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Should Cs consider a Husky swap?
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AP Photo: Ray Allen, this guy may be your point guard next season.
There have been numerous trade rumors swirling about this offseason, and all of them seem to involve the Celtics trying to get younger while staying competitive. Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to the Suns for Amare, Barbosa, and a pick. A couple of players for the #2 pick. Well, what about one more? How about a sign and trade, sending Ray Allen to the Bulls for Ben Gordon? It would involve two of my favorite UConn players (Ray being #1, Gordon falling further down in the top 10), and would be an interesting story for Connecticut to murmur about for a while. I mean, I think some people are still wondering when the Pats are moving to Hartford, so we need an injection of something interesting to talk about.
Let’s be clear about one thing before we dive into this sea of hypotheticals. This isn’t an actual rumor. It’s just my personal concoction, a food-for-thought idea. With that said, I think that this deal can work wonders for both teams.
The teams are essentially swapping out very similar players who, barring injury, should put up similar numbers in the 20/3/3 territory. Gordon had a higher ppg last year, but that’s because Ray had to defer to the likes of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, in addition to having his minutes closely monitored by Doc Rivers. Gordon was more of the focal point of his team’s offense, other than Derrick Rose. In Chicago, Ray’s numbers should go up.
Boston would get a player who has been labeled, in addition to his offensive reputation, as a selfish player and a below average defender. And while that may scare some off from making this deal, those people need to look at the big picture. Boston still has KG, Paul Pierce, Doc, Perk, and Tom Thibodeau. There is no way that this collection of guys would allow Gordon to sulk around and play lackadaisical defense. Will he suddenly turn into Bruce Bowen? Of course not. But I guarantee that his D picks up, and his mistakes will be whited out by the interior defense of KG and Perk. Last year, Gordon played with young, athletic big men who are nowhere near the defenders of Boston’s front court (sure, they looked good shutting down Big Baby Davis at times, but that’s not exactly a strong test). So not only will Gordon be coerced into improving his play, but his mistakes will not be as glaring. And one last thing--wasn’t Ray Allen considered to be a defensive liability when he came to Boston, and now we see him running all over the floor and harassing opposing shooting guards? He wasn’t exactly a candidate for the All Defensive Team, but he still performed admirably.
Now about Gordon’s attitude. Forget it. Like I said earlier, Boston’s current roster and coaching staff do not allow me-first guys to rock the boat. Just look at Stephon Marbury. He came in with the reputation of being a selfish coach killer, but he ended up being so scared to hurt the team (and his chances for one more decent contract with someone) that he played like a tentative 8-year-old in his town rec league, constantly giving the ball to the better kids rather than screw up in front of his parents. Would I expect Gordon to play that way? No, but you get my point.
Offensively, the Cs get a player who can basically do everything that Ray can do, and more. He is a guy who can put the team on his back when he’s hot, and get to the hole a little more often than Ray can at this point in his career. He is streaky, but Ray can be as well (just look at his playoff performances over the last two seasons). The Cs will just have to live with Gordon when he’s cold, and ride him when he’s hot.
As for Chicago, the most important thing here is that they get a veteran presence. Chicago is young, with players like Rose, John Salmons, Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Tyrus Thomas, and Joakim Noah--all of whom are under 30 and have not had a solid veteran leader in their locker room telling them how to play and act like professionals. They’ve had a few guys here and there, don’t get me wrong, but nobody of Ray’s caliber. He is the ultimate professional, never shying away from the media’s or fans’ spotlight, and his cool temperament makes him a great guy to follow both on and off the court. His guidance alone should give the Bulls a few more wins next year, and that kind of presence was dearly missing when they tried to eliminate the Cs in the playoffs. The Bulls did an excellent job taking the Celtics to seven games, but they made some bad mistakes that probably wouldn’t have happened with Ray on their side. And no, I don’t see Vinny “How’s my hair?” Del Negro filling that vacant “leader” spot.
On the court, Allen can provide some crunch-time scoring, spacing for Rose, and he won’t disrupt Chicago’s offensive style from the last couple of years, due to his similarities with Gordon. While he is somewhat in decline, he is still going to put up good numbers for the Bulls, and he’s done an excellent job with staying healthy since his arrival in Boston. And on top of all of that, he’s in a contract year, so he’ll be able to feed off of that additional motivation.
Contractually, this deal works for both teams. Boston gets out from under Ray’s immense cap number, and takes a smaller cap figure back in Ben Gordon (I’m thinking they sign him for four years, $32 mill). The Bulls, on the other hand, get a player with an expiring contract, allowing them to either re-sign Allen for less money next offseason (since he’s not worth his current pay) or let him go in order to attack the infamous free agent class of 2010. As we all recall, Gordon shot down the Bulls offer after the 2007 season. He is already expecting a lower offer from Chicago (or no offer at all, check out this somber Gordon video about halfway down the page), and this new number will have to be negotiated with Boston. Boston will probably have to throw in a pick, or some cash, or Chicago will have to throw in another fairly pricey player to make this deal work, such as Brad Miller. I wouldn’t mind Miller, as he would be a decent backup for Perk.
So, will this trade happen? Doubtful. In fact, I’m the only one talking about it at the moment. It’s clear that Boston needs to get younger and needs some cap space, but needs to maintain the talent level of it’s current roster since it is entering the final year of it’s championship window. Chicago, on the other hand, needs to shake things up, and add some grit. Allen can teach these guys how to win, and I think that a trio of Derrick Rose, Ray Allen, and John Salmons, and with the D and hustle of Hinrich, Noah, and Thomas, the Bulls can make an even larger impact in the playoffs next season. Even with Vinny roaming the sidelines.
And in case you were wondering after reading my opening…
In honor of T-Mobile, My Fave 5 All-Time Huskies:
1. Ray Allen
2. Ricky Moore
3. Richard Hamilton
4. Emeka Okafor
5. Donyell Marshall
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