Who needs tickets?

Rest of the teams will have to improve soon just to keep pace

 After the Phoenix Suns traded with the Miami Heat for Shaquille O’neal and the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies it would only be logical to expect that teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks make a move before the trade deadline passes. 

Many rumors have been heard since those trades as to whom could be next player sent to a championship contender in the loaded Western Conference, where just getting into the plyoffs is going to be a daunting task, but none of them have actually taken place. 

 To help counter the effect of those marquee trades moves like Ben Wallace from the Chicago Bulls to the Utah Jazz have been mentioned, but probably the potential trade everyone keeps talking about is that of point guard Jason Kidd going from the New Jersey Nets to the Mavericks.    
Dallas definitely has to figure out in what direction they want to go from here and take a step in that direction because it is evident from their 2007 playoff run (first round loss to the eight-seeded Golden State Warriors) that last year’s team wasn’t good enough to win a championship.

Their problem is that their core remains basically the same, but now their main rivals for the title have loaded up and improved drastically so if they don’t do something now they may have a tougher road ahead once the playoffs start.

Of course the real issue for the Mavs is not that they don’t want to make a move, but that due to salary issues, to get a player like Kidd Dallas would “have to trade away half the team,” as Owner Mark Cuban recently told the New York Daily News. San Antonio it’s not in a situation as dire as the Mav’s because they have proven over the last few years that they can win championships.

The core of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan is winning formula that will take the Spurs very far in te playoffs, however now that the Lakers and Suns have loaded up it they should be asking themselves if that core is enough to take them as far as they want - another NBA title.  

If Dallas and San Antonio do make a move there is no doubt that every other team that is fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference (like the Houston Rockets) will be under more pressure that they already are to pull the trigger. We’re at a point in the season where we’ll be able to tell the contenders from the pretenders. Those that see even the slightest opportunity to solidify themselves and create further opportunities to get better have to do it now. 

Since New Jersey will not be competing for a championship any time soon they have to decide whether they want to continue to contend for the playoffs (they are currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference) or if they want to start a rebuilding process.

It is clear that Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson are very talented and it’s no secret that any of them could change zip codes before the deadline. If that happens they would certainly and immediately improve any of the teams in the west. Indiana Pacers‘ Jermain O’neal is another candidate to be traded. He is a big body that would add a big physical presence to any of those teams looking to grow larger now that Shaq’s moved back into the conference and that Pau is playing alongside Kobe Bryant. 

The fact is that if you are the GM of a Western Conference team you’d better get moving and find a way to improve your team, because the chess-like moves that you make now may not only the prevent your team from being check-mated on its way to the title, but whether you keep your job or not.