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| It's All Smiles for L.A.'s "other" team thanks to the acquisition of CP3. |
The Chris Paul saga is finally over. Thank the lord. After David Stern created a debacle by rejecting CP3's trade to the Lakers, the league finally got their star to where he wanted. Whether he was meant in yellow or red is still to be seen. Either way, this deal benefits all parties involved. Chris Paul got what he wanted, out of Nawleans and into the L.A. spotlight. The Clippers got their man and the Hornets got some solid pieces to build on. Plus David Stern got to flex his muscle(unfortunately) but sent him where he wanted at the right price. Let's take a look at what the two sides received in this deal.
Clippers Acquire Chris Paul
What isn't there to say about Chris Paul? His ability to score, defend, and dish the rock is almost unparalleled in this league. ESPN ranked Paul the 4th best player in the league and the best PG. While I'm not totally sold on that ranking, it's not far off by any means. The guy is a special talent, one we don't see very often, even in a league chalk-full of special PGs. But what makes this acquisition even more special is the pieces the Clippers did not give up. Blake Griffin was going nowhere; that was a given. But DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe were certainly hot topics in the trade talks. Neither budged, and that gives the Clippers special building pieces around the already proven Griffin and Paul.
Bledsoe is a talented, but viciously raw, #2 guard out of Kentucky. He's had his offensive troubles, but his potential is
well-known, and should be fostered behind a scorer like Paul. DeAndre Jordan on the other hand might as well be known as the "Manhattan Project." He's a 6'11" monster with long arms and freakish strength. His post play is mediocre and so is his defense, but those skills improved vastly last season, and should improve even more greatly with the addition of Chris Paul.
The Clippers also acquired Chauncey Billups to back up Paul and Caron Butler to add scoring on the wing. If both of these players stay healthy then we are looking at a seriously strong Clippers team, something we haven't said in years. I think the last time the Clip show had this much hype was in the days of Q-Rich, 'Dre Miller and D-Miles, when those clowns were banging their fists on their heads and wearing headbands more excessively than Tennessee does.
Hornets Acquire Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu and Chris Kaman, plus Minnesota's First Round Pick in 2012.
So the Hornets had to get rid of Chris Paul, along with losing scoring big man David West. Ok. We got that. But how they did in return is an important step towards rebuilding.
First let's start with Eric Gordon, who has matured nicely over the years, and now has established himself as a top scoring in this league. The Indiana alum brings a scoring touch that even Chris Paul could be jealous of. Gordon can take you off the dribble finishing either with finesse or strength. If you've got him covered down low he still has the ability to drain it from outside. The best part? He's still improving. Last year, Gordon truly broke out, averaging more than 22 a game, as opposed to his past two seasons at 16 pts a game. Now that he has assumed the primary scorers role, expect EG to score even more this year.
Al Farouq-Animu is a project. The 2nd year Wake Forest wing showed flashes of greatness in college, but needs time to adapt to the NBA's quickness. Animu played 81 games last season and still is a wait-and-see player, but in due time I think he'll solidify his "role player" status.
Chris Kaman, the third piece, is a 7'0" ugly bastard. But man can he play the center position. Drafted into the ranks of the NBA's obscure, Kaman has quietly amassed a nice career after breaking out in '07-'08 with a 15 ppg, 12 rpg season. The big ginger is quite a defensive guru. Kaman's presence in the middle, combined with Emeka Okafor's defensive wizardry, leaves the Hornets in a nice place in the post. If underrated point man, Jarrett Jack, can improve even more, than these two could be a force up top.
But the most important piece to this whole trade is the Minnesota Timberwolves first round pick. Let's face it, the T'Wolves are among the NBA's most pathetic. With that being said they should be a heavy lottery favorite, unless Michael Beasley can stop pumping his arm full of heroin and Kevin Love can turn his 20-20 average into a 30-30 average. Those two scenarios are highly unlikely, so the Hornets should have a top 3 pick to add to their young talent. New Orleans chances of returning to the playoffs in 2012 should be pretty high.
Though the Hornets are getting some solid chips in this deal, they are certainly not the winners. The Clippers acquired the "fourth best player in the league" and didn't have to give up studs DeAndre Jordan or Eric Bledsoe. The biggest loser in this whole situation is David Stern, because while he did get he wanted, he embarrassed himself in the process.
As for the Clippers playoff expectations? Well that hinges on the development of Bledsoe and Jordan as well as the health concerns of both Billups and Butler. However, if those two remain healthy, expect the Clippers to be Western Conference contenders, yeah, I said it. The Lakers' red-headed step brother could be a serious contender this year.
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