.
In: Brad Miller, John Salmons, Tim Thomas, Anthony Roberson, Jerome James
Out: Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Thabo Sefolosha, Larry Hughes, Cedric Simmons, Michael Ruffin
It’s pretty much good riddance to bad rubbish for those ex-Bulls, although Nocioni and Sefolosha are both quality defenders. Salmons (16.24 PER) has developed into a strong “glue guy” as a swingman and represents an upgrade – provided he doesn’t balk at not being a starter, which history suggests is a pipe dream. My issue here is the idea that the creaky Miller (15.93 PER with bad defense) is an upgrade over the athletic Noah (15.28 PER with very good defense). People just don’t like Noah as a person off the court. Maybe it’s his French passport.
Sacramento Kings: Follow
The Kings were the most active sellers on the market – seems the Brothers Maloof lost a big chunk of change in the Bernie Madoff investment scam and needed to hold a fire sale. Miller and Salmons went to Chicago for Nocioni, Gooden and Simmons; this was a three-way deal that also brought Ike Diogu in from the Portland Trail Blazers. But that’s not all:
In: Rashad McCants, Calvin Booth, Will Solomon, Sam Cassell (waived)
Out: Shelden Williams, Bobby Brown, Mikki Moore (waived)
Got all that? Good. Here’s the trick: If Miller is overvalued in Chicago, he must have been overvalued in Sacramento. This is a Kings team with two promising young bigs in Jason Thompson (13.19 PER) and Spencer Hawes (12.07 PER) who needed more playing time. Nocioni’s defensive grit will be welcomed in Sacto, and Diogu (16.94 PER last year) is an intriguing low-post scorer who simply had no minutes available to him in Portland. And it’s possible that McCants (14.82 PER last year), a good two-way player with a bad attitude, will seize the day and take the starting point guard job from the underwhelming Beno Udrih (12.53 PER). It’s not like underachieving players can expect to get that next big NBA payday without working for it anymore.
As is usually the case, the media was abuzz with a lot of garbage rumors and conjured tales hoping to make the final hours before the NBA trade deadline more exciting than they really were. None of the reports surrounding Phoenix Suns big man Shaquille O'Neal came to fruition, but several trades did go down in recent days that will affect this year and next on the hardwood floors across the league.
Don’t believe the hype.
Once again, the usually wise words of Public Enemy (specifically, Chuck D, Flavor Flav and members of the Bomb Squad) rang true on Thursday. In the hours leading up to the 3:00 p.m. Eastern trade deadline, the conventional sports press was falling all over itself to sell the idea that Phoenix Suns center Shaquille O’Neal could be on his way to Cleveland to join LeBron James and the Cavaliers. False media – we don’t need it, do we?
What we do need is to sift through all these trades and see which teams to follow and which ones to fade. Some teams who added talent will fare worse against the betting odds. Those who dumped talent to clear salary may actually be worth supporting.
Houston Rockets: Follow
The Rockets traded point guard Rafer Alston to the Orlando Magic in a three-way deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. In return, Houston received Memphis guard Kyle Lowry and Orlando forward Brian Cook. This is being portrayed as a cost-cutting surrender for the Rox after swingman Tracy McGrady (knee) announced he’d be out for the rest of the season. But I would argue that trading Alston for a bag of marbles would have made Houston a better team.
It isn’t that Alston can’t play. He’s got a good handle and can play some defense, but Alston is not a gifted shooter, nor does he distribute the ball enough. At least sophomore Aaron Brooks can score (52.0 true shooting percentage to Alston’s 48.4) and provide a little D. So adding the defensively gifted Lowry is like a bonus for the Rockets. There’s even a chance that Cook (39.4 percent from downtown in his career) will find the game that deserted him when he was traded to Orlando in 2007.
Chicago Bulls: Fade
This is hardly a condemnation of the moves GM John Paxson made at the deadline. Rather, this is about one of my ongoing themes when it comes to the 26-27-1 ATS Bulls: the eternal undervaluing of Joakim Noah. First, the arrivals and departures.
In: Brad Miller, John Salmons, Tim Thomas, Anthony Roberson, Jerome James
Out: Andres Nocioni, Drew Gooden, Thabo Sefolosha, Larry Hughes, Cedric Simmons, Michael Ruffin
It’s pretty much good riddance to bad rubbish for those ex-Bulls, although Nocioni and Sefolosha are both quality defenders. Salmons (16.24 PER) has developed into a strong “glue guy” as a swingman and represents an upgrade – provided he doesn’t balk at not being a starter, which history suggests is a pipe dream. My issue here is the idea that the creaky Miller (15.93 PER with bad defense) is an upgrade over the athletic Noah (15.28 PER with very good defense). People just don’t like Noah as a person off the court. Maybe it’s his French passport.
Sacramento Kings: Follow
The Kings were the most active sellers on the market – seems the Brothers Maloof lost a big chunk of change in the Bernie Madoff investment scam and needed to hold a fire sale. Miller and Salmons went to Chicago for Nocioni, Gooden and Simmons; this was a three-way deal that also brought Ike Diogu in from the Portland Trail Blazers. But that’s not all:
In: Rashad McCants, Calvin Booth, Will Solomon, Sam Cassell (waived)
Out: Shelden Williams, Bobby Brown, Mikki Moore (waived)
Got all that? Good. Here’s the trick: If Miller is overvalued in Chicago, he must have been overvalued in Sacramento. This is a Kings team with two promising young bigs in Jason Thompson (13.19 PER) and Spencer Hawes (12.07 PER) who needed more playing time. Nocioni’s defensive grit will be welcomed in Sacto, and Diogu (16.94 PER last year) is an intriguing low-post scorer who simply had no minutes available to him in Portland. And it’s possible that McCants (14.82 PER last year), a good two-way player with a bad attitude, will seize the day and take the starting point guard job from the underwhelming Beno Udrih (12.53 PER). It’s not like underachieving players can expect to get that next big NBA payday without working for it anymore.