Pulling the trigger is an apt metaphor for the trades that have just occurred. Will the bullets hit their marks or will they miss, and if so, how badly? I'm going to take a look at the two blockbuster trades to examine the trajectory of the bullets.
THE LUKA/AD TRADE: The bullet is going to miss for both teams. For the Mavs, it may miss by a mile. In the first place, as great as AD is, he is prone to injuries. More importantly, why was AD needed on a frontline that is one of the Mavs strengths? Dereck Lively is going to be a super star center very soon, and Daniel Gafford at 6'10" is a power forward/center as rugged as they come. Then, there is PJ Washington, a talented stretch-4. The Mavs front court is better than solid. Of course, if GM Niko Harrison trades Gafford for perimeter offense (that they lost with Doncic gone), AD's trade makes sense. There is still a few days until trade deadline, so Harrison may have something up his sleeve. It better be a rabbit to make up for trading away one of the truly great scorers in NBA history.
ABOUT THE LAKERS: Pulling this trigger was a no brainer most pundits say. I say, yes and no. Luka assures the Lakers a new face of the franchise when LeBron leaves, perhaps as soon as next season. But, for now, the Lakers are without a Big D presence in the post. Unless the Laker's GM makes another trade pronto for a center to fill the void left behind by AD's absence, this season is going nowhere. Luka is ball dominant, so is LeBron. What happens to all the other players watching Luka and wondering where they fit? The season could be over before they figure things out. The Lakers bullet will miss but by not as much as the Mavs. This could turn out to be as bad a trade as ever there was.
KINGS/SPURS TRADE: The Spurs' bullet will be a bullseye. Fox's ability to penetrate virtually at will facilitate a Wemby dunkathon. That the Spurs pulled this off without losing their young core makes the bullseye more of a bullseye. Just in time for Pop to return to the bench. This is a long term fix and they were on target.
As for the Kings. They are left without a true point guard. At the same time they filled a very important need. They now have a solid three-ball shooter. They traded two years ago for Heurter who was supposed to be that guy, but he was to unpredictable and couldn't play a lick of Defense. Levine is not a great defender, but his shot from distance is pure. The Kings missed the bullseye, but they didn't miss too badly. They still need an aggressive power forward and desperately need an athletic back-up center.
ETC:
One has to believe LeBron James had to be consulted by the Lakers before they pulled The trigger on the Doncic/AD deal. Right? I wonder what AD thinks of that. I also wonder if, and here I'm reaching, Lebron has a plan for his future for the remainder of this season and the next that does not include the Lakers. His last game time courtside interview was cryptic and his smile just a little too sly.
When it comes to pulling the trigger on a Jimmy Butler trade, it's my opinion that in the case of Jimmy Bucket-of-tears, if it happens, the bullet will boomerang. Couldn't happen to a more worthy malcontent.
Look for the Warriors to pull the trigger next.
No poem. Instead, I offer a recommendation for a book. Those of you interested in creativity, read |Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is not just for artists, but for all people about thinking outside the box. For example, as it relates to the NBA - how the Pelicans should start thinking about Zion and the 76ers should start thinking about Joel Embid's health issues.
