NBA Davids to Goliaths

It's not often you see NBA trades or free agent moves that turn around the fortunes of teams fast. When you look at recent NBA champs (the Lakers, Spurs, Pistons and Heat) it was a combination of things that built them. The Spurs hit the draft lottery jackpot with Tim Duncan in 1997, while the Lakers and Heat won their titles with Shaq in the middle. Shaq went as a free agent to LA in 1996, then was traded to Miami in 2004.

But the Lakers, Celtics and Suns have been the focus of the league this season because of key trades. The Celtics were the ultimate worst to first story, an NBA afterthought for years until the Kevin Garnett trade last summer turned them completely around. They've even surprised the oddsmakers, going 30-16 against the spread and a perfect 5-0 ATS as a dog!

Celtics GM Danny Ainge made a terrible move two seasons ago, trading away the No. 7 pick in the draft (Brandon Roy) to Portland for forgettable Sebastian Telfair. But he had a slam dunk last summer, acquiring Ray Allen from Seattle for a draft pick, then packaging a slew of young players for the 30-year old Garnett. In an instant the Green went from having one star to three.

Almost as significant has been the role players Ainge has assembled. James Posey and Eddie House have been terrific on the boards, on defense, and from long range. Rookie Glen Davis has been an asset in the paint. While Davis is a large man, Ainge said he drafted Davis because of the little things he saw. In exhibition games in Las Vegas he watched Davis dive for loose balls and box out on the boards, things that Davis didn't do at LSU as much because he was the focal point of their offense and defense.

In Sunday's win over San Antonio, 98-90, the Celtics won again without Garnett. Davis and Leon Powe defended Duncan and combined for 14 points and 11 rebounds, while the Celtics outscored the Spurs in the paint, 30-26. The Celts are now 5-2 without Garnett, the two losses by a combined four points. They are tops in the NBA in team defense and 17-5 SU, 15-7 ATS on the road.

The Lakers also made news with the trade for Pau Gasol. This was a good old fashioned swindle. Memphis wasn't winning with Gasol and, like Garnett in Minnesota, ownership figured they could save money with Kwame Brown and lose just as much. They were right on both counts. A large segment of the fan base disliked Gasol, booed him and wanted the Griz to dump him. The team realized that having a losing record with star player that can't draw at the ticket window would never work. Regardless, it was a terrible trade for Memphis and a steal for the Lakers. Like the Celtics, the Lakers now have a fascinating offensive trio of Kobe Bryant, Gasol and young 7-footer Andrew Bynum.

Spurs coach Greg Popovich was furious: "What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension," he said. "There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense. I just wish I had been on a trade committee that oversees NBA trades. I'd like to elect myself to that committee. I would have voted no to the L.A. trade." Ha! Hats off to Popovich for his honesty. Let me add that the guy who made the trade for Memphis, GM Chris Wallace, ran the Celtics into the ground with numerous bad moves before Ainge took over. Now Wallace hasn't been in Memphis for a full year and he's ruined them. That.5?s another good example of how important front office leadership in sports is.

Of course, the big news was in Phoenix, where a very good Suns team traded a four-time All Star (Shawn Marion) for Shaq. Shaq is soon to be 36, hasn't played since January 21st and who knows how much his REAL weight is. It's an interesting trade. The Suns clearly view O'Neil as a role player and defensive threat, one to come in late in games for key rebounds. He can also be used in a playoff series against the Spurs, a team that has beaten Phoeonix in the postseason. Maybe Shaq can change that? On the other hand, he isn't going to be much use offensively in the Suns' run-and-gun high octane attack.

It has certainly been one of the most interesting NBA seasons involving trades. Keep in mind that Phoenix is 21-2 against Eastern Conference teams this season, with games against Boston and Detroit for the first time each this month. Hopefully Garnett and Shaq will be back, and we can get a better sense of how Phoenix will utilize O'Neil, or if he's a factor at all.


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