One Team's Head Case...
On a special weekend Dime, Marc Stein laments about NBA stars Steve Francis (Orlando Magic) and Ron Artest (Indiana Pacers) individually. For different reasons, Francis and Artest haven't been the boon their respective teams had hoped for.
Marc doesn't address an obvious yet far-fetched solution: trade Francis for Artest.
Yeah it's crazy. And Indiana will have to give up someone else (Austin Croshere, perhaps?). But hear me out:
1. Orlando gets a guy who plays defense, can score, and has the ability to play/guard three different positions (shooting guard, small forward, power forward). Artest will provide the Magic with a defensive intensity they never had. His versatility would allow the team to go small and still be effective. As for his behavior, what two people to better pair him up with then Grant Hill and Desmond Howard? Put a "must do at least three community outreach projects with Hill and Howard a month" in Artest's contract, and the guy will be quoting Gandhi by late April.
2. Indiana get an offensive injection. A combo guard the Pacers can pair with Jamaal Tinsley (at times) to play a run-&-gun offense. Jermaine O'Neal becomes the undisputed leader of the team with this trade; and Indiana will find out if he has the chops for it (if he can't get Francis on the same page the Pacers weren't heading anywhere anyway). We find out if the coach was given a raw deal or if he just can't control head cases. Francis will not only be exposed to a coach who preaches defense, but an entire team who adheres to that philosophy.
Such a deal could be beneficial to both players and both teams. Or it could blow up in everyone's faces. But considering what the Pacers and Magic lack, it's something worth looking into.
Marc doesn't address an obvious yet far-fetched solution: trade Francis for Artest.
Yeah it's crazy. And Indiana will have to give up someone else (Austin Croshere, perhaps?). But hear me out:
1. Orlando gets a guy who plays defense, can score, and has the ability to play/guard three different positions (shooting guard, small forward, power forward). Artest will provide the Magic with a defensive intensity they never had. His versatility would allow the team to go small and still be effective. As for his behavior, what two people to better pair him up with then Grant Hill and Desmond Howard? Put a "must do at least three community outreach projects with Hill and Howard a month" in Artest's contract, and the guy will be quoting Gandhi by late April.
2. Indiana get an offensive injection. A combo guard the Pacers can pair with Jamaal Tinsley (at times) to play a run-&-gun offense. Jermaine O'Neal becomes the undisputed leader of the team with this trade; and Indiana will find out if he has the chops for it (if he can't get Francis on the same page the Pacers weren't heading anywhere anyway). We find out if the coach was given a raw deal or if he just can't control head cases. Francis will not only be exposed to a coach who preaches defense, but an entire team who adheres to that philosophy.
Such a deal could be beneficial to both players and both teams. Or it could blow up in everyone's faces. But considering what the Pacers and Magic lack, it's something worth looking into.
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