Dwight Howard Trade Analysis

Dwight Howard is going to Hollywood (news444.com)

After an entire year of constant drama, the Dwight Howard free agency saga is finally and thankfully over.  The NBA's top big man has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, following in the footsteps of legendary centers Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal each of whom was traded to the Lakers during his respective career.  The 4 team deal that sent Howard to L.A. also included the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.  In addition to acquiring Howard, the Lakers also received guard Chris Duhon and forward Earl Clark from the Magic.  The 76ers got center Andrew Bynum from the Lakers and shooting guard Jason Richardson from the Magic.  The Nuggets received small forward Andre Iguodala from the 76ers.  The Magic got shooting guard Arron Afflalo and forward Al Harrington from Denver, center Nikola Vucevic and forward Moe Harkless from Philly, Josh McRoberts and Chritian Eyenga from the Lakers, along with 3 future first round picks and 2 future second round picks.

The Lakers are the obvious winners in this trade, becoming the team to beat in the Western Conference.  The Lakers had already acquired 2-time MVP point guard Steve Nash in a trade with the Phoenix Suns this offseason, and small forward Antawn Jamison, who has averaged 19.5 points per game for his career.  The Lakers starting lineup of Nash, future hall of fame shooting guard Kobe Bryant, small forward Metta World Peace, 4 time All-Star power forward Pau Gasol, and Howard, is now arguably the top starting 5 in the league.  Howard, the NBA's best center, is a perfect fit for the Lakers on the court.  Howard is the NBA's top defender and won the NBA's defensive player of the year award three consecutive times.  With Howard protecting the paint, Bryant and Nash, each of whom has 16 years of NBA milage, will not have to worry as much about staying in front of the league's younger and speedier guards.  Offensively, the Lakers have acquired a perfect fit for their Princeton offense.  The Howard-Nash pick and roll will be one of the most effective plays in the league this season, utilizing one of the best pick and roll ball handlers in the history of the league in Nash and the insanely athletic Howard who is very efficient scoring off rolls to the basket.  Gasol has proven in the past that he can work extremely well with a dominant post up center like Howard, and when they build chemistry on the court the Lakers offense will be impossible to stop.  With Bryant, a top 10 player in NBA history, waiting on the wing, defenders will not be able to double team Howard as they often did in Orlando.  Needless to say, anything but a championship trophy will be considered a disappointment in Hollywood.

Nuggets' general manager Masai Ujiri has done a masterful job rebuilding the team over the past two seasons.  His latest acquisition, the ultra athletic Iguodala, is the quintessential player for Denvers' run and gun style of play.  The Nuggets' average the 2nd most possessions per game in the NBA, the most fast break possessions and are among the most efficient teams in the league in transition.  Iguodala is one of the league's single most effective players in transition, scoring on over 79% of his field goal attempts on the fast break when he is not the primary ball handler.  Iguodala is also one of the league's top perimeter defenders, and has demonstrated great instincts playing the passing lanes.  Iguodala will thrive in Denver now that he is not being asked to be the primary focal point of the offense.

Philadelphia is the third major winner in this deal.  By acquiring Bynum, the 76ers have acquired their first bonafide NBA star since the team traded Allen Iverson to the Nuggets back in 2006.  Bynum is the 2nd best center in the league, behind Dwight Howard, and gives the Sixers an advantage in the paint over all the other teams in the East.  Bynum appeared to be unsatisfied with the number of touches he received on the Lakers; in Philly the offense will revolve around his ability to post up.  Jason Richardson joins a logjam at the shooting guard position.  With 2010 number 2 overall pick Evan Turner and recently signed Nick Young vying for minutes, Richardson will not receive as much playing time as he has in the past.  Bynum will be a free agent at the end of the season and will most likely resign with the team because it can offer him more money and years than an other team.

While I wouldn't call the Magic losers in this trade, it appears that they could have certainly received much more for Howard who is undoubtedly a top 5 player in the league.  Afflalo is the best player Orlando received in the deal; he can be penciled into the role of starting shooting guard for the team.  Afflalo, an excellent perimeter defender, is coming off a career year in which he averaged 15.2 points per game.  By acquiring Harkless and Vucevic, the Sixers' first round picks the last two seasons, along with the future draft picks, the Magic have begun their rebuilding process in earnest.  While the Magic received much less than the Hornets did in the Chris Paul trade, or the Nuggets did in the Carmelo Anthony deal, it is possible that the front office intended to do so.  The Magic have realized that in order to avoid being a mediocre team that either drafts at the end of the lottery or loses in the first round, an organization has to have elite players.  The Magic are unlikely to be a destination for top free agents, and therefore must rebuild through the draft.  This process will take years, and the Magic will likely be awful for several seasons, but if the team is fortunate it may luck into the next Dwight Howard.

Team USA dominates Argentina in the third quarter to remain undefeated

Chris Paul
(Abaca via Si.com)

The United States' men's national basketball team defeated team Argentina 126-97 to remain undefeated in group play heading into Wednesday's quarterfinals.  Team USA had a very poor first half, its third consecutive subpar half following its historic 83 point drubbing of Nigeria.  At halftime the US led by only one, having ceded 59 points to the Argentines, and defensive effort was evidently lacking.  Argentina exploited the US's lackadaisical defense by spreading the ball to create open 3's, and getting the ball to the rim via backdoor cuts.  Manu Ginobili  had a brilliant first half for the blue and white, scoring 16 points and making full use of his dazzling array of crafty moves, including his patented eurostep.  Chris Paul's 14 first half points, among them 4 timely three pointers, kept the Americans in the game.

Kevin Durant (US Presswire)

As soon as the second half began, team USA opened the floodgates, outscoring Argentina 42-17 and demonstrating why it is the most feared team on the planet.  The US began the half by repeatedly posting up Lebron James, the best player on the planet and a mismatch regardless of who is trying to defend him.  Lebron bullied his way inside, scoring 9 of his 18 points in the 3rd quarter, and worked the ball out to shooters on the perimeter.  Kevin Durant caught fire in the quarter, draining 5 consecutive three pointers, and scoring 18 of his game high 28 points.  Durant, the NBA's leading scorer in three consecutive seasons, had previously stated that he was excited to take advantage of the shorter international three point line.  He put his scoring prowess on display for the world with his 8 for 9 shooting performance from downtown.  Carmelo Anthony, whose 37 points in the blowout win over Nigeria set an Olympic record, hit a buzzer beating three pointer at the end of the quarter, and fell over in agony after being punched in the groin by Argentina's point guard Facundo Campazzo.  Campazzo's cheap shot earned him scornful looks from many of the Americans, and an earful from Kobe Bryant.
Durant, James and team USA's swarming defense put the game out of reach by the time the 4th quarter rolled around.  One of the most incredible highlights from the game was a forceful dunk by Andre Iguodala in the second quarter that sailed through the net, bounced off his chest, went back up through the net, and was ruled a missed field goal.
Team USA will meet Australia in the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament on Wednesday, while Argentina will face Brazil.  If the two sides each win their respective games they will face off in the semifinals on Friday.