This is the time of the year where NBA teams assess where they stand as a franchise, and make pivotal moves that either screw up or revitalize their franchises. The Pau Gasol giveaway last year is a great example of how a team can get what is thought to be an expendable piece, and turn it into a vital cog for a championship run. Today, I will focus on Shawn Marion and Jermaine O'Neal, and the inevitable trade that seems to be going down.
(Let me just say that of all the suitable trade partners, Toronto seems to be the best as far as the mutual needs are concerned. Dallas would be giving Miami a better player in Josh Howard, New Orleans is more dynamic with Peja, and Charlotte/Sacremento offers don't seem beneficial.)
Can Shawn Marion help the Raptors?
Definitely. It's obvious the Bosh/O'Neal experiment isn't working and the Raptors seem to mimic the pre-Shaq Suns, as far as personnel is concerned. In today's NBA, having a player who is as versatile as Marion is better than having 2 bigs that clog the offensive side of the floor up. Marion has been somewhat of a disapointment, but he can only thank Mike D'Antoni's system for making him a 20 and 10 guy (the same system who turned Zach Randolph into a 20 and 12 guy, and a desirable commodity on the trade market aided by Mike Dunleavy's sniffing of glue). He needs to play where there is a commitment to playing uptempo, without having to isolate for certain guys 2 out of every 5 possessions. How much better will the Raptors be? They'll still suck, but they will get to clear cap room... and they must be vigilant in the summer of 2009 in order to prove to Chris Bosh that they are ready to win.
Can Jermaine O'Neal help the Heat?
Yes, only with cap room for 2010. I don't want to say J.O. is a shell of himself, but he can't play 32+ minutes a game anymore, and his days of grabbing 10 boards a game are over. He's a nice center for a team who doesn't have one, but in order for the Heat to truly have chemistry with J.O., he's going to have to grab boards a bigger clip, and play phenomenal baseline D. Marion's athleticism will be missed, and Miami will have to use guys like Yakhouba Diawara, Daequan Cook, and Ricardo Tubbs to lock down the better 3's and 2's of the league. But who cares? The Heat aren't contenders and it's all about O'Neal's 23 mil coming off the cap for the summer of 2010. For that reason, it would be smart for the Heat to pull the trigger (not to mention they can also get rid of Marcus "one day he'll be a good point guard" Banks in the process).
Who will be the winner?
Miami, only if they sign somebody in 2010. Otherwise it will be even because Chris Bosh will not be staying in Toronto, and if D-Wade bolts, both franchises are back to expansion status.