I LOVE THE TRADE DEADLINE

Holy crap! This was AWESOME!

We had several huge deals, all of which came about seemingly out of thin air--meaning none of the highly-discussed trades went through. Which is a good thing, it keeps the element of surprise.

First, the biggest trade of the day: Chris Webber to Philadelphia. Okay, yeah, it WAS a six-player deal, but this is by far the biggest part of the trade. The actual trade was Sacramento sending Webber, Matt Barnes, and Michael Bradley (bench warmers) to Philly for Brian Skinner, Corliss Williamson, and Kenny Thomas. Unless Sacramento knows something I don't, they got ROBBED. Thomas is a nice player, if a little undersized. He'll give them a little toughness that Webber just hasn't had since his injury. Philadelphia, on the other hand, gets a player that Iverson will LOVE. A 20-10 post player; the best sidekick he's ever had; and a willing passer? Puhleeze. There must be something wrong with him for this deal to go through--either that, or Sacto is pulling a Lakers and catering to Stojakovic too much. Still, a Bibby-Mobley-Stojakovic-Thomas-Miller lineup is nothing to sneeze at.

Now, the trade that matters most to me: Mike James to Houston. Finally. A true point in H-town, with another backup center (Zendon Hamilton). And all we gave up was Reece Gaines and a couple draft picks. Sweet.

Another ground-shaking trade, especially out west: Baron Davis to Golden State. GS shipped out Dale Davis, Speedy Claxton, and a pick for Baron. Another great trade--for both teams, actually. The Hornets give up an oft-injured player with a huge contract for a young point and a huge expiring contract. The Warriors take a chance but end up with one of the most exciting backcourts in the league.

Apparently, Walker is back in Boston. Atlanta sent him back for Payton, Gugliotta, and Michael Stewart. So, the Pierce-Walker duo is reunited, though probably just for the season. His contract expires then, and Boston will most likely let him walk.

Another GS trade: Najera for Tskitishvili. Mainly, Denver gets a first-round draft pick. GS isn't exactly at the bottom of the heap, but it's close enough that Denver gets a good pick.

Another Houston deal: Moochie Norris for Mo Taylor. Which is interesting, since Moochie already played here, and didn't work out as well as he could've. Why do teams get broken up, then put back together? I'm still trying to figure this out. Houston also got Vin Baker (in addition to Norris) for Taylor and a future first. Woohoo.

Still New York: Nazr Mohammed to the Spurs. Good for San Antonio--they got, at the very least, a capable backup center, though he may start if Pop keeps Nesterovic in the doghouse.

In a move that should surprise no one, the Mavs got a shooting big man--Keith Van Horn for Booth and Henderson. Not really the smartest move, to me. KVH is a less-talented version of Nowitzki; Booth and Henderson gave them some defensive presence.

The Cavs got the perimeter shooter they've needed all year--Jiri Welsch from the Celtics. For a first round draft pick. So, they give up drafting some help for Bron and get it immediately. Not bad. McInnis-Welsch-James-Gooden-Ilgauskus. I like that quite a bit, actually. Gives them some depth, and a piece they've needed.

Also, the Hornets made another move, trading Mashburn for Robinson. Again, it's a salary cap move. Mashburn is retiring after this season; Robinson hasn't been playing much. It's less for the team potential; more for the business aspect.

So--that's the state of the league after today.

Rock

All-Star Weekend

ROOKIE CHALLENGE:

This game was awesome. If the future of the league is these two draft classes, we're in good hands.

Sophomores:
Chris Bosh: This kid really impressed me. I didn't really believe all the hype I've heard--but he's going to be good. 25-12, at least. Will he be the best in the league? No. Best at his position? No. But he'll probably be a top-5 PF in a few years.
Lebron James: Nothing new to say. He will be the best player in the league. Soon.
Carmelo Anthony: He's a good scorer. Overrated overall? Yes. He's not a franchise-caliber player; but he'll be a good part of a contender someday, as long as he's not the best player on the team.
Dwyane Wade: Phenomenal. The guy is lightning-fast and will become a devestating scorer and point guard. Like Francis, but more talented overall.
Kirk Hinrich: He's going to be great, too. Not one of the best players, but is smart enough and skilled enough to run a team brilliantly. He'll probably coach someday. Early prediction, yes, but still.
Darko Milicic: Oh, who am I kidding?

Rookies:
Ben Gordon: I love this kid. He's gonna be huge. He's a bit undersized to be a true shooting guard, and a bit too selfish to be a true point; but that never stopped Baron Davis or Steve Francis or Allen Iverson from succeeding. And, honestly, I think I'd take him over those three. (Except AI, of course).
Luol Deng: Also very impressive. He's got an all-around game--he might be a slightly less talented version of Grant Hill; he's going to be putting up some decent scoring numbers, plenty of rebounds and assists.
Andre Iguodala: Not bad at all. He's got the incredible athleticism to play above the rim. When he develops a nice jumper, he could be one of the better young swing players in the league. I think nbadraft.com compared him to Pierce. Not far off, from what I saw.
Tony Allen: He's not bad either; a little raw, but he'll be a solid starter in the league for years.
Josh Smith: Incredibly athletic. Not sure who to compare him to--a young T-mac, maybe? Back when he wasn't quite the scorer he is now, and good on defense.

ALL-STAR GAME:
Shaquille O'Neal: What can you say? He's still the best center in the league. And will be until he retires, most likely. Deceptively quick and athletic for someone his size. Simply great.
Grant Hill: One of the most ironic moments of the game was when the announcers were saying that he's had to readjust his game after his injuries. About a half-second later, he finished an alleyoop. It was nice. Good to have you back, Grant. Stay healthy.
Vince Carter: I don't like the guy. I think he only started the game because of name recognition. But that alleyoop to himself.... okay, yeah. That was the best part of the game.
Lebron James: Nothing new to report. Phenomenal.
Allen Iverson: Passion. That's about all you can say about Iverson. He just loves the game and it shows. MVP? No; but definitely a candidate.
Zydrunas Ilgauskus: Wow. He's a lot better than I thought. Kinda like Shaq, in a way. His size is misleading, he had several great plays.
Jermaine O'Neal: One of the elite players in the game today, especially at his position. Should've started over Hill or Carter, easily.
Ben Wallace: A great defensive player. Don't really think he should've been there over some other players, but oh well.
Antawn Jamison: Another great player, all around. Not quite the all-star appearance he would've liked, I'm sure; but there should be more for him.
Paul Pierce: Not quite to the level of some of the other all-stars, but still put in a nice game.
Dwyane Wade: See earlier comments.
Gilbert Arenas: Tied for the most ironic comment of the night: "No one in the league has been able to stay in front of him this year." (The announcers said that as he was being guarded by none other than Mister Swiss-Cheese Defense himself, Steve Nash. Hilarious.)

Yao Ming: He was having a great time out there--he was fouled on what would've been a MONSTER dunk from the baseline--he took off, and might've brought the backboard if he'd finished it. Also had a no-look wraparound pass that didn't connect... which sucks. No moments as good as last year, where he just kind of casually flipped it up to Steve in traffic and then watched as he slammed it down hard. Five assists in this game. Not bad. (I looked it up--technically, that's his season high.)
Tim Duncan: Still one of the best players in the game. Mister Fundamentals--and it showed. He makes his teammates better. I think he should've been playing D on Hill while KG played Carter--but that's just me.
Kevin Garnett: Not the best game from KG by any means--but he was playing very limited minutes and is noted for being one of the more unselfish superstars. He's definitely a pleasure to watch, and is maybe even more passionate than Iverson. He blocked a shot by Jermaine in the third quarter, was called for goaltending, but from the look in his eyes, you'd think he blocked it down JO's throat so hard it came out his ass. Incredible.
Tracy McGrady: Very balanced game (8 pts, 5 rbs, 5 ast, 3 stl, 2 blk)--not quite the explosive highlight reel game he's had in the past (laying it in rather than dunking it off the alleyoop--what was THAT???)
Kobe Bryant: Tied with Vince for play of the game--the halfcourt alleyoop to Amare. That was amazing. And he did play a great game.
Amare Stoudemire: Not quite the game some were hoping for, I'm sure--though that dunk was nothing short of amazing, that's for sure. Other than that... it was subpar, honestly.
Dirk Nowitzki: Led the West in both steals and blocks--a sure sign of the apocalypse. Overall, a nice game--hit several open jumpers and had some dunks.
Rashard Lewis: Nowhere near the debut he would've liked, hitting only 1-7. But still: a great player, and I have to give him props. Why? He's an H-town boy.
Shawn Marion: Good thing this wasn't the dunk contest--he had three of the exact same dunk. Other than that, his typical all-around game was in full force.
Manu Ginobili: Showed why he was there--running at breakneck speeds, committing some crazy turnovers, but an exciting player nonetheless.
Ray Allen: Yes, a great shooter, which nearly everyone knows, but also an underrated athlete--had a dunk at one point which rivaled some of the others in the game. Kept forcing shots at the end of the game, trying to a) win the game b) tie/beat the ASG 3-point record.
Steve Nash: Two points, six assists. Honestly, I was expecting a bit more from the alleged MVP -so-far.

All in all, though, a spectacular game. No player over 20 points (the high scorer was Ray Allen with 17). Close for most of the game. Great highlights. Couldn't have been better.

Well, unless the West won and a Houston player was the MVP.

Oh well. Maybe next year; when it's IN Houston. :-D

This is going to be my basketball-related blog.

I'm a nerd; I obsess about basketball.

Other people don't.

So, I will come here to write about it, in order to spare people from being bored to death.

All that will go into this journal is basketball, so consider yourselves warned.