Some of the teams in the NBA aren't getting any better, and won't get better until they make some moves. Other teams just need a few more pieces to get them into playoff or championship contention. I have thought of a few ideas for some of teams that need it.
Dallas Mavericks:
The Mavericks were once the best team in the league. Since then they have traded away their best young talent (Devin Harris) for a declining veteran (Jason Kidd), lost in the first round, and been involved in controversy.
In order for this team to get better, they need to shed the "soft" label. Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki are both all-stars, but they don't have the right players around them to win.
Nowitzki is not a pure power forward, so he needs to have a strong post presence to play center. Dampier is not that presence however, and neither is Desagana Diop. Josh Howard is talented, but he has too many problems off the court. Howard's value has lowered because of his off court issues, but he could still be traded for some good pieces.
Also, Jerry Stackhouse has demanded a trade because he hasn't gotten enough playing time. One option would be to trade Josh Howard and Jerry Stackhouse to the New York Knicks in exchange for Eddy Curry and Quentin Richardson.
This would give the Mavs a big and strong center who is a good offensive threat, and a shooter to replace Howard as the small forward. The Knicks would get a good sixth man in Jerry Stackhouse, and another athletic wing player in Josh Howard.
New York Knicks:
A year ago the Knicks were the most problematic and dysfunctional team in the league, now with a new coach they are one of the early playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. They still have Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, and Zach Randolph, but they seem to be doing pretty well with Randolph at center with Marbury and Curry in street clothes.
Curry is a good offensive post player, but he isn't suited well for D'Antoni's run-and-gun system. One of the trade ideas I have is with the Mavericks. They could also trade Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, and Nate Robinson to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion and Udonis Haslem. This trade would allow Mike D'Antoni to play small ball, and gives him the player who fits perfectly into his system in Phoenix.
This trade gives the Miami Heat size, so that they can play Beasley at small forward, Zach Randolph at power forward, and Eddy Curry at center. Then they have a backcourt of Dwyane Wade and Nate Robinson, or even Mario Chalmers. If the Heat didn't want to do the trade then the Knicks could add in Mardy Collins and Marcus Banks, so the Heat can get more financial flexibility in 2010.
comments (0) write a comment »
write a new comment
This article has no comments.