The potential glory of Hibachi.
by Sandy Dover | @SandmanSeven
Those privy to the news of the NBA and its happenings know the much-maligned Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas has been in a doghouse of sorts. It goes without saying that he is in a pickle when it comes to where he’ll be playing and how he’ll be received, because of his escapade with guns and the federal government. Teams are skeptical of him as a personality and it hasn’t helped that he remains an unknown, physically, because of still lingering knee issues. In light of those conditions, his options to start over in new territory remain bleak because his contract is also very large, but he still has a glimmer of hope with a couple of teams.
I’ll be the ultimate GM here, with the help of ESPN’s Trade Machine.
Trade 1 Specifics: Gilbert goes to the New York Knickerbockers; Eddy Curry, Kelenna Azubuike and Oliver Lafayette go to the Washington Wizards; Bill Walker goes (back) to the Boston Celtics.
Why It Works: Agent Zero can go to a system that plays up his strengths in the open court with Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni on the sidelines. He can concentrate on hitting the open man, shooting the three and running through the defense on dozens of in-game fastbreaks. Not having to worry so much about being a “pure point guard” and having the skills to adapt regardless of who plays in the backcourt, No. 0/6 could be take advantage of what match-ups come his way because of his high skill level in dribbling and shooting. New York would be acquiring a star talent and personality that seems to be made for The Big Apple. Arenas’ love for the big stage would certainly earn him some new fans and more respect from fans willing to forgive his past shenanigans.
Boston would be able to re-acquire a player in Walker who has shown considerable growth and talented on the perimeter, after having to adjust to being a perimeter-only player from his former collegiate and prep days as a quasi-power forward at 6-6.
Washington essentially would be able to get a one-year lease on Curry, who has continually failed to do anything but sit down–the Wizards would be much obliged to get that same activity for the following season, as they continue to develop new talent. Acquiring Azubuike would be the real gold star as he has shined with his defense and perimeter scoring, and ability to be one of the more underrated producers on the hardwood (and of course, the salary cap relief wouldn’t hurt much).
—-
Why It Works: In Arenas’ case, the irony of going to a rival team to replace the team’s former hero that helped create the rival and then become the new hero would be a very funny and entertaining scenario, both for Gil himself and the entire organization and fans. Cleveland Cavs fans have always appreciated the gunslinger’s (no pun intended) confidence because it helped breed the briefly entertaining match-ups between the Cavaliers and Wizards; he got a chance to fill out a starting lineup, keep butts in seats and also keep Cleveland in pursuit of great success.
Having Ford come along would provide for extra guard depth, and maybe even present an intriguing starting backcourt with Arenas shifting over the off-guard position. Thornton is still an asset that can grow, and the Joneses would both be able to provide solid defense and some scoring when needed.
Jamison going back to the Wizards would still be a good situation for Washington, as he could still be a winning example of professionalism for the team, and give the Wizards still much-needed presence as an outside-inside threat as a starting combo forward. West, for all of his problems, would be coming home to his native D.C. and hopefully be a threat on the court for a team looking to be a playoff contender in the near future.
Indiana would be receiving two players who provide good guard depth, shooting and general veteran know-how that’s necessary for the Pacers to advance into the Playoffs. Williams, for all of his struggles in the postseason, is a proven player whose relative youth and upper-echelon play on the court can translate into surefire wins, while Boobie (as he is presently) is a limited, but somewhat resourceful guard who is competent enough to distribute the ball in small doses and shoot the rock with decent percentages, when given an appropriate amount of minutes.
(Look out for the Chris Paul edition of Trader’s Market coming soon…)
Sandy Dover is a novelist/writer, artist and fitness enthusiast, as well as an unyielding Prince fan (for real). You can find Sandy frequently here at SLAMonline, as well as at Facebook, Associated Content and Twitter.
Read the SLAMonline Discussion Rules before posting.