Dominos, old skool. You know, you set them all up on end, about a quarter-domino apart, make all those patterns with them across a table or the floor, then tip the first one and watch then all fall over one by one as they are hit by the domino at their back. There’s a big domino pattern being set up in the NBA and Dwight is the first domino to fall, or is it Deron? No, gotta be Dwight. Mmmmm, maybe Deron. One thing is for it is one or the other, Domino Dwight or Domino Deron and then the rest of the dominos will fall. The big tumble will likely happen on March 15. But, if not, the dominos will continue to stand and be shuffled up a bit until the end of the season, where they could fall fast but are more likely to be interrupted by days and week as one falls at a time. However, the big tumble most likely occurs on March 15. And Domino Dwight is most likely the first domino. Orlando is going to trade him unless he agrees to sign an extension. They can’t make a trade to improve the team significantly because they don’t have good enough players on small enough contracts to be of any value in trades. They are “land locked”, having already used up their amnesty privilege and still being way over the salary cap. Dwight is most likely not signing the extension. So, they’re going to trade him. And Orlando is trading him West. They’re not trading him to New Jersey, no way. Lopez, expirings, and two mediocre first round draft picks??? Orlando says definitely no. To the Knicks for Chandler/Amare. Heck no. Orlando is not going to set the Knicks up to be a juggernaut in their own Conference. Amare on a gimpy knee. Chandler with a nutty toe. You kidding me? No, No, NO! No, Orlando is moving Dwight to the West where they don’t have to face him, and they can get more value for him, and get rid of a lot of their other bad contracts possibly in the process. And also to force the Nets to move Deron before they lose him for nothing in free agency. Dwight is going to the Clippers, the Lakers, or the Rockets. And most likely in that order. If the Clips are agreeable to Blake and Deandre for Dwight, that deal will go down. If not, if the Lakers are agreeable to Bynum/Pau for Dwight, then that deal will go down. If not, then Orlando is going to do their best to engage Domino Daryl in some sort of 3-way deal with the Lakers, hoping to get more than just one of Bynum/Gasol, but to turn it into a bigger 3-way deal involving Scola, Martin, possibly Lowry, and no telling who else. And if that doesn’t work, then Domino Daryl is going to be haggling and trying to set up 2-3-4-5 dominos so he can get Domino Dwight to Houston. Diamond Daryl will stop short of nothing to get Dwight. If it can be done, he’ll do it. However, it is not likely to happen. When it becomes obvious that Orlando is trading Domino Dwight West and is not moving Dwight to New Jersey, then the Nets are going to be pushing Domino Deron onto the table in hopes of maximizing their trade value and being the second domino to fall or perhaps even moving to the first domino if they can get enough value to trigger a deal before Dwight is traded. It’s gonna get crazy as GMs shuffle around trying to get in the domino lineup as close to the first domino as possible. If the first domino is Dwight to the Clippers, look for the second domino to be either the Lakers moving Pau or the Nets moving Deron. Because if the Clips move Blake/Deandre for Dwight, they won’t do it without Dwight committing to stay there at least one year. And Dwight will commit, because Chris Paul is there. So, NJ will know that Deron is leaving Brooklyn. They’ll trade him for the best value they can get. Oh, and the Lakers. They know they have to upgrade to stay top dog in LA. They’re not going to let the Clippers make them their doormats. They will respond in quick order and most likely they are the next domino to fall. Here’s where it gets interesting if you are a Rockets fan. The most logical place to go to trade Pau for value is the Rockets. The Lakers know Domino Daryl likes Pau. The Lakers need a point guard and a Pau replacement. Enter Scola and Lowry and expirings (Hill/Twill) for Pau and the Lakers’ 2012 first round draft pick unprotected (wink). Nice, clean, quick. Domino Daryl will pull the trigger. The second domino. And you hear the Rockets fans collectively groan. We’re making the Lakers better. Yes, we are. NJ knows Domino Deron is gone in the summer. They’ve got to move him or lose him for nothing. Here comes Domino Daryl again. Thabeet/Johnny/Goran/Budinger/Patterson/NY’s pick, and the lottery protection removed from Houston’s 2012 pick for Deron. Nets can’t do better than that. They can’t do better in free agency than that. Three first round picks in 2012 plus Patterson plus Dragic if they want to re-sign him. DWill/Martin/Parsons/Dally/Pau….that’s a good set of dominos. Great defense combined with efficient offense….definitely a top 4 seed, definitely a championship contender. But………what if……the first domino to fall is Domino Dwight to the Lakers??? And what if the first domino to fall is Domino Daryl realing in Domino Dwight???
