Jock Jerseys’ Flash

Even after the Lakers, Suns and Mavericks made trades to strengthen their chances of going to the NBA Finals, a flurry of NBA trades change the landscape across the league.

The Western Conference is still the dominant force it has been all season (for a few seasons actually), but the Eastern Conference has also changed significantly.  The Celtics and Pistons are still the favorites to get the Finals for the East, but Cleveland’s monster 11-player trade may just get Lebron & Co. back to the championship game for a 2nd year in a row.

Cleveland made arguably the biggest move of the season, as part of an 11-player trade involving the Bulls and the Sonics.

• Cleveland got: Ben Wallace, Joe Smith, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak & Bulls 2nd round pick in 2009
• Chicago got: Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Shannon Brown & Cedric Simmons
• Seattle got: Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall, Adrian Griffin &

This move was obviously made to appease the King (James), so that he doesn’t bolt in 2 years when his contract is over.  The problem w/ the trade, however, is that they are now locked in for 2 more years w/ the current roster, which includes several new players that other teams are not going to be seeking.  It’s make it or break it for the Cavs…

Ben Wallace adds defense and rebounding, but nothing else.  Joe Smith adds a reliable scoring threat & rebounder (that’s more than you can say for Gooden) and Wally Z & Delonte should help the Cavs shoot better from the outside.  Had Gibson not turned his ankle, this would be a pretty dangerous squad immediately, but they’re going to struggle to mesh.  Look for Lebron to carry the team and show them how to win… just not all the way to the Finals.

The best move in my opinion, which is still developing (as far as chemistry), is the acquisition of point guard Mike Bibby by the Atlanta Hawks.  Atlanta has been short on PG play for years, but management has finally addressed that issue.  It will be interesting to see how Bibby fits in w/ the other players.  They got beat hard by the Lakers in Bibby’s first game, so tonight’s game against the Warriors could be a better gauge of how well the team is going to wrap up the season.  I see them making the playoffs and being a threat in the first round, but they aren’t advancing (unless they play Orlando or Cleveland).

Some smaller transactions occured including Bonzi Wells (Hornets), Gerald Green (Rockets) and Juan Dixon (Pistons).

Still, the move that may have the most impact is the Lakers’ trade for Pau Gasol.  Memphis basically gave him away to LA, without getting anything back in return (thanks Jerry).  The trade instantly made the Lakers championship contenders in a tight Western Conference.  They are big, they are agile, they are quick, they can adapt, they are confident and they have Kobe Bryant… what else do they need.  Even after adding Shaq to their lineup, the Suns couldn’t even handle the Lakers, who have dominated PHX all year long (watch out in the playoffs).

The NBA’s Western Conference is a mess right now, with a number of acquisitions, trades and power moves by the NBA’s elite teams.  Pau Gasol was traded to the Lakers, Damon Stoudamire was signed by the Spurs and rumors are still buzzing about Jason Kidd being moved to the Mavs.

Of course, these moves all pale in comparison to the season’s first blockbuster.  The Phoenix Suns traded fan-favorite Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Miami Heat for future Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’neal - yes, the big Shaq daddy, Diesel, Big Cactus (whatever you want to call him).

Jock Jerseys is proud to be one of the first places online where you can get a Shaq Suns jersey… he’s only been a member of the team for about 72 hrs, but his Suns jersey is already on sale in purple, white and the alternate orange colors.

Shaq brings to Phoenix 15 straight All-Star appearances, a streak which was just broken a couple weeks ago when he missed this year’s cut.  Of course, he also brings a regular season MVP award, 3 NBA Finals MVP awards, 4 NBA Championships and his extremely charismatic attitude.

It’s unclear how well O’Neal will mesh with the Suns fast pace, but as has been pointed out by many observers… “it doesn’t take 5 guys to run a fast break”, so Shaq doesn’t have to run for the Suns to keep up their frenetic pace.

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With a strong tradition of winning, the Boston Celtics have been looking to return to the NBA’s elite the last few years.  Unfortunately, the moves made by GM Danny Ainge have been less than stellar - that is, until this past summer. 

Ainge orchestrated two mind-blowing trades that now have the Celtics perched atop the league at 21-3, easily the best record in the NBA. Ainge’s first move was picking Ray Allen from the Sonics.  The move gave the Celtics two great all-around players & shooters in Allen and Paul Pierce.

While many would’ve stopped there, Ainge went a step further and traded nearly everyone but Allen & Pierce to the Minnesota Timberwolves for superstar forward Kevin Garnett.

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While the dynamic duo of Allen/Pierce is certainly spectacular, it’s been Kevin Garnett’s hustle and strong determination to win that has turned the Celtics completely around from last year’s losing season.

Garnett’s defense, leadership and unselfish play are key to the Celtics - Garnett isn’t option #1 on the team, and I think that’s just fine with him.  He has two capable late-game shooters to rely on and a decent supporting cast (Rondo, Posey, Davis).

Garnett is easily the league’s most interesting player this year - his Boston Celtics jersey ranks among the NBA’s top selling items this year.  The season is still young, so you still have plenty of time to jump on the bandwagon and pickup your Kevin Garnett jersey. Available in green or white, and several variations of each, it won’t take you long to find the Kevin Garnett jersey that matches your style.

Here are the top Kevin Garnett jerseys to choose from:

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The New Jersey Nets have reportedly offered super PG Jason Kidd a 2-year contract extension, but the fact that they wouldn’t extend it to 3 years may have sparked a fire under Kidd.  He sat out Wednesday’s game with a “migraine” and claims that he wasn’t sending a message to anyone, including Nets’ managment.  The rumor mill says otherwise…

While you have to give Jason Kidd the benefit of the doubt here, it’s sad to see how easily a player can force a team to move him if he’s unhappy.  Players sign contracts to play the one of the greatest games on the planet and the get paid handsomely for it.  It’s a game… if you don’t like the team you’re on, don’t sign a contract with them when it’s time to renew - go somewhere else.  Wherever you go - you’re stuck there, because that’s what you chose to do.  Team owners should have the right to quit paying players who “tank it” (a la Vince Carter) or force the teams’ hand when it comes to trading them.  Suspend the guy and quit paying him… he’ll be back on the court in no time.

Jason played on Friday night, but just about everyone is saying how unhappy he is (except him).  If New Jersey continues to struggle, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him moved before the trade deadline.

Whether Kidd ends up staying or leaving the Nets, you can still get a Jason Kidd jersey above.