The Dynamic Duo

Quoting the infamous words of Michael Corleone, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." After the worst Playoff's of any sport (save "the shot") I had all but given up on the NBA. But today that feeling of indifference towards professional basketball has drastically changed...

In case you haven't noticed, everything relevant that I have ever learned has come through Yahoo Sports. So it is only fitting that last night I learned of the recent trade (agreed upon, but not league approved) sending the Diesel to the Cleveland Cav's for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, the 46th Draft pick (in the worst draft ever) and Cash. I was thinking the same thing; this must be too good to be true. The truth is that this is a win-win trade for both teams. The Cav's give up less than 10 total points per game in exchange for the most feared big man to ever play the game, and the Sun's, in a system I don't fully understand, end up saving over 10 million dollars by placing their team beneath the luxury tax limit.

Here's the greatest part about the trade, the Cav's gave up nobody for a huge body (something they could have used against the Magic). They still have their entire core team that won 66 games last season. Including two great young point guards (one with an unfortunate case of herpes on his lower lip) complimenting the best player in the League right now. In addition, with Big Z, the Cav's have the ability to play Shaq less than 30 minutes a game, keeping him healthy come playoff time. Shaq will always require a double team, but that becomes an impossible task with Lebron James on the floor and a team full of shooters. I have heard the argument that Lebron doesn't want Shaq to help him win a title because Dwayne Wade and Kobe have been there and done that, but the difference is Shaq was the go to guy on both of those teams, there is no doubt that the Cav's remain Bron's team. Also, this will be the first of many Championships for Lebron James; he won't have to wait until he's 30 to win one without the Diesel.

Lastly, this is the best news I’ve heard in weeks. Since Iverson is yet to find a home, this places my two favorite, and the two funniest and most dominant basketball players on basically the same team that won 66 games last year. So watch out 95-96 Bulls, I think 72-10 is well within the the '09 Cav's reach.