AN UNEVEN TRADE
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/14081916.htm
Last summer's deal between the Wolves and Clippers so far has worked in
the favor of Los Angeles, which appears playoff-bound with Sam Cassell's help.
It doesn't take long to mull over the greatest trades in Los Angeles Clippers
history. Snickering aside, though, the Clippers' acquisition of Sam Cassell
from the Timberwolves ranks near the top.
Cassell's playmaking and leadership has the Clippers headed to a winning
record for just the second time since they moved to Los Angeles in 1984.
So it's no wonder that general manager Elgin Baylor believes he made the
right move last summer by sending point guard Marko Jaric to the Wolves
in exchange for Cassell and a conditional first-round draft pick to boot.
"It was a terrific trade," Baylor said. "I wouldn't say it was our best
trade ever. I don't want to say that, because we traded for (Elton) Brand
and we traded for Ron Harper. But, yeah, it has worked out well. It has
been a great trade, but you have to see the end results. Hopefully, we'll
continue to play like this."
The Wolves, on the other hand, will have to mount a major turnaround to
make the playoffs with just 20 regular-season games left, including Monday's
road contest against the Clippers.
It would be unfair to place the place the blame for Minnesota's struggles
on one player.
But there's no doubt that Jaric, the club's marquee acquisition last
offseason, has had a disappointing first season with the Wolves. He was
pulled from the starting lineup five weeks ago, in part because he's a
6-foot-7 combination guard who isn't completely comfortable at the point.
Jaric was signed to a six-year, $38 million contract as part of the
sign-and-trade deal with the Clippers, and it took just half a season
for the Wolves to decide they needed to bring in another point guard
via a January trade with Boston.
Marcus Banks has taken over as the starter and is being auditioned the
rest of the season to determine whether he might be Minnesota's point
guard of the future.
Back in Los Angeles, where the Lakers have always been kings, Cassell
has made it cool to be a Clippers fan, which might be his biggest
contribution to the franchise.
He's nailed big shots in clutch situations, helped make Brand a
first-time all-star and added swagger to a team that has always
needed it. The Clippers are 11 games over .500 after their victory
over Milwaukee on Saturday.
Wolves owner Glen Taylor acknowledged that so far the trade hasn't
worked out as he had hoped.
"I think Sam is a closer, which is what we could have used right now,"
Taylor said recently. "Sam could do that. The results are Sam is probably
having a better year than Marko is having."
The statistics aren't even close.
Cassell's averages heading into Saturday: 17.5 points, 6.5 assists
and 3.8 rebounds in 35 minutes.
Jaric's numbers: 8.6 points, 4.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 29.6 minutes.
Jaric has played better lately after struggling to adjust to his role
coming off the bench. He scored 20 points, his most as a reserve this
season, in Wednesday's loss at Utah. He hopes to compete for the starting
role again.
"I feel good because I'm going in the right direction, and I'm just going
to continue to play good and get my old minutes and my old role," Jaric
said.
It remains to be seen whether Jaric can start again this season.
The Wolves are committed to Banks the rest of the season and perhaps
beyond if they can re-sign him as a free agent this summer. That would
make Jaric an expensive reserve.
"He played well in different stretches," Wolves vice president of basketball
operations Kevin McHale said about Jaric. "I like the guy. We just have to
find a way to maximize his versatility. To me, it's not always playing him
at the (point) against 6-foot guards. It's playing him at the (shooting
guard and small forward positions) and moving him around and doing some
stuff. I think Marko's a very good basketball player who can help our team."
While Jaric adjusts to new a role with Minnesota, Cassell's influence
with the Clippers really isn't surprising given he has generally played
well in his first seasons with teams. In 2003-04, he helped Minnesota
reach the Western Conference finals, the first time the franchise had
been past the first round of the playoffs.
"He's doing for them and Brand what he did for Minnesota and Garnett,"
Detroit Pistons coach Flip Saunders, who previously coached Cassell with
the Wolves, told the Los Angeles Times. "He's got Brand playing at an MVP
level because Brand has got confidence in the guy who's got the ball."
The Wolves' decision to move Cassell involved several factors. He didn't
do himself any favors before last season when he complained about the
lack of a contract extension, which rankled Taylor. Then Cassell played
in a career-low 59 games because of a right hamstring injury, and his
numbers fell sharply to 13.5 points a game and 5.1 assists.
Along the way, Minnesota didn't reach the playoffs for the first time
in eight seasons.
Saunders maintains that Cassell's decline last season was a result of
his injuries and not his skill.
At 36, Cassell has managed to play well at an age when some point guards
might start to falter. But how much longer can he maintain this level of
play and stay healthy?
That's a question the Wolves considered when they traded him, Taylor said.
The team believes the trade's value has to be measured after a few years
rather than by one season.
Cassell is in the last year of his contract and will be a free agent this
summer. He has already indicated he would like to return to the Clippers
and that he could handle a backup role behind Shaun Livingston if necessary.
He might even get into coaching down the road.
For now, though, he's enjoying his resurgence and doing it with his usual
confidence.
"Like I've said, I wouldn't trade Marko Jaric for Sam Cassell," Cassell told
the Times. "It's nothing against Marko Jaric, but I know what I bring. I
just wouldn't make that trade."
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