Today, the Toronto Raptors traded Jermaine O'Neal, Jamario Moon, and a lottery-protected first round pick to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. On the surface this looks like a great trade for the Heat, but it can also cause potential problems for the Knicks as they do battle with the Raptors twice next week and will continue to battle them down the stretch in the Chase For The Eighth Seed.
Marion will immediately allow the Raptors to do two things - move Andrea Bargnani to the five and stick Marion at the three. A frontcourt of Marion, Bosh, and Bargnani is very troublesome for opposing teams, namely the Knicks. This new front line will be very dangerous in the open floor and gives them a post presence, a big man who can hit the outside shot, and the workhorse in Marion.
The Knicks will now lose their mismatch against the Raps while on the offensive end. No longer will they be able to run Jermaine off the floor and will still face the music that they can't defend big scorers in the paint like Bosh. Marion gives the Raptors another level of athleticism, one that is greater than that of the Knick wings.
So, as we gear up for the second half of the season, this Marion-O'Neal trade creates dual problems for the Knicks. Both the Heat and Raptors improved and created stronger teams that will make life more difficult for the Knicks. Now, it is time for Donnie Walsh to put his cards on the table and make an improvement to the roster to help this team reach the NBA's second season.
