Is the Midwest division getting tougher and tougher by the day or what? I know the Rockets will be ready for any team in the division though.
ESPN.com news services All-Star forward Antoine Walker was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Dallas Mavericks in a five-player deal Monday. Walker and LaFrentz can still battle, after they switch uniforms. Dallas is sending Raef LaFrentz to the Celtics along with Jiri Welsch and Chris Mills. Boston also will get Dallas' first-round pick in 2004. The Mavericks will get guard Tony Delk from Boston. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confirmed the deal to The Associated Press, saying it was pending league approval. Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss would not confirm or deny the trade. A good dribbler and passer for his size, the 6-foot-9 Walker often was Boston's primary ball handler in recent years because his team was weak at point guard. Walker led the Celtics in assists the past three seasons. He and Paul Pierce also combined for nearly half of Boston's points during each of the past three seasons -- 51.1 percent in 2000-01, 49.8 percent in 2001-02 and 47.6 percent in 2002-2003. Walker, a three-time All-Star, has spent the first seven years of his career in Boston, where he has averaged 20.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He will split time at forward with All-Star Dirk Nowitzki and Antawn Jamison. LaFrentz signed a $69 million, five-year deal before last season. Welsch and Mills were acquired in an offseason trade with the Golden State Warriors that also brought Jamison to Dallas. LaFrentz has averaged 12.2 points and 7.0 rebounds a game in six seasons with the Denver Nuggets and Mavericks. Delk, a reserve guard, will give the Mavericks more depth at point guard behind All-Star Steve Nash and Travis Best, another offseason acquisition. Delk has averaged 9.1 points and 2.0 assists per game over his seven-year career with five different franchises.
Fat Walker traded to Mavs? I don't know why Mavs need another PF shooter with low FG percentage. Maybe they just want to dump LaFrentz's big fat long contract (Walker's contract should be shorter). Anyway this thread belongs to NBA dish.
Where would he play? Jamison is better than Walker, and Walker isn't big or strong enough to play the center position? Maybe: C - Dirk PF - Walker SF - Jamison SG - Finley PG - Nash I don't think that Dallas really helped themselves with this trade. If anything, there are a step back.
Definetily Cuban is crazy. What Mavs needs is height! And they go and trade their center for Walker, another Jamison or Nowitzki. They don't make me feel that are title contenders. Now they have more talent, but who will catch Yao, Mo, Griffin, Cato??? Or Duncan, Rasho, Rose??? Or Brad Miller, Webb, divac???? Or Shaq? Olowo?? Bradley now is the only center they had. But, all we need Bradley... Can Dirk catch Yao?? for example?? Or are they thinking that the other team will make a lineup without inside game??? It's clear that more than ever they go for a "score me-and I will score you again" game. But I think that they can be "the bust" of this year. This is the Wild west...you can't play without any centers.
Cuban is proposing his own crazy trades... maybe he should've made a crazy trade thread in his own forum first... gauge fan reaction, then decide whether or not to make this bonehead move.
