Keith Cordero Jr.: T-Mac’s got life in him yet
The NBA trade deadline provided for a ton of excitement, and the winner without a doubt is the New York Knicks. Acquiring Tracy McGrady, who by the way dropped in 26 points in his Knicks’ debut, in addition to Sergio Rodriguez and Eddie House were some big deals.
The Knicks were able to dump the contracts of Larry Hughes and Jared Jeffries and acquire talent and an expiring deal with McGrady. Whether T-Mac stays or goes this offseason, he is a Knick for now, and with David Lee, Al Harrington and Danilo Gallinari all scoring, the addition of T-Mac gives the Knicks a nice lineup.
I like what the Rockets and Cavaliers did as well. Kevin Martin and Antawn Jamison, respectively, should help out in big starting roles with their new teams. The Kings landing talented forward Carl Landry is also huge. Landy will team up with rookie sensation Tyreke Evans.
The Knicks are the big winners; T-Mac is still a star.
Jason Ovalle: It’s about winning now
Whoa Keith, hold on a second … T-Mac, a star? I think he definitely still has something left in the tank, but calling a 30-year-old player just coming off microfracture knee surgery a star is a little bit of a reach.
The Kings, Rockets and Cavs all improved this year and for the future, but in the NBA it is all about winning. Yes, that’s right, winning. It is about right now and getting an NBA championship. The only elite team that did that was the Cavaliers. They already had the best record in the NBA, and finally managed to get a piece to compliment the best player in the league, LeBron James. Yes, I am talking about Antawn Jamison. He is averaging 20 points and eight rebounds per game. He is also a good 3-point shooter and can space the floor if they play Orlando again in the Eastern Conference finals — something the Cavs had problems with last year when trying to guard Rashard Lewis.
So Cavs won hands down, and Jamison will help LeBron get his first NBA ring this year.
Chris Losse: Jamison is the Cavs’ missing piece
I agree with Jason. T-Mac is a falling star. It was a great move for the New York Knicks, who desperately needed a face to represent the franchise. With more $30 million left to spend, it is possible that by the end of the summer there could be two more all-stars joining McGrady in New York. The biggest move coming out of the trade deadline was made by the Cavaliers, in acquiring Antawn Jamison via a three-team trade with the Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. Jamison is known for possessing the particular skills the Cavs need most in their drive to win the Eastern Conference.
Leading the league with a 43-14 record, this season seems like a rerun of last season for the Cavs, who were leading the conference, but lost to Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals. Jamison, an All-Star in 2005 and 2008, adds to a dominating offense that already has the ability to win a seven game series against teams such as the Boston Celtics or Orlando Magic.
The goal of every franchise is to win a championship; Jamison will take the Cavs to that level.
Judge Higgs: Will there be enough shots to go around?
I have to jump on the bandwagon and throw a little ridicule your way, Keith. Six years ago when he was traded to the Rockets in his prime, T-Mac was supposed to be the key that would vault Houston into championship-contender territory. In those six years, the much-ballyhooed trade netted the Rockets four first-round playoff exits, and the one year they actually made it out of the first round, they did so with McGrady watching from the bench. And if T-Mac couldn’t find the motivation to play hard, when healthy, for a scrappy, overachieving team like the Rockets, how long do you think he’ll keep his head on straight for a losing team like the Knicks?
The duet of Jason and Chris hit it closer to the mark. Initially it may seem like adding a 20-point per game scorer in Jamison to a lineup headed by offensive-minded players like LeBron and Shaq could spread the touches too thinly and create chemistry problems of offense. But Jamison is known as an unassuming workhorse of a player, and the chance to compete for a championship should give him all the motivation he needs to fit in with his new team.
If the question is what team has the chance to benefit more this season, the answer has to be the Cavs.
Verdict
Jason got there first, so his argument wins.
Facetime
Don’t sleep on Jared Jeffries; he can play. And let’s please see more of Chase Budinger.
