What’s wrong with a trade in any sport working out in favor of both teams in the long run ? The much talked about trade that sent Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups from Denver to New York, has certainly worked out surprisingly well for the 5th place ( in the West ) Nuggets, ( 7-3 in their last 10 games ) in terms of the number of wins they have generated, (47-30), securing a playoff spot, and their much improved defense. For the Knicks, in spite of a slump, and more recently, four wins in a row,( after defeating Toronto 131-118 ),they’ve secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2004, when they were swept by the Nets in the first round. Their last playoff series win was in 2000, beating Miami in a seven game series, before bowing out to the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals in six games.
With the current NBA structure, basically a soft salary cap, power teams have emerged, such as is the case with the Miami Heat, and now the New York Knicks have moved in that direction, in adding Anthony to Amare Stoudemire, with the anticipation that they will try to secure Chris Paul,whenever the league has a new labor agreement with the players. Many analysts are anticipating a work stoppage next season, with the owners and commissioner David Stern wanting a hard salary cap, similar to what the NHL achieved in their lockout of 2004-05.
Regardless of what happens with the league’s labor woes, the blockbuster between New York and Denver, will be played out over a number of years, as opposed to the months and almost game by game basis, which seems to be the current measuring stick of many in the media. The fact that the Knicks have secured a playoff spot for the first time in a long time, is a major step forward, and there’s no doubt, that as they continue to build the club with draft picks,and free agents, perhaps Chris Paul being among them, the long term picture for the MSG based team, looks like it could be a potentially very exciting one for years to come.
Think about it this way. Do you believe that the Heat or the Celtics really want to play the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs ? That’s not to say that Boston or Miami wont win. It is however, likely to be a very tough, physically demanding series, that would wear down either team, and would require some intense defense to limit the scoring of Anthony, Stoudemire, and Billups. A secondary point of consideration would be from an entertainment point of view. If you are paying top dollar as a Knicks season ticket holder, who would you rather watch, the Knicks current roster, or that of the much improved Nuggets ? I would guess most paying customers would patiently wait for the current Big Apple version to evolve, while still getting to see some of the most talented players in the league, and hope they develop over time into a solid unit,something that doesn’t happen immediately, as was the case with the additions of James and Bosh in south Florida.
The Nuggets should be saluted for their outstanding play since the trade, and George Karl, definitely should be a strong candidate for coach of the year honors, for his incredible managing of a tough situation before the Anthony trade, leading a team that was never certain when the trade would happen,and which personnel would be involved, aside from Carmelo.
In a few years time, this transaction might end up being one where both teams got what they wanted. Jumping to conclusions on a game by game basis, makes for interesting reading, but is also totally unrealistic as an accurate measuring stick, of one of the biggest deals in recent memory.
There is nothing wrong with a win-win trade. Whether that is the case here, will not be known for quite some time. In 22 games with New York, Anthony has averaged 37 minutes, 26.2 points, 6.3 rebounds,3.1 assists, and 3.4 fouls. In overall league statistics, the New York native is fifth in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game, tied with his teammate, Amare Stoudemire. League leader Kevin Durant, is averaging 27.7.