Revisiting Ron Artest... and Other NBA Stuff.

A month after it began the Ron Artest saga is still, unmercifully, dragging on. Has it become painful? Certainly. Has it put a hold on all other trade activity? Probably. Has it led to a flurry of mundane columns which can offer nothing new about the status of the Rap Mogul/Hoops Star? Yup. Does that mean that I’m going to take the high road and write about something else? Well, uhmm, not exactly… The Pacers obviously are in a bind, the three teams who most desperately want Artest have nothing which tempts them, other teams which might have something don’t want the trouble, or are in the Eastern conference. Of course that’s a ridiculous reason not to trade him somewhere, in your division sure then don’t make the trade, but how is sending him to Washington, or Orlando really detrimental to your team? Assuming the return value is good, does the vague possibility of facing him in an early playoff round really matter *that* much? And, for that matter, even the division thing might be overrated, because if Chicago came with a package involving Luol Deng and New York’s draft pick I’d toss caution to the wind and care less how many times in the year I’d face Artest and his new posse. Indiana’s patience has to be admired, they aren’t going to be browbeaten into a bad deal, but the time has come where they need to make a move so that their other 12 players can move on. The player’s untied front is starting to crack and rumblings are beginning to be made about wanting a deal now. In a championship sense it doesn’t matter, because Artest’s act has cost them any possibility at a championship this year, but they are still be a playoff team. The guys on their roster (particularly Stephen Jackson, Austin Croshere, and Anthony Johnson) need to know whether they’re going to be moved alongside Artest or whether they’re in Indianapolis to stay. Bite the bullet, make a deal, it’s time.

Other NBA insights:

There are a number of reasons for the Bulls return to mediocrity after last years’ great campaign. For starters, while a good long term deal, the Eddy Curry trade left the team thin up front. Second, last year Chicago’s veterans played their best basketball in years. A decline was inevitable, had it been met by a steep improvement by their youngsters then Chicago would have been fine, but… Third, Tyson Chandler and Ben Gordan have been enormous disappointments. Gordan shouldn’t be a surprise, he was always a poor selection as a running mate alongside Kirk Heinrich (Andre Igoudala would have worked better). Together they make for an undersized backcourt, something no coach --- especially a hardnosed defensive coach like Scott Skiles --- will really commit too. Which is why Gordan will continue to be featured in trade rumors. Chandler is much more vexing, there is no doubt that he works hard, but last season he was a linchpin for the Bulls defense, and it was his presence which made Curry expendable. The Bulls didn’t expect to get much offence from him, but they believed that if he continued to dominate defensively then his lack of scoring could be tolerated. Instead, his defensive numbers (including rebounding) have declined steeply. It would be harsh to place all of Chicago’s defensive woes on Chandler (they are 14th in defensive efficiency, as opposed to 2nd last year), but if they are going to make any sort of move then they need him to be a force inside.

However, whatever happens to them this year, the Bulls future is as bright now as at any point since the Michael era ended (admittedly, that’s not saying much). They have good young pieces in Heinrich, Deng, and Chandler; they have ample cap room this year (thanks to the Curry trade and Tim Thomas’s expiring contract); they have great trade pieces (Gordan, Chris Duhon, Thomas’s expiring contract, draft picks galore); and they have the Knicks’ lottery pick this year, and potentially next as well. What they need is a star to attract defenders’ attention and put a lot of points on the board, and size at almost every position. They should convince the Clippers to give them Elton Brand back and then use their draft pick on Arkansas shooting guard Ronnie Brewer. Ok, given that the likelihood of them getting Brand back from the Clippers is only slightly higher than of me finally getting my much deserved contract with the Pistons (hey, I can plant my butt on that bench just as well as Darko), perhaps a more likely scenario might involve Paul Pierce, whose name continues to float just below the trade rumour surface. With that in mind, lets take a look at some trade scenarios which don’t involve Artest but should be done anyhow:

Chicago Gets: P. Pierce and M. Blount
Boston Gets: B. Gordan, T. Thomas, D. Songalia, and the Knicks 1st round pick.

Why It Works: The Bulls are about to have a lot of cap space, but Pierce is better than any player they could get this summer. Blount is necessary because the Celtics will want to jettisone him in any trade involving Pierce, and as onerous as his contract is, he’s also a big body to put on the floor. The Celtics are in full rebuilding mode, only their coach, Doc Rivers seems to forget that. Getting rid of Blount would mean Rivers is forced to play Al Jefferson, whose development is essential to the Celtics future. Thomas’s expiring salary is quite literally gold to the luxury tax ridden Celtics, Gordan will be an excellent starter one day, Songalia is a useful player, but that Knicks’ pick is the gem of this deal. It could be used on an impact player, or it could be swung somewhere with Raef LaFrentz for an expiring contract (in what would be mildly ironic, New York would be the most likely possibility).

Utah Gets: Jerome James (NY) and Jamal Crawford (NY)
New York Gets: Carlos Boozer

Why It Works: I’ve been thiking about a column which analyzes ways to fix the Knicks, and thus have reworked this trade about 18 different ways, including a few which involve Portland, but this is the deal boiled down to the bare essentials. Utah needs guard scoring, which Crawford can provide, it also wants to move Boozer whose lineup spot has been lost to Mehmet Okur. New York needs a gritty defender ( and rebounder) who doesn’t need touches to put points on the board, who can play alongside Curry and Channing Frye. They also need to get rid of some players who are just collecting dust (the deal could also be worked to involve Malik Rose instead of James if Utah would prefer him. It by no means solves New York’s problems, but it would be a start.

Orlando Gets: A. Harrington, J. Childress, and T. Delk
Atlanta Gets: S. Franics, lottery protected draft pick.

Why It Works: Harrington is a free agent at the end of the year and he plays the same position as every other member of the Hawks. What they need more than anything is a point guard and Francis just happens to be considered a point guard and a superstar to boot, of course while I would argue that both are tenuous, he would be a more useful player to the Hawks than Harington (especially next year when Harrington's playing somewhere else). Losing Childress hurts, but that’s what the draft pick is for. The trade gets Marvin Williams in the starting lineup where he needs to be and it gives the Hawks a dynamic backcourt for the next four years. For Orlando, they can finally forget John Weisbrod’s abhorrent Tracy McGrady deal by getting Francis off their books. Jameer Nelson has shown he’s ready to start and adding Harrington to play alongside Dwight Howard could be a great move (especially if they could re-sign him). Childress will be a solid complimentary player and Delk comes off the books after this year. The trade is actually prescient for both teams, which --- of course --- is why it wont happen...