Skyhook Sunday: Winners and losers from the NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA trade deadline was Thursday at 3:00 PM EST and a lot of very interesting moves occurred. The Cavaliers were particularly active at the deadline acquiring George Hill and Rodney Hood from the Kings and Jazz in a three-way trade while sending Isaiah Thomas to the Lakers and Dwyane Wade back to the Heat. Other moves worth noting are the Magic trading Elfrid Payton to the Suns, the Nuggets trading Emmanuel Mudiay to the Knicks, and the Jazz actually parting ways with Joe Johnson in the Hood deal, which could result in Johnson going to a contender assuming the Kings buyout his contract. If you want a full recap of all the trades and moves that happened, check out any of the NBALord.com social media accounts (links provided at the bottom of the article). I posted all of the moves on there.

What I wanted to do in this post is quickly go over who I felt the winners and losers were at the trade deadline. I plan on analyzing some of the teams more closely next week.

Winners

The Lakers traded Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance, Jr. to the Cavaliers for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye, and a protected 2018 first round pick. Considering their need for a legitimate star player, I'd say the Lakers were winners in this trade. While Isaiah Thomas has been on the move a lot, that doesn't mean he's not a guy you'd want to have on your team. He was a borderline MVP candidate during his final season with the Celtics. To add a guy of his caliber has to have the Lakers excited. 

Let's be real, Isaiah Thomas wasn't a good fit with the Cavaliers and they needed to get something in return for him. While Rodney Hood wasn't directly involved with the Thomas deal, he is a guy who'll bring quality three-point shooting to the team and an ability to score in a similar fashion as Thomas did. Plus, Hood should fit in personality wise with the Cavaliers and relish the opportunity to play alongside LeBron James on a team that is hoping to reach the NBA Finals. As for shipping off Dwyane Wade, that's kind of a bummer, but at the same time if it isn't working out, why hang onto him? The Cavaliers were wise to move him and not continue with an experiment that just wasn't working. 

Emmanuel Mudiay strikes me as a guy who might just need a change of scenery. I like what he can bring to the table and the Knicks could really benefit from having a true franchise point guard. What's even better is the Knicks only had to give up Doug McDermott to get him. The Knicks were definitely winners at the trade deadline, though losing Kristaps Porzingis for the season due to a torn ACL overshadows this move.

The Suns acquired Elfrid Payton from the Magic for a second round pick, which is an absolute steal considering that Payton is averaging 13.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. I've always liked Payton's game and believed in his ability to become a star point guard in this league. With Brandon Knight's future with the Suns in doubt due to the injuries he's had, this was a no brainer move for the Suns. 

Note: Brandon Condron provided a good breakdown of this trade on YouTube and what it means for the Suns. Click here to check it out. 

The Celtics made no moves at the trade deadline but are still considered winners simply because they got to watch the Cavaliers trade Isaiah Thomas away.  

Getting Dwyane Wade back in a Heat uniform is pretty cool. Especially since the Heat are in the mix to get home court advantage in the first round. They're seeded 7th in the Eastern Conference right now, but that could change with Wade coming back.

Not a move that happened right at the trade deadline, but the Pistons are definitely winners for acquiring Blake Griffin from the Clippers. They needed a franchise player to build around and now they have one. If you missed my blog post on the Blake Griffin trade from the Pistons' perspective, click here. I go into more detail in there. 

Losers

I know I'm kinda cheating by also listing the Cavaliers as losers, but here me out on this. While it is good that they got something for Isaiah Thomas and were able to shake things up a bit, the fact that they had to make those moves in the first place is very concerning. Hell, there was even some speculation that it might be good for the Cavaliers to trade LeBron James and totally hit the reset button for good. The bottom line is that while the moves the Cavaliers made were good for their present situation, it's never a good sign to be in a situation where you need to make a flurry of deals before the deadline in order to stay afloat. 

I'm pretty indifferent to the moves the Jazz made at the deadline. Jae Crowder is a nice player and I understand why Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson needed to go as they probably weren't going to come back once they hit free agency. At the same time, Rodney Hood was supposed to be one of their bright young players to build around in a post Gordon Hayward era. To see him go is kind of a disappointment if you are a fan of the Jazz. Even worse, it feels like the Jazz are a team struggling to find an identity right now. Donovan Mitchell is becoming their man, but they're still a long ways off from being a serious championship contender.

When the Toronto Raptors selected Bruno Caboclo with the 20th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, they thought they had found a diamond in the rough. Everyone else was asking what drugs they were on for selecting him in the first place. At the deadline, the Raptors parted ways with their Brazilian draft and stash wonder, sending him to the Kings for Malachi Richardson. That 2014 first round pick is one the Raptors would like to have back. Rodney Hood, Joe Harris, Nikola Jokic, and Jordan Clarkson were all still available and would have been much better selections than Caboclo, who quite honestly shouldn't have been drafted in either round.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Can the Utah Jazz advance without Rudy Gobert?

                                        (Credit: RantSports.com. Click here for source)

The Utah Jazz escaped with a 97-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday to take a 1-0 series lead after Joe Johnson rattled home the game winning shot. Unfortunately for the Jazz, their star big man Rudy Gobert went out for the game with a bone bruise and hyperextended left knee, leaving him out for an indefinite period of time that likely lasts the duration of the series. Gobert, who averages 14.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game is the fiercest defensive force the Jazz have had in the paint since Mark Eaton, who averaged a whopping 3.5 blocks per game for his career.

The question that is on the minds of everyone is whether or not the Jazz can win this series without Rudy Gobert. The answer to that question is yes they can, but obviously without him it will be a lot tougher. Fortunately, the Jazz have some things in their favor.

#1. They got the road win they needed: In my series preview, I stated that the Jazz needed just one win in Los Angeles to win this series because of how good they are at home. With or without Rudy Gobert, the Jazz should be able to hold down the fort in Salt Lake City. So long as they can just win out at home, where they are 29-12, they'll be fine.

#2. All the pressure is on the Clippers: The Jazz are playing with house money. The very fact that they made the playoffs is enough of a reason to call this season a success. They can just go out and play their style of basketball and see what happens. If they win the series, they exceed expectations and if they lose, they're still ahead of schedule in their rebuild process.

#3. They have some front court depth: Rudy Gobert is clearly the best big man on this Jazz team, but it isn't like he's their only big man. Derrick Favors, Trey Lyles, Boris Diaw, Jeff Withey, and even Joel Bolomboy can come in and give the Jazz good minutes in the front court. The Jazz have other guys who they can turn to in the post if needed.

#4. Rudy Gobert isn't done for the season: If MRI results had come back showing that Rudy Gobert had damage to his MCL, LCL, or ACL, it would be tough psychologically for the Jazz to win this series. Knowing that he isn't done for the season and that he will return if they can just hang on for a little while without him has to give them tremendous peace of mind. There are good odds Gobert is back for the second round of the playoffs, which is when they'll absolutely need him. The Jazz just need to weather this storm as best they can, knowing that if they do so well enough, the storm will cease and they'll get Gobert back.

The bottom line is that while it is a tough break for the Jazz to be without Rudy Gobert for an indefinite period of time, there are a lot of reasons to think they can still win this series without him. They already have a road win in the bag, very little pressure, quality reserves, and the knowledge that Gobert isn't out forever. I picked the Jazz to win this series in six games and I still stand by that pick.

Note: This article also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out. 

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Daily Dunks: 1/19-1/25

                                                   (Credit: Andy Melton. Click here for source)

Here are the Daily Dunks for January 19, 2015 through January 25, 2015. This page will get updated throughout the week with all the important news. So keep checking this page until a new page is created next week.

Monday's Daily Dunks

#1. The Bucks signed power forward Kenyon Martin to a second 10-day contract (Click here for more info).

#2. Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge suffered a left thumb injury (Click here for more info).

#3. Hornets center Al Jefferson returned against the Timberwolves from his groin injury. He had 8 points and 5 rebounds.

#4. The Knicks signed power forward Lou Amundson and small forward Lance Thomas to second 10-day contracts (Click here for more info).

#5. Pistons center Andre Drummond has been warned for flopping (Click here for more info).

#6. The Heat have put point guard Norris Cole on the trade block (Click here for more info).

#7. Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley returned from his ankle injuries and played against the Mavericks.

#8. Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari is targeting a Friday return (Click here for more info).

#9. In the Knicks' win, shooting guard Langston Galloway had 21 points and 5 rebounds.

#10. J.R. Smith had 20 points for the Cavaliers in their win over the Bulls.

Monday's NBA Final Scores

Hornets 105 Timberwolves 80. Warriors 122 Nuggets 79. Mavericks 103 Grizzlies 95.
Wizards 111 76ers 76. Hawks 93 Pistons 82. Clippers 102 Celtics 93. Rockets 110 Pacers 98.
Knicks 99 Pelicans 92. Cavaliers 108 Bulls 94. Raptors 92 Bucks 89. Trail Blazers 98 Kings 94. Suns 115 Lakers 100.

Tuesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. 76ers guard Tony Wroten is flying to California to see a knee specialist (Click here for details).

#2. Jazz rookie guard Rodney Hood is out until after the all-star break with a left foot inflammation (Click here for details).

#3. The Nuggets assigned guard Erick Green to the D-League to join the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Click here for details).

#4. The Spurs assigned forward Kyle Anderson to the D-League to join the Austin Spurs (Click here for details).

#5. The Pistons recalled forward Gigi Datome and  guard Spcncer Dinwiddie from the D-League (Click here for details).

#6. Heat center Hassan Whiteside (ankle) is day-to-day and did not travel to Charlotte (Click here for details).

#7. Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (flu) didn't practice and is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Jazz (Click here for details).

#8. The Bucks signed forward Kenyon Martin for the rest of the season (Click here for details).

#9. Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge didn't travel to Phoenix. He will see a hand specialist and get an MRI (Click here for details).

#10. Spurs point guard Tony Parker had 18 points and 7 assists.

Tuesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Thunder 94 Heat 86. Spurs 109 Nuggets 99.

Wednesday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Bucks and power forward Larry Sanders are working on a buyout  (Click here for details).

#2. The Celtics signed guard Andre Dawkins to a 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#3. The Knicks signed forward Lance Thomas to a second 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#4. Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis returned from a three-game absence. He had 29 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and 4 blocks.

#5. LeBron James has talked with Ray Allen about a return (Click here for more info).

#6. The GM of the Bulls denies that head coach Tom Thibodeau is in the hot seat (Click here for more info).

#7. Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer will coach the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game (Click here for more info).

#8. Zach LaVine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, and Mason Plumlee are in the dunk contest (Click here for more info).

#9. Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant tore his rotator cuff against the Pelicans (Click here for more info).

#10. Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook scored 32 points and Thunder small forward Kevin Durant scored 34 points in their win over the Wizards.

Wednesday's NBA Final Scores: 

Cavaliers 106 Jazz 92. Mavericks 98 Timberwolves 75. Grizzlies 92 Raptors 86. Warriors 126 Rockets 113. Knicks 98 76ers 91. Hornets 78 Heat 76. Hawks 110 Pacers 91. Pistons 128 Magic 118. Pelicans 96 Lakers 80. Thunder 105 Wizards 103 (OT). Suns 118 Trail Blazers 113. Nets 103 Kings 100.

Thursday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. The Bulls plan to match any offer sheet for Jimmy Butler (Click here for more info).

#2. Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum has a wrist injury (Click here for more info).

#3. Hawks small forward Kyle Korver headlines the 3-point shootout at All-Star Weekend (Click here for more info).

#4. The Knicks are shopping guard Pablo Prigioni (Click here for more info).

#5. Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has been cleared to play extended minutes (Click here for more info).

#6. The Grizzlies signed forward Tyrus Thomas to a 10-day contract (Click here for more info).

#7. Here are the NBA All-Star Starters: Eastern Conference: John Wall, Kyle Lowry, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Pau Gasol. Western Conference: Stephen Curry, Kobe Bryant, Anthony Davis, Marc  Gasol, and Blake Griffin.

#8. Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge has a ligament tear in his thumb and will miss 6-8 weeks after surgery (Click here for more details).

#9. Cavaliers small forward Shawn Marion will retire after this season (Click here for more info).

#10. Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday is out 2-4 weeks with a stress reaction in his right leg (Click here for more info).

Thursday's NBA Final Scores: 

Jazz 101 Bucks 99. Bulls 104 Spurs 81. Celtics 90 Trail Blazers 89. Clippers 123 Nets 84.

Friday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant is likely done for the season (Click here for more info).

#2. The Pelicans signed guard Nate Wolters to a second 10-day contract (Click here for more info).

#3. Celtics center Kelly Olynyk is out one month with an ankle sprain (Click here for more info).

#4. Nets forward Mirza Teletovic is out for the season due to due multiple blood clots in his lungs (Click here for more info).

#5. The Celtics assigned guard Andre Dawkins to the D-League (Click here for more info).

#6. 76ers guard Tony Wroten has a partially torn ACL in his right knee. He'll kneed surgery and is out indefinitely (Click here for more info).

#7. Nuggets guard Ty Lawson got arrested for a DUI (Click here for more info).

#8. Klay Thompson scored 52 points and an NBA record 37 points in the Warriors' win over the Kings.

#9. LeBron James had 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 assists for the Cavaliers in their win over the Hornets.

#10. Rockets shooting guard James Harden had 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists in their win over the Suns.

Friday's NBA Final Scores: 

Pelicans 92 Timberwolves 84. Warriors 126 Kings 101. Raptors 91 76ers 86. Hawks 103 Thunder 93. Cavaliers 129 Hornets 90. Heat 89 Pacers 87. Knicks 113 Magic 106. Bulls 102 Mavericks 98. Spurs 99 Lakers 85. Celtics 100 Nuggets 99. Rockets 113 Suns 111.

Saturday's Daily Dunks: 

#1. Trail Blazers power forward LaMarcus Aldridge decided put off thumb surgery. He played against the Wizards and had 26 points and 9 rebounds (Click here for more info).

#2. The Jazz signed guard Elijah Millsap to a three-year deal (Click here fore more details).

#3. Rockets center Dwight Howard injured his ankle and is out indefinitely (Click here for more info).

#4. The Clippers signed guard Dahntay Jones to a second 10-day contract (Click here for more info).

#5. Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings suffered a torn left Achilles' tendon, ending his season (Click here for more info).

#6. Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade says NBA players need to be protected from crazy fans (Click here for more info).

#7. The Lakers will make a final decision on Kobe Bryant's injury on Monday (Click here for more info).

#8. Cavaliers players  have "lost faith" in their season (Click here for more info).

#9. Grizzlies small forward Jeff Green had 18 points against the 76ers.

#10. Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward had 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals against the Nets.

Saturday's NBA Final Scores: 

Grizzlies 101 76ers 83. Jazz 108 Nets 73. Hornets 76 Knicks 71. Bucks 101 Pistons 86. Trail Blazers 103 Wizards 96.

Sunday's Daily Dunks:

#1. Metta World Peace is done in China. He's hoping to sign with an NBA team (Click here for details).

#2. The Kings signed forward Quincy Miller to a second 10-day contract (Click here for details).

#3. Pistons center Andre Drummond  has been warned for flopping (Click here for details).

#4. The Pistons need another point guard with Brandon Jennings out and the Knicks are trying to unload Pablo Prigioni. A trade could happen (Click here for details).

#5. The Hornets and Nets are reportedly discussing a Lance Stephenson/Joe Johnson swap (Click here for details).

#6. Timberwolves forward Robbie Hummel has a fracture in his right hand and is out indefinitely (Click here for details).

#7. Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has won 1,000 career games (Click here for details).

#8. Clippers guard J.J. Redick has been warned for flopping (Click here for details).

#9 Heat center Hassan Whiteside had 14 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 blocks against the Bulls.

#10.  Danilo Gallinari returned for the Nuggets on Friday from his knee injury (Click here for details).

Sunday's NBA Final Scores: 

Hawks 112 Timberwolves 100. Warriors 114 Celtics 111. Heat 96 Bulls 84. Cavaliers 108 Thunder 98. Pelicans 109 Mavericks 106. Pacers 106 Magic 99. Clippers 120 Suns 100. Spurs 101 Bucks 95. Raptors 114 Pistons 110. Wizards 117 Nuggets 115 (OT). Rockets 99 Lakers 87.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord for more NBA news

Are The Brooklyn Nets Contenders Out East?

                                                 image from dukaspr.com

The Brooklyn Nets pulled off one of the biggest trades of the off-season which netted in them getting Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and Kevin Garnett from the Boston Celtics. The Nets starting five now has Deron Williams at point guard, Joe Johnson at shooting guard, Paul Pierce at small forward, Kevin Garnett at power forward, and Brook Lopez at center. Jason Terry will come off the bench.  Gerald Wallace, who started for the team last season at small forward was traded to the Celtics as part of the deal (note: to see complete details of the trade, click here).

The Nets certainly seem to have a team that can do some serious damage in the Eastern Conference. Deron Williams is one of the best point guards in the NBA despite having a down season last year and we all know that Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez are both one of the better players at their positions. But obviously, the Nets realized that they were lacking something last season that Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry can bring to the table. The focus of my article is to identify what the Nets think that something is, and whether or not Pierce, Garnett, and Terry can do enough to get the Nets over the hump. 

Last season, the Nets appeared to be one of the better teams in the NBA, and everybody figured that they would easily beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs due to all the injuries on the Bulls. However, things didn't exactly go according to plan, and before they knew it, the Nets found themselves eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of a Chicago Bulls team that was plagued with injury. 

While everybody was praising the Chicago Bulls for playing with so much heart and soul, the Brooklyn Nets at the same time found themselves to be the subject of much deserved ridicule and utter embarrassment. This was a team that was supposed to contend for a title and there they were instead eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of a sickly team hit with a plague similar to the Bubonic plague that swept across Europe in the middle ages. The Nets were rightfully being called soft as a result.

What the addition of Garnett, Pierce, and Terry does for the Nets is potentially fix their softness by adding gritty veteran toughness. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry all have championship rings, and all three are guys who wouldn't back down to a rabid hyena if it was snarling in their face. Kevin Garnett is the toughest of them all and it shows on the court. Brook Lopez may be a good offensive center, but he protects the rim worse than my 16 year old golden retriever protects my house. A burglar with a flame thrower could walk into my house and my dog wouldn't utter a peep. Likewise, Brook Lopez couldn't protect the rim if his life depended on it.  Bulls point guard Nate Robinson had no fear flying at the rim with reckless abandon against the Nets in the playoffs, and he is a little squirt standing at 5'9. Kevin Garnett will take care of the rim protecting problem, and players of all sizes will think twice about going inside with Garnett prowling the paint. 

As for Paul Pierce and Jason Terry, their scoring will certainly be of assistance to the Nets, but it's more their intangible veteran presence that will help this team. They will help give their teammates confidence in crunch time and help them stay mentally strong in tough situations. They will have a strong presence in the locker room and command respect. They won't let their teammates deflect their problems on others, and will instead teach them to own their own mistakes. This is an effect similar to what Doc Rivers will bring to the Clippers as head coach. 

While these three guys may serve as guides similar to Virgil in Dante's Inferno, they won't be able to completely mold their teammates into winners. Deron Williams still has to be the leader of this team if they want to win a championship, and whether or not he can be a great leader is yet to be seen. In addition, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez will have to toughen up as well and learn to buckle down in crunch time. If the Nets rely too much on Garnett, Pierce, and Terry to carry the load, they will fail miserably. But if they open themselves up to improvement under their wise council, then they just might have what it takes to dethrone the Heat. 

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord