I wonder how Chris Paul would look in silver trim…with black and/or red…
by Sandy Dover / @SandmanSeven
Chris Paul’s been envious, hasn’t he? I mean, really, who can blame the man? That New Orleans Hornets team from 2008 really seemed to be on the verge of something special, and then CP signed that nice, optimistic contract and the Hornets started collapsing soon after. The losing, the knee injury and then seeing the Miami Thrice Superfriends join up enticed Mr. Paul further. While he hasn’t said anything officially to anyone about any trade, it’s obvious that he is less than pleased, whether he is to stay around southern Louisiana or not. I’ve been thinking about where Paul would be best to go in the previous two weeks and while Henry sort of beat me to the punch (great minds think alike, perhaps?), I think still think I can expound on the idea. Let’s see how Paul might fit with four of the top teams in the Western Conference (and entire NBA).
I’ll be the ultimate GM here, with the help of ESPN’s Trade Machine.
(If you missed Pt. 1 of the Chris Paul “Trader’s M
arket”, click here.)
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TRADE 3
WHY IT WORKS
Even though both men are at the top of the game, Chris Paul is the favored choice over Tony Parker, despite the latter being a Finals MVP and three championships strong. CP3 can come to a proven winning organization and the chances of him staying would be great because of the organization’s commitment to winning; he’s also younger than Tony and slightly better than Tony, so that’s that–add in the rumors that TP would want to exercise his free agency and leave for New York, and Paul is a better replacement for No. 9, and he could mesh easily with George Hill and Emanuel Ginobili as well, giving San Antonio more years to compete for a championship on Tim Duncan’s watch.
New Orleans would likely be renting the Frenchman for a year, but even that could be enough to do something of significance and convince him that the Hornets would be a good place to stay. After all, given his French-Belgian heritage and the city’s own like roots, it’s possible that Parker could become endeared to the place; but even if not, having him paired up with Darren Collison in the backcourt could have its good points, and with David West likely to be there, it would be a fruitful (albeit brief) pairing.
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TRADE 4
WHY IT WORKS
CP3 to the Trail Blazers? It probably should have happened five years ago at the 2005 Draft, but that’s ancient non-history. Easily, from a business point of view, being in Portland, which is literally Niketown USA, would be beneficial for his marketing, but even more importantly, he’d be joining an organization that would be willing to spend to win. With the backcourt being cleared up for him, Paul would have all the control he needs to work his magic. Boris Diaw would be great for his obvious versatility and given the Blazers’ tendency to injure themselves, he could be a big asset, as he can play anything from point guard (the position he was drafted at in 2003) to occasional center.
New Orleans receiving Brandon Roy would certainly strengthen the Hornets at point guard. Even though he doesn’t get much honest press concerning this subject, it’s clear that BRoy is sort of whiny about his need to point guard–and in a way I can’t blame him. He’s really a point guard. He’s best there, he plays that position for two out of the four quarters of games, and he’s just a natural there. What I’ve always disliked is that the Blazers never made a point to make him that full-time and stop the bit of controversy surrounding that issue. Roy owns a little blame for his silent whines about having to play the wing, but in NOLA, I’m certain the team would make great use of him, essentially using him as an “anytime” point guard with Collison and Marcus Thornton on the wings. Getting Joel Przybilla would be an economic salve…I think–but if he’s healthy, then he’d be an obvious asset for rebounding and defense.
If Charlotte were to come out with Andre Miller, I guarantee coach Larry Brown would fall to his knees thanking God. Not only would he get one of the truest point guards to have ever played the game, but he’d get a certified winning player with the know-how to put a team in its proper place. DJ Augustin would still serve time on the bench, but he may be better served learning from Miller than from having to hear Brown bark and grumble to him directly. Julian Wright would get another chance to prove that he can play the NBA game over long periods of time, as opposed to rare, short bursts of occasional games. The Bobcats would certainly be upgraded.
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.
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