It happens every year. Multiple trades are propelled out just before the deadline. Teams looking to rebuild give away important players to playoff hopefuls, and Championship contenders making the small moves to earn some extra depth, often tossing away a draft pick that is unimportant to them. And with every year, we usually get a steal or two. A team offers up little, and gets a lot. Whether it is due to the inefficiency of the opposing General Manager, or it's just a team looking to rebuild and they don't care what they hand away, there's always one big one. The one last year came from Portland, where they picked up defensive specialist Marcus Camby, and gave up Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, and some cash. Little bet, big payout. The man improved their defensive game vastly, and was a bright spot for a team that has been unable to get Greg Oden going throughout a season.
And now, in 2011, the Portland Trail Blazers have repeated the process, and once again have made the steal of the trade deadline. That steal is named Gerald Wallace.
The Portland Trail Blazers have acquired Wallace in exchange for backup center Joel Przybilla, forward Dante Cunningham, two first-round draft picks and center Sean Marks. Essentially, you're giving up bench players who add maybe 12-15 points in your game each night, and fill in the spots for your team when certain players have to rest. In reality, let's just call it what it is: they're giving up nothing here.
Now what about the draft picks? Trail Blazers have slowly been trying to transition into one of those teams who deals out draft picks to stay on top, and this year is quite possibly the year that gets them the man they need to at least get a little closer to the top. They are destined right now for a decent playoff spot, in the sixth seed at 33-25, and just one game away New Orleans who stands in front of them. To tie back in to the speculation of the draft picks, they simply won't be seeing the lottery any time soon, and would simply be drafting mid-20 picks. Nothing to be too sorry about losing when you gain Gerald Wallace.
To speak about the man himself, he is a former All-Star. Currently averaging 15.6 PPG and 8.7 RPG, he is an extremely proficient small forward, who has a knack for being able to play big, and is a solid post player. He is often talked about as one of the toughest defensive forwards in the league. He adds another strong scorer for Portland, someone to support Roy when he's healthy and be a second or third option along with LaMarcus Aldridge. He adds to their defense, and provides another dangerous big body to a team that is already favorable when it comes to their size.
The success Portland has been having is commendable, especially when once again struggling with injuries. No Greg Oden again this year, and Brandon Roy has had trouble with his knees once again. Still, this team has found success, and mostly in thanks to LaMarcus Aldridge, who has been playing at a career-high level at the moment. Averaging 22.5 PPG and 9.1 RPG, he's the team's MVP and has been filling in the holes that have been missing due to those injuries, and he's even dropped 40 points in 2 occasions in February, along with a 37-point game and a 36-point game.
The potential behind this team is staggering. If they can keep healthy enough, they'll have a shot against whoever they may face in the playoffs. Brandon Roy, Gerald Wallace, and LaMarcus Aldrige may not sound like a deadly Melo-Wade-Bosh combination, but the Portland Big Three would easily trump a lot of other combinations of players, with three incredibly athletic and gifted all-around players, and guys who can drop 20 points any night they want. Add in the veteran leadership of point guard Andre Miller, very strong role players in Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, and especially Rudy Fernandez, and you have a strong team that has more depth than you might realize.
The Trail Blazers are certainly not headed for any sort of NBA Championship this year, but the Gerald Wallace trade was the best "step forward" move of the year, except for maybe the Melo trade, considering the possible arrival of Chris Paul in New York. Portland took advantage of a team willing to give up Gerald Wallace for nothing more than some cap space and draft picks, and they will truly benefit for it. It's been a very slow rise for Portland, and it's been plagued with injuries all across the board, but this is just another strong step for them in their journey. The Gerald Wallace trade was the best move of the trade deadline period. Good job, Portland.
Michael Mulcahy - The easiest way to describe me would be to say I am a 21-year old aspiring writer. I am a film graduate, and have been immersed in the ...
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