First Impressions

Who knew that this is what the trade deadline's trades would result in? A few games after what may be one of the craziest deadline's ever, we may be able to predict whether or not some trades have been good for their teams. Let's hand out a progress report, shall we? This is based on whether or not the player has given their team what they traded for. (One rule though; no F's.)

Tracy McGrady (NYK):        A+

Kevin Martin (HOU):            B

Marcus Camby (POR):         C-

Antawn Jamison (CLE):        D-

Caron Butler (DAL):             A

Tyrus Thomas (CHA):           B

Eddie House (NYK):             A+

John Salmons (MEM):          A

T-Mac played his heart out yesterday, and that's not a surprise seeing that he's clearly desperate to play and prove himself. Those 7 MPG he played off the bench in Houston for 7 games should be left off of his resume, becuase he obviously showed the world that he can still ball with the best. 26 pts on 10-17 shooting is very impressive for someone who hasn't played for all of 2010. He said that he "didn't want to be a hero" in his debut, so he didn't play too much in OT. Of course, 32 minutes was more than he expected, anyway. 

Kevin Martin, though a capable shooter, went a horrible 3-16 from the field in his debut, but what impressed me the most was that he still managed 14 pts, 5 asts, and 6 rbs. The Rockets want him to be a scorer, and it would be nice if he could get those numbers on off-nights, too. He was obviously out of sync with his new teammates, but look for him to steadily improve every night.

2 pts, 1-5 FGM. 5 turnovers. Not a defensive presence. Not the greatest night for Marcus Camby on Friday. 

I, along with GM Danny Ferry, sincerely apologize for bringing your hopes up too high about Antawn Jamison. 0-12 FGM, 2 pts, 5 blocked shots. Let's not bring up how lost he looked with the Cavs. 

Boy, do I miss those days. Who knew that some guns could do all this damage? Oh wait, everyone but Gil.

There isn't much to say about Caron Butler, Tyrus Thomas, Eddie House, and John Salmons. All four have had very solid starts with their new teams, and all are giving their teams what they wanted and more. I was impressed by Butler's really smooth transition into the Mavericks offense. He's been able to get some really nice looks and make great plays. Fortunately for Dallas, he has proved that he can be a reliable second option  next to Dirk. 

Another thing I was impressed with was Eddie House's scoring. We all know that he can light it up off the bench, as shown by his play in the playoffs the last couple of years, but I wasn't sure he'd be able to play this well in his first game. Hopefully, he and T-Mac can keep it up and bring some hope to the Knicks.