next on orlando's trade block needs to be Stan Van Gundy, like any Van Gundy, he doesn't know how to utilise his players and is just an all round crappy coach. Seriously, watch Howard play, the stuff Hakeem has taught has for the most part stuck, and he's near completely unguaradable on the block, but SVG still uses that perimeter pansy ass game.
That's why people scoffed at the idea of LeBron and Wade. A dominant twin towers isn't out of the question with the way the NBA is headed - superstars looking to leech off of each other. Howard will never be a go-to offensive player, so he won't be as successful as a Hakeem or Shaq kicking it out to 3-point shooters.
There goes your next NBA champions. A gM with real balls steps up and makes the necessary to give their team a potential juggernaught to win it all. Which is what they are there for. This is my new favorite to win it all this year. Its not because of Arenas. Its because of Arenas, Jason Richardson, and Hedo all on one team joined with what the Maigc already have.
I guess Magic finally realized that Hedo was more important to them than Carter has been. Hedo was their #1 playmaker a few years ago. Good trade for the Magic because they got rid of two very unclutch and soft players (Carter and Lewis).
So, who goes next from Phx, Lopez or Channing? Or does Gortat play as a 4? Does Nash get to NYK (with Felton playing 2 & b/u 1)? Who plays the 3, Hill or Pietrus or Dudley? Phx only does well in the D'Antoni/Gentry pedal to the metal O. Who plays it with Nash on that roster? Who saves Gentry from Sarver (or is it the other way around)?
Great deal for the magic. Lewis and Carter are on the decline fast, and not to mention Lewis has a terrible contract. J Rich is better than Carter in my opinion, and maybe Arenas will revive his career with a championship contender. Hedo is good when playing the point forward with Orlando. And either JRich or Arenas will probably come off the bench assuming Nelson is starting. They can replace Lewis's shooting at the PF spot with Ryan Anderson, who is also a decent shooter. Magic looking pretty good right now...
That's the thing that fascinates me about this trade. People are going "Oh good, the Magic are going to be a lot better adding Gilbert Arenas and Hedo." HAS ANYONE WATCHED THESE GUYS?!? Dwyer in his article summed up my view of the trade perfectly. The Magic have gambled everything on this roster that really isn't THAT much superior to the one they had before, and if they fail, they're stuck with the two of the worst contracts in the league and no avenue of improvement. They will regret this trade.
Hedo and Arenas might not be much of an improvement but J-Rich over Carter most definitely is and he seems to be the centerpiece of the trade. J-Rich is pretty much in his prime, is having a good season so far, was the primary reason Suns made it to Western Conf. Finals last year, played with heart/attitude and really elevated his game in the playoffs. I can understand why Nash was so sad to see him go based on his Twitter. Compare that to Carter who dissappeared completely in the playoffs.
Let's break it down: Arenas for Rashard Lewis: -Great trade for both teams. Rashard not only has the worst contract in b-ball like his idol Juwon Howard before him, he also plays like a garbage man's Juwon Howard. Arenas might never regain his hibachi self, but even a broken down Arenas is much better than Rashard Lewis. Plus, Arenas' contract is actually less than Rashards per year, so it gives orlando more room to sign free agents. From the Wizards perspective it frees up space for Wall, and Rashard's contract expires much earlier. Gortat+Pietrus+Carter+cash+pick for Hedo+Jrich+Earl Clark: Bad trade for Orlando, good trade for PHX IMHO. Yes, the magic needed to jumpstart their offense, and Jrich and Hedo would do just that. However Orlando just lost their best (and probably only) perimeter defender in Pietrus. Who's gonna guard the superstar swingmen in the league now? Hedo? LOL! To my mind, this trade is bad for Orl simply because they gave up 3 assets (cap relief in Carter, Pietrus, Gortat) for players of more or less equal value (Hedo+Jrich). I'm also concerned about the chemistry. You have Nelson, Arenas and Jrich all making serious money and all playing two positions. Who's gonna sit? Willl arenas take kindly to sitting on the bench? We'll see how it all works out. If I were the GM though I'd be looking to trade Nelson for another big. For PHX, this was a great way to find the Amare replacement and dump Hedo's horrible contract. Pietrus isn't as good as Jrich offensively, but he's an underrated defensive player. The pick and $$$ don't hurt either.
I guess we will have to wait and see. Personally, i think they upgraded. If they had stayed pat,they were going nowhere. Rashard turned into a specialist vs the basketball player he used to be. Pietrus and gortat are solid players, but carter was done. The magic had become stagnant and very predictable. They had no one who could beat their man and make tough shots on the perimeter. In the playoffs,thats a highly needed skill. Getting arenas if healthy is a great move. Throw in richardson and hedo and thats really good. You have to ask yourself, on their best days, who are the better players. I think arenas,richardson,and hedo are better players on their best days.
Upgraded? Sure. Enough to win a championship? Not even close. Future flexibility? Out the window. What does it all spell out? Dwight Howard: Gone. Reminds me of exactly what Cleveland tried to do with the Jamison and Shaq trades.
I'm surprised people are still so high on Hedo. He's not the same guy from two years ago. I think it's clear Orlando was desperate for a high-scoring wing, and JRich fit the bill. He's better than Vince, and so in order to take him, they need to take on Hedo and his contract. Arenas is better than Lewis, so I like that trade. Hedo at this point, is not a consistent shooter, slow as molasses, and is weak defensively (too weak to guard pf's, way too slow for sf's). We'll see how the trade works for Orlando.
