Reality check: Greg Oden will not play a single game this season for the Portland Trailblazers. His contract was not extended, and ESPN’s J.J. Adande wrote about about the magnitude of his loss. The sad news reinforces the theory that Oden might be the next Sam Bowie. No longer can the Bowie theory be considered a hasty, jump-to-conclusions theory: Oden now faces his second microfracture surgery in 3 years.

The Portland organization and fans must actualize the cold and sobering thought that Oden might not ever play another game as a Blazer.

This news makes way into the public eye before the dust could settle from the announcement that Brandon Roy no longer has any cartilage remaining in either knee. Brandon Roy, All Star, max contract, heart and soul of the team.

Oden and Blazer have both had at least two knee surgeries apiece as Blazers. Hmm. Am I sensing a trend here?

What's up with my medical staff????

The more I think about this, the more I have to ask: What the hell is wrong with the Blazers medical staff? Seriously, how do you invest $80-something-million on a player without performing your due medical diligence? How could you not know that Roy’s knees might never hold up through a max deal?

I guess Portland dodged a similar fiscal bullet with Oden.

Oden is the former #1 overall draft pick of the 2007 NBA draft. How could you not know, until now, that he would need another microfracture surgery? This is unforgivable and horrible mistake by the Blazers medical staff is as dodgy as the staff that was involved with Grant Hill during his Orlando Magic days.

Note to Paul Allen: if you can fire Kevin Pritchard, you can definitely fire your medical staff and hire a new one.

In Greg Oden’s case, perhaps the medical staff was just crossing their fingers, eyes closed, whispering to themselves repeatedly, in a panicked tone, pleading with the injury gods “Please, please, please let this all go away…..” Or maybe they were shaking a Magic Eight Ball and asking it for the answers.

The doctors knew he had one successful microfracture procedure, so why waste all this time? Why not just get it over with it? How much time did the Blazers and Oden lose by pushing this off until now?

I hope for his sake Oden makes a comeback and flourishes with the next team willing to gamble on a 7-foot center with massive upside. Oden is still young enough to bounce back from this devastating start to his career, but hopefully he will do so with a team equipped with a stellar medical staff along with a fan base patient enough to allow Oden the time to grow and dust off the cobwebs to his game.

I hope that Oden ends up with the Golden State Warriors. New ownership, new look, same old bay area, and some of the most loyal and understanding fans in the all the world. Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, and David Lee coudl benefit with someone like Oden patrolling the paint.

Disclaimer: I am a die hard Warriors fan, and we could use someone like Greg Oden to restore the winning ways in the bay.

Brandon Roy informed the media recently that he no longer has any meniscus remaining in either of his knees. This came after the Blazers played the Lakers and Ron Artest decreed to the media after the game: “I’ve played against Brandon Roy a lot of times. He wasn’t himself.”

After reading this, I immediately asked myself: Does this mean Roy has any game left in his knees? He has already had his knee drained multiple times this year, and countless other times during his career.

In total Roy has had 4 knee surgeries during his career, with two per knee. Two of his surgeries occurred as a Blazer; one procedure in 2008 and another procedure in 2010. That is a lot of surgery to have done at the age of 26. The

Roy missed significant time last year, and forced his way back into the playoffs, where he was blatantly not at his regular level of play, and the Blazers were ineffective and not long for the playoffs.

My primary concern now is Brandon Roy might not be long for the NBA. This is devastating news considering the failure of Greg Oden and the fact that Roy has a max deal contract and might not be able to play it out.

If Roy’s injury gets any worse the Blazers roster and cap room might crippled equivocally as Roy’s knee.

Roy will have to take medicine for the remainder of his career in order to reduce and monitor the swelling in his knees. In the short term of his life, he might be able to play, but the side effects of these anti inflammatory medicines force Roy into being monitored by doctors to insure his liver and kidney functions are not damaged.

Roy has had 2 prodedures on each of his knees.

I have pondered what a meniscus injury might mean to a player’s career regarding Chris Paul’s knee, and the same applies now to Roy, but even Roy’s scenario is worse as his knee has zero meniscus remaining. There is no existence of a degenerative condition that will gradually lead to bone on bone contact in Roy’s knee. Roy’s knee is currently bone on bone. Oh yeah, and let me reiterate that Roy has had 4 surgical procedures to his knees. Bad situation.

The former Rookie of the Year and three time NBA All Star whom the Blazers have relied heavily on during offense sets, designed strictly for Roy to capitalize on his ability to go one-on-one, will have to reinvent his game to remain effective for a legitimate chance at a prolonged NBA career.

Brandon Roy returned to action this week inspiring and reviving his Portland Trailblazers playoff hopes. In his return, the Rose Garden played the theme music to Rocky, and the Blazers pulled off a 96-87 victory. All was good in Blazerland. Roy had returned,  albeit to a bench role, and the Blazers had tied the series with the Phoenix Suns at 2 games apiece

Game 5 however, was a rude awakening for the Blazers with Brandon Roy showing signs of rust, going 2-7 from the field and contributing 5 points and 4 fouls in 19:08. Yikes.

Is Roy's return to the Blazers detriment?

Sure Brandon Roy is the cornerstone of the Blazers having any chance of doing absolutely anything in the post season, but one must ask, at what cost does B Roy’s return have on the Blazers effectiveness?

Roy played somewhat like normal B Roy during game 4, but he was noneffective in game 5.

How unlikely is it that B Roy will be able to be anything like NBA All Star B Roy during this series?

Now, please don’t get me wrong. I am a huge fan of Brandon Roy. I hope for him to recover from his microscopic surgery and play well as much as anyone.

As a basketball purist, I have to take sides with the ideology that from a coaching standpoint I have to play the guys that are in absolute tip-top shape, and put my star under the microscope with a hyper quick evaluation process.

Is 20 minutes of mediocre-level B Roy worth sacrificing minutes for Rudy Fernandez. Jerryd Bayless or Martel Webster to have a chance at a breakout performance?

Surely Fernandez has struggled this year, but he is a mercurial talent who can flat out produce major long range damage from behind the arc.

Martel Webster is a strong defender, and he will never be Brandon Roy, but is it worth minimizing his potential to errupt in game 6? Webster also represents inside and outside scoring potential, as well as being a strong defender.

Additionally, both Webster and Fernandez are young talents who could benefit from more playoff experience this season. Who can argue this season that the Blazers have a chance this year without depth at the center position? There is no chance at an NBA title.

So why not let Roy recover fully so that next season he, Greg Oden, and Joel Pryzbilla can join a more experienced and tested roster to make a real go at it?

Does Nate McMillan and company really need 20 minutes of ineffective B Roy to know whether or not he will be effective?

Expectations that the Portland Trail Blazers would have any chance in the playoffs after Brandon Roy was sidelined with microscopic surgery on a torn meniscus were slim to none.

However, in game 1 Andre Miller matched Steve Nash nearly point for point and assist for assist, giving Blazer Nation hope while leading a Portland attack exposing a monumental weakness in Phoenix’s armor.

It is safe to say that Portland fans have all but forgotten the growing pains the team experienced after Miller signed a 3-year deal last summer.

Miller is making Portland fans forget the growing pains.

It always pains me when a team cannot live up to the namesake of this blog, but I must point out how poorly Phoenix failed at protecting the paint, which is the cardinal sin to this blogger.

If Phoenix cannot immediately reverse things and adhere to a drastic change in defensive mentality things could be real bad, real quick, for the Suns.

Amare Stoudemire is the Suns only hope of stopping anything in the middle, but he has been historically inadequate in this capacity.

Robin Lopez, who I liken to Sideshow Bob after eating angry pills, was the Suns heart and soul of enforcing defense in the post.

Unfortunately for Phoenix, Lopez is out indefinitely after sustaining a back injury during the end of regular season and is not returning in any foreseeable time frame.

After Stoudemire and Lopez the Suns depth chart are left with only two options: Channing Frye and Jarron Collins.

Collins is so limited offensively that it cripples the Suns. Ironically, Frye’s best defense is to try to combat the Blazers by chucking up loads of 3 point attempts. Both are tragic options.

The Suns allowed Andre Miller and Jerryd Bayless to combine for 49 points on 16 of 27 field goals and 16 of 19 free throws.

Bayless was crucial for the Blazers, supplying direly needed offense to offset the absent Brandon Roy, and his play will be pivotal in Portland surviving long enough in the playoffs to allow Roy to return.

Marcus Camby owned the boards for Portland, snaring 17. This should be a consistent trend during this first round of the Western Conference playoffs. If the Suns cannot find away to rebound (no pun intended) from this glaring weakness, Steve Nash and company might be watching the playoffs at home fairly soon.

Brandon Roy re-aggravated his hamstring injury during his return from a 12 game absence. After the Blazers acquired Marcus Camby to replenish their depleted frontcourt, things were starting to look good for salvaging the season, and making a push at deeper run in the playoffs.

Roy has stated today he will play on Friday, but should he?

Roy can play through pain, but rest is the only way to heal a hamstring. (Credit: picapp.com)

Now that Brandon Roy, the team’s heart and soul, faces the possibility of an extended absence, the Trail Blazers must have concerns about their chances finishing the season strong.

Roy didn’t sound optimistic (perhaps he was simply frustrated) regarding his injury, according to his statements available on blazersedge.com:

• Do you feel like this could be with you for the rest of the season?
• I think if this [pain] is with me the whole season then I don’t really have a shot at playing. This is bad. I don’t know. It’s something I have to talk to coach about. It’s to the point where I can’t play because it hurts too bad.
• Do you feel your season is in jeopardy?
• Yeah, I feel like that. I felt like that last night after practice, being on the bench. I talked to LaMarcus and he’s like ‘What do you do next?’ Me, I don’t know. I don’t know where to go. Two week stretches isn’t doing it. We don’t have that much longer in the season. I definitely feel like my season has been pretty messed up by this.
• Do you feel like this could be with you for the rest of the season?
• I think if this [pain] is with me the whole season then I don’t really have a shot at playing. This is bad. I don’t know. It’s something I have to talk to coach about. It’s to the point where I can’t play because it hurts too bad.
• Do you feel like things are set up now with Camby and you’re missing out?
• Yeah that’s something I definitely think about. We’ve got Camby. People expect me to play and I’m not able to. We still have a good team. With Marcus being able to come to this team we feel like we have a chance to make the playoffs. It’s tough for me, I’d like to be a part of it.

These are extremely alarming statements for Blazer fans. Apparently, Roy has contemplated shutting it down for as long as it takes to fully recover. Which can be a long period of time, I have discovered.

The bad news is that hamstring injuries, in general, take a longer time for the body to recover from. I decided to investigate this and found the following discouraging factors for Roy, courtesy of the University of Michigan and University of Iowa Health Care sites.

From the University of Michigan:

• How long will the effects last?
• The length of recovery depends on many factors such as your age, health, and if you have had a previous hamstring injury. Recovery time also depends on the severity of the injury. A mild hamstring strain may recover within a few weeks, whereas a severe injury may take 6 weeks or longer to recover. You need to stop doing the activities that cause pain until the muscle has healed. If you continue doing activities that cause pain, your symptoms will return and it will take longer to recover.
• When can I return to my normal activities?
• Everyone recovers from an injury at a different rate. Return to your activities will be determined by how soon your hamstring recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has been since your injury has occurred. In general, the longer you have symptoms before you start treatment, the longer it will take to get better. The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your normal activities as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your injury.

From The University of Iowa Health Care:

• There are 3 degrees of strains:
  1.    A slight strain or pull results in a sore muscle the next day. Walking or slow jogging is not inhibited and recovery time is 1 to 2 weeks.
  2.    A hard strain or pull occurs while exercising, as in sprinting. The exercise must be stopped right away. The muscle is tender and aches, and bruises may develop 3 to 6 days later. Bending the knee, walking, and jogging are difficult and recovery takes 3 to 4 weeks.
  3.    The most serious hamstring strain produces such severe pain that the person may collapse. Walking is impossible. Severe bruising occurs in 3 to 4 days. Crutches may be needed for a week or two and recovery can take as much as 10 weeks. Seek medical care for severe strains.

Based on how Brandon Roy has missed 12 games over the period of a month, it is a safe assumption that Roy’s injury is not a Grade 1 strain.

Since Roy played 15 minutes last night against the Clippers, it rules out the severity level of a Grade 3 strain. So lets assume Roy is back to square one, with a Grade 2 strain.

According to the University of Iowa, the estimated recovery time for a Grade 2 strain is approximately 3-4 weeks, which is the exact amount of time Roy previously sat out.

However, the University of Michigan states that if you had previously injured the hamstring, and be it somewhat severe in nature (I consider a grade 2 strain somewhat severe), it can take up to “6 weeks or longer to recover.”

This means his injury and aggravation compounds his recovery time. Not good.

A six-week absence, or longer, would render Brandon Roy out of action until early April, or later. With Marcus Camby aboard, the Blazers might be able to make the playoff push.

After all, the Blazers have been resilient in pushing through countless injuries this season, so to their credit, this is somewhat realistic.

They currently rank 8th with New Orleans, Memphis, and Houston trailing 3-4 games behind. The bad news (yes, there is more)? Portland is 5-7 during the 12 games without Roy.

Hopefully Marcus Camby will make a difference, and the Blazers hold off for the 8th playoff spot until Roy recovers.

That is of course, if they can find a way to be more optimistic than Roy was last night.

Lets just hope that Roy decision to play Friday doesn’t send him down the path of nagging and recurring hamstring injuries that last longer than this year.

We are now only weeks away from the NBA trade deadline. Rumors are circulating, and the buzzing trade chatter is heavily amassing.

Some teams will be mortgaging young talent in order to take on expiring contracts in hopes of clearing cap space for the free agency fiasco in 2010.

Other teams will be looking to capitalize, and claim talent while dumping salaries. Other teams, realizing that their season is all but lost, will break up rosters that have not been able to achieve what management had originally envisioned.

Here are the teams with the most to lose/gain from the fiasco.

Portland Trail Blazers

Who can fill in for Oden/Pryzbilla for Portland? (Credit:picapp.com)

The Trail Blazers obviously need help in the paint. They have had the fortune of Brandon Roy willing his team to wins, but it is unlikely he can carry them all year. Juwan Howard’s body, at age 37, will likely not be able to secure the center position for the rest of the year before wear and tear takes its toll. The saying “You can’t teach height” must be racing through Kevin Pritchard’s head as he diligently investigates potential acquisitions to help the Blazers in the middle.

The Blazers have a wealth of depth in the backcourt, and a plethora of athletic, defensive-minded young forwards. The issue is Joel Pryzbilla and Greg Oden have contracts running past next season, so the Blazers brass must consider the adverse effects of another long term contract vs. salary cap space.

Sacramento Kings

Will Martin mesh with Tyreke? (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Martin might return to the floor as early as Friday after missing the last 32 games after suffering a fractured left wrist. He has been practicing, and now coach Paul Westphal has a blessing of a dilemma in discovering if Martin and super rookie Tyreke Evans will be able to coexist in the backcourt.

There is zero chance Tyreke Evans is dealt anywhere. If there are any hiccups between the two stars having any negative impact upon team chemistry, look for Martin to be shipped out immediately. Look for Martin to be sought after by teams with inadequacies at the shooting guard position. Phoenix and Dallas immediately come to mind. Both teams are looking for a chance at contention this season, and would be willing to trade prospects and draft picks in order to land Martin’s scoring skills.

Toronto Raptors

I hear the weather is always nice in Los Angeles. (Credit:picapp.com)

Chris Bosh rumors are surfacing aplenty, with recent chatter mentioning Bosh heading to Los Angeles in exchange for Andrew Bynum. This deal would be a huge gamble for the Lakers, but Bosh puts L.A. over the top in the Western Conference.

It is hard to imagine Bosh signing elsewhere after winning an NBA Championship and tasting the Los Angeles lifestyle. He might even put his All Star promotional video production skills to use and land himself work during the off season.

Bynum would find himself in Toronto as a focal point of a rebuilding franchise with Hedo Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani, and Jose Calderon. Bosh is a weak interior defender, so adding Bynum would give the Raptors a long-term defensive solution. Bynum tends to disappear when Pau Gasol is playing, so in terms of his career thriving, this could be a dream come true.

Chicago Bulls

Does anyone want Hinrich? (Credit: picapp.com)

You would have to be living under a rock to not know the Bulls are trying to unload Kirk Hinrich. Everyone and anyone knows this, to the point of detriment to his trade value. Hinrich is a solid defender, outside shooter, and an all around decent NBA player. The problem is Hinrich has 2 years remaining on his contract after this season, worth $17 million.

Also not boding well on his value is the fact that he is shooting a career-low 37% from the field and 71% from the line this season. When your specialty is shooting, and you are not shooting well, it is hard to retain trade value. The Bulls have indicated that everyone on the roster except Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to be available, as long as Hinrich’s name is included potential deals.

Houston Rockets

Iggy could do this for the Rockets, instead of against them. (Credit: picapp.com)

The Tracy McGrady saga is difficult as he has the largest contract in the league ($23,239,561). This is the ultimate situation for teams looking to dump contracts and create salary cap space for the free agency fiasco of July 2010.

The teams falling into this category are: the Washington Wizards, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Chicago Bulls. Of these teams, Philadelphia has the best package to offer Houston in terms of immediate roster help.

Philadelphia could package Andre Iguodala with Samuel Dalembert in exchange for McGrady. This is the most logical deal for the Rockets who are without Yao Ming for the season (if not longer) and in need of a center who can rebound and block shots.

Iguodala is an immediate impact player for the Rockets. This deal could put the Rockets into contention this season. The Rockets can assign Ariza, Battier, or Iggy on any teams top offensive threat. Adding Iggy to the offensive attack of Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry will make life hell for opponents during the 4^th quarter.

]]> http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/13/nba-trade-talk-chris-bosh-andrew-bynum-tracy-mcgrady-and-more/feed/ 0 http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/04/brandon-roy-superstar-elite/ http://protectthepaint.com/2010/01/04/brandon-roy-superstar-elite/#comments Mon, 04 Jan 2010 23:29:52 +0000 Adam Sedie http://protectthepaint.com/?p=3480

Brandon Roy of the Portland Trail Blazers is a NBA superstar. He doesn’t throw down gyrating, windmill dunks while screaming loudly, or have any particular flashiness to his game.

He is all about team basketball. Unfortunately, not having the flash and playing in an market like Portland leads to unjust obscurity. Just look at the NBA All-Star voting results. Tracy McGrady? Are you kidding?

Roy is playing elite basketball in Portland. (Credit: picapp.com)

If no one else on the Blazers can carry the load during the 4th quarter there is no problem. During his career, Roy has thrust himself into the league’s elite clutch 4th quarter players. He does not only hit clutch shots, he also plays clutch defense:

Roy systematically has torn defenses apart with non flashy, methodical moves. Step back jump shots, misdirection moves, and dead eye three point shots is how Roy takes teams down during the fourth quarter.

Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla are out for the rest of the year due to knee injuries. Knowing that there are less bigs in the paint, Roy has increased his rebounding, and took charge of the scoring load.

Roy has averaged 31.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 3.8 APG while leading the shorthanded Blazers to a 3-1 record since Przybilla joined Oden on the shelf

Those numbers beat the drum of Kobe-like and LeBron-like numbers. Period.

If the Roy’s Blazers continue winning and return to the playoffs this year, people will acknowledge his superstar credentials. The resulting numbers he will have to put up on a nightly basis will emphatically force his name into the household of any NBA fan.

Maybe then the fans might vote him into the NBA All Star team. At least the NBA coaches know his greatness, and add him every year.

The match up of the Spurs vs. Trail Blazers will represent a slug-fest in the west.

Portland will test themselves against the retooled Spurs lineup, as the Spurs will also see how well they can perform against a deep yet young team  who is coming off of 54 wins last year.

KEY MATCH UPS

Tim Duncan vs. Greg Oden Duncan has been opting to shoot more outside jumpers, a strategy derived by Greg Popovich, in order to spare Duncan’s knees from the constant grind of pounding points down low in the paint. Greg Oden has shown signs of life rebounding and defending this season, and Duncan will provide him another tough guard to add another clink in his armor. Brandon Roy vs. Manu Ginobili

Brandon Roy will put Ginobili’s surgically repaired ankles to the test tonight. Both Roy and Ginobili are crafty, smart players. It will be fun to watch who will out-craft who with their similar style of game.

Ginobili will to be looking forward to a post game icing.

SYNAPSIS

Both teams are reputable for their long range shooting. This game should be a well-balanced long range bombing fiasco. Look for Rudy Fernandez, Steve Blake and Roy to balance out bombers Matt Bonner, Richard Jefferson, and Ginobili.

For the Blazers it will be interesting to see if free agent signing Andre Miler will help slow down Tony Parker. Steve Blake has been a major liability playing against the leagues best point guards, so tonight will indicate how dividends Miller will pay for the Blazers.

With the Spurs reeling off loss in Utah last night, they should come to play. Only thing is, playing in Rose Garden Arena might be just as tough as playing in Energy Solutions Arena, making this the game of the week worth catching!

Brandon Roy and the Blazers agreed to a 5-year deal worth $82 million. The 2006-07 rookie of the year is cashing in as the leader/face of the franchise of the youthful Portland Trailblazers.

The two-time All-Star is exceedingly underrated, but this new contract should ease the burden of his unjustly low popularity level.

$52 million tastes better with a ring. (Credit: picapp.com)

Roy puts up great overall numbers, but is rarely mentioned amongst the NBA’s elite members. Maybe that is because he’s self-effacing, hard working, and most importantly, never speaking in the third person. P

laying in Portland likely doesn’t help either. He is the prototype of what inspiration ought to be in the NBA.

Things to deliberate when it comes to Brandon Roy

• He’s one of the most deadly closers in the game. Make no oversight, he sneezes clutch shots.

• His maturity and poise on the floor has always been that of a more experienced player. Now he’s coming into his own as one of the league’s elite.

• He is not the variety to unwind simply because of the security of a long-term contract. He is not Tracy McGrady.

• Roy overcame great odds to even be in the NBA, and works hard to make sure he stays.

• He is simply too intelligent a player who has surmounted far too much to take for granted his position in life.

His supporting cast is good: Rudy Fernandez is slated for a breakout year, Greg Oden has labored to improve his game and is healthy for the first time since micro-fracture surgery. He ought to be improved this year. Expect LaMarcus Aldridge to be locked up long-term now that Roy has been signed. Newly acquired Andre Miller is secured for at least two years.

The Lakers fear us. (Credit: picapp.com)

The Blazers are young, and only getting better. GM Kevin Pritchard now has the fundamental essentials to build around.

Blazer basketball is shining bright in the Pacific Northwest, and only poised to shine brighter in the coming years.

Trade rumors involving Carlos Boozer, Rip Hamilton, Andre Miller, and CJ Miles are circulating throughout the league.

With substantial free agent activity about to ensue,  trades will be made by both cash-strapped teams and ones hoping to clear cap room for next summer. Historically it has been proven that teams will make trades out of desperation (i.e. Jason Kidd for Devin Harris to the Mavs). What teams are on the verge of making moves they will one day regret.

Protect the Paint will now look at some of the trade rumors floating around the league:

RUMORED TRADES

Carlos Boozer in exchange for Rip Hamilton

Boozer might be headed to Detroit for Rip Hamilton. (Credit: scorereport.com)

It is obvious Hamilton needs to be shipped elsewhere as Ben Gordon and Stuckey are the back-court of the future/now. It’s rare a guy is awarded $50 million or more to be the 6th man. It is curious though as Boozer and Charlie Villanueva essentially play the same position. By trading for Boozer, what purpose was there in signing Villanueva? With free agency rumors involving Brandon Bass, one must wonder why Joe Dumars is trying to stockpile power forwards.

Andre Miller to the Portland Trailblazers

Andre Miller: heading to Portland via sign and trade? (Credit: slamonline.com)

Miller appears to be on his way to Portland via the sign and trade. We mentioned this possibility here last week. This is a sensible move for the Blazers who lacked experience at the point especially evident in the post-season. Brandon Roy will thrive with a good decision maker running the show. Portland may trade Rudy Fernandez–rumored to be unhappy even after Hedo Turkoglu decided not to come to the team–which may be a move general manager Kevin Pritchard ends up regretting. Expect Travis Outlaw to be a part of the deal.

CJ Miles to Toronto Raptors/Boston Celtics/New Jersey Nets

CJ Miles is heating up the trade talks. (Credit: blog.tribphoto.com)

There are many teams (possibly six) rumored to be closing in on C.J. Miles. Miles is young (22), a capable shooter (46% FG in 2008-09), and has played within Jerry Sloan’s strict system. Boston, Toronto, and New Jersey could use his outside shooting, and it is a safe assumption he would thrive in a system outside of Utah, as other players have (see Mo Wiliams). New Jersey has the most talent to offer. Miles would see an increase in minutes in Toronto or New Jersey, resulting in a chance to realize his potential.

Shawn Marion to the Dallas Mavericks

Marion: Heading to Dallas, but will it do any good? (Credit: daylife.com)

This would be a sign and trade deal in which Marion comes to Big D with Jery Stackhouse heading a package of players headed north of the border. This move would give the Mavs some athleticism and a good rebounder. The nucleus of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Marion with Jason Terry and the possible addition of Marcin Gortat improves the roster. Whether it places them among the upper echelon teams of the Western Conference is up for debate. This roster appears to be a work in progress.