After months of sulking and pouting, hemming and hawing, flipping and flopping (a repeat of the 'MeloDrama engendered by Carmelo Anthony the season before, but much more awkward and sans the midseason trade) the superstar center no longer plays for the Orlando Magic. After months of trade rumors and speculation, a deal has been brokered. In the wake of a blockbuster trade that involed four teams, five draft picks and a dozen current NBA players, Howard has a new home (even if it's not his first choice).
He is now a member of the...drumroll please.. Los Angeles Lakers.
How does this landscape-altering move affect the players and their teams? Let's take a look.
Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon and Earl Clark to Lakers
Last season Howard proved that even when playing listless, uninspired basketball, he's still the league's best center and one of the premier two-way players in the Association. Despite mailing it in every night and missing a dozen games (18 percent of the season) in a season cut short by a herniated disk in his back that required offseason surgery, he still paced the NBA in total rebounds. He ranked first in boards per game for the fourth time in five seasons. He averaged north of 20 points per game. Just imagine how well he would have played if he had been motivated! Nobody defends the paint better than the elite shot-blocker, though Tyson Chandler comes close. It's frustrating that he's plateaued offensively, that he resembles Shaquille O'Neal when it comes to free throws, and that he'll never realize his limitless potential, but at the end of the day he's still one of the best basketball players around/a clear upgrade over Bynum, even if the two post similar numbers next season (durability is Howard's key advantage; heading into the 2011-2012 campaign Howard had missed just seven games in his entire career--one per season). It will be interesting to see if he can gel with the talent already assembled in LA, since he's never had the benefit of playing with a top point guard (sorry, Jameer Nelson) nor has he had to compete with a fellow alpha dog for touches. On the one hand Nash is an amazing distributor who makes his teammates better, and the mere thought of he and Howard running the pick and roll must give coaches nightmares. But on the other hand Bryant is a ball-hog, a volume shooter who seems both unable and unwilling to accept a reduced role on offense even as he enters his mid-thirties. And if I remember correctly, the Shaq-Kobe relationship didn't end on the best of terms (but that was nearly a decade ago, so Bryant is much more mature, right?). With a better supporting cast around him, Howard's gaudy statistics should take a small hit but will still leap off the page. Clark supplies additional size off the bench, and Duhon slides in as the backup point guard.
Obviously, the Lakers look like an All-Star team on paper with the ageless Steve Nash running the point, Kobe Bryant playing two guard, the always reliable Pau Gasol (thought for sure he was going to be dealt) at power forward and Superman himself at center. Who needs a Big Three when you can have a Fab Four? With that group age and injury has to be a concern, but Lakers are on the short list of favorites to win the 2013 NBA championship. After a pair of disappointing playoff exits that window seemed closed, but by signing Nash and trading for Howard the Lakers have propped it open again, however temporarily (he wanted to play in Brooklyn, and might bail when he becomes a free agent next summer). Gun to my head, I'm still taking the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the Western Conference, but it's close. Really close. I'm not sure all four can coexist because their styles of play don't mesh, but they'll have to find a way to make it work if Los Angeles is going to earn its sixth NBA title of the new milennium. Expectations are going to be sky high, so LA is sure to face harsh criticism if they struggle out of the gate.
Andre Iguodala to the Nuggets
Iguodala left America a 76er, but will return a Nugget. Currently in London with the men's Olympic basketball team, Iggy will bring his trademark lockdown defense to a Nuggets team that allowed the second most points per game last season. Hopefully that skill set rubs off on his new teammates, who could all learn a thing or two from one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA (right up there with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade). Offensively he's solid, but won't have to do too much heavy lifting with Ty Lawson and Danilo Gallinari expected to carry much of the load. He settled into the role of point-forward in Doug Collins system, but is so athletic that he would flourish in a faster offense that looks to score in transition. A fresh start might be exactly what Iguodala needs after being the face of the Sixers franchise for several years and disappointing the fans who expected him to be the next Allen Iverson. The pressure and contract seemed to burden him at times, so he should be more comfortable in the relaxed Rocky Mountain atmosphere. I foresee a big season out of AI2.
Denver is one of those balanced teams that looks great during the regular season but always seems to fizzle out once the playoffs roll around. They're a young, interesting team with a good mix of speed, and shooting, but not serious threats to LA, OKC or San Antonio in my opinion.
Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson to 76ers
While D-Ho held on to his status as the best center and basketball, the emerging Laker wasn't too far behind. He always had the potential for stardom but health was never on his side. After averaging just 51 games played over the past four years, the oft-injured Bynum managed to stay healthy during the lockout-shortened season and enjoyed the best season of his young career. Averaging upwards of 35 minutes per game and getting more touches than ever before, Bynum set personal bests with 18.7 points, and 11.8 boards per game. His post game is much improved, his defense is top notch and, unlike, Howard, he doesn't kill you from the free throw line. Bynum doesn't turn 25 until October and is just coming into his prime. More importantly, he has proven that he's capable of being the centerpiece of a team. He should thrive in the city of Brotherly Love, where he will be the focal point of the offense and no longer has to defer to Kobe or Pau on offense (the flip side is that opponents will pay more attention to him and he will face more double teams). I belive his numbers from last year are a good baseline, but could easily see him eclipsing 20 points per game so long as he can stay on the court.
I'm less optimistic about Jason Richardson, a streaky shooting guard who joins a crowded backcourt teeming with youngsters Evan Turner, Jodie Meeks and Lou Williams. J-Rich didn't fit well in Orlando, and it seems safe to say he won't in Philly either since both clubs are built around an elite center, emphasize defense and run slow, plodding offenses. It's clear he's much better suited for the run-and-gun teams of the West, as he just hasn't been the same since switching conferences late in 2010 when the Suns dealt him, Clark and Hedo Turkoglu to the Magic for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, cash, and a 2011 first round draft pick (Nikola Mirotic). He's more of a complementary player now, still an above average three point shooter who can stretch the floor for Bynum. The 31 year-old is coming off his worst professional season and seems to be at a crossroads here. Has he already entered the decline phase of his career? Or can he provide some much needed offense and recapture some semblance of the Joe Johnson/Jason Terry type of player he was in his prime? I doubt the change of scenery will give him a boost, but perhaps Philadelphia's up-and-comers will motivate him by threatening his job security. I'm not ready to label him washed up just yet, but to me he's an average shooting guard at best with a ceiling of around 14-15 points per game.
The Sixers showcased a top shelf defense last year but lacked the offensive firepower necessary to advance beyond the conference semis. Thus, it makes sense that they traded away their top defender for a Dwight Howard-lite . Their perimeter defense will suffer with the loss of Iguodala, but adding Bynum vastly improves the interior defense. Despite falling one win short of making the Eastern Conference Semis, I was skeptical the eighth seed would return to the postseason given their lack of polish on offense and 15-22 finish to the regular season. But with Bynum on board to supplement their maturing youth, Philadelphia is a legitimate contender. Not championship material, but they should have no problem making the playoffs again.
Arron Afflalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, Moe Harkless, Josh McRoberts, and Christian Eyenga to Magic
I'll admit I'd never heard of Vucevic and Eyenga prior to the trade, so forgive me if my analysis is rather simplistic. I'll start with the 26 year-old Afflalo, the best player heading to Orlando. He's an underrated shooting guard who derives much of his value from efficiency with his excellent career .466/.405/.800 FG/3PT/FTshooting splits. He's one of the rare two guards who doesn't need to jack up a lot of shots to be effective because he's a steady, solid all-around performer. Harrington enjoyed a nice bounce back season coming off the bench last year as Denver's Sixth Man and can contribute three-pointers, but is a poor rebounder/defender for his size. Plus he'll turn 33 next February, which is even more troublesome because he entered the NBA straight out of high school. It might be tough for both Afflalo and Harrington to adjust from the fast paced Nuggets offense to the slow halfcourt Magic offense, but I expect their production to remain the same more or less. Vucevic, a 21 year-old Swiss power forward just completed his rookie season with the Sixers and is still very raw. McRoberts, another power forward, is nothing special with no upside. Eyenga is an inexperienced 23 year-old small forward from the Congo. Last but not least, Harkless (a small forward) was Philadelphia's first round draft pick, and probably has the most potential of this group. Overall I'd rate the quantity-over-quality package as piss-poor. Optimists can point to the good blend of youth and size, but it's hard to get too excited when Arron freaking Afflalo is the best player you get in return for Dwight Howard. You can't build a team around any of these guys, and nobody is a superstar in the making. On the bright side, the Magic also receive five draft picks (three first round, two second round) so they should be able to acquire some nice building blocks over the next several years.
My gut reaction is that new-look Orlando Magic will miss the playoffs next year. I don't have much confidence in the overhauled roster, which is balanced but lacks a go-to scorer. The organization is in a state of flux, so it's hard to get a feel for how next season is going to play out.
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