
Chris Paul Headed To Orlando, Nelson to Detroit In Three Team BlockbusterOctober 28, 2010 - The Chris Paul saga lasted all Summer, and went into the Fall, with Paul sitting out the Hornets' pre-season games. It wasn't a question of whether her would be dealt, but rather of where and when. The Hornets have finally dealt him, sending him to the Magic via a three team deal with the Detroit Pistons.
The deal will send the Hornets' Paul and James Posey, as well as Detroit's Charlie Villanueva to the Orlando Magic. 2009 Magic all-star Jameer Nelson will go to Detroit, along with former #2 pick Emeka Okafor. The Hornets will receive expiring forward Tayshaun Prince, veteran swingman Vince Carter (who has a team option after this season and is expected to be cut), newly re-signed Pistons point guard Will Bynum, center Marcin "Polish Hammer" Gortat as well as unprotected 2011 first round draft picks from the Pistons and Magic.
Paul, 25, was the MVP runner-up in 2008, and with career averages of 19.3 points and 10 assists per game, is widely considered to be the league's premier point guard. However, with Paul missing nearly half of the last season, the emergence of his backup Darren Collison, and the Hornets' average roster, it was clear that Paul could be dealt. In a summer that saw LeBron James' free agency be such a hyped and drawn out event, Paul's trade request filled the void once LeBron made his (in)famous decision.
Orlando has fallen just short of the title the last two seasons, falling in the Finals to the Lakers in 2009, and the Celtics in the 2010 conference finals. This deal adds another superstar to team up with Dwight Howard and the rest of the Magic. With Vince Carter also expected to be waived and then re-signed by the Magic, Orlando could be the team that defeats the Miami Thrice. Orlando also added Villanueva, a power forward who is very proficient at three-point shooting, and should fit their inside-outside game, moving Rashard Lewis back to his original position at the 3.
New Hornet Will Bynum is interviewed.
The Pistons were coming off of a 27 win season, which ended their nine season streak of making the post-season. The Charlie Villanueva signing did not work out, with him being benched in favor of rookie Jonas Jerebko, and it was clear a move needed to be made. With Magic-Hornets trade talks stalled, Joe Dumars stepped in, offering a pick and Tayshaun Prince['s expiring contract. The Pistons managed to convert a poor fit in Villanueva, and a player they were already shopping in Prince into an all-star point guard, and a solid big in Okafor. The deal does not help their long-term cap situation, but it should prove to greatly improve the team.
The New Orleans Hornets are a team in financial trouble, and were nearly in luxury tax territory despite fielding a losing team. With several bad long-term contracts, and a solid young point guard in Darren Collison in tow, dealing the disgruntled Paul was a must. In the end, they used Paul to dump two big deals in Okafor and Posey, and will receive up to $25 million in cap relief thanks to this deal. In addition, they also receive two first round draft picks and a pair of good young prospects in Gortat and Bynum. Bynum had an excellent season in Detroit, arguably outplaying starter Rodney Stuckey at the point. He should split minutes with the young Collison. Gortat was a fan favorite in Orlando, being an excellent backup to Dwight Howard. In addition to saving them money, this deal could actually make the Hornets a better team.
Chris Paul was ecstatic about the deal, stating his excitement about playing with Dwight Howard, and contending for a title. Jameer Nelson was less receptive. "Its a shock, you know? I thought talks had fallen through, then suddenly here I am, being sent to Detroit. I thought we were going to win a championship together, and I would retire a Magic. Guess not. I guess I'm excited to play for Detroit though. They have... that one guy." Villanueva was excited, but nervous to play in Orlando. "You know, when you play for a new team, it's scary. The hairs on my back would be standing up if I had any".
All eight players have reportedly passed their physicals, and will be ready for their season openers. However, Carter and the Hornets are reportedly working on a buyout for his contract. This would make him a free agent, but he would need to wait a month to sign with Orlando. On paper, this looks like a solid deal for all three teams. How well this will work on the court remains to be seen, but it should be an interesting season for these three teams.
Grading The Deal: Paul To Magic, Nelson To PistonsOctober 28, 2010 - The Chris Paul blockbuster was arguably the biggest NBA trade since Pau Gasol was stolen by the Lakers (if not the Shaq to Miami deal!). The deal greatly improves a team that's already a contender, improves a bad squad and ushers in a new era for another. While its effects will not be truly known for at least a year or two, this deal looks pretty good for all three teams.
Orlando Magic: Trades Jameer Nelson, Marcin Gortat, Vince Carter, 2011 first rounder for Chris Paul, James Posey, Charlie Villanueva
The Magic won this trade. They dealt an excellent, but defensively challenged and injury prone point guard, a pick in the late twenties, a month of Vince Carter and an underutilized big for the best point guard in the NBA, a decent bench player and a power forward who perfectly fits their system. With Carter returning in a month, it is lunacy that the Magic managed to not only upgrade their team across the board, but also not sacrifice their depth to do so (they are arguably deeper, if that's possible!). Otis Smith reacted to the Miami Thrice in a big way, utilizing his assets and forming an arguably superior roster to that of the Heat's.
Projected Rotation: Chris Paul | Vince Carter* | Rashard Lewis | Charlie Villanueva | Dwight Howard (J.J. Redick, Brandon Bass, Mickael Pietrus, etc.)Magic Grade: A+
New Orleans Hornets: Trades Chris Paul, Emeka Okafor, James Posey for Will Bynum, Marcin Gortat, Vince Carter, Tayshaun Prince, 2011 first rounder (Orlando), 2011 first rounder (Detroit)
So the Hornets no longer have their biggest star in franchise history and are once again irrelevant. This is probably the best thing that could have happened for the Hornets, save for the Heat offering LeBron for Okafor and Posey. The Hornets dealt Chris Paul and the bad contracts of Emeka Okafor and James Posey for a pair of first rounders, young, starter caliber players in Bynum and Gortat, and $25 million in expirings. They will also probably get a top 5 pick in this year's draft. This trade hurts him quite a bit short term, but they receive an excellent rebuilding package for Paul, who has been gradually hurting his trade value. The Hornets made a wise choice, dealing Chris Paul while they could still get a decent return. The team's financial situation is greatly improved, and are in an excellent position to improve their team in the coming years.
Projected Rotation: Darren Collison | Marcus Thornton | Tayshaun Prince | David West | Marcin Gortat (Will Bynum, Peja Stojakovic, Craig Brackins, etc.)Hornets Grade: B
Detroit Pistons: Trades Charlie Villanueva, Tayshaun Prince, 2011 First Rounder, Will Bynum for Jameer Nelson, Emeka Okafor
In what was perhaps Joe Dumars' first good move in years, the Pistons dealt struggling forward Charlie Villanueva, expiring forward Tayshaun Prince and backup point guard Will Bynum for star point guard Jameer Nelson, and double-double machine Emeka Okafor. Prior to this deal, the Pistons were likely looking at another painful 50 loss season. Their roster outlook is now greatly improved, and they should contend for the eighth seed in the East with the Bobcats' atrocious offseason haul. The main caveat to this deal is that they lose Prince, who has been with Detroit his whole career, and has a large expiring contract. With Okafor's large contract, the deal hurts their long-term cap flexibility. All in all, this deal was just what the doctor ordered for these Pistons, and is a good start on their road to becoming relevant again.
Projected Rotation: Jameer Nelson | Rodney Stuckey | Rip Hamilton | Emeka Okafor | Ben Wallace (Ben Gordon, Jason Maxiell, Jonas Jerebko, Greg Monroe, etc.)Pistons Grade: B+
Why, Badger, Why?Badger wrote:nba.net >> nba.com.
Raptors Collapse In Second Half, Lose Season Opener To Cavs
Cavaliers 87, Raptors 82 | Season Series: 1-0 Cavs | Team Stats
October 28, 2010 - To summarize the Raptors' season opener in one word: frustrating. At times, they were playing tenacious defense and the offense was flowing very well. Other times, the D was scattered and the offense was as congested as one of Eddy Curry's arteries. In the end, our young, work-in-progress team's inconsistencies cost us a very winnable game against a gutted Cavaliers team. We may be in for a long season.
The first half was great to watch. Shaquille O'Neal was an unstoppable force, scoring 10 points on perfect shooting before the Cavs adjusted with Hack-a-Shaq and double teaming. Hedo Turkoglu was making plays like in his Orlando days, and DeMar Derozan played well. Despite some lapses on the defensive end, and losing on the boards, we led the entire first half. Antawn Jamison was 1-7 and on pace to be the game's McDwyane Shitass as we led 49-39 by intermission.
The lead got as high as 13 before something changed. Cleveland opened up an 8-0 run to get into the game as our offense just went stagnant. Shaq was shut down, DeMar was bricking threes (maybe his increased confidence from deep isn't such a good thing...) and Andrea Bargnani was practically invisible. Leandro Barbosa came in to stop the bleeding, and didn't let the game get away... for then. Mo Williams hit a three at the buzzer to enter the fourth with his team down just two points, 61-59.![]()
Party Machine drills a clutch 3 | "Coach" Jay Triano "coaching"
The two teams started the fourth by trading baskets, with Bargs quietly hitting double figures. A missed pair of free throws (guess who?) followed by a Ramon Sessions and-1 gave Cleveland their first lead of the game. That lead swelled to 5 before Triano put Barbosa back in. Barbosa and Heir Canada helped us regain the lead, but by the two-minute mark, the game was a dead-heat. The teams traded baskets, and our Raptors found themselves down 1. A missed Bargnani three, and then a Varejao dunk put us down three with nine seconds left. With the game on the line, Jarrett Jack got the ball and dished it to a three-point shooter: Mo Williams. Mo laid it up on the other hand to seal the Cavs' 87-82 triumph.
Hedo, Barbosa, Bargnani, Shaq and Derozan combined to score 74 of our 82 points, while Jarrett "Lack" and our bench stinking it up. Our loss could be attributed to ineptitude from both behind the arc and from the free throw line, where we shot a dismal 15% and 57% from respectively. The latter could be partially blamed on Shaq, who went 2-7 from the stripe. Derozan filled up the stat sheet with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, but also jacked up a game-high 19 shots. Jamison led the Cavs' ensemble effort with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, with new starting shooting guard Ramon Sessions chipping in 12 points on 5-8 shooting. Cleveland improves to 1-1, while we start the season at 0-1.
DeMar Derozan dunks the basketball, much to the chagrin of the opposing team.21 18 20 28 87 (1-1) | Varejao: 13/15/2 | Jamison: 14/6/5 | Williams: 13/3/7
25 24 12 21 82 (0-1) | Derozan: 18/5/4 | O'Neal: 15/8/1, 7-11 FG | Bargnani: 15/8/2
Anderson Varejao: 13 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, 5-7 FG, +/-: +9
Sideshow Flop quietly had an excellent game. He scored 13 points on very efficient shooting, had a game-high 15 rebounds, and shut down Shaq in the second half. Varejao looked pretty good in his first start, and played like he was worth his contract.Jarrett Jack: 4 points, 4 assists, 3 turnovers, 1-3 FG, +/-: -7
Jarrett Jack had a poor first game of the season. He was the only starter not to score in double figures, had nearly as many turnovers as assists and choked on the final play. The first-time captain will need to step up his play, or trading away Jose will look really bad.
Notes:
-The Raptors are reportedly close to acquiring Rockets Center David Andersen for a 2015 second round pick.
-Rookie Center Solomon Alabi will be sent down to the NBDL's Erie Bayhawks
-The Miami Thrice defeated new-look Knicks 109-89 in their first game tonight. Chris Bosh led the way with 31 points and 12 rebounds on 15-23 shooting, while LeBron James contributed a near triple-double (22/11/9) and Dwyane Wade put up 25 points and 6 assists. Anthony "Meal Ticket" Randolph led New York with 17 points and 7 boards.
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