One week ago, it was the trade that shook the NBA's landscape...well, atleast the Eastern Conference's.
See, unlike my blogging counterpart, Archimedes, I usually jump to conclusions and believe the hype right away when it comes to a major transaction. Generally though, it takes a week or two for things to sink into my skull, and then, I can finally come to a general conclusion.
In the case of Kevin Garnett's trade to Boston, it's no different. While coming across this info at work, I immediately dubbed Boston the class of the East. One week later, however, I've slowly backed off on that stance.
Don't get me wrong, Danny Ainge's acquisition is a top-notch move, however, it doesn't necessarily guarantee an Eastern Conference championship for basketball's most storied franchise.
If last year was any indication, it's that there's a new breed of young stars in town, and it appears that these men are intent on leading their teams to the post-season ever year. While Boston is built for right now with veterans Pierce, Allen and Garnett, the young stars of the conference aren't far off talent-wise, which means we could be in for one hell of a season. A rather quixotic season if you will.
Here's how I break down the immediate contenders:
1) Cleveland - Still a very bland team, that could take a step backwards if they don't resign Anderson Varajeo. While they are the reigning Eastern Conference Champions, aside from LeBron and Boobie Gibson, this team offers little else. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is evidently on the down-side of his career, while regulars like Donyell Marshall and Drew Gooden are 6th men at best, that have to log regular minutes because of the lack of depth on the roster. Having LeBron doesn't hurt, however, so this team will still be good enough to make the playoffs.
2) Chicago - Ah, the Baby Bulls. It's easy to drool over the potential this team exudes, and their panache for tenacious defense, but this team's success ultimately relies on their ability to score. While Luol Deng is emerging as a great SF, his potential won't be fully tapped until he is alongside a much more efficient point guard. I love Kirk Hinrich as much as the next guy, but I still think there are much more adequate options out there. Ben Gordon, meanwhile, can not simply score unless he is coming off the bench. Given the state of the East, however, they still might possess enough overall quality to come out as the Conference's best.
3) Toronto - Bosh, Bargnani, Ford. 22, 23, 24 years of age respectively. Quite the nucleus to build around for the future. Throw in the depth provided by Garbajosa, Parker, Delfino, Calderon, Nesterovic and Humphries, and you have on your hands a team that could surprise many. Even more so than this past season. Much like Hubie Brown's Grizzlies teams, the Raps could go 10 deep if need be, without seeing much drop-off from the starters to the reserves. Sure there's obvious fanboyism in this post, but given the talent level, and ability to offer offensive/defensive mismatches, this team is legit.
4) Detroit - I'll be the first to admit that I thought this was it with for the Pistons. I was all but guaranteed that Joe Dumars was going to dismantle this roster after last year's playoff debacle. After a summer of re-tooling, however, might Detroit remain as the class of the East? Letting C-Webb walk was a stroke of genius, as it's time for Jason Maxiell to take center stage. Let it be known that he is the front runner, in my opinion, for the NBA's 6th Man of the Year Award, or NBA's Most Improved Player Award. He's THAT good. Chauncey Billups may be on the down-swing of his career, but he still possesses more talent then three-quarters of the point guards league-wide. And with Rip, Prince, Rasheed and McDeezy rounding out the rest of the cast, Detroit has a core that can compete for another 3 years or so.
5) Boston - Finally, the team that is the consensus pick to win atleast the East. While it is a very noble selection, playoff basketball, and championships for that matter, are won with depth. The one area the C's are lacking in. While acquiring KG was a fantastic move, giving up 7 players for him was not. I understand the notion that they had too, but now they are left with scrubs like Scott Pollard headlining the supporting cast. Not to mention KG has always lacked a killer instinct in the clutch, Paul Pierce notoriously chokes down the stretch, and Ray Allen is supporting himself with two bummed ankles. They're legitimately, and sadly, better then half the teams in the East with simply these three, but they are not good enough to make any noise.
Note: New Jersey, Washington and Miami are the three remaining teams, in my opinion, that will make the post-season, however, each team possesses more question marks then legitimacy.
All along Danny Ainge stated that he wanted to build up this roster with young studs, and then deal them off for talented veterans. He did in fact do just so, and while I understand that the mentality in sports is to win now, shouldn't you also posses a fall-back plan for the future? If Boston fails to capture a championship, will we look back on this series of events 3 years from now and question as to whether or not it was worth it?
As of now, it most certainly is worth it, however, what will come of all of this is if Ainge's team fails to deliver?
Congratulations Jason Kapono. You've officially made the 'B' Team.
