By Jerry Mittleman
jdmitt@hotmail.com

If it hadn’t have involved a future hall of famer, it would have barely made the front page.  Last week’s “blockbuster’’ four team trade, that made Patrick Ewing a Seattle Supersonic, may have made headlines, but in reality, does nothing to change the current power structure of the NBA.

The trade involved, Seattle, the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Ewing, two fading stars (Glen Rice and Horace Grant), and nine other guys included for those ubiquitous “salary cap considerations”. The deal’s real significance was symbolic. It signals the end of the fifteen year fantasy that one day Ewing would lead the Knicks to an NBA title. 

If Ewing continues to play in the hopes of attaining the championship ring that eluded him in New York, it wont happen in Seattle. The addition of Ewing strengthens the
Sonic frontline and it gives them a very respectable starting five of Ewing, Vin Baker, Rashard Lewis, Brent Barry and Gary Payton. It still leaves them several notches below the heavy-weights of the West, Portland and the Lakers. Seattle, does have promising young ballplayers; Lewis plus Ruben Patterson, Shammond Williams and rookie Desmond Mason coming off the bench. But, by the time this group reaches its potential, the 38 year old Ewing could be long gone. He has one year remaining on his current giant size contract, and the Sonics are giving him no assurances beyond that. 

Los Angeles by adding Grant and deleting Rice, fine tunes a championship lineup. The Lakers are clearly Shaquille O’Neal, Kobie Bryant and a changeable cast of role players. Rice never panned out as a third scoring option, so he’s gone,  though no replacement for that role is in site. Grant, a mainstay of coach Phil Jackson’s first three Chicago Bull championship teams, replaces A.C.Green for added muscle under the boards. Though in the twilight of his career, he’s still a considerable upgrade over Green and he and Jackson know one another inside out. Look for Jackson to call his number for 3-4 shots from the top of the key at the beginning of every game and to put an extra bounce in Horace’s step.

Aside from wanting to start in a new direction the Knicks’ motives in this deal are hardly clear. They spent the summer coveting Rice as passionately as they tried to deal Ewing. Now that they have him, he creates a logjam at the perimeter. Trading Latrell Spreewell or Allan Houston for the quality power forward or center they desperately need is far easier said then done. At present, they are no closer to title contention, then they were before the Ewing deal.

Far too much has already been written about Ewing, the player and the man, and his
complicated relationship with the Knicks in recent years. In summation, he was the 
consummate professional. He was a black and white photograph in an era of glitzy illusionary color. He was the ultimate hardcourt warrior who showed up to play (or at least always tried to) when battered and bruised over 15 seasons, He was always ready to strap the Knicks on his back, for better or for worse. He was probably one of the ten best centers in the history of the NBA. Unfortunately, he was quite good enough to achieve what was asked of him and what he asked of himself.

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9/29/2000

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