Another game. Another blow to the enthusiasm of Kings fans.
Wednesday's loss to the Knicks was, once again, inexcusable.
You can't lose at home to a bad team playing the second of a back-to-back. Not when your slogan is "Here We Rise."
But there were some bright spots:
DeMarcus Cousins played with more intensity than we've seen all season.
Donte Greene was released from solitary confinement and actually looked capable of playing basketball.
And here's the best news: I just got off the phone with Geoff Petrie and he loves my new trade idea.
In fact, he says I should be the new Kings GM.
Then I woke up.
Seriously, here's a blockbuster deal that could shake up the league, get the juices flowing again, and perhaps change the direction of the entire Kings franchise.
Strangely enough, it's actually plausible. Improbable, perhaps. But very plausible.
So hold onto your jerseys, Kings fans, here's the game-changing trade:
SAMUEL DALEMBERT & CARL LANDRY & a No. 1 draft pick in 2012.
to the Miami Heat for
CHRIS BOSH
Yup, I told you it was a stunner.
So why does anyone make this trade?
Well, for the Kings, it's a matter of jump-starting the team's entire karma. Let's face it: Whatever's happening here is not working.
Dalembert and Landry are both solid veterans. But they are not the team's future. Neither figures to be around when the Kings are really set to contend.
Bosh instantly gives the Kings an impressive frontcourt scorer who has averaged 20 points and close to 10 rebounds for his career.
In addition, he is still very young (26).
On the contrarian side, Bosh has been called soft at times. I'm willing to overlook that since a certain Chris Webber used to suffer the same criticism and he seemed to do all right.
With Bosh onboard, Cousins moves back into the starting lineup at center. And he instantly becomes a much happier man.
For Miami, the reasons are less clear now but not entirely impossible to understand. The team has not fared well on defense and their lack of size is starting to make some people wonder about just how far they can go.
With Dalembert, the team instantly gets a large and extremely valuable inside defender and shot blocker. And he certainly won't be asked to score.
As for Landry, he gives them another honest NBA talent on a team that is very thin in that area. In many ways, Landry could fill the role he did with the Rockets. A solid-scoring, energy player off the bench.
But why would the Heat deal Bosh so soon after the arrival of "The Big Three?"
Well, it would certainly be an admission that their original strategy was faulty, but the results thus far prove that things aren't exactly going as planned.
Bosh's reputation is taking a beating and there are many who believe he didn't realize how tough it would be to become the third wheel. Reports say he looks uncomfortable and his scoring and rebounding averages are way down.
The trade also gets them out from Bosh's big-money deal and gives them some financial flexibility.
One caveat to this trade: It can't be finalized until after Dec. 15 due to contract considerations. However, it does work within the salary cap limitations.
Will this trade happen? Only if the Heat continue to struggle and panic a bit. And only if Geoff Petrie gets the go-ahead to get very creative with the team's money.
And probably only if I'm GM.
So I'm throwing my hat into the right now. Send your cards and letters to the Maloofs.
Ron Wenig for Kings GM.
2 comments:
Maybe Bigfoot can come play for us too. Write an Article about that, it's just as likely.
Bigfoot can't go to his left.
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