March 30, 2007: Jarvis Hayes botches a surefire Wizards victory with an idiotic heave that leads to an off-balance Mo Peterson three pointer. As fate would have it, the Raptors went on to win the game in overtime. Fun Fact: Mo Peterson played one minute in this game and attempted one shot. This was it.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Video Flashback: Mo Peterson's Crazy Buzzer Beater
March 30, 2007: Jarvis Hayes botches a surefire Wizards victory with an idiotic heave that leads to an off-balance Mo Peterson three pointer. As fate would have it, the Raptors went on to win the game in overtime. Fun Fact: Mo Peterson played one minute in this game and attempted one shot. This was it.
Monday, August 5, 2013
Should LeBron Allow DeShawn Stevenson to Join the Heat?
After years of barking and gnawing at LeBron's ankles like a pesky little chihuahua, Stevenson has finally decided to throw in the towel. No longer will he bother the greatest basketball player of the generation with futile taunting attempts and other trivial shenanigans aimed at getting inside his head. He's realized that James has grown up and will no longer be shaken by verbal barbs coming from a role-player of his caliber. The time has come to cut his losses and see if the King has work for him.
It doesn't feel that long ago when Stevenson initiated the first push in his long-time "beef" with James. That was back in 2008, when LeBron's Cavaliers matched up with the Wizards in the playoffs for the third year in a row. LeBron was coming off of his first scoring title and seemed to be on the cusp of being the best in the league. Facing the possibility of being eliminated by the Cavs three years in a row, Stevenson decided to stir up some controversy by famously calling James "overrated." James brushed it off and the next thing you know, Jay-Z and Soulja Boy are hilariously thrown into the mix, which resulted in this gem.
This feud should've been over after Hova's third bar, but since we're dealing with DeShawn Stevenson here, this was dragged out and made to seem as if it was an actual "rivalry." Years later, when Stevenson was part of the Mavericks team that toppled the Heat in the unforgettable 2011 Finals, he persisted with his schtick against LeBron, claiming he "checked out" during Game Four. Stevenson ultimately triumphed against LeBron, but his impact was subtle at best. Still, the narrative persisted.
Now, cut to 2013. LeBron has two back-to-back titles and totally changed his perception as an "unclutch" player. He is unquestionably The Man: the best player in the league on the best team in the league. Utterly unguardable on offense and a nightmare match-up on defense. Any doubt of LeBron's physical and mental fortitude has been wholly erased. It's to the point where there's nothing left for Stevenson to do but to make amends with his longtime nemesis. But should LeBron accept the plea, or simply allow Stevenson's career to fade into oblivion?
Take Him, LeBron!
The argument for LeBron accepting DeShawn onto the Heat is two-fold: 1) it will further enhance LeBron's image as someone who is forgiving and an all-around good guy, and 2) Stevenson is still a capable specialist that can D-up, hit an occasional shot, and annoy opponents.We all know LeBron took a PR hit for The Decision three years ago -- a hit he's mostly recovered from. But still, as LeBron continues to build on his family-friendly image, what better than to join forces with a former enemy? Not only would DeShawn to the Heat make a good narrative for next year's playoffs, but it would make LBJ look like the second-coming of Jesus. Look, LeBron is cleansing Stevenson of all his sins!
Stevenson probably wouldn't play much, considering the bevy of wing players the Heat already have, but he's a useful guy to have on the end of the bench if you need one of those I-don't-give-a-shit-type players. If you can add one of those guys to an already championship caliber squad, you've got to do it. Especially when there's no risk of that guy complaining about playing time because he's been put in check by the best guy on the team. This is a no-risk, all-reward situation. Why not, LeBron?
Screw Him, LeBron!
The argument against taking Stevenson is almost entirely rooted in principle. Stevenson has been an annoying little shit for the better part of LeBron's career. Now he's supposed to do him a favor and hand him another championship? LBJ has all the leverage here. Denying Stevenson publicly would be the ultimate F-you, and would probably bring LeBron a great deal of secret satisfaction.The basketball part of the equation is very minor here, considering the Heat roster. Stevenson will probably barely play if the Heat sign him, and he's only going to get paid the minimum. When he does play, he'll be displacing minutes from guys like Ray Allen and Shane Battier who are clearly better players. Sure, if someone goes down with injury it'd be nice to have some insurance, but the Heat can do better than a volatile 32-year-old who has been on four different teams in the past four years. If they wanted a better I-don't-give-a-shit guy, they could've scooped up Metta World Peace before the Knicks swooped in.
I understand that having a good image is LeBron's prerogative, and I totally admire it, but part of me just wants to see him keep it capital G. He should acknowledge the request, and then laugh at the fact the thought even crossed Stevenson's mind. Then he should have Jay-Z release "Blow the Whistle Part Two" where he shits on him for another 2-and-a-half minutes or so. My wish for this to happen has nothing to do with dislike for Stevenson or love of LeBron -- I'm pretty neutral on both. It's simply the most entertaining and hilarious scenario for the fans. So c'mon LeBron, give the fans what they want. We want "Blow the Whistle Part Two."
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Three Teams That Should Make Another Move
It's easy to get caught up in the big headlines -- Howard to Houston, Paul staying in LA, and the Nets adding Pierce and Garnett. These are the obvious "winners" of the 5,000 "winners and losers" lists that inevitably pop-up after the dust settles every summer. The sorry "losers" of these lists generally consist of teams that either lost star players, overpaid mediocre ones, or mucked-up their finances with no clear end-game in mind. Declaring who falls into these two categories is a fun exercise for any NBA diehard, but what about teams that didn't make a clear move in one direction or another? Of the "stand-pat" teams are another interesting set of winners and losers -- a group much more difficult to classify within the changing landscape of the league
Of course, making a significant move to improve a team is much easier said than done. There are so many variables that go into every roster decision, whether it's basketball fit, chemistry, salary, or something else. There are also only a small number of impact free-agents each year to choose from, and good players already locked into contracts aren't easy to nab either, especially for a team over the cap. But with that in mind, these are the teams that could still use an upgrade and have the assets to make something happen.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are in a very interesting position. Since being bought by tech entrepreneur Robert Pera and transformed from the inside-out, they have made some tough calls on both players and coaches. Everyone remembers the Rudy Gay trade last season, and this off-season has been similarly perplexing with the release of their battalion commander Lionel Hollins. Though the Gay trade was justifiable in that his performance didn't match his salary going forward, it made them a worse team in the short term -- a team that before the trade was seen as a dark-horse to win the West by many. The Hollins firing only adds to the uncertainty going forward. Even with the main pieces of their core still intact, it's unclear as to what Memphis will be able to accomplish next season. They made the West finals last year with this squad, but their perimeter scoring struggles were painfully apparent when matched up with the veteran Spurs.
If the Grizzlies want to go deep in the playoffs again, adding a perimeter offensive weapon should be the top priority. However, there is one caveat -- Memphis is over the salary cap this season, so they can only afford to offer the Mid-Level Exception, set at $5.15 million next season. Any other free-agent pick-up would need to be through a sign-and-trade. This means that to get any bigger-name free agent, Memphis would have to surrender an asset. The Grizzlies new front office is pretty taut when it comes to giving up valuables, but it seems like an avenue they have to consider for improving the team.
Even if giving up a player or pick was out of the question for Memphis, there were still several cheap options that could've helped them without long-term financial consequence. (Note: The Grizzlies have under $16M in guaranteed salary for the 2015-16 season. Therefore any contract two years or shorter would coincide with their future cap space.) Take a guy like Marco Belinelli, who got $3M a year for two years from the Spurs. Big Balls could've added another dimension of shooting and playmaking to augment the Grizzlies potent inside game. Some similar players making less than $5.15M/year for two years: Dorell Wright, Nick Young, CJ Watson, Mike Dunleavy Jr. The Grizz could've easily snagged one of these guys, but instead they'll be fighting for the scraps that are still on the table. There's still time, but Memphis might have squandered their only option of improving next season without compromising any meaningful players.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls biggest off-season concern was the health of Derrick Rose, but now it's official that he'll suit up for game one of the preseason. With that taken care of, the Bulls now have the rest of the roster to worry about. Management in Chicago is notoriously conservative, which has its benefits, but if the Bulls want to be a serious threat to the Heat, they probably could stand to do more this off-season.
Of course you don't want to change the entire roster before you see Derrick Rose play with them, but the Bulls have some clear flaws that can be addressed. To their credit, the signing of Mike Dunleavy Jr. will surely help with floor-spacing, but the Bulls still have a need for another guy that can score alongside Rose. The Bulls are over the cap and don't have the MLE, so in order to get a player like this they almost certainly need to either make a trade or use their amnesty clause -- in which case Carlos Boozer would be the most likely candidate. Boozer has a fat salary, but he's a good player, so cutting him would likely hurt more than help, especially with almost all the major free-agents off the table. This leaves trading as the most viable option. Some potential targets include the perennially disgruntled Eric Gordon, who'd fill in the two-guard beautifully, and LaMarcus Aldridge, who the Bulls were in discussions to acquire just weeks ago. Though the talks with Portland for Aldridge fell through due to their steep return request, the Bulls should do everything in their effort to pursue a trade for him as the season goes on. He's one of the best power forwards in the game and a 20-9 guy every night. The Bulls know they need to add another star if they want to topple the Heat, and they can't do it by running in place for another year.
Oklahoma City Thunder
It seems like everything has gone wrong for OKC post-Harden trade. The Beard blossomed into a superstar and lured Dwight to play with him in H-Town, Westbrook had a disappointing injury that effectively ruined their title hopes for the year, and Harden replacement Kevin Martin bolted for Minnesota. What looked like a potential dynasty-in-the-making two years ago has been reduced to a shell of itself. Though any team with Durant and Westbrook will be a force no matter who the other three guys are, it seems as if the Thunder are in need of a shot in the arm if they want to contend for years to come. OKC is over the salary cap and can only afford to improve the roster through either the MLE, freeing up cap space with the amnesty clause, or through a trade.
Diagnosing exactly what the Thunder need, however, is a bit tricky. For one, they surely need to replace Kevin Martins production from somewhere. Jeremy Lamb could be the guy, especially after dazzling in a few choice Summer League performances, but leaning on a second-year player who has never seen quality NBA minutes is a risky proposition. The Thunder should look to incorporate Lamb much more next season, but it'd be wise for them to snag a vet that could play the same position. The same cheap options I mentioned in the Memphis segment come to mind, but the Thunder also have more tradeable pieces than the Grizzlies. They could use those prospects to get a solid veteran two-guard, like a Vince Carter-type, that would stabilize the backcourt and add another scoring threat. The Thunder could then use the remaining cash on a veteran big to take some minutes from the terrible-as-ever Kendrick Perkins (that is, if they don't amnesty him). Their new rookie seven-footer Steven Adams looks promising, but rarely do ripe young big men have the wherewithal to anchor a playoff run. The Thunder don't need a face-lift, but some more firepower would do them well in top-heavy NBA next season. If they want another shot at the Finals, now is the time to make a move.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Pelicans Say No to Tanking
Fresh off of a 27-win season, the Pelicans are looking to improve by leaps and bounds in spite of the potentially historic draft that awaits them next year. The main force pushing the Pelicans to get better fast is owner Tom Benson, who acquired the team in 2012. It's easy to see why they'd forgo tanking though, considering they just went through a re-brand and are trying to generate some buzz after a couple of uneventful seasons post-Chris Paul.
But still, traditional NBA logic says that the worst place you can be is in the middle. These so-called "treadmill" teams (think Atlanta Hawks) finish every year with a decent enough record, but almost never have a chance of seeing the conference finals. Sure, making the playoffs is great for a number of reasons, but being a middling playoff team also means that you aren't going to get a high draft pick, which is where most superstar players are nabbed. Of course there's free agency, but there are only so many stars that actually become available each year, and then you need cap space and other good players to entice them. Unless a team already has a superstar or two, missing the playoffs for a chance to get a top pick is usually the preferred move.
The Pelicans got their top pick in 2012 in Anthony Davis aka "The Brow," but there are still questions as to whether or not he can become a legitimate superstar. I think most can agree that he's already a very good player, and he will be in the future as long as he stays healthy, but the Pelicans could surely use another high draft pick, especially since this years draft class was relatively dull in terms of top-tier talent. Nerlens Noel surprisingly slipped to the their draft slot despite being hyped as the likely number one pick, but his skill set, not to mention his ACL injury, would likely turn out to be an imperfect fit in New Orleans. But instead of holding onto Noel to see what he has and allowing themselves to have another losing season, the Pelicans pulled off a surprising deal to net them All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday. Building on that, the Pelicans snatched up power-guard Tyreke Evans from the Kings, who famously put up 20-5-5 in his rookie season before regressing a bit in following years. Evans and Holiday will be paired with Eric Gordon in the backcourt, the talented-yet-disgruntled two-guard David Stern gave them in the Chris Paul deal. One of the casualties in this chaos was Greivis Vasquez, last years Most Improved Player runner-up and third best assist man. But while Greivis was very good for much of the year, Holiday is much more dynamic and was right behind Vasquez in assists. All of these moves are an overwhelming net-positive for the Pelicans, but is it enough to guarantee a playoff spot?Obviously we won't know until we see them play together, but right now it looks plausible. The Western Conference is incredibly competitive and it's going to be a dogfight for the last few playoff berths. Right now it looks like the Spurs, Thunder, Rockets, Clippers, and Warriors are definite locks. That leaves three spots amongst a bevy of quality teams. The Grizzlies, Nuggets, and Lakers are probably the next best teams, but the Timberwolves, Blazers, and Mavericks could also challenge for a spot. The competition will be incredibly stiff for New Orleans, and if they don't make it they have to give a prized lottery pick to the Sixers, which I'm sure is the last thing they want to do.
Whether or not the Pelicans fly next season (sorry I had to) will depend on how all these pieces come together within Monty Williams system. One of the glaring questions is how they will spread the backcourt minutes amongst Holiday, Evans and Gordon. Surely Holiday will start at the point, and Gordon will be the two, but this creates a bit of a logjam, as Evans himself is a natural two. Sacramento experimented with him at the three last season, but the results were lackluster and Evans was visibly uncomfortable. He has said he'd be OK with a sixth-man type role, but it's going to be difficult to keep him on the floor when both Holiday and Gordon are on it, which would be their most potent perimeter scoring trio.
When Evans is on the floor, Coach Williams will have to compensate for his lack of a consistent jumpshot (though it has gotten better) by surrounding him with shooters. Luckily, the Pelicans are well-equipped to do this. Gordon and Holiday are both solid three-point threats, and they have one of the best prototypical stretch fours in Ryan Anderson. Anthony Davis also has smooth mid-range J and has the ability to be a devastating pick-and-roll partner that opponents will have to respect. The Pelicans rounded out their roster with one-dimensional shooters like Anthony Morrow and Roger Mason Jr., who should get the job done in limited minutes. With these pieces in place, there seems to be enough shooting on the roster to keep defenses honest when one of Holiday/Evans/Gordon attacks the basket, which will likely be their go-to offensive strategy. While there are other concerns with this roster offensively, like lack of a post scorer, they shouldn't hurt the team too much next season. They scored at a league average rate last year before the Evans and Holiday acquisitions, who will immediately become two of their best three offensive guys.
On the other end of the floor is where the bigger questions lie for New Orleans. Last year their squad finished 28th in Defensive Rating, which must improve for them to sniff the postseason. Monty Williams is a defense-first coach, so that's a plus, but outside of Holiday and Davis the Pelicans lack any good defenders. Gordon is usually solid on this end, but he's been disengaged and injured in recent seasons. Part of their improvement should also come Davis gaining more NBA experience and becoming more dominant on that end (hopefully putting on a few pounds, too), but the rest of it will hinge on how well the lesser defenders perform as a coordinated unit. It's up to Williams to get them to play sound team defense without gambling or falling into bad habits like ball-watching. Another year of experience with this young roster should bode well for their defense going forward, but it's going to take a lot of hard work and discipline for them to be above-average in that regard, which will be crucial to their playoff hopes.
Although the West is anything but wide-open, the Pelicans have boldly put themselves in the running for one of the lower playoff seeds next season. Although it's unclear if they have pieces that can develop enough to make them a contender, they're much more talented than last year, and they did it without sacrificing their youth. Whether they make it or not, give it up to them for being interesting and at least attempting to make a splash instead of being content with another season down the toilet.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Don't Sleep on the C's
At this point I don't think anybody trusts Danny Ainge as far as they could throw him, but his declaration that the Celtics "won't tank" in 2013-14 just might have some credence to it. First off, Ainge has said publicly that he has no plans to trade Rondo. Though he has involved his point guard in discussions in the past couple of seasons, why would he trade him now? Rondo is by far the Celtics best player and asset, even coming off of a torn ACL. If you're not going to tank, don't you want that guy on your team? Rondo isn't exactly the rosiest guy either, so I can't see him being happy on a team losing a lot of games for the sake of getting a good pick. Furthermore, the Brad Stevens move firmly puts the Celtics in "we know we're rebuilding but we still want to try to win games" territory. Like any rookie coach, you know Stevens is going to do his best to win as many games as possible, even if that goes against the best interest of the organization over the long-term. And although college-to-NBA coaches don't have a good track record to this point, there are still a ton of believers in Stevens' pedigree. He should fit right in with the defense-first mentality already established by the Celtics back when the Big Three first came to fruition.
The actual roster, though short on big names, is deceivingly talented. Though it's easy to lose track of him, multidimensional forward Jeff Green is coming off of a surprisingly good season after missing the 2011-12 campaign due to an aortic aneurysm. He dropped 43 on the Heat and sprinkled in a couple other 30 point games last year, which could be a sign of things to come. Green's biggest flaw last season was his inconsistency, but it's possible that was simply due to rust from missing the previous season along with the fact he came off the bench for Paul Pierce. With the latter's departure, Green should lock in as the starting small forward and provide more consistent play with the occasional flashes of brilliance. Outside of him, the Celtics still have defensive ace Avery Bradley, only 22, and a bevy of defensive-minded role players like Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace, and *gasp* Keith Bogans. Gerald Wallace in particular could turn out to be useful for the C's. A lot of people forget, but not only is Crash an athletic wing defender, but he's an excellent rebounder and transition player. On the Nets he was relegated to spot-up three-point shooter even though he can't shoot a lick, but on Boston he will provide some much needed toughness and grit on the glass. Among the Celtics other useful players are three solid big men: Kris Humphries, who should actually get some minutes and return to a nightly double-double threat, Brandon Bass, who's mid-range J is money, and Jared Sullinger, the undersized yet crafty rookie. MarShon Brooks and Jordan Crawford round out the roster as chuckers that catch fire just often enough that you don't want to permanently glue them to the bench. It's not a glamorous team, but there are definitely contributors in there that can help win games.
And that brings us to the Celtics last valued piece, 2013 draft pick Kelly Olynyk. Selected by the Mavs at 13 and immediately traded to the C's, Olynyk brings size, shooting, and gorgeous hair to the table.
Let's face it: aside from the top teams, the East will probably be pretty shitty again this year. Miami, Indiana, Chicago, New York and Brooklyn all should be locks for the postseason, but everyone outside of there registers as nothing more than OK. The Hawks should be decent again, the Wizards are improving, the Raptors might be better and Cavs have made a splash so far, but really, would anyone be surprised to see them all in the lottery again next year? If I'm the Celtics, I'm feeling pretty confident about my playoff chances next season. But only if they want it.
Friday, February 1, 2013
The Big Gay Trade
After weeks of rampant speculation, the Rudy Gay dilemma has finally been resolved. Like many in the sports media predicted, the Memphis Grizzlies swung a mid-season trade that sent Gay to the Toronto Raptors this past Wednesday, along with third-string center Hamed Haddadi. In return the Grizz received budding second-year forward Ed Davis and veteran point guard Jose Calderon, along with a 2013 second rounder. They then flipped Calderon and his expiring deal to the Detroit Pistons for a pair of wings in Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye.
The Grizzlies have been in cost-cutting mode this season, spearheaded by a new ownership and front office. Though GM Chris Wallace remains as a holdover, there have been rumors that he hasn't had much of a hand in the recent deals, including the trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers that dumped Marreese Speights, Josh Selby, and Wayne Ellington. One has to imagine that former ESPN writer and analytics specialist John Hollinger, who was hired to be Vice President of Basketball Operations in Memphis, has had a strong influence on recent roster choices. It seems as though ownership doesn't believe this team has the right pieces to contend both now and in the long-term. And with over $51 million potentially tied up between just Gay, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol through 2015, along with harsher tax penalties, it's hard to blame them.
The Toronto Raptors are in another boat completely. After a disappointing start to what was supposed to be a hopeful season, GM Bryan Colangelo has his eye on immediate improvement, while (probably) sacrificing some long-term potential. It remains to be seen if Gay, a fringe All-Star, can improve the Raps enough to make the playoffs, but one has to like their chances a lot more now. They're currently sitting at 16-30, just 6 and a half games out of the eighth spot, occupied by the now Rondo-less Celtics. In addition to the Gay acquisition, the Raptors have solved their point guard dilemma between Calderon and Kyle Lowry. The former was preferred by the coaching staff for his steadiness and methodical playmaking, while the latter was ownership's preference. But now Lowry is their guy, which is promising as he is younger, more athletic, and tougher than Calderon (not to mention good friends with Gay).
Detroit snuck is as the third team in this deal, nabbing Calderon for lifelong Pistons Prince and Daye. While Calderon will certainly help in the short term, serving as a veteran presence and mentor for young point Brandon Knight, the real value lies in his expiring deal. If the Pistons amnesty 2009 free-agent mistake Charlie Villanueva this summer, they're primed to have about $30 million in cap space this off-season. They can use this space to take back salary in future deals, or throw money at prominent free-agents-to-be like Josh Smith or Al Jefferson, who are more realistic hauls than A-listers like Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Whatever the Pistons decide to do, there's nothing wrong with some extra flexibility, especially since the roster didn't get markedly worse. As long as they don't strike out by overpaying decent players ala 2009, the future looks promising.
So Who Won?
Like any trade, we're not going to know the answer to this for a while. Probably not until the start of the 2013-14 season, when we can look at how the teams fared for the remainder of this season and in the off-season. Still, we can speculate and make educated guesses on who made out the best and the worst.
But strangely, this trade doesn't have any party that stands out as clear victors. Usually the team that gets the best player in the deal wins, but should the Raptors be celebrated if for the next couple years they squeeze into lower playoff seeds and get ousted in the first or second round? That sure is what it looks like. As good as Rudy Gay is, he's not a superstar. Neither is anyone else on the Raptors. He's still young enough where he could develop into one, but that's not a sure bet. A more likely scenario is that the Raptors turn into the Joe Johnson-era Hawks, a team that was pretty good, but never serious title threats. They'll have two fringe All-Stars in Gay and Lowry, along with some other solid players like Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors are still young and have other enigmas like Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas, but its difficult to imagine them as anything more than a treadmill team without making another big move. And everybody knows that a treadmill team is the worst position for a franchise; too good to get good draft picks, and too bad to contend.
The Pistons could potentially come out on top in this deal, but that entirely depends on how they spend their ever-growing cap space. Their track record isn't great in this regard, as I mentioned with the 2009 off-season, but they don't really have anywhere to go but up. In the meantime, Calderon should help bring stability to the lineup and keep the team competing. Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond are poised to get better looks inside with Calderon running the show, and Knight could stand to learn a thing or two in terms of playing with patience and setting teammates up. And don't count the Pistons out of the playoffs either; they're a game up on the Raptors and have looked pretty good in flashes.
That leaves us with the Grizzlies. Unfortunately, if I had to pick a loser of this trade it would have to be them. But I could very well be wrong, depending on both how Tayshaun Prince fills their now wide-open SF slot, and how Ed Davis develops behind Randolph. From a purely basketball perspective, it's hard to see Memphis better without Gay. He was their best scorer, most athletic wing, and only reliable shot-creator outside of Mike Conley Jr. He has hit some game-winners for them and proven himself as clutch-time producer. Having Gay on the wing broke the monotony of Randolph and Gasol post-ups, something the Grizzlies will need to rely on more in his absence. While Prince is a solid player in his own right, he doesn't bring a lot of what the Grizzlies need, primarily outside shooting and shot-creating. Prince's 43% from 3PT range is impressive on paper, but hes only making one every other game. Rudy only hits 31%, but he makes one a game and shoots more often, forcing defenses to come out of the lane more. Prince's low-volume offensive game used to be partnered with great perimeter defense, but he seems to have fallen off a bit in that regard. While he will help against the LeBrons and Durants of the world, he's not an ace defender anymore. The other new Grizzly, Ed Davis, has been playing well lately, but how much value can he possibly have in a clogged front court? Perhaps they're stashing him in case a Zach Randolph deal becomes imminent, but otherwise its hard to see him getting more than 20 or so minutes a night. He'll be a nice backup, but hardly a game-changing force unless he improves even more and earns more time.
The Grizzlies were already under that tax with Gay this season, and they were damn near dominant with him, at least until the trade rumors gained steam. Furthermore, head coach Lionel Hollins openly lobbied for the team to keep Gay for this season. Instead, he was shipped out, and one has to think his teammates are disheartened. It sure looked that way last night against Oklahoma City. Chemistry is an incredibly valuable commodity in the NBA; just look at where the Lakers are without it. A disjointed team and an understandably-upset coach is not a recipe for success. This could be the move that shifts the Grizzlies from dark horse contenders to the treadmill, and for that they are the de facto losers of this trade until further notice.
Note: All statistical data is courtesy of http://www.basketball-reference.com/ and http://www.nba.com/.
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