Greg Nolen
Nick Brunner
In the history of the NBA, there have been a few trades that have resulted in championships. In 2006, the Miami Heat traded for star center Shaquille O’Neal, who teamed with young star Dwayne Wade to win Miami its first ever NBA title. In 1995, the Houston Rockets traded for Clyde Drexler, who led them to their second championship in a row. Way back in 1956, the Boston Celtics traded for Bill Russell, and started the greatest dynasty in NBA history. This year, the New York Knicks made a big splash by acquiring superstar forward Carmelo Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. By out-dueling their neighbors in New Jersey for Carmelo, the situation looked to be going from bad to worse for the Nets who had been unable to land a superstar despite intense campaigns throughout fee agency and all the way to the trade deadline. Just when we thought all hope was lost, the Nets complete a deal to acquire arguably the best point guard in the NBA, Deron Williams. So in light of these two big moves, the question becomes: Who made the better deal?
According to Greg…
It has to be the Knicks. Not only does Anthony get what he wants, playing alongside superstar Amar’e Stoudemire under the bright lights of the big apple, but the Knicks get another superstar player to help take pressure off of Stoudemire. With two superstar players for opponents to guard, the Knicks should see more offensive opportunities for other players as well.
A very underrated aspect of the trade was the Knicks’ also acquired veteran point guard Chauncey Billups from the Nuggets. While he isn’t the player he was in 2004, when he led the Detroit Pistons to the NBA Championship, he is still “Mr. Big Shot” and a veteran leader who knows what it takes to win it all. Billups also played with Anthony in Denver, giving him some familiarity with Anthony. With “ ‘Melo and Amar’e, leading the way, the Knicks have a dynamic duo to match up with the “Big Threes” possessed by the Celtics and the Heat, the top two teams in the East. While the Knicks gave up a lot to get him, the potential is there for ‘Melo and Amar’e to bring an NBA championship back to New York, something that hasn’t happened since Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Walt “Clyde” Frazier led them to the 1973 title.
According to Nick…
While the Knicks are looking great right now, I think Greg hit the nail on the head by mentioning the importance of Chauncey Billups. Not only goes he give the Knicks a third star to complement their mega-stars, but he is also a point guard who makes the team mates around him better. The problem for the Knicks is that Chauncey is getting old, so as currently constructed, their window of opportunity is closing quickly. If they are able to get another super-star, say a Chris Paul or someone like that in the off-season, then watch out because this big three would likely be hotter than the Heat.
However, I would argue that what the Nets did by acquiring Deron Williams was easily more important to their franchise than the Melo trade was for the Knicks. With a league landscape quickly shifting into teams that have and teams that have not, the Nets needed a super-star player to ensure that they stay somewhat relevant. The Knicks already hit with A’mare in the summer, but with the Nets missing out on every free agent they tried to land, if the same would have happened at the deadline they would have been on the slow road to extinction.
Not only is the acquisition of a super-star a big deal, but by nabbing a guy like Deron Williams they position themselves perfectly for free-agency. Williams is on the verge of becoming the league’s best point guard, if he’s not their already, and is in the prime of his career. What makes him so good at what he does is the fact that he brings out the best in his team mates. While he can score seemingly at will on his own, this is a guy who prides himself on dishing out well over ten assists per night.
As long as the Nets are able to lock up D-Will in the off season to a long term deal, this will easily become the most influential deadline deal of the year. What star wouldn’t want to play with a guy like Williams? Unlike Melo and A’mare or Wade and LeBron for that matter, Williams doesn’t have to be the center of attention all of the time. In Utah, Williams thrived when teamed up with big men who could shoot, like Carlos Boozer. With the Timberwolves perennially bellowing near the bottom of the standings, their prize player is just what Dr. Deron ordered, a big guy who can shoot.
Imagine the possibility of Williams teaming up with a guy like Kevin Love as the Nets make their transition to their new home in Brooklyn. Along with being a potent 1-2 combo, this twosome of unselfish, team conscious players sets up perfectly to attract a third. It is clear that in today’s NBA, stars attract other stars. So for the Nets to position themselves with a guy like Deron Williams is critical for the future of their franchise. If they play their cards right, they could end up with the best big three in all the land and a perennial championship contender.
Notable free agents in the next two years: Kevin Love, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Yao Ming, Mo Williams, Michael Beasley, Greg Oden
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