HoopsHype.com Columns

Rose-y deal?
by Dean Serravalle / November 30, 2003

Jalen Rose -- if pleasant and without mood spells -- provides an exceptional all round matchup problem for opposing teams that will definitely release a rejuvenated Vince Carter from double team pressure. His ability to play three positions on the court (including point guard) also gives the Raptors a plethora of options on the offensive side similar to those lost when Tracy McGrady bolted for Orlando. Factor in a low post scoring presence in Donyell Marshall -- something that the Raptors have had on their Christmas list for quite some time -- and a rather anemic offense miraculously achieves some form of balance if the ball is shared properly.

If you're a Bulls fan, any change that involves stabilization is a good thing. Having to watch Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry suffer through NBA growing pains is enough incentive to insert perennial and valued veterans like Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams into the mix.

Antonio Davis, who had been hinting politely for such a trade, will provide a consistent low post threat and intangibles that will not reveal themselves on the statistic sheet. His professional demeanor and track record of
working himself back from European ball to the NBA will breathe a dose of reality and wisdom into the Bulls locker room, making what veterans like Scottie Pippen preach believable. In the same way, Jerome Williams, an energetic spark plug, will inject personality and a blue collar work ethic identity to a young team that equates the consequences of losing to not being able to watch cartoons on Saturday mornings.

So who wins the trade? What complicates this judgment is salary cap issues. However, these concerns seem to cancel each other out. Previous to this trade, the Toronto Raptors had made it a team law not to take on long term contracts -- such as the fifty million remaining on Rose's deal. Similarly, by obtaining Jerome Williams and Antonio Davis, the Bulls are assuming two players who are considered overpaid for their abilities and contributions. Jerome Williams is indeed a good rebounder and an energetic defender but offers little on the offensive side of the ball, while Antonio Davis (with two years left on his contract) is 35 years old and in the twilight of his career.

Eliminate the money factor then, and what will make this trade work for both teams -- if such a utopian ideal exists -- is chemistry. If Jalen Rose is happy in a Toronto Raptors uniform and can work well with Vince Carter, and if a happy Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams have any veteran influence on the Day Care Bulls, then both general managers will stake their claim to success when this trade is discussed in basketball circles.

But in all deals the determining factor that seems to pave the way to more important matters like making and having success in the playoffs is talent. And on this scale, the Raptors definitely have the advantage. Not only is Rose versatile on the offensive side of the ball, but also a winning character. Meanwhile, Donyell Marshall can step outside the block and hit the mid-range shot.

Conversely, Antonio Davis is undersized at center and a little aged and slow as a power forward, while Jerome Williams is solely a "pick up the scraps" type of offensive rebound player and not the refined low post threat which is highly valued in what is becoming a rather difficult league to score points in night after night -- especially when zone defenses are muddying the waters in the paint. In the same light, Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall compliment Vince Carter's game, giving him options to pass to whereas Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams are only reinforcing what the Bulls already have -- although in younger, less experienced versions.

That being said, it is difficult to determine which team will benefit most from this blockbuster trade, both on and off the court. But at this point in time, and before any one of these players don new uniforms, the Raptors seemed more poised to forge ahead in the immediate future.

Dean Serravalle is a regular contributor to HoopsHype.com

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