It accomplishes that the T-Wolves really wanted to dump Wally. This is an "open secret". I'm gonna guess that Doc Rivers finally gave up on dealing with Ricky Davis. Doc hinted last year that Davis had a ton of off the court baggage. In other words, this trade was less about talent than it was about personalities.
Jusy hope Ricky Davis and Mark Blount wont be suitin for tomorrow game so the Rockets can whip the wolves' ass!!!
I never thought I'd say it but I'm actually rooting for the Mavericks to win against Seattle right now. If the Rockets do somehow manage to get out of the hole they've dug themselves in and get the 8 seed, I'd love to see a Mavs vs Rockets rematch in the first round.
Wow...this is so funny. Tonight i was at Chrome, on my way out Olowakandi is on his way in. Apparently he is in town for the Rockets game against the wolves. I notice him and make nothing of it. Then i get home right now..do my nightly check on ESPN to see whats up and see he has been traded.... LOL I wonder if he knew the deal already went through while he is out partying in Houston.
I think this trade works in the favor of Minnesota as well. Wally's contract is an albatross. 38 million over the next three years? No thanks. Not to mention the T-Wolves need athleticism about as much as we do, and Ricky Davis certainly has it.
Just like the swap of Desmond Mason and Jamaal Magliore, I think the trade works well for both teams. Although Garnett is a better overall player than Pierce, he too often settles for mid-range J's. Pierce on the other hand is more likely to take it to the rim. Pierce will drive leaving Wally open and Davis will drive taking some double teams off of Garnett. Pierce and Davis shared too much of the same offensive skills.
Ricky is a terrific player, good complement but is 'stat boy' -- always knows his in game stats, demands his touches and shots. No one superstar matches up to KG for allowing his others free reign to do their thing. Ricky will thrive and KG will be happy...even moreso as he cannot abide Wally who is now gone from his world. Boston gets a salary dump (Blount) and frees themselves of a clog to development of Jefferson/Perkins. But - can PP and WS survive together or will the truth be that The Truth will demand a trade?
Let him keep doing it all he wants as long as he is not on a team named the Rockets. I have him on my fantasy team and i enjoy his stat keeping cuase he's been doing good all year
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/columnists/tom_powers/13724493.htm "If ever a trade appeared to be a washout, the Wolves-Celtics blockbuster qualifies," he writes, adding that "[a]s a general rule, it's not good when the deck is so thoroughly shuffled in the middle of a hand. But the 2005-06 Timberwolves have been horrible. Interest and attendance have been declining. The team had suffered embarrassing losses. The players were acquiring a much-deserved reputation for being 'choke artists' in close games. Whoosh, here comes a whole new bunch of guys -- for better or for worse. If nothing else, this trade is going to cost me a few dollars. I had a friendly wager with a buddy that no NBA general manager would be dumb enough to accept Michael Olowokandi in a trade. I forgot about Danny Ainge."
salary wise it worked...no? olowokandi's contract expires while Ainge got rid of Blount's 4 year (i think) deal.
True. But since that fit my disdain for The Brat I posted it. (Only the piece of IT, Zeke, is a more disdainful, to me, GM than DA. Both moreso than the Hockey Nut er Guy.)
The trade does look pretty bad from a talent standpoint. And Ricky Davis was nowhere the clubhouse cancer in Boston that he had been earlier in his career. By all accounts he was a model citizen, embracing the leadership role and working hard (even on his defense). This was all about Olowokandi's expiring contract, compared with getting Blount's albatross off the books. Blount can't rebound to save his life and only shows flashes of his ability now and then. Banks was expendable with the emergence of Delonte West and Orien Greene, and Justin Reed is your basic hustle-and-defense guy, which they think they have in Ryan Gomes. Don't forget, the Celtics also get a #1 pick in the deal. It remains to be seen how Wally looks in Celtics green. Great outside shooting will help, and he's already gone on record about how he likes the C's system (which is less rigid than Minny's) and admires Paul Pierce's game. Who knows, Doc Rivers might actually get him to play some defense now and then.
I like Ricky Davis, he reminds me of a Sprewell-light type of player. I wish the Rockets would bring in a bigger more athletic SG as well, SGs take advantage of DW guarding them.
I think Minny got the best of this deal by far. Davis will help improve their defense with his athleticism on the perimeter. He's also got all the firepower of Wally. I think Marcus Banks will wind up being their starter at pg with Davis and Hassell at the 2/3 spots along with Garnett and Blount/Eddie whichever one is playing best and matches up the best. This leave Minny with a bench of Jaric and Rashard as a top notch backcourt pair to come in the game and play with the others. Minny now goes 8 deep with very good players including Hudson.
