Trade Deadline: Grades!

The 2012 NBA trade deadline just recently passed and there were some definite shockers that went down. Yes, Dwight Howard may still be in Orlando, but some of the other trades that went down were completely unexpected and pretty enticing:

Denver Nuggets: A+
The Denver Nuggets walked away from the trade deadline with a huge grin. They dumped an over-priced, injury prone center in Nene and received the ultra-talented young gun, Javale McGee. Also, the Nuggets obtained veteran big man, Ronny Turiaf and also managed to free up a roster spot so that they can sign Wilson Chandler, who is currently finishing out his contract in China.

Los Angeles Clippers: A-
The Clippers walked away with an absolute steal. They simply traded a 2nd round draft pick in exchange for the high scoring Nick Young. The Clippers could really use another big body, but it's hard to argue with this trade. The Clippers are getting better and better.

Washington Wizards: F

Javale McGee

Theres a reason the Wizards suck so bad, and it starts with their management apparently. Swapping McGee for Nene, who is nearly six years older and far more expensive is idiotic. Swapping Nick Young for a draft pick was also pretty silly. Good job, Washington.

Milwaukee Bucks: A-
Milwaukee certainly benefits from this trade. Milwaukee traded away injury-prone big man, Andrew Bogut and trouble maker, Stephen Jackson to the Warriors in exchange for Monte Ellis, Epke Udoh, and Kwame Brown. This is a no brainer for me. Monte Ellis will certainly take over the scoring load that Jackson previously provided and both Udoh and Brown will be solid replacement for Bogut, who seems to always be injured, anyways.

Monte Ellis

Golden State Warriors: D+
Technically, the Warriors only received Andrew Bogut out of this deal. Stephen Jackson has already been moved to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Richard Jefferson, which is a decent deal. Bogut is an injury waiting to happen. He is one of the best centers in the league, but injuries are slowly ruining his career.

Los Angeles Lakers: A
The Lakers traded away arguably their two worst players (Jason Kapono and Luke Walton) for a starting point guard in Ramon Sessions that they so desperately needed. This trade deadline has made me notice that GM's are stupid most of the time. The Lakers must be psyched! The Lakers also traded away their currenty starting point guard in Derek Fisher for a much younger and promising big man, Jordan Hill.

Cleveland Cavaliers: F
How could they make this trade?! They gave away their promising guard in Ramon Sessions for a couple of crappy wing players that hardly ever play. Have fun sucking, Cleveland.

Ramon Sessions

Houston Rockets: C+
They traded away a young and promising center, but they also will receive Derek Fisher, a veteran leader who can mentor this young Rockets team towards playoff success. The Rockets got even older with the addition of Marcus Camby, but maybe veteran leadership is what this young team needs.

Portland Trail Blazers: C+
Trading away Marcus Camby is a tough one because I honestly love this guy, but in exchange, they obtained two former lottery picks in Hasheem Thabeet and Jonny Flynn from the Houston Rockets. The Blazers give up an aging center for two young, promising players.

San Antonio Spurs: C-
Giving up Richard Jefferson for a more expensive Stephen Jackson may not have been the best move. Sure, Jackson will make your team better, but financially, this could have waited and the Spurs could have been more patient.

A Time of Few Centers

Dwight Howard

As the NBA has developed over the years, the center position has become somewhat of a lost art. Sure, there are centers in the league, but I mean true centers. These days, the NBA seems to be controlled by the guard and forward positions. When I think true center, only a couple of names come to my mind in today’s game: Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum. There are also emerging centers, such as Roy Hibbert, JaVale McGee, and Tyson Chandler, but Howard and Bynum dominate in their positions. I watched them play against each other on January 20 and it immediately brought to mind the great battles between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain during the 1960’s. The spotlight today is typically on players with high scoring potential, such as LeBron vs. Kobe. Now, there’s nothing wrong with this shift necessarily, but to me, the center position is what makes basketball my favorite sport.