The Portland TrailBlazers get: Steve Francis and Channing Frye
The NY Knickerbockers get: Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, and Fred Jones
Mr. East says ...
The Blazers must be smoking some of that herb that Randolph left behind. Steve Francis is going to play where? You have Brandon Roy, Jarrett Jack, and Sergio Rodriguez. He'll come off the cap in the near future, so they will eventually get more big money to spend in free agency. Channing Frye is a talented player, but last year showed that he isn't comfortable playing next to a guy who dominates the post. Frye took a step back when paired with Eddy Curry last year and now he'll be stuck in a logjam with Oden and Aldridge. It just doesn't make any sense to me.
The Knicks, on the other hand, score one of the best low post scorers in the game. Randolph has issues that won't get any better playing in ultra-intense New York City but he is gifted and young. The main question is how he will fit in with a similar offensive player in Curry on the block. Randolph is versatile enough to shoot from mid-range, so he might just find a comfort zone. His rebounding is the main bonus. Randolph is everything on the boards that Curry most certainly is not. Curry's work around the glass on offense will be complimented a lot by Randolph's offensive board work. Add David Lee, Wilson Chandler, and possibly Randolph Morris, into that mix and the Knicks will be very tough to rebound against. That's key. The addition of Dickau and Jones, two decent players off the bench, complicates playing time for Nate Robinson, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Mardy Collins, and Jared Jeffries. Where the frontcourt depth looks good, the backcourt depth is a mess. A potential train wreck.
Another problem that will rear its ugly head is that with Randolph and Curry the Knicks probably have the softest interior defense in the league. Look at the blocks per minute numbers for those two guys. Ugly. Also, neither of them pass a lick. Both Curry and Randolph are the 2 assists per game variety big men, who suck the ball up like a black hole when it comes in to them. Good players everywhere, terrible team building. They need to trade some of these guys for better fitting parts even if the talent they get back in return is of lesser quality.
Mr. West says ...
This trade is sorta like watching two non-boxers try to box: at first, you kinda wanna see anything go down but then you basically realize that hacks don't make for good sport. With all the trade analysis, here is what jumps out at me:
A. Two disinterested fat shits in Zach and Eddie won't earn the love of New York. The City wants players who hustle, scrap and attack. Maybe years of Allan Houston wimpiness and Starbury ego tripping has softened Knicks fans up.
B. Portland did themselves a favor by clearing out some room in the backcourt to force more playing time and space for their younger ballers like Roy.
C. Isiah dumped Stevie Franchise (Killer)'s contract. Yes, only in the NBA do other GM's willfully take on monster deals that kill cap space. Always another sucker. So Isiah just pulled his best move as a GM right there. Wow, Isiah is not retarded! (just stupid).
D. Zach must have been despised by Portland management. Portland took on Steve Francis knowing he will make $16.4 million in 2007-08 and $17.1 million in 2008-09. Wow, they must have HATED Zach Randolph to accept these concrete shoes. Normal media outlets call this stuff "off court issues" while I call it being a world-class asshole. Either way, the team had enough of this prick.
E. We will all quickly find out if a team can or cannot succeed with a huge low-post center and Zach on the floor at the same time.
F. Fred Jones has skills but adds more shooting guard issues to the Knicks bench. Someone has to be cut or traded from that scene.
G. LaMarcus Aldridge is going to have a (relatively) monster year-- he will bust out like the Dwight Howard of the West. Portland must be banking on that.
H. The "Eddie Curry Line" may now be titled the "Eddie & Zach Line". Can these Beef Brothers of the 21st Century actually have more blocks, assists and steals than turnovers? Let the betting begin.
Overall, I think both teams will improve over last year. The Knicks have a starting 5 of Curry, Zach, Marbury, Crwford and Quentin Richardson with David Lee as the 6th man. Despite their shitty coach and terrible chemistry they HAVE to win some games in the East, even if by accident. Portland is in the West, which means being realistic and planning ahead. So, in the long run, Portland fairs better just because they have Oden and because Francis' contract will come off the books in 2 years.
You just know what Zach is thinking: fuck if I care where I play as long as I can hit the buffets at strip joints after the game!
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