NBA fans coast to coast will agree that there's nothing quite like trade deadline day. Getting home from work or school, grabbing the remote, and frantically switching to ESPN to see if your team finally got that final piece of the puzzle or indeed ridded themselves of that cancerous one. If you're giddy, disappointed, or not quite sure what side of the fence you're on, it's time to see how six teams in particular have been affected.
Philadelphia 76ers
No prizes for guessing which side of the fence Sixers fans are on after Thursday. Philly traded away role players Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas, and Corliss Williamson for Matt Barnes, Michael Bradley, and most importantly, star forward Chris Webber.
C-Webb will be regarded by most as the trustiest sidekick yet for Allen Iverson, and it'll be important that they hit it off well together if the Sixers are to succeed. Webber is a potential triple-double every night when he's on, and Iverson is enjoying his best season to date, leading the league in scoring. Make no mistake, if these two click together on all cylinders they will make some serious noise in the East, which, on a side note, is quickly gaining ground on the West.
One of the big keys to success that will scarcely be talked about is the play of Samuel Dalembert. It was reported that Philly were offered Toronto Raptors' forward Donyell Marshall in exchange for Dalembert, but it may be a blessing that this never happened. Although he was a little slow out of the blocks, Dalembert has seen increased minutes as of late with some stellar rebounding and shot-blocking. Dalembert's play at center could well be the x-factor for the new-look Sixers.
The only big question mark for the future of the team is health. Webber has had a series of documented injuries, most notable his knee surgery a couple of years ago, and Iverson himself has missed games this season. If they both can steer clear of that black cloud, though, Philly is an obvious favorite to win the lowly Atlantic Division and grab the third seed in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics
If a Celtics fan were to draw up a list of players they could realistically land, Antoine Walker wouldn't have been anywhere close to making that list. It was indeed Walker, however, that was traded to Boston, with the Celtics trading Gary Payton, Michael Stewart, Tom Gugliotta, and a future first-round draft pick to the Hawks.
Given the chronicled troubles between Walker and Celtics General Manger Danny Ainge, this was the most surprising move of trading day. Ainge claimed that the Chris Webber trade to divisional rivals Philly did nothing to trigger the return of 'Toine, but many would beg to differ.
Walker brings his 20 points and 9 rebounds a game back to Beantown to once again tag team with superstar guard Paul Pierce. This move strengthens the nucleus centering on some decent young talent, which Boston has amassed. Rookies Tony Allen, Al Jefferson, and Delonte West have all had a good start to their NBA careers.
The most troubled position for Boston this year has been center. Underachiever Mark Blount is slowly falling out of favor with coach Doc Rivers. The arrival of Walker could prompt Doc to move Raef LaFrentz over to center and start Walker at power forward. This would leave Blount to ride the pine and this may have a positive impact if he tries to make the most out of his decreased playing time.
The most significant loss of the trade is Gary Payton, who was enjoying his time in Boston. There is a small chance that he could end up re-signing with Boston.
It remains to be seen whether they can give the Sixers a serious run for the divisional crown, but even if that can't manage that, the Celtics could realistically grab the seventh or eighth seed in the playoffs this year.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors currently have one of the more unenviable records with the league's longest playoff drought. On Thursday, they made a big step to lose that crown when they traded Dale Davis and Speedy Claxton to the New Orleans Hornets for playmaking guard Baron Davis.
While it's certainly a lost cause this year, Golden State fans now have tremendous hope for the future. They now have one of the league's flashiest backcourts in Davis and Jason Richardson, and it's a safe bet we'll be seeing those two on SportsCenter more often than not.
The Warriors are also home to one of the more underrated players in the league in Troy Murphy. Murphy is currently averaging 16 points and 11.4 rebounds per game at the four position, and if he can keep up his stellar play, the Warriors could make a playoff push next year.
Unfortunately for Golden State, center Adonal Foyle is on the other end of the spectrum to Murphy. Foyle was handed a six-year contract this past offseason worth over $40 million dollars, and he's struggling to average 4 points and rebounds per game. He has shown signs of improvement as of late, but it's hard to imagine he will come to warrant such a rich contract.
While they are still missing a piece or two in their puzzle, the Warriors certainly had a good day of trading, and can finally set their targets on the playoffs next year.
Dallas Mavericks
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban just wouldn't feel right if he didn't make at least a little noise at the trade deadline. Dallas traded role player Alan Henderson and seldom used Calvin Booth to the Milwaukee Bucks for sharpshooter Keith Van Horn.
The only significant loss for Dallas is Henderson. He provided solid minutes off the bench for both Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier. There is a chance, albeit a small one, that he will be waived by the Bucks and re-sign with Dallas and if this is the case the trade could be considered a great success.
While Mavs fans may not be initially sold on Van Horn, he will stretch out opposing defenses as he is shooting nearly 39% from three-point land this season. He will more than likely come off the bench and be a "Nowitzki Lite" of sorts, as they both have similar games but he is clearly a downgraded version of the superstar German.
One of the biggest surprises this season for Dallas has been the vast improvement of sophomores Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels. Howard has emerged as the team's best defender and is often matched up against the star shooting guards on opposing teams. Daniels recently approached a triple double proving his potential is also high. Don Nelson deserves two strong pats on the back for picking these guys up. Van Horn shouldn't really take away too many minutes from them at all.
The Mavericks now have several players both on the floor and coming off the bench who have a lot of range shooting the ball. The addition of Van Horn could help them in shootouts against the likes of the Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics in the playoffs, and they still have the muscle of Dampier in the middle to test the slower, grittier teams in the postseason. Dallas should definitely make waves in the postseason and fans can at the very least expect a trip to the second round of the playoffs.
Sacramento Kings
Kings fans can finally lament on the end of the Chris Webber era. The trade to the Sixers told many that the Kings don't believe themselves to be a championship team this year, as Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas, and Corliss Williamson hardly match up to C-Webb's star power. Although Webber never brought that elusive championship for Sacramento, fans ought to thank him in bucket loads for putting them on the basketball map in the first place.
One of the reasons the Kings pulled the trigger on this trade is probably to give forward Peja Stojakovic more shots and ultimately keep him in town. Peja has been down ever since his good friend Vlade Divac was traded to the L.A. Lakers, and a move to Hollywood for Peja himself has been rumored as of late. While the big trade of the year is certainly a bad one overall for the Kings, Peja's departure could make it even worse.
Sacramento currently owns the fifth playoff seed and if they are to keep hold of that the play of Mike Bibby, Cuttino Mobley, Stojakovic, and Brad Miller becomes all the more key. Webber often drew double-teams so all four men can expect to see less open shots and will certainly have to step it up a notch or two if they are to make a decent playoff run.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs may have pulled off one of the sleeper trades of the day, landing one of the few true centers in the NBA in Nazr Mohammed, along with guard Jamison Brewer, in exchange for the fiery, but undersized forward Malik Rose and two first-round draft picks.
The Spurs add a more than capable backup for Rasho Nesterovic in the middle, as well as offloading Rose's hefty salary in the deal. Rose was also in and out of coach Gregg Popovich's good books.
San Antonio is enjoying another great season and currently has a handle on the coveted number one playoff seed in the West. It's hard to have an impact on a team that's already a favorite to win the NBA title, so Mohammed should at best try to know his role as a backup center and come off the bench with some quality minutes inside.
The main downside to the trade was the fact that the Spurs had to give up two first-round draft picks as part of the deal. Given the their recent track record, though, San Antonio's front office shouldn't see this as too much of an obstacle in remaining one of the NBA's upper echelon teams.
So there you have it. Another trade deadline day has come and gone, and while that was exciting enough, we now have the business end of the season to look forward to, as the focus for playoff positioning begins.
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