THE DWIGHT GOODEN POSTER

Nostrapossumus has read Doc Hollywood’s take on the draft and NBA trades, and will now give the real analysis of said.

First, as to the draft:

1) Blake Griffin will perform well in LA, but it will not matter.  Griffin is a physical specimen, and because of the relative lack of talent in the Clippers camp, he will, at least once he develops some sort of jump shot, do well in La-La land.  However, as we saw when the Clip got Elton Brand a few years ago, they may be able to approach or even slightly eclipse .500 bball, but they cannot really compete in the West.  As such, Griff will not be a bust like Olowokandi, but he will toil in obscurity for a few until he gets out of his rookie deal and signs with a better team.

2) Steph Curry will make an immediate impact.  As it stands, he is with Golden State, a system built for run and gun scoring by the boatload.  Put him and Ellis in the backcourt, and man, do you have some scoring-in-bunches potential.  However, it appears a deal is in the works to send Curry, Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright and/or  Marco Belinelli to Phoenix for Amare Stoudemire.

The priciples in the proposed trade.

While the potential trade marks a rebuilding mode for the Suns and a grab at a marquee player for the Warriors, it also makes the Suns look more like the team they were a few years ago.  Getting a slew of players who have played in the run-and-shoot offense of the Warriors makes a lot of sense.  Nash still has a couple years left, and Biedrins and Wright are perfect big(ish) men for an up-an-down style of play.  And, to get back to my point, if the Suns can get back to what made them a super-exciting team to watch (and a BS call away from taking out the Lakers a few years ago) Steph Curry will play LARGE in that system.  Granted, it may all depend on finding a coach like Dantoni to get that offense back in action, but it doesn’t look like Kerr is building a half-court offense, so let’s all cross our fingers.

3) The Spurs will rise again (again).  Doc Hollywood was right that the Spurs got a steal in Blair, as any low post player that can offer a few bench minutes will do well in the Spurs’ system.  Also, they made a great trade to send away expiring contracts and old players Bruce Bowens and Kurt Thomas to get the still potent Richard Jefferson.  Mark my words: if Parker, Ginobili and Duncan stay healthy enough, this team will be a force in the West.  They have one more of those down-a-couple-years, back-to-win-a-ring runs in them, and this year will be it, barring injuries.

Now to the trades alone:

1) The Shaqtus in going about as far away from the Phoenix lifestyle as he can be by getting traded to the Cavs.  But this trade, to me, is being read wrong by the press, who argue that this is a way to try to off-set Howard in Orlando.  First, I guess it is true that the Cavs could not stop Dwight.  However, I am not sure that that was not as much coaching as anything else.  I mean, we all saw Dwight struggle in the Lakers series, simply because of the genius new-fangled strategy of the double-team; let’s face it: Howard’s low-post game is pretty laughable.  Shaq is still a decent defender, I guess, and he will body up Howard.  But, his value is not so much in that as offering what Howard and Cavs center Ilgauskus do not– great passing from the post and a brute force down low.  Also, with Bron’s driving skills, all Shaq has to do is get low and wait for a TON of oop dunks.  The Cavs were really close last year, and if the Magic let the Armenian wonder, Hedo Turkoglu, go, the Cavs one achilles heal, the high pick and roll with two big men, will be history, and the Cavs will have Shaq, besides.  Get ready, Mike Freeman.  Looks like the Cavs may get to the Finals for you next year.

2)  As to the Magic, I, like Doc, am somewhat perplexed by the trade for Vinsanity.  Yes, he is a great scorer and can be a guy to get his own shot when Stan Van has JJ Redick and some other cast-off on the floor for 20-minute stretches, but wouldn’t it have made sense to put Hedo in the deal rather than all your point guard talent?  By getting rid of Rafer (which I don’t mind THAT much) and Courtney Lee, the Magic is thin at the one position where they have shown to be vulnerable– at PG.  Now, they definitely need to get another guard to back up Jameer Nelson; but, if they can do that, I am more optimistic than Doc.

Man, I can't wait to see this happen all over Varejao.

Nostrapossumus sees a hazy cloud around this team, but will hedge his bets and say this: with a PG pick-up,  and b/c the Magic play in the East, they can still easily be the #2 team there.  And, if Ewing can DO SOMETHING and teach Howard just one post move, there is something to be said for a Howard-Vince-Rashard-Nelson-led team.  These two teams in the East can be really exciting next year.

That’s all for now, but as these draft picks and trades finalize and settle, the picture will become clearer for the Possumus.  Stay tuned.