Trades are great. I love trades. For me, the offseason is nearly as exciting as the regular season. Part of the reason is because I'm a Cubs fan and, since the day I was born, I've been chanting 'Wait till next year!' like a Zen Buddhist monk contemplating the meaning of a rock garden.
Some trades I just don't get, however. One of the most memorable trades in the history of free-agent sports was Boston's famed 'Nomar deal.' Among other players, Boston sent Nomar Garciaparra to the Cubs who sent the equivalent of my high school's JV team to the Expos. The Expos then sent Orlando Cabrera'who had never played in a meaningful game in his life, save maybe the Expos' game on Boxing Day or whatever those crazy Cannucks celebrate'to Boston.
Let me explain this for those of you who think baseball is about as exciting as a power lecture on Comparative Politics (mine's at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, feel free to stop by and compare). Boston said sayonara to the one player who had defined their team for nearly the past 10 years. The Sox altered the heart of a team that was five outs away from the World Series just the season before. This is not something teams typically do.
The only thing Garciaparra never could do with his team was win'or even get to'the World Series. Well, about three months after the deal, the Bo Sox clinched the World Series title by sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals. So I guess it worked out for the majority of New England.
Which brings us up to date on this year's NBA season. This past August, the Miami Heat had the stones to pull off the biggest deal in NBA history. I mean, this baby was the trade kids like me dream about: it included five teams, 13 players and one load of contract lawyers and pencil pushers.
First, the specifics. The Heat acquired Antione Walker, a guy who's good enough to make nearly any starting roster in the NBA. He's got a nasty shake-and-bake move and has the versatility to play the three, four or even two spot in any offense.
They also got Jason Williams. This kid drops dimes like there's no tomorrow, as the kids say. He's a phenomenal passer and has the ability to drive to the rack when the opportunity presents itself and is a dangerous 3-point threat. Williams has had some up and down years since he was drafted No. 7 out of Florida in 1998. But with Dwayne Wade and Shaq on the team, any man with potential is primed to shine.
To top it all off, about one month after the trade, the Heat signed Gary Payton (yeah, that's potential Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton).
The Heat also traded a hoard of role-players from their 2005 Playoff team, some of which made up an integral part of the heart and soul of the franchise. Eddie Jones was the Heat's dominant 3-point shooter last year and was, in a sense, the 'Scottie Pippen' to Dwayne Wade's 'Michael Jordan.'
Here's where things get tricky. First, this team should have made the NBA Finals if not for an untimely breakdown in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Championship. The team was so close to a championship, and yet the Heat decided to break up the team. Will it work out? Time will tell.
Second, contrary to popular belief, there is only one basketball used in this sport. This means that only one player at a time can possess and, ultimately, score. We saw how well the 2003-'04 Lakers did when they rolled out an All-Star lineup on opening day. Granted, the made it to the finals (how could they not?) but they collapsed against Detroit because they ran into a team who played with chemistry, not like a team full of self-centered scorers.
What it comes down to is this: I just don't know how well this is going to work for the Heat. A team of All-Stars, as I see it, is destined to have too many egos and not enough role players. Can Gary Payton really sit back and let Willams run the show? We've already seen Antoine Walker get into with Williams on the court for not passing him the ball. How many more of these outbursts can a team take? I hope the best for Dwayne Wade, I really do. But I don't know if this is the way to go about making a champion in the NBA.
