Orlando Goes All In
Orlando Gets: Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark & a $6.3 million trade exception
Phoenix Gets: Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a 2011 first round pick & cash (both Orlando)
Washington Gets: Rashard Lewis
For the Magic…
First things first, credit has to go President Otis Smith for shaking up a team that had lost 6 of 7 games prior to the trade and was highly unlikely to beat Boston in the playoffs. The main reason a change was necessary is because Orlando couldn’t score anymore. They had dropped from 2nd in offensive efficiency (the number of points a team scores per 100 possessions) last year all the way to 14th this season. That may not seem like a lot but they scored 109.5 points per 100 possessions then and are only scoring 104.2 now. Five points a game is huge over the course of the season.
Well the good news for Magic fans is those offensive woes should be cured after about a month or so of growing pains while the players get used to each other and a new system. Richardson highlights the deal for Orlando and should be a major upgrade over Carter. J-Rich is shooting 40.9% from three and VC only 34.6%. Jason is four years younger than Vince, a better teammate and Richardson is also playing for a new contract. This portion of the trade is a home run for the Magic.
Bringing Turkoglu back is a little more risky given his onerous contract (3 years, $34 million left) but Hedo is shooting 41.3% from three and the departed Lewis was only making 36.7% from distance. (Sensing a trend yet?) Turkoglu has been downright awful since he left Orlando via free agency two seasons ago but he flourished as a secondary ball handler/creator and crunch time closer last time around. So it’s probably worth the gamble that a return to his comfort zone will help him regain some of his form.
Taking on Gilbert Arenas is far and away the biggest risk of the deal for Smith. For starters Otis added on $26 million in extra salary which has got to be a tough pill for Owner Rich DeVos to swallow. However it does make sense given the recent reports that Dwight Howard will opt of his contract after the ’11-12 season if the Magic aren’t contenders. As for on the court at this point in his career Arenas is probably best suited to be a sixth man/instant offense type. The issue there is that he is shooting 38.3% from the field and 31.8% from three. Obviously for him to be valuable in that role he has to find his wayward jumper and learn to score a little bit more efficiently. The question of whether Gil can fit in and actually be a team player with a change of scenery will also be answered very quickly.
The other risks for Orlando are a lack of big man depth and questions on the defensive end. Coach Stan Van Gundy certainly has his work cut out for him keeping the Magic’s defense in the top ten since none of J-Rich, Hedo or GA is known for their D (and that’s being kind). With the departure of Gortat backing up Howard now is the decrepit Malik Allen and the out until mid-February Daniel Orton (left knee). Word on the street is that Smith is already looking for a veteran big man and I think they’ll need one before too long.
Earl Clark is long, athletic and versatile. The problem is he has no clue how to play and seems to lack the consistent focus needed when he actually sees the court.
For the Suns…
This was the first big move for team President and ex-agent Lon Babby and I have to say he accomplished quite a few things Phoenix needed. He got out from under Turkoglu’s contract and parlayed it into the big man they desperately needed. He also dumped a complete draft bust and got another first round pick in return. Lastly he added some defense and rebounding to the worst defending and second worst rebounding club in the league.
Marcin Gortat is the headliner of this trade for the Suns. The “Polish Hammer” has long been considered the best backup center in the NBA and now he’ll finally get a chance to play more than 13.3 minutes per game (his career average). Marcin rebounds, blocks shots, hustles and can finish around the rim with authority and touch. He and Robin Lopez should create a pretty formidable duo in the middle. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if Gortat is eventually named the starter over Lopez.
Pietrus’ $5.3 million player option for next season is what keeps this trade from being a grand slam for Phoenix. While Mickael is yet another swing player added to the Suns stable his main skill is as a perimeter defender, which is something they badly need. As an added bonus Pietrus becomes the best 3-point shooter on the roster at 39.1%.
Did you ever think that Vince Carter would be the throw in to a transaction of this magnitude? Well I’m here to tell you he is. Carter is currently sporting the lowest PER of his career (16.84) AND it’s a virtual contract year for him since only $4 million of his $18 is guaranteed next season. That’s why I think whatever Steve Nash can coax from Vince is gravy because VC is surely going to be released after the season.
With the six, seven and eight seeds up for grabs in the West this deal could be enough to vault Phoenix solidly into the playoffs if Gortat can live up to all his promise.
For the Wizards…
This move is easy to sum up for President Ernie Grunfeld…he finally found someone to take Arenas off his hands. Rashard has one year less on his contract than Gilbert which ends up saving Owner Ted Leonsis $16.5 million. Lewis should step right in and start at SF for Washington but I wouldn’t expect big things from him at all. In theory R-Lew should be a nice floor spacer for John Wall, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee but in practice Rashard is shooting 41.9% from the floor (lowest since his rookie year) and has a career low PER of 11.50. But hey, at least Agent Zero is gone.
Winner – Orlando
Phoenix Gets: Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, a 2011 first round pick & cash (both Orlando)
Washington Gets: Rashard Lewis
For the Magic…
First things first, credit has to go President Otis Smith for shaking up a team that had lost 6 of 7 games prior to the trade and was highly unlikely to beat Boston in the playoffs. The main reason a change was necessary is because Orlando couldn’t score anymore. They had dropped from 2nd in offensive efficiency (the number of points a team scores per 100 possessions) last year all the way to 14th this season. That may not seem like a lot but they scored 109.5 points per 100 possessions then and are only scoring 104.2 now. Five points a game is huge over the course of the season.
Well the good news for Magic fans is those offensive woes should be cured after about a month or so of growing pains while the players get used to each other and a new system. Richardson highlights the deal for Orlando and should be a major upgrade over Carter. J-Rich is shooting 40.9% from three and VC only 34.6%. Jason is four years younger than Vince, a better teammate and Richardson is also playing for a new contract. This portion of the trade is a home run for the Magic.
Bringing Turkoglu back is a little more risky given his onerous contract (3 years, $34 million left) but Hedo is shooting 41.3% from three and the departed Lewis was only making 36.7% from distance. (Sensing a trend yet?) Turkoglu has been downright awful since he left Orlando via free agency two seasons ago but he flourished as a secondary ball handler/creator and crunch time closer last time around. So it’s probably worth the gamble that a return to his comfort zone will help him regain some of his form.
Taking on Gilbert Arenas is far and away the biggest risk of the deal for Smith. For starters Otis added on $26 million in extra salary which has got to be a tough pill for Owner Rich DeVos to swallow. However it does make sense given the recent reports that Dwight Howard will opt of his contract after the ’11-12 season if the Magic aren’t contenders. As for on the court at this point in his career Arenas is probably best suited to be a sixth man/instant offense type. The issue there is that he is shooting 38.3% from the field and 31.8% from three. Obviously for him to be valuable in that role he has to find his wayward jumper and learn to score a little bit more efficiently. The question of whether Gil can fit in and actually be a team player with a change of scenery will also be answered very quickly.
The other risks for Orlando are a lack of big man depth and questions on the defensive end. Coach Stan Van Gundy certainly has his work cut out for him keeping the Magic’s defense in the top ten since none of J-Rich, Hedo or GA is known for their D (and that’s being kind). With the departure of Gortat backing up Howard now is the decrepit Malik Allen and the out until mid-February Daniel Orton (left knee). Word on the street is that Smith is already looking for a veteran big man and I think they’ll need one before too long.
Earl Clark is long, athletic and versatile. The problem is he has no clue how to play and seems to lack the consistent focus needed when he actually sees the court.
For the Suns…
This was the first big move for team President and ex-agent Lon Babby and I have to say he accomplished quite a few things Phoenix needed. He got out from under Turkoglu’s contract and parlayed it into the big man they desperately needed. He also dumped a complete draft bust and got another first round pick in return. Lastly he added some defense and rebounding to the worst defending and second worst rebounding club in the league.
Marcin Gortat is the headliner of this trade for the Suns. The “Polish Hammer” has long been considered the best backup center in the NBA and now he’ll finally get a chance to play more than 13.3 minutes per game (his career average). Marcin rebounds, blocks shots, hustles and can finish around the rim with authority and touch. He and Robin Lopez should create a pretty formidable duo in the middle. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if Gortat is eventually named the starter over Lopez.
Pietrus’ $5.3 million player option for next season is what keeps this trade from being a grand slam for Phoenix. While Mickael is yet another swing player added to the Suns stable his main skill is as a perimeter defender, which is something they badly need. As an added bonus Pietrus becomes the best 3-point shooter on the roster at 39.1%.
Did you ever think that Vince Carter would be the throw in to a transaction of this magnitude? Well I’m here to tell you he is. Carter is currently sporting the lowest PER of his career (16.84) AND it’s a virtual contract year for him since only $4 million of his $18 is guaranteed next season. That’s why I think whatever Steve Nash can coax from Vince is gravy because VC is surely going to be released after the season.
With the six, seven and eight seeds up for grabs in the West this deal could be enough to vault Phoenix solidly into the playoffs if Gortat can live up to all his promise.
For the Wizards…
This move is easy to sum up for President Ernie Grunfeld…he finally found someone to take Arenas off his hands. Rashard has one year less on his contract than Gilbert which ends up saving Owner Ted Leonsis $16.5 million. Lewis should step right in and start at SF for Washington but I wouldn’t expect big things from him at all. In theory R-Lew should be a nice floor spacer for John Wall, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee but in practice Rashard is shooting 41.9% from the floor (lowest since his rookie year) and has a career low PER of 11.50. But hey, at least Agent Zero is gone.
Winner – Orlando
posted by D$ at 1:53 PM
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