[Izulde]

"You know how it is when you get back with somebody you've loved. It felt better than it ever was, better than it could ever be again."
-Junot Diaz's "Aurora" (As appears in the short story collection Drown)

It's Diaz on my mind as I stare at my cell phone. I just called Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks GM, about re-acquring Zelipe Gama.

"We'll take David Jackson and a couple 2nd round picks for him. Or you can come up with a package that includes Victor Gipson."

That was his answer. But I refused to trade 50 Ninja. The part of the fanbase that isn't still mad at me about shipping Marcelino Augusto to Dallas would call for my head if I sent Jackson to the Mavs. I just couldn't do it. Not when I really like his antics myself and his rap album actually managed not to be horrible.

The reason I didn't want to trade Gipson was because I'd have to give up too many players to match salaries, even when Nelson was willing to throw in their 2022 1st rounder. Victor's a pretty good center and his toughness went a long way to our two titles.

The Raptors beat me to Carlton Goree, so I decide to call the Knicks and see if I can get Louis Mertens back.

"Hello?"

"Hello there, Mr. Duncan."

"Good morning, Mr. Jestor. What can I do for you?" Tim Duncan's always been a pleasant guy, both when he was playing and now as GM for the Knicks. One hell of a job he's done rebuilding them too.

"You interested in negotiating something for Mertens?"

Tim's laugh doesn't reassure me.

"I'd love to, but we just traded him a few days ago to Golden State for their 2021 1st round pick."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"Yep. The Warriors haven't been to the playoffs since 2008. They want to end the 12 year drought and thanks to you, they were willing to overpay to get Mertens."

I'm confused. Thanks to me? I ask Tim to clarify.

"Well, think about it. You're the man, Mr. Jestor. Five straight Finals appearances, two straight championships. Before 2015, only the diehard fans and the Spanish could tell you who Zelipe Gama was after he got drafted. You acquire him and he turns into an instant star and a household name. Mertens was looking like a bust after being a Top 10 pick. You sign him, give him the minutes and suddenly he has a few breakout playoff performances and everybody wants him.

When you unearth a player and actually keep him, then people know he's worth having."

I rub my temples and chuckle a little dryly.

"Thanks. I just hope I've found another one in Nolan Hill."

"Oh, I think you have. I watched his first game as a starter with you guys and I thought to myself, well dang, Jestor's done it again. He's found yet another PG that everybody overlooked. I mean, the kid is just smooth with handling the basketball. He's not putting the points up, no, but he's still just 24 and he wasn't getting his minutes until, once again, you traded for him. He's still adjusting to the increased time and being a starter. Stick with him and give him a shot. You do that and I guarantee by the end of the season, everybody's going to know who Nolan Hill is."

"It looks like that's what we're going to have to do. There's a dearth of quality point guards in the league right now and I'd have to give up too much to get one, when Hill's got a lot of the attributes I like."

"Exactly."

We talk shop a while more. Tim tells me he makes it a point never to trade with me, because he knows it'd all be part of my grand master plan. I think he's just trying to build me up to rob me blind at some point, because he's a damn good GM in his own right. Sorting out the Knicks mess wasn't an easy job and he did it.

After we ring off, I decide to review the trades. I'm not going to review the Mertens for the 1st round pick deal. As you can expect, the press all gave that one to the Knicks. Christ... Mertens for a 1st round pick. That's just crazy.

Chicago Bulls receive
C Chris Adams

New Orleans Hornets receive
PG Rajon Rando
Chicago Bulls 2021 1st round pick

What this means for the Bulls
Adams, taken 5th overall in 2015 by the Hornets, is a decent, but not great all-around 27 year old C. It's a puzzling acquistion, given that Chicago already has promising rookie bigs Terry Vinson and Oswaldo Apolonario, in addition to Eric White at the PF spot. Even more amazing is that Adams, although he should be starting at C over Vinson, won't be.

What this means for the Hornets
Someday New Orleans will get back to the playoffs. It won't be this year, though. Rondo's 36 and while still capable, isn't as good as he used to be. On the other hand, he's a near-$7 million expiring contract and the extra 1st round pick could potentially be a lottery selection, though likely a late one. It's a great move to continue their rebuilding project that started with Tim Butler developing into a legitimate franchise player in this, his third season.

Winner: New Orleans
The Hornets have a great plan. The Bulls are confused and chaotic. New Orleans pulls off an absolute steal here.

Looking at Butler, I'm absolutely amazed. He was drafted 8th overall a few years ago and has gotten dramatically better each year he's been in. The kid's just 22 and he's looking like Marcelino Augusto out there at scoring and rebounding, despite being just 6'8. On the other hand, he's 228, so he's more muscular than Augusto.

Sacramento Kings receive
SG Andrew Bayno
Toronto Raptors 2021 2nd round pick

Toronto Raptors receive
PG Carlton Goree

What this means for the Kings
Bayno's a smart player, but he's nothing special. Just another guy. The second round pick is pretty worthless as well. $835,000 comes off the books next year for Bayno, but that doesn't mean much either.

What this means for the Raptors
Goree's a solid young point guard and an upgrade over the rookie Brad Pugh as a more complete player, but he's going to be buried on the Raptors bench.

Winner: Toronto
It's a lukewarm edge because of the plethora of guards on Toronto's bench, but Goree was very good as the Kings' starting PG last season and frankly, Sacramento's stupid for trading him, especially when they get so little back.

Toronto Raptors receive
SF Jason Tackett

New York Knicks receive
PG Jon Freeman

What this means for the Raptors
Goree's importation made Freeman expendable and Tackett steps in as the new SG. He won't generate anything in the way of offense, but he's 6'9, 204 lbs, intelligent and an absolutely ferocious defender. Can you say Mateen Yeaton killer? As an added bonus David Anyan can go back to his natural position of SF.

What this means for the Knicks
They flipped Louis Mertens to Golden State for a 1st rounder, so they wanted to pick up another young PG. Freeman's no Mertens and never will be a great floor general, but he's cerebral and can actually play some defense.

Winner: Toronto
This was a shrewd move to get someone to neutralize not only Yeaton, but all the other super SGs in the league. This trade alone may well be the one that sends the Raptors back to the Finals.

San Antonio Spurs receive
PF Andy Sola

Cleveland Cavaliers receive
SG Jason Neal
San Antonio Spurs 2021 2nd round pick

What this means for the Spurs
Sola's a very good defensive player. Not a rebounder, but he'll give you around 12-15 points a game and improve the locker room atmosphere. Underrated 25 year old, probably because of his small size, but Marcelino Augusto's done a lot to change GMs' thinking about having an undersized four in the lineup. A much-needed boost for young, talented players to the front line.

What this means for the Cavaliers
Neal's a good defensive presence and works his tail off in the gym, but he's really just a mid-bench player whose greatest asset for Cleveland is the $1.3 million coming off the cap. It's not much, but every little bit helps.

Winner: San Antonio
The Spurs rip the Cavs off here and get a shiny new starter that goes a long, long way to improving the quality of the team both now and in the future.

Los Angeles Clippers receive
SF Donte Whiting
Cleveland Cavaliers 2021 2nd round pick

Cleveland Cavaliers receive
SG Chauncey Thomas

What this means for the Clippers
Whiting's only value for the Clippers is his $4.8 million expiring contract. The 33 year old has never made an impact in his career and it's a wonder he keeps managing to get contracts and make the money that he does.

What this means for the Cavaliers
Thomas is a great technical defender with some scoring pop, but like the Clips with Whiting, his biggest value is his $5 million expiring contract. The question is, is a mid-level 2nd round pick worth an extra $200,000?

Winner: Cleveland
We say yes, not only because of the 2nd round pick, but because in making this trade, the Clippers have essentially thrown the towel in on the idea of trying for the playoffs this year and are tanking for a higher pick. There seems to be a lot of that lately. Not good for the league's image.

5 trades reviewed. 6 with ours. 7 with the Mertens deal.

That's 7 trades in one non-deadline month! I think that's a record, at least since I've been in the league.

I'm looking over the roster when I realize that Sabit Suker is the only guy on the bench who can play guard. I quickly rectify that by signing Leigh Nash, who played 21 games for us 2012. He's been in the D-Leagues since 2016, last playing the NBA in 2015 with the Hawks. I snapped him up from the Tejanos, where he'd started 9 games for Tulsa, averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 assists.

I notice Goree was traded to the Raptors on December 20th, which means he just -might- be available at the trade deadline. If he is, I'm going to see about getting him.

But first, there's January to focus on.

Our record since the Vines trade improves to 5-0 as we sweep the opening doubleheader. Mateen Yeaton rains on the Spurs for 27 points in our 108-94 win and Jonte Jones contributes 20 points and 14 rebounds. There's even two double-doubles off the bench, Victor Gipson with 16 points and 10 rebounds and Leigh Nash making a triumphant return to the Nuggets with 11 points and 11 assists. Houston falls 101-83 thanks to Mateen Yeaton's 36 points, Jonte Jones's 15 points and 16 rebounds and Nolan Hill's 14 points and 11 assists.

The thing about our 5-0 run is that we haven't played any of the league's top teams. That changes when we face the Kings on the front end of a back-to-back. We get the win, 119-112, as Jonte Jones abuses Sacramento for 38 points and 18 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scores 27, David Jackson just misses a bench double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds and Leigh Nash leads the reserves in scoring with 10 points. It's a sweep as we win against the Lakers the next night. Mike Vines came off the bench because of a bad back, so it was a frenzied, high scoring affair that saw us win 137-116. All five starters scored 15 points or better, led by Mateen Yeaton's 38 and Nolan Hill setting a career high as he put on a shooting clinic for 28 points. I'm beginning to think Tim Duncan was right after all.

8-0 since the trade after we wallop Minnesota 117-95 on Mateen Yeaton's 39 points, Jonte Jones's 28 points and 15 rebounds and Mike Vines's 13 bench points. Oh and just for the record, Nolan Hill -just- missed a double-double with 9 points and 10 assists. I'm tempted to give his A/T ratio, which is just absolutely sick right now, but I'll wait until the end of the month, I think.

We lose our first game since getting Mike Vines in the first game of a two-game road doubleheader. Golden State outscores us 38-12 in the 2nd quarter and though we bust ass in the second half, we can't catch up and fall 105-96. Mateen Yeaton scores 29, Victor Gipson puts up 17 points and 15 rebounds and Nolan Hill nets 16 points and 13 assists. Our bench played for absolute crap and David Jackson had an uncharacteristically cold 1 for 8 night. Mike Vines returns to the starting lineup the next night against Seattle and erupts for 21 points and 9 rebounds in the 99-74 squash of the Sonics. Mateen Yeaton stays on fire with 34 points and Jonte Jones adds 16 points and 18 rebounds. Jim O'Brien's also been doing a back and forth between Victor Gipson and David Jackson as the SF starter, riding whoever has the hottest hand at the 3.

Jonte Jones and Mateen Yeaton score 24 and 23 points in our 118-105 swatting of Memphis. Nolan Hill picks up a pair of 14s in points and assists, Victor Gipson nabs 15 points and 10 rebounds and David Jackson is a sniper off the bench for 17 points.

A five game road trip up next, mostly against the Central. But it starts with another marquee matchup against the Mavericks. All the other games we've played them this season have been close. This one isn't. We blow them out 111-98. Jonte Jones towers for 23 points and 12 rebounds, Mateen Yeaton scores 24, Victor Gipson adds 20 points and Nolan Hill chimes in with 10 points and 16 assists. Despite the 16 dishes, it was a rough night for Hill, as he had 8 turnovers, a career high. Marcelino Augusto scored 22 for Dallas, while Zelipe Gama garnered 12 points and 14 assists.

That outing dropped Hill's A/TO ratio down by 0.2, but it's still an excellent ratio, better than Kenny Graham's and almost as good as Zelipe Gama's. In fact, of the starting PGs in the league, Gama ranks #2, Hill ranks #3 and Andre Moore, who I almost signed instead of Graham in free agency, is #1. We'll see how it shakes out at the end of the month and season, but I'm starting to see why Gama was so perfect for our system and why we've been on such a tear since Hill became our starting PG, even when Mike Vines sat.

Speaking of Bulls PGs both past and present, we get Chicago to start the first Central doubleheader and they give us all we can handle. We come out on top 95-90 though, thanks to 22 points from both Mateen Yeaton and the unexpected Mike Vines and 16 points and 15 rebounds from Jonte Jones. Detroit gives us fits the next night as well, but we come from behind in the second half to emerge with a 117-111 win keyed by Jonte Jones's near triple-double of 28 points, 20 rebounds, 8 assists, block and 2 steals. Mateen Yeaton scores 25, Nolan Hill hands out 14 points and 13 assists and David Jackson and Tzvetan Kishishev highlight the bench with 10 and 11 points respectively.

Road exhaustion and foul trouble set in and we lose 100-91 to the Bucks in spite of Victor Gipson's 20 points and 12 rebounds and Mateen Yeaton's 24 points. We're refreshed the next night in Indiana though, putting away the Pacers 112-93. Mateen Yeaton leads the charge with 26 points, Jonte Jones adds 17 points and 14 rebounds, Nolan Hill 17 points and 12 assists. Sabit Suker is a nice surprise off the bench with 16 points on a perfect 6 for 6, 4 for 4 from 3 point range night. The Turk hasn't exactly lit the world on fire or anything since coming here and there's reason to believe his ceiling isn't as high as I thought, but that's okay.

We unexpectedly bomb the last two games of the month, bowing out in both halves of a doubleheader. The Knicks stun us 119-108 and we waste Mike Vines's 30 points and Jonte Jones's 23 points when Mateen Yeaton bangs his hip hard and has a 3 for 16 night. When Yeaton's hurt, our whole team tends to come unglued. That was true even when Marcelino Augusto was here. So it's really no surprise when the Trailblazers top us 105-94 in Portland. Mike Vines (15 points, 10 rebounds), Jonte Jones (13 points, 14 rebounds) and Nolan Hill (13 points, 11 assists) played decently and Leigh Nash and Tzvetan Kishishev played well with 13 and 10 points off the bench, but nobody seems to have that killer instinct that players like Yeaton and Augusto do.

I have to admit, Jonte Jones has been something of a disappointment. I mean, as disappointing as a guy who's shooting 56% and averaging 21.4 points and 11.9 rebounds can be. It seems like he's maddeningly inconsistent, even more so than Nolan Hill, who's got that reputation.

I'm not complaining though. Not when we're 31-15 and hold the top seed. We've got competition within our own division, though. Portland's right tight on our butts, 2 games back after beating us and the Jazz are even closer, just a game behind. Even Minnesota and Seattle are only 5 and 7 games back. In fact, every team in the Northwest has a winning record and there's 10 teams over .500 in the conference.

Can you say the West is back? Oh yeah!

Dallas still leads their division at 25-19, 3.5 over the Rockets. The Pacific's even more white-knuckle than the Northwest, because although Sacramento's still leading, the Kings went 5-12 this month and are 6-13 since trading Mike Vines. As a result, they're 25-20 and every team is only 1 or 2 games behind. Hell, even the Suns are only 4.5 off the pace.

No such drama in the East, where every division leader has at least a 3.5 game lead. Toronto's kicking tail again at 34-12, 6.5 ahead of the Knicks in the Atlantic. Orlando's the #2 seed, leading Atlanta in the Southeast by 4.5. I credit their shrewd signing of Rico Wolfe for the Magic's success. Detroit's 29-17 in the Central, the 3.5 team ahead of the Bucks.

Chicago's treading water at 21-22, which is really surprising. Boston's finally starting to kick it in gear, but while a 10-5 month is a vast improvement for the C's, they're still 20 games out of a first place and a country mile from even a playoff berth in a conference of 9 +.500 teams, including the 24-22 Nets 10 games ahead of them for the next rung on the Atlantic ladder.

Paulinho Buboltz
2013 Stats: 82 games/77 starts - 17.0 PPG 9.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.7 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.4 SPG
2015 Stats: 55 games/48 starts - 14.1 PPG 8.3 APG 2.8 RPG 0.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 18.3 PPG 8.1 APG 3.3 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.5 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.1 PPG 8.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.7 BPG 1.2 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.5 PPG 8.3 APG 3.2 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 20.6 PPG 8.1 APG 3.5 RPG 0.8 BPG 1.5 SPG
2020 Stats: 44 games/44 starts - 18.5 PPG 7.5 APG 3.0 RPG 0.6 BPG 1.2 SPG

Mateen Yeaton
2013 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.4 APG 5.2 RPG 1.8 BPG 1.6 SPG
2014 Stats: 82 games/80 starts - 23.2 PPG 3.6 APG 5.2 RPG 1.7 BPG 1.3 SPG
2015 Stats: 82 games/81 starts - 23.6 PPG 2.4 APG 4.5 RPG 1.6 BPG 1.5 SPG
2016 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 25.0 PPG 3.1 APG 4.5 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.8 SPG
2017 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 24.4 PPG 3.2 APG 4.9 RPG 1.9 BPG 1.6 SPG
2018 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 19.8 PPG 2.4 APG 4.2 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.2 SPG
2019 Stats: 82 games/82 starts - 23.3 PPG 2.5 APG 4.7 RPG 1.5 BPG 1.6 SPG
2020 Stats: 46 games/46 starts - 24.2 PPG 2.9 APG 4.6 RPG 1.8 BPG 1.6 SPG

Oh by the way, I mis-spoke last month. [b]Keith Attaway[b/], a 21 year old 2nd year PG, is also a good player on the Pacers. But he's only two inches taller than the 5'11 Buboltz and weighs about 10 pounds less. There's no way he should be at the 2, especially not when he's actually a better passer. Indiana's losing ways have really upset last year's #2 pick and he's making noises about wanting to be traded.

If it was me, I'd make a decision about one guard or the other, then move the one I wasn't planning on keeping for an actual inside presence rather than the stiffs the Pacers keep trotting out year after year.

Marcelino Augusto
2020 Stats: 44 games/44 starts - 27.2 PPG 9.0 RPG 2.8 APG 2.1 BPG 1.1 SPG

Jonte Jones
2020 Stats: 46 games/46 starts - 21.4 PPG 11.9 RPG 2.8 APG 1.3 BPG 1.3 SPG

Since we're already pouring salt into my wound over this trade, I'll point this out: Augusto's only scored under 20 points 8 times so far this year, which is 18% of his games. His season low point total? 11. He's also shooting 57% from the floor. I'm not even going to mention how many 30+ point games he has, though to be honest, I think they'd be comparable to Yeaton's numbers, but I'm not going to dig that information up just now. Maybe an end-season look.

Now for the A/T0 thing.

When I first looked at Nolan Hill's A/TO ratio, it was 5.0. And that's with him as a part-time starter. It's gone down since then, but it's still impressive.

A/TO Ratio Leaders Among Starting PGs
1. Andre Moore (CHI) - 5.5
2. Zelipe Gama (DAL) - 5.0
3. Nolan Hill (DEN) - 4.8
T4. Brandon Brooks (GS) - 4.1
T4. Kyle Morris (MIL) - 4.1
6. Branko Starcevic (SEA) - 4.0
7. Kenny Graham (SAC) - 3.8