Tag: Trade Deadline

2020 NBA Trade Deadline: Andre Iguodala Traded to the Miami Heat

Published on by Aiden HawkinsLeave a comment

Finally, Iggy has been traded. The Saga ends, and he ends up in Miami. Here is how the trade played out:

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Miami Gets		undefined
Memphis Gets		undefined
Minnesota Gets
Andre Igoudala
Jae Crowder
Solomon Hill		Justice Winslow
Dion Waiters
Gorgius Gjieng		James Johnson

Here is how this deal impacted each team

The Miami Heat

Pat Riley does it again. Somehow, a what seemed like an impossible trade was completed. At face value, Iggy may seem to be the most influential player in this deal, and that is just plain wrong. The fact that the heat were able to add Jae Crowder in this deal speaks volumes on the talent of their front office. Crowder is one of the better 3 and D guys in the league, and though he is shooting a career worst from 3 this year, he still has been a valuable contributor off the Grizzlies bench. At times we even saw Crowder taking crunch time shots for the Grizz. The Heat got back one elite helpful piece in this deal, and it is Jae Crowder.

Switching gears to Igoudala; it isn’t the fact that Iggy doesn’t bring some value to the Heat, it is the fact that the sentiment around the league is that Iggy is going to help the Heat so much that they are elevated into the upper echelon of the eastern Conference, and that simply is not the case. The last time we saw Andre Iguodala play basketball was in the 2019 NBA Finals, roughly 8 months ago. We have no clue what Iggy we will get the last few months of the season. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Iggys 2nd year of the extension he signed gets voided his off-season, due to it being non-guaranteed. Iguodala at his best is a solid 10 PPG scorer and an above average defender, so was that really worth Dion Waiters and Justice Winslow?

Solomon Hill will be the 11th or 12th man off of the bench for Miami, he simply was just in the deal to make salaries meet.

The Memphis Grizzlies

There is something brewing in Memphis, NBA fans watch out. Over the last calendar year, the best front office in the NBA has been the Memphis Grizzlies. Move after move, NBA fans questioned their sanity and decision making, and once again they proved us all wrong. The Memphis Grizzlies somehow turned Andre Iguodala into one of the more promising forwards in the NBA, Justice Winslow. Though Winslow has only dressed for 11 games this season, his progression for his career should not be ignored.

Justice has improved his game every season he has been in the league. He went from an athletic wing defender, and transformed his game into a play making-shooting forward. Winslow has shot above 38% from 3 each of the last 3 season, and even had a 10 game stretch where he shot 43% from 3 last season. If he continues to grow in Memphis, they will have found their missing piece for thier young core.

Dion Waiters isn’t a slouch either. Though Dion has had issues with suspensions in the past, we have to give him the benefit of the doubt now. In games where Dion Waiters plays 15 or more minutes, he averages 14.5 PPG on 44% shooting, what team wouldn’t want that. Essentually, he is a chubby J.R. Smith, and the type of guy you want on your team when fighting for the 8 seed. Memphis got a great haul for two average players.

Minnesota

For my thoughts on the Timberwolves, please visit my piece on the DLO/Wiggins deal.

@aiden_hawkins_sports

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The Bucks are the Best Team in the East…For Now

Published on by Aiden HawkinsLeave a comment

It was a sad Thursday evening for most Celtics fans. Boston had been in a slump, winning just 3 of there last 6 games going into a very pivotal game against Milwaukee. Boston fans were clambering for a big time win, which unfortunately did not come against Milwaukee. Of course, members of the NBA media jumped to conclusions, saying how the Bucks were the best team in the East, and hell even the entire NBA. But, if you actually watch the game, Boston showed more flashes of being the best team in the eastern conference than the Bucks.

In my personal opinion, I think the Boston Celtics are the most talented team in basketball, and this game showed it. After being down double digits for a majority of the game, Boston was able to close the lead to 2 with a few minutes left in the game. Though the outcome may not have been what Boston wanted, those types of games truly teach you about your team.

The biggest issue I saw was their interior defense. Boston could not find a way to stop Giannis and other diving towards the rim. Despite Boston having a top 10 defense, they at points look like one of the worst in the league. Milwaukee shot 71% in shots from 5 feet or closer against Boston, their highest split of the year.

With Boston having Daniel Thies and Enes Kanter as their rotational centers, these type of splits will continue to happen. The top teams in the east all have strong front courts. If Boston does not get an interior defender soon, they will just become another team with too much talent that can’t win.

Boston currently has four players averaging close to 20 PPG, and a fifth shortly behind. The odd man out from this group is Gordan Hayward. Hayward has not started in 50 games for Boston in his three year tenure. Yes, Gordan is a decent player, but in order for Boston to compete in the east, he needs to go.

With the February trade deadline approaching, Boston needs to be in the market for a center. Players like Andre Drummond, Nikola Vucevic, and Dwayne Dedmon are perfect for Boston; with GH making close to 30 million a year, his contract is perfect to move for some interior help. If the Boston Celtics make a trade for an established big-man, they will be without a doubt the best team in the Eastern Conference.

To recap, I learned that Boston has enough talent to go pound for pound with some of the best teams in the east, even without one of our best players. They have the depth, the star power, and the coaching, now all they need is a true big-man to stop Giannis and company. With Boston only losing by five with Hayward struggling and Brown out, it is clear that they do not need Hayward. He needs to be moved by the deadline for this team to seriously contend with the top teams in the NBA.

Despite the Bucks evidently winning this game, they showed some very weak points within their team. For starters, when Giannis is out of the game they don’t have a consistent play maker. Eric Bledsoe has been very turn over prone this season, averaging two assists a game. George Hill is also way past his prime, he is still a killer from three point range though. But, when Giannis is out the offense stagnates.

The ball seemed to just sit at points, running unsuccessful pick and roll over and over again, until the primary ball handler would dump the ball in the corner for a contested 3 (that went in). It isn’t uncommon for teams to be stagnant, but this a trend from what I have seen from Milwaukee.

It is good to see that they finally do have a solid 10 man rotation of players who can actually contribute (yes that is a shot at Tony Snell). Their players know their role, and abide by it.

If Bledsoe and Middleton can play up to their contracts, the Bucks would be unbeatable, unfortunate they don’t. But, even with Bledsoe and Middleton not playing on an All-Star level, they are still good contributors. This roster may not be Finals worthy, but as of right now, it doesn’t seem like a team in the east can stop them.

So, what did I learn? Well, Boston is still somehow always one piece away from greatness. It is up to Coach Stevens and Danny Ainge to make the tough call to deal Hayward, and if they pull the trigger, than watch out NBA. For Milwaukee, their roster is set. They have what it takes to make the NBA finals, but really only because a majority of teams are “behind the 8 ball” when it comes to finding ways to stop them. But, with Boston taking down the mighty Lakers on MLK day, along with the rumors of an Andre Drummond trade, that sure fire NBA finals appearance for Bucks may be foiled by Bostons star power. So, the Bucks are the best team in the east, for now.

Aiden_Hawkins_Sports