trade in NBA history. As the Mello turns, the young and the restless,
New York New York is back on the basketball map.
Knicks Receive: Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, Corey Brewer
Nuggets Receive: Wilson
Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Kosta Koufous, Timofey
Mozgov, $3 million in cash, 2014 first round pick (from NYC), 2012 &
2014 second round picks (From NYC originally from GSW)
Timberwolves Receive: Eddy Curry, Anthony Randolph, 2015 second round pick (from DEN), $3 million in cash
Mak’s Analysis:
Finally....the Mello Man has come back.........home. It’s about god
damn time this happened. Here’s the thing, a lot of intelligent
basketball brains will ask the question, why the hell did NYC give up 3
rotation players, a semi-promising young big man, a load of cash and 3
draft picks when it was clearly evident that Mello wanted to be nowhere
else but NYC next season......Mak will tell you why, 3
words....Collective Bargaining Agreement. The CBA has a huge part of
why so many blockbuster trades were made on D-Day. It was not a bluff
when Mello stated he would seriously consider signing the contract
extension with Denver, the CBA may restrict players to get that kind of
money in the future. It is sad and scary to say that I really think
that a lockout is not only pending, but likely to happen. This deal had
to be done now. Reports indicate that if NYC had agreed to part ways
with 2 more first round draft picks, they could have kept Felton. I
think they pulled off a great trade. They still have two first round
draft picks intact, and if Donnie Walsh and Dantoni can continue finding
gems like Fields late in drafts, it was worth it to part ways with
Felton. Billups and Tony Douglas are more than capable of handling the
point duties. NYC keeps their gem Fields....funny how they were more
than willing to get rid of Wilson, Galo and Raymond but refused to part
ways with Landry Fields. They believe the kid has potential, and upside
cannot be measured in this trade. New York not has the dynamic duo
with a veteran point guard who can run any system in the NBA. These 3
guys will win or lose ball games for them. We all know the new NC3 are
capable scorers, Mello is the best pure scorer in the NBA, Amar’e has
proven he is a legit star and not second fiddle and Billups as stated is
a dream for any coach in terms of a leading PG. But when betting on
this team in the near future, keep two things in your mind. One, those 3
can score “easily” they will get to the free-throw line consistently,
no more relying on perimeter shots to keep the Knicks close, attacking
the basket will be key. Two, do you believe that Tony Douglas, Turiaf,
Shawne Williams and Bill Walker can be proper role and provide
consistent positive production? Dantoni better find a way to implement
Brewer into his system, if he is just going to be bench bound than I
would trust NYC all the time. Don’t be afraid to back NYC against
sub-par teams, once Mello, Amar’e, Landry and Billups get in tune, the
Dantoni system will guide them towards countless covers and
victories....however, apart from Tony Douglas and Corey Brewer, I am not
sold on NYC’s role players or their front court depth.
under the tutelage of Colangelo for many years. I think Brian taught him
well. Although Denver would never get an equal return on their
investment, their procrastination was simply put....genius. They played
media games, internal games, bluffed more than a world champion poker
player and inevitably they got the best deal they could have gotten.
This far exceeds the offer that NJ had (despite losing out on some very
enticing lottery picks) They obtained Galo, Wilson and Raymond....in my
opinion 3 legitimate rotation players on any NBA team. Galo and Wilson
particularly fit in very well. Coming off the run and gun Dantoni
system, they are a perfect fit for the best offensive team in the NBA
(Denver....yes Denver). Raymond however maybe lost in translation like
Bill Murray. George Karl trust Lawson more and I think he is the point
guard of the future...not Raymond. I was surprised to see that Felton
was not dealt again at the deadline. The depth that Denver has created
from this deal is outstanding....but sometimes too much depth can cause
friction within a team. Nene is still waiting for a contract
extension, but he wants to same dough that Noah and Horford received...I
think he is going to have to prove that and will be on the top of his
game for the remainder of the season, watch out for him in the next
month fellas. J.R Smith and Afflalo get their chance to shine with no
Mello, Wilson will be great off the bench and Mozgov and Kosta give them
some young big man with some potential. I think this is the best
Denver could have done, I am impressed with their patience and art of
war type business tactics. They did the right thing and have a lot of
young raw talent.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are yet another team who think Anthony has
potential...it seems this kid may be a bit overrated, a lot of people
love his size and length, but the kid looks as skinny as he did as a
rookie in Golden State, he needs to hit the gym and get his body to the
point where he can be a legitimate 4 man in the NBA, he doesn’t have the
offensive awareness to be a 3 man. I love Corey Brewer and think he is
one of the best and most underrated defenders in the NBA, but Kurt
Rambis wants to develop Wesley and likes Ellington a lot. No space for
Corey, I always said he would fit a playoff team much better, and now he
is there. Timberwolves subtly did well here, they got a large expiring
contract. A 2nd round pick and 3 million jabronis. Not too shabby.
Careful right now with “my” Wolves. With Flynn’s recent injury and
Brewers departure, they are not a better team. I doubt Randolph gets
time but you never know when it comes to the Rambis rotation. They
won’t miss Koufus as Darko and Pekovic are playing the 5 man role to
perfection. My advice would be to watch Wesley and Ellington very
closely as well as Luke and Johnny. If those 4 guys provide consistency
in their roles, than the Tims are still a great dog to back. Keep
trusting them to cover those double digit spreads but watch the two
young shooting guards closely.
Mak’s Report Card: New York = A+, Denver = A-, Minnesota = C+
Nets Receive: Deron Williams
Jazz Receive: Devin Harris,
Derrick Favors, 2011 First Round Pick (From NJ), 2012 First Round Pick
(From NJ originally from GSW), Cash Considerations
Mak's Analysis:
Wa Wa We Wa, what a trade. I think this is sweet vindication for Jerry
Sloan. I really commend the Jazz organization for the way they did
this. So unprofessional it made me smile. Deron sat down on his
leather sofa, turned on his HDTV and decided to take in a little sports
center....wooops, you got traded son. I love it. What a slap in the
face. This deal had to be done, so why prolong the inevitable? Deron
was not going to stay. Have you guys ever heard the song tainted love?
That is what D Will was in Utah. He would forever be known as the man
that ended Sloan’s legendary career. It was obvious that all those
initial rumours about an ultimatum given to the Jazz organization citing
it was either D or Jerry was ludicrous, I know it sounds ridiculous,
but given the blood, sweat and tears that Sloan and his family gave to
the Jazz, I honestly think the organization would have picked Sloan. I
understand the Nets get one of the best point guards in the NBA, in my
opinion there is no point guard like Deron. His girth, strength, size,
speed and ball handling skills are unmatched by any point guard. No one
can do what Deron does....having said all that....in my humble
opinion....the winner in this trade was the Utah Jazz. First off you
get Devin Harris, a guy that always seems to succeed....except when
coached by Avery Johnson. The two just do not see eye to eye, I am
certain that Devin will relish the opportunity to start fresh. Derrick
not being re-dealt was a bit puzzling, I really think that Favors should
be a starting 4 man right now, it is the only way he is going to
progress as a player, he has raw ability for a big man, he already has
the body to battle with big men in this league and his rebounding
ability is second to none. But playing behind Big Al and Milsap will
not allow him to shine. If you think about it though, this improves
depth for. In my opinion the Utah Jazz have the least depth of any team
in the entire association, they have no one coming off the bench that
can do anything consistently. At least they now have a young big man
they can work their 2nd unit around. A front court of AK47, Jefferson,
Paul and Derrick is not bad at all. The key to this trade was the 2011
first round pick. This will be a very high lottery pick. I really
think that when the lottery takes place, the ping pong balls may decide
to give Utah a break. I think that this pick could be a top 5, maybe
even a top 3 pick in next year’s draft. Maybe Utah could have traded
Williams for a variety of players and improved depth, but this
organization built themselves from the draft and free agency and I am
certain that Utah can do it again. I doubt Sloan returns but I would
love it if he did. At this point in time Tyrone Corbin is not a head
coach in the NBA, my advice would be to be very weary of backing Utah in
the near future, they do not have the depth, cohesiveness or leadership
to win games or cover spreads. Though, I do commend them for this
deal.
Mak’s Report Card: New Jersey = B-. Utah = B+
Celtics Receive: Jeff Green & Nenad Kristic
Thunder Receive: Kendrick Perkins & Nate Robinson
Mak's Analysis: What
in the blue hell is Boston thinking? I just do not understand it. I
can try to explain it to myself in many different ways, but ending a
dynasty is what Boston did. This was all Danny Ainge, I really doubt
Doc Rivers was 100% sold on the deadline moves by the beast of the
east. It makes Doc Rivers look like a bit of an idiot in my opinion.
All summer, all year Doc reiterated with media and his team that the
Boston Celtics had never lost when it counted, that when they were a
cohesive unit, they were unstoppable...I believed him. Rajon, Allen,
Paul, Kevin & Kendrick had never lost a playoff series
together....so why break them up? I just do not understand. Doc is the
best motivator currently coaching, 2nd best of all time in my opinion
behind Pat Riley. What is he going to say to the big 4 to motivate them
in the playoffs? That has yet to be seen. If I was to grasp at straws
to try to fathom this deal, it would come down to three things. One
would be the future of the Boston Celtics post big three. Two would be
that Danny and Doc know something we do not. An addition of Troy Murphy
seems imminent, but maybe the return of Rasheed? Something has to give
here. Three would be that the Celtics realize that the Los Angeles
Lakers and Orlando Magic do not pose as big a threat as they once did to
Boston. The reason Boston stocked up on bigs was to offset the power
of Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. With the
Lakers struggling immensely and Orlando’s lack of front-court depth, it
seems now their biggest competition in my opinion would be Miami and
Dallas. In order to beat Miami and Dallas they realize they must obtain
more offensive firepower. Troy and Jeff will do that for them. This
also helps them start building for the post big three era with Rondo,
Davis and Green. Another aspect again is the CBA. Perk was an
unrestricted free agent, they get Green and Nenad who are both
restricted free agents. Thus, allowing them to resign for much cheaper
that Perk would receive in an open market. This also allows them to
have a lot of cap flexibility to maybe add one more big piece and make
one last stand next season. Nevertheless, I do not like this trade for
the near future. Jermaine and Shaq have not proven to be legitimate
front court threats, but as long as they are healthy come playoff time,
the Celts could still make a run to the finals if they can get past the
Heat.
The Oklahoma City Thunder made a few moves that were spectacular in my
opinion, this being one of them. The Thunder have really regressed
their defensive stature from last year. They are now a run and gun team
that rarely cared about post presence. With the addition of Perk this
all changes in my opinion, I always thought the biggest weakness on the
Thunder squad was Nenad as a starting 5. I always wanted Ibaka to
start. But Ibaka is a legitimate power forward in this league and a
damn good one at that. Adding Perk (also Nazzy which we will get to)
along with Serge & Nick Collison solidifies what is now an
outstanding front-court. So the new starting 5 will be Westbrook,
Thabo, Kevin, Ibaka and Perk.....WOW. That in my opinion is an
upgrade. Green struggled all season and just could not contain power
forwards who used to explode against OKC. Their bench is now even
deeper with Maynor and Robinson as playmakers, Harden who is slowly but
surely finding himself, Nick Collison who is a leader in charges taken
and a leader and +/- stats as well as Nazr who we will get to shortly. I
really think this move makes the Thunder much more capable of
contending with Dallas, San Antonio and Los Angeles. The Thunder may
even manage to finish 3rd in the West. This team is set to make their
deepest playoff run in team history, excellent move by Oklahoma City.
Back them continuously until the end of the season gents, these guys are
the real deal holyfield.
Mak’s Report Card: Boston = C+, Oklahoma City = A
Thunder Receive: Nazr Mohammed
Bobcats Receive: D.J White & Morris Peterson
I think this is actually a good trade for both teams. This does affect
daily gambles as what was once a front court size weakness for OKC is
no more. With the addition of two legitimate 5 men in this league, the
Thunder are set. They have Perk, Nazr, Nick and Serge. 4 guys who can
defend the low post and really cause a lot of trouble for teams,
specifically the Los Angeles Lakers. I think this is one of two good
trades that Jordan made today. There was no need for Nazr since Jordan
has his lips planted on Kwame’s ass. He wants to prove to the world
that Kwame can play and won’t rest until he does. Morris is a wash out,
he won’t play. His career is over, sad because he was one of my
favourite players on the Raptors for a long time. D.J White is the key
piece. This kid has a lot of talent, he has freaky size and length and
never got an opportunity due to the fact that he was playing behind
Durant. D.J will get time now that G Wall is gonzo and I really think
D.J White is going to open some eyes very soon. Solid deal for both
teams here, both teams filled a need.
Mak’s Report Card: Oklahoma City = B+, Charlotte = B
Versatility traded for future considerations.
Blazers Receive: Gerald Wallace
Bobcats Receive: Dante
Cunningham, Sean Marks, Joel Przybilla, 2011 First Round Pick (From POR,
belongs to the NOH, 2012 First Round Pick (From POR)
This was a decent deal for both teams. It is obvious that Charlotte
has bigger picture with these moves. Building for the future and
acquiring 2 first round picks for G Wall is pretty good especially when
they get a young prospect in Dante and their previous trade for D.J
White. I think it is a bit of subtle genius from MJ and for the first
time I have been impressed with his GM skills. Gerald Wallace will
probably start in place of Batum but I was a bit surprised that Portland
got rid of two big men....I mean its not like they have an abundance of
big men. All they have right now is Camby and Big L. Aldridge is
playing the best basketball of his career and Camby is set to return
from injury. Along with Crash a returning Roy and Dre, that is a solid
starting 5. The bench worries me a lot, Rudy is always so inconsistent,
Patty Mills is just finding his game but now that Batum will be
relegated to the bench is actually improves this team drastically. My
advice would be to back Portland in March with confidence, they have a
dynamic and versatile team and if they can stay healthy, they are a west
playoff team despite all the competition..
Mak’s Report Card: Portland = B+, Charlotte = B-
Celtics Receive: 2017 Second Round Pick
Kings Receive: Marquis Daniels, Cash considerations
This just solidifies that fact that Boston is opening up a lot of
roster spots. They are going to sign some free agents very shortly,
Troy Murphy seems imminent but who else is coming to Bean Town?
Mak’s Report Card: Boston = C, Sacramento = C
Nash’s air apparent? Maybe, but there is a clear winner in this trade in my opinion.
Suns Receive: Aaron Brooks
Houston Receives: Goran Dragic, Future First Round Pick
Mak's Analysis: To
me it makes no sense to trade Goran, he really controlled the 2nd unit
tempo for the Suns. He is a better playmaker than Brooks and has more
point guard intangibles. However, despite Brooks momentous struggles
this season, he is still a very explosive offensive player. If he can
get his game back on track, in a year and a half he will most likely be
the starting PG for Phoenix. The winner of this deal is clearly
Houston, not because of any other reason but the first round draft
pick. Watch Brook’s progression closely over the next 2 weeks, if he
finds his shot (which has been lost all season) he can have a positive
impact on a team chasing for a playoff spot.
Mak’s Report Card: Suns = C+, Rockets = B-
Memphis Receives: Shane Battier, Ish Smith
Houston Receives: Hasheem Thabeet, Future First Round Pick
Mak's Analysis: I
love this trade, again, probably because I am an NBA whore but these
are the types of trades I really like. If it wasn’t for the failed O.J
Mayo trade, I would grade the Griz higher on this one. First off Shane
comes back to a city where he loves and is loved. Fans adore Battier
and this team and city will welcome this veteran presence with open
arms. He is a much needed voice on a team fighting to make their first
playoff appearance ever. I am rooting for them as I have been a
Grizzlies fan ever since Big Country and Vancouver. This is their
chance. Shane will help develop young wings like Sam Young and Tony
Allen, yet another defensive presence on a team that is 10th currently
in the NBA. Adding Ish Smith is awesome as well, Vasquez and Jason
Williams are already backup points, adding a third may not make a
difference. I just really like his game and think he has the potential
to be a starting point guard in about 2 years. I am also a big fan of
Thabeet, I think he is a big man with a lot of potential and upside. He
hasn’t really been given an opportunity to prove he is a legitimate 2nd
overall pick in the NBA. He has been behind Gasol and Zach all his
career. Houston desperately needed a big man, they not only got one,
they also got a young raw one with some potential, along with the future
first rounder, I will give them the very slight edge in this trade. I
suggest backing Memphis more than Houston at this point, I think the
Griz have a much better chance at making the playoffs than Houston. The
Griz play defense, Houston does not. Simple as that.
Mak’s Report Card: Grizzlies = B, Houston = B+
Once again a head scratching move by Boston....but again I am certain Doc and Danny know something we do not know.
Boston Receives: 2013 Second Round Pick
Cleveland Receives: Semih Erden, Luke Harangody
This opens up a second roster spot on Boston....so again I ask Troy
Murphy is already a given....but who else is coming down to the big
green machine? Sheed? I doubt it, so who exactly.It is going to be
very interesting to see what Boston does with these two empty roster
spots. For now I am giving them a dismal grade here since I think
trading Semih Erden is idiotic. I really liked this young kid and
though Kevin could turn him into a formidable big man. Nevertheless,
the Cavs add some youth and brute force down low. Celtics could just be
teasing me, but I am disappointed with them trading away Perk and
Semih. I doubt they are relying on Shaq and Jermaine. If I were to
take a guess I would say they add a power forward and a centre. If they
don’t, I fail to see why they trade Erden.
Mak’s Report Card: Boston = D+, Cleveland = C+
in my opinion. This was a stupid deal and proves what team currently
has the worst management in the NBA.
Cleveland Receives: Baron Davis, 2011 First Round Draft Pick (From LAC)
Los Angeles Receives: Mo Williams, Jamario Moon
Mak's Analysis: Are
you kidding me? What idiocy by an organization who continues to just
such in every which way. Subtract Blake and the Clippers are the worst
team of the decade. Is Mike Dunleavy still running the team management
wise? If so he is an ass clown. Why the hell would you trade away a
lottery pick.....a high lottery pick at that, you trade away a point
guard who seemed to get along with your new star and actually seemed to
protect him during games in many ways....for Mo Williams and Jamario
Moon? Fucking idiocy. What type of convoluted reasoning do the
Clippers have to make this move. It is by far the worst move of D-Day
in my opinion. Blake can’t do it alone, my advice would be to stop
treating the Clippers as a good team, when you see a front court that
can contain Blake, go against the Clipps with gusto. Baron and Byron
have never gotten along, I don’t know how this is going to end up.
Baron may be a professional and play for the Cavs, but I seriously doubt
he wants anything to do with a rebuilding organization at this stage of
his career, yet another 1st round lottery pick is an amazing pickup for
the Cavs though.
Mak’s Report Card: Clippers = F-, Cavs = B+
One team desperately needed some guards, the other team desperately needed a proper point.
Atlanta Receives: Kirk Hinrich, Hilton Armstrong
Washington Receives: Mike Bibby, Maurice Evans, Jordan Craford, 2011 First Round Picks (From ATL)
Mak's Analysis: This
was a good deadline deal. It was clearly obvious that Bibby was
hindering Atlanta. His defense was atrocious and he just could not
provide consistent scoring. For most of the season Bibby shot well from
three, but as the season progressed he just did not prove to be
consistent enough and his lack of mobility and stamina was hurting
them. They obviously do not believe in Jeff Teague so they decided to
make a move and land a veteran point guard with good defensive
attributes. I do think this helps Atlanta this year. It gives them
someone who can fit into the system easily and instantly, however they
sure did give up a lot to obtain him. Jordan Crawford is a player, raw
talent, smooth stroke, all he needs is a little time and confidence and
he could be a very good player. Maurice Evans will help Washington and
should be implemented in the rotation instantly. Bibby will be a much
better backup than he was a starter. Again the key to this deal comes
down to the draft pick. Should be a 20+ draft pick this year, but this
years draft should have a little depth and Washington can add yet
another young gun to their roster. All in all this helps both teams
right away. I like both teams to have above .500 ATS records for the
2nd half of the season.
Mak’s Report Card: Atlanta = B-, Washington = B-
Golden State Receives: Troy Murphy, 2nd Round Draft Pick (From NJN)
New Jersey Receives: Branden Wright, Dan Gadzuric
Mak's Analysis: Troy
will be bought out of his contract, most likely will join the Celtics
in my opinion. Dan is a wash, they already have Elson, Kris, Brook and
some other bigs. Wright is actually a pretty decent young big man who
has yet to receive the opportunity to shine. Nevertheless both contract
(amounting to about $11 million) will be off the books next season thus
giving New Jersey extreme flexibility to pickup a free agent to go
along with D Will. I just cannot condone sending a draft pick to Golden
State. It makes no sense for a rebuilding team like NJ to give up all
of their draft picks. They are a low lottery team and these draft picks
are very valuable, they now have no chance of building through the
draft. Their only hope is enticing free agents to play in Brooklyn.
They will have cap space and quite a bit of room to make some moves. It
is obvious they do not care to rebuild around youth, they do not have
any draft picks left. The Russian rude boy better know what he is
doing. NJ will continue to be able to contend with teams at home, but I
doubt this team will have the ability to cover any spreads on the
road. If you fade New Jersey on the road for the remainder of the
season, I am certain you will make money, however at home they will
still contend with Kris, Brook, D Will and some promising youth such as
Farmer and Morrow. I don’t believe in nor do I like buyouts so GS comes
up short on this one as well.
Mak’s Report Card: Golden State = D+, New Jersey = D+
Solid trade, biggie for smalls.
Sacramento Receives: Marcus Thornton, Cash considerations
New Orleans Receives: Carl Landry
really do not understand why this is Landry’s third team in less than 2
years. Yes he is an undersized 4 man, he can’t play the three so teams
are stuck with him giving up size, but Carl is a scorer. He is an
excellent low post offensive player and New Orleans is very lucky to get
him. He will fit in nicely and give David West much needed rest. When
David exits the game, New Orleans really struggles to get anything in
the points. Points down low are hard to come by for New Orleans, they
needed someone to assist with bench scoring and they got it. Marcus
Thornton had really been coming along as of late, he shows a lot of
promising skill, however, this deal was made to offset the loss of
Tyreke, but with the recent emergence of Jermaine Taylor and the Kings
focus on developing Omri Caspi, I don’t see how Thornton will get much
time once Evans returns. I don’t like the trade for Sacramento, they
lose a low post offensive presence and I really think that if they
shopped around a bit more, they could have obtained much better for
Carl. Look for the Kings to start going big during games, Cousins and
Samuel may play together much more often. Don’t look to much into their
win over Orlando, Orlando lives and dies by the three and are a very
risky team to bet for or against. As for New Orleans, I would implore
all of you to refrain from betting on them until the return of Emeka
Okafor. He is their defensive catalyst. Without him, Orleans is giving
up about 5 more points a game on average and that is actually a large
difference. Once Mekka returns, New Orleans is safe to back and even
more so with the addition of Landry. A clear cut winner in this trade
in my opinion.
Mak’s Report Card: Hornets = B+, Kings = C-
Toronto Receives: James Johnson
Chicago Receives: 2011 First Round Draft Pick (From TOR originally from Miami)
wish Brian Colangelo did a bit more at the deadline but glad he did at
least something. For the last 2 years Brian has wanted James Johnson,
he tried offering a lot last year, but at that time Johnson was in the
future plans for the Bulls. With the acquisition of Korver and Brewer
as well as Asik, he was no longer in the picture. Miami will most
likely end up with the 2nd best record in the NBA and thus the 28th pick
in the draft. I think it is a safe bet that the Raps would not have
been able to find a better player at that spot then James. Now my
report card will of course be biased, but not for the reason you may
think. This would pretty much have been even, I may have even given
Chicago the edge if they managed to get what they wanted with this draft
pick. What they wanted to do was package their first round pick and
this first round pick and send it to Houston for Courtney Lee. They
were not able to pull it off, thus they are pretty much stuck with the
pick for now. Not only did they give up a promising young small forward
who has never gotten a chance to shine, they decided to send him to
Toronto in time for the Wednesday game......James Johnson
started.....and he basically won the game for Toronto. So not only did
Chicago lose out on double J and get a worthless pick, they also added
another L on their record. Johnson fits into Toronto perfectly and I
have a feeling he will be a mainstay in this lineup for a while. Here
is my advice....yes Toronto sucks....but there has been one main reason
Toronto has sucked....the absence of Reggie Evans. Once Evans returns, I
really think all of you should start backing Toronto hard. With James
they solidify a pretty decent starting 5. Bargnani and DeRozan are
their dynamic duo. The two Johnson’s are stiff (that’s what she said)
and Jose is playmaking like never before. Off the bench Barbossa is
healthy again, Ed Davis is proving himself, Weems is a much better bench
player than starter and once Reggie comes back, the Raps are back.
Back them with confidence the 2nd half of the season, especially if
oddsmakers continue to disrespect them with close to double digit home
spreads. Go Raps Go.
Mak’s Report Card: Raptors = C+, Bulls = D-
Great Gadzooks! Mak, you are a writing fool! Are you sure you didn't forget anything?...lol.
Always read your post's, and appreciate the insight you bring to the table. Thanks for the time and effort. BOL!
Kendrick is crying leaving. The Celtic players were very emotional and
Paul Pierce called it a ‘cold’ management decision. Never forget the
business aspect of this sport. True enough. But Kendrick did not
want to sign an extension and wanted to test free agency. No doubt, he
would have many takers. Miami was said to have him targeted. Though a
lock out looms, Brendan Haywood money ($8-10 mil. yr) would be possible.
If Perkins left for a deal that the Celtics couldn’t feel justified in
matching, that would have been different? In the end, both sides
have to look out for themselves. Instead of possibly losing Perkins for
nothing, Danny got a young, improving, starter level, versatile 3-4
type player and a center who can knock down a jump shot for Perkins and
Nate Robinson, who did his very best, but wasn’t fitting in as well as
some hoped. I loved Perk when he was here. But I love the trade.
hope you are back home soon Mak, safe and sound, miss reading your insight. Playoffs are right around the cornerhope your time away was productive