It’s getting closer to that time of the year again, when NBA fans(whose numbers are dwindling as we speak) get to play the “NBA GM game.” For those of you unfamiliar with the game, its kind of like Dungeons and Dragons for hoop fans. In this game, I will pretend to be an NBA general manager, and try to conceive a trade that would help my team improve. Unfortunately, given the absurdities of the NBA salary cap, this game is coming dangerously close to requiring an MBA to participate.
And so with great fanfare I present to you a deal whose time has come: Earl Watson (Denver Nuggets) for Ricky Davis (Celtics). This is the proverbial deal that helps both sides.
On one hand, the Denver Nuggets stand at 18-18, penciled in for the eighth spot in the West (though they are one game out of first place in the division which would guarantee the third playoff spot). Their obvious weakness, besides injury problems, is at the shooting guard position. The array of candidates the Nuggets could play at the position includes DerMarr Johnson, Voshon Lenard, Byron Russell, and Greg Buckner. Unfortunately none of these guys have established themselves as a legitimate starting shooting guard. None of them average more than twenty minutes a game.
Coach George Karl could play two point guards at once, but that would pose matchup problems. Look at the starting off guards on playoff teams, Matt Harpring(6’7) Cuttino Mobley(6’4) Kobe Bryant(6’7) Marquis Daniels(6’6) Boris Diaw(6’8) Manu Ginobili(6’6) and Eddie Jones(6’6). Denver’s other point guards, Earl Boykins and Watson are 5’5 and 6’1 respectively.
Davis would be able to come in to Denver and start at shooting guard. He can score on anyone, and with his athleticism can defend just about any guard (and some forwards in the league). He plays the game hard and with a smile on his face which makes him a great fit on any team and would provide a spark to a team that should be able to catch Utah and lock up the third playoff spot. And imagine how much harder he’d play if he played for a contender instead of the lottery-destined Celtics.
Watson, a free agent signing over last offseason, currently sits as Denver’s third string point guard, and the most tradeable. Sports Illustrated reported in this week’s issue that Nuggets GM Kiki Vandeweghe might be inclined to deal Watson, if he is unable to get Ron Artest. So far, Vandeweghe’s bid for Artest has failed. Watson and Davis have similar salaries, which would make a Davis-Watson deal possible.
Just as Davis would fit into Denver, Watson would fill the point guard void for the Celtics. The Celtics haven’t had a legitimate point guard in my lifetime as they have in the past relied on “once upon a time” guys. As in “once upon a time Kenny Anderson was one of the best point guards in the league,” or “once upon a time Gary Payton could actually jump while taking a jump shot.” The Celtics current point guard, Delonte West, is a great shooter and has earned plenty of “atta-BOY De-LON-te’s” from Celtics television announcer Tommy Heinsohn for his hustle. Unfortunately, at this point in his career, West is not a floor general, and at times simply hands the ball off to Paul Pierce and lets him create shots. West would be able to fill in the role vacated by Davis, and the absence of Davis would also allow the Celtics to get a look at their first-round pick, Gerald Green. As the Celtics continue a fall towards the bottom of the league, Green deserves a look, and not just in the developmental league.
A deal that seems as logical as this should happen, especially when both teams have a little over a month until the trading deadline. A team looking to make a move receiving the missing link, and a rebuilding team trading for a point guard of the future. Unfortunately trades this logical don’t happen often in the NBA, which is why the NBA is becoming increasingly irrelevant unless you live in San Antonio or Detroit.