My thoughts on *the* trade (the Holdsclaw to L.A deal for Milton-Jones and the #13 pick)
Wednesday 23 March 2005
"The trade" has finally happened. No liberal use of Denial can hide the truth (though the refusal of some Mystics fans to believe the rumours was quite amusing - even when it came from more than one reliable source!).
The general verdict on the boards is that the Mystics got hosed and I have to agree. The Mystics should have been looking to fill multiple needs and they were actually offered deals which would have done this. Namely:
* Los Angeles Sparks - Tamecka Dixon and DMJ.
I'm not a huge fan of Beetlejuice (Dixon) but she is better than any of non-Beard Mystics guards and would have formed a decent tandem with Alana Beard. I doubt salary was much of an issue with SDS off the books.
I doubt the Mystics would have had much trouble getting Dixon, DMH *and* the #13 pick. The #13 pick is a cheap throw in.
* Houston Comets - Sheryl Swoopes and the #5 pick.
Sheryl's in the twilight of her career but she's still in top echelon of players in the league and she and Beard would form the best defensive wing combo in the league, as well being a nightmare off the dribble and in transition. The #5 pick would yield a solid player and could be used in conjunction with the #6 pick to either move up the draft or to trade for a good starter.
* Phoenix Mercury - Anna DeForge, Plenette Pierson and the #3 pick
This would have been a great deal for the Mystics. They get a good shooter with a solid floor game in Anna D and with Beard, the two of them could have been the best backcourt in the league. Pierson is another 4 but younger and more effective than say Murriel Page. The #3 pick could have been used to fill the post need or shopped around with the #6 pick.
As it stands, the Mystics have gotten a good post player and a pick which probably won't yield anything significant. Delisha Milton-Jones is a good pickup for the Mystics - she's a versatile defender and the physical post presence the Mystics need. Her knee is reportedly fine but I think there is a question mark about whether she can handle being the #1 post on a team. All her pro career, she's been on teams where she's been the supporting post (Natalie Williams in Portland and Lisa Leslie in Los Angeles) and now she'll be in a situation where she is the focus of the opposition's post defence. Will this affect her game in a detrimental way?
I think the Mystics missed out on a good chance to get some quality depth. Their roster has a budding star (Beard), a solid veteran post (DMJ) and then a whole bunch of underachievers, overachievers and solid bit players. I'd rank them as a middling East team at the moment but can't see them overcoming Connecticut for the East title. I think they might have had the chance to do this if they had taken one of the deals listed above.
With regards to the Sparks, they look wonderful on paper but I think it's too early to be reserving the Championship trophy for them. We don't know how the Claw will fit in with the team - she's never been a second option in a team before and I think she's sensitive to team composition. Some people have mentioned LL might have a problem with the Claw but I don't think so. LL may be lacking in some qualities but she is a consummate professional and I believe she could play with anyone without any fuss. Also, the Sparks don't even officially have a coach yet and the identity of the coach may affect the team's chemistry.
This was a 'gamble' worth taking though. Claw's statistical prowess is awesome and on the small chance she doesn't work out, there is Christi Thomas waiting in the wings. It will be interesting to see the Sparks without DMJ as I believe she was their mental toughness. It's no coincidence they flourished with her and faltered badly in the crunch without her.