Shaq is back, A.I. too; both have relocated as the NBA starts anew.
Many teams have shuffled the deck in hopes of finding the right combination to make it to the next level. The Orlando Magic made it to the NBA Finals but couldn’t get past Kobe and the Lakers, so they added Vince Carter to the mix. The Lakers countered by signing Ron Artest from the Houston Rockets after eliminating them from the playoffs last season.
One year ago, the Denver Nuggets started the season with Allen Iverson on the roster and three games in traded him to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups. Iverson recently signed with the Memphis Grizzlies making it his third team in one year.
“It’s basically going to be my rookie season again,” said Iverson. “It hurts, but I turn the TV on, I read the paper, I listen to some of the things people say about me having the season that I had last year and me losing a step, things like that. They’re trying to put me in a rocking chair already.”
Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals without Iverson but lost guard Dohntay Jones, who started 71 games that season. Jones is now with the Indiana Pacers and will face his former team in China this week. The Pacers and Nuggets will play two preseason games in Beijing and Taipei promoting the NBA in the Far East.
Another future Hall of Famer on the move is Shaquille O’Neal. After a stint with the Phoenix Suns, who failed to make the playoffs last season, O’Neal was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, $500,000 and a 2010 second round draft pick. After being unceremoniously eliminated from the Eastern Conference Finals by the Magic, the Cavaliers needed to make a change.
After the playoff elimination, LeBron James left the court in an unsportsmanlike manner. Facing free agency after this season, this could well be James’ final opportunity to win a championship for Cleveland.
Other key players with new teams include Shawn Marion, Dallas; Ben Gordon, Detroit; Rasheed Wallace, Boston; Hedo Turmoil, Toronto; and Antonio McDyess, San Antonio.
With the advent of free agency in sports and the constant personnel movement, players should be required to wear a GPS tracking device so fans can keep track of their whereabouts.
–lenn durant
