Shoals Unlimited: Recapping an NBA Trade Day of Brilliant and Ugly Moves

Welcome to Shoals Unlimited, where Bethlehem will post a long-form on basketball once a week. ↵
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↵Not exactly the most thrilling trade deadline ever, was it? Of course, unlike the draft -- where teams have no choice but to act -- the deadline is almost always followed by the thud of unrealized hype. But yesterday’s comedown was especially sobering, a reminder that the inner workings of an NBA franchise are a world unto itself. To paraphrase a friend of mine, little happened yesterday that the average fan can talk about, unless they also happen to be economists. With that in mind, I’m going to try and fish out all that was especially noble or ugly about yesterday’s deadline deals:↵
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TRUTH AND JUSTICE↵
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↵D’Antoni’s subtle brilliance: Okay, that might be taking it too far. But as Kevin Pelton pointed out, D’Antoni expressed his admiration for Chris Wilcox as far back as 2006, when he compared Wilcox to the then-injured Amare Stoudemire, and lamented that the Suns failed to acquire him that February. I’ve never been a huge fan of Weezy, but that’s mostly because the Clippers and Sonics never just allowed him to run and finish with Stoudemire-like abandon. Nor has he ever played with a point guard as effective as Chris Duhon is in D’Antoni’s system. And if he doesn’t work out, the contract’s up this summer. Larry Hughes was a disaster for Cleveland and Chicago, but he’s big, athletic, can pass some, and isn’t afraid to shoot, which means he, too, might find a happy home -- if only till 2010. ↵
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Addition by subtraction: The Kings were the most active team, and I’ll confess, most of what they did made little sense to me. I guess times are so tough for the Maloofs that one year of Brad Miller is a burden, even if it means being unable to deal his huge expiring contract next spring. On the other hand, getting rid of Miller opens up time for Spencer Hawes. Although Hawes may need a little bit of encouragement to actually play like a center and not succumb to Raef-itis, he’s definitely that team’s future down low. After all, they did draft him, and what are drafts for if not determining the future and seeing if you got it right? Similarly, John Salmons put up numbers and didn’t cost much, but he was standing in the way of Kevin Martin’s total and absolute status as No. 1 option (and perennial All-Star) and the emergence of Francisco Garcia (whom everyone but me is sleeping on). Andres Nocioni is much more the disposable, and versatile, good soldier, even if his deal sucks.↵
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↵Movin’ on: Rafer Alston is underrated, and with Jameer Nelson healthy next season, that team will be even stronger. Boogers for them. If you want a trade to try to figure out, and argue about, and end with a stabbing incident that will shatter bonds of friendship forever, look at what this does to the Rockets. T-Mac’s out of the picture, but the team’s well-prepared for that. Then again, Adelman’s offense needs passers, and besides McGrady, Skip was their finest. Or wait, was his inconsistency and bone-headed shot selection holding back the team? And let’s not forget, we’ve still got a mighty Yao and Ron Artest, rounding into form, on this roster. It seems to me that Daryl Morey gave up on the three-star, high-octane model and, following all the NYT shine he’s gotten, is going with a more intricate team concept. Whether or not they’ve given up for the season, I suspect that now, and only now, will we really see that stats-based revolution take root in Houston. ↵
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↵Footnote: I like Thabo Sefolosha to the Thunder. In the way Scott Brooks has handled and groomed Jeff Green, you know he’s cool with versatile players. I always thought his problem in Chicago was a lack of imagination (big surprise) on the part of coaches, not to mention innumerable positional logjams. Here’s hoping Thabo finds a new beginning to his occasionally promising career. ↵
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PURE UGLINESS↵
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↵The Chandler fiasco: I suspected all along that Tyson Chandler hadn’t really failed a physical. Or rather, that what it takes to fail a physical in this economy is different than in the past, when money flowed more freely and no one had a care in the world. Little did I know, though, that it would all lead back to my favorite pastime: Making fun of Oklahoma. Turns out Chandler failed the physical because of a toe injury, one that hasn’t bothered him this season, but posed a problem during last season’s playoffs and forced him to withdraw from Team USA. The kicker? OKC’s team doctor, one Dr. Carlan Yates, is the one who first operated on the toe in 2007, when the Hornets called OKC home. Now, he issues the expert ruling that has Chandler amused and steamed:↵↵⇥“He said he doesn’t know how long I’ll last,” Chandler said in reference to Yates. “He told me, ‘I have no doubt you can play on it. I’m just saying it could take a turn for the worse if you come down on somebody’s foot or hyperextend it or something.’”↵↵Right, and Chandler also has perfectly good vision that could get messed up if someone pokes him in the eye. See also Stoudemire, Amare. I know that Yates is looking out for his client, but this really doesn’t contribute anything positive to the world’s view of the state of Oklahoma. A surgeon outrageously admits his own work is crap? That’s both clueless and implies incompetence. Nice job, Yates! In other news, the Hornets are back together, Chris Paul and David West are relieved, and the Thunder will have to hope they don’t go on a run that precludes them landing Blake Griffin. ↵
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↵Thank you Suns, for wasting my time: All we’ve heard since February was that the Suns wanted to cut payroll, they wanted to make moves, Amare had worn out his welcome, Shaq could be a problem since new coach Alvin Gentry wants to run. And instead, nothing. They promote an assistant best-known (to me) for presiding over the rise and collapse of those zany 2000-2003 Clippers teams, imbued with the knowledge of D’Antoni. In other words, at best we’re back to last spring, plus Jason Richardson, minus Raja Bell and Boris Diaw. One encouraging sign: Leandro Barbosa got some point in a recent win over the hapless Clips, which is the true indicator of real change on that team. Still, they neither managed to improve their standings in the West (I could see them missing the playoffs) nor their fiscal future. We had to think about Robert Sarver way more than of us like to. And now that they’ll possibly be without Amare for the rest of their season, they’ve lost both the coach who was supposed to make them defensive and tough and the player most held back by that philosophy.↵
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↵Fool’s gold in NYC: Not exactly trade-related, but this Howard Beck piece made me angry. Notice, D’Antoni is circumspect, and includes David Lee and Nate Robinson as two of several quality young players the team is developing. But Beck runs with Gregg Popovich’s “Nate is like Manu” quote, even suggesting that extending the two might take precedence over the semi-dashed hopes of landing 2010 free agents. Right. I honestly think part of the reason D’Antoni got Wilcox and Hughes was to draw attention away from Robinson and Lee, at least locally. Their trade value is what it is, but the Knicks faithful are so desperate for this long-awaited rebirth that they might be sucked into thinking the future is already here. If Robinson is so notable, why was he almost sent to the Kings at the deadline? Wilcox may not be quite the hustle player Lee is, but in D’Antoni’s system, he might make more of an impression. ↵
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↵Later, Rashad: I once lost a bet concerning McCants’s effectiveness as a rookie. I should’ve learned from that.Still, it’s kind of sad to see him reduced to a purely financial concern. Feel my pain -- I still think that some team could use his offense. Hey, I said the same thing about Gerald Green, and I was sort of right. Or the two could just hit the road as a comedy troupe and cash in big at indie clubs.↵