The New Look League. . .

With the NBA trade deadline here and gone and a lot of blockbuster deals done I have to get into it on my blog. One of my first blogs written on here wash about the gradual shift of power from the East to the West. Now with Carmelo and others switching coasts things are happening now.

With the acquisition of Melo the Knicks definanately got better. Not quite a title contender but better. Chauncey Billups is still an effective player and will be the remainder of this season but he's a free agent after the season. For at least two seasons the Knicks were looking for the point guard able to push pass and shoot. Like Steve Nash did in the system in Phoenix. Raymond Felton was that guy and I believe Mike D'antoni knew that and didn't want to deal him. But the front office did whatever they had to do to get Melo "home." Crazy they would trade all that for a player like Melo. He's great at scoring but horrible on defense. And he's always been a volume shooter which could be good without a dominant big in the middle. Which is who the lakers traded shaq when they had the chance. Volume shooters do two things. Score and limit touches to the post. Look at the Lakers now. If needed Kobe can shoot as many times as possible and Gasol is effecient enough to score 18 to 20 points on ten or twelve shots. Amare might not like that come Sunday in Miami if Melo is shooting like that.

Now Denver is in a very different situation than some of the teams that made moves at the break. Some might say they are now in a rebuilding mode and if you mean for the rest of the season then I agree. The system there is actually built for the players they got in the deal. Danilo Galinarri is a great young wing with a skilll set that will allow him to flourish in Denver. And just like in New York they push the ball and score a lot on fastbreaks. Its really a matter of him buying into the system. Raymond Felton can start or spell Ty Lawson they both can push and pass well and I think at least George Karl knows what he's got. We'll see if they make a late season push and stay in the playoff hunt they'll be dangerous.

Not to be upstaged by big brother the New Jersey Nets sent rookie Derrick Favors and Devin Harris to Utah for Derron Williams. Williams is argueably the best point guard in basketball and for a team playing under par this season it should be a good move. The Nets are moving in a year to Brooklyn and having a player like Williams will lure more talent if he signs the extension after this season.

Boston moved a slew of players to acquire Jeff Green from Oklahoma City. They did have to send big Kendrick Perkins in the deal. But by moving Marquis Daniels they made cap space to sign forward Troy Murphy. That would be a huge move.

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