Written by Zach Harper | 02 March 2009

By Brandon Gallawa


The Kings waived Drew Gooden just after 11 p.m. on Sunday night.  He was released before midnight, so he will be playoff-eligible for whichever team signs him when he clears waivers on Wednesday.  Gooden only played in one game for the Kings since they acquired him from the Bulls at the trade deadline.  He put up 12 points and 13 rebounds last week against Charlotte but left the game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury.  The same injury had kept him off the court since January 19.

Around the same time on Sunday, the Thunder released Joe Smith also making him eligible to be included on a playoff roster.  Smith is averaging 6.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in just 19 minutes per game.  It looked as if the Cavs were the odds-on favorites to sign Smith since they can outbid other teams, but the release of Gooden may add another wrinkle to the proceedings.

Gooden has averaged 12.1 points and 8 rebounds over his 7-year career and can be a major contributor on many playoff teams.  He would bolster the bench of many playoff teams and could provide scoring and rebounding along with a pretty strong post presence.  Any number of teams will be vying for his services when he clears waivers on Wednesday.  Early reports have the Spurs and Mavericks as two of the contenders that will be making a push to sign Gooden, but it looks like he'll have his pick among four or five teams.

Smith had averaged 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and nearly a block per game over his 14-year career.  He has been a nomad playing for 9 different franchises over his career.  He is an above-average defender and can hold his own in the post.  He can also step out and hit the elbow jumper.  Most importantly he is a veteran that makes good decisions and can be a steadying influence on any playoff team.

With the release of Gooden and Smith, you have to question if the Celtics are experiencing a little buyer's remorse by jumping so quickly on Mikki Moore.  Moore was released by the Kings just after the trade deadline and immediately signed by the Celtics the moment he cleared waivers.  Moore brings a lot of energy to court but very little actual production.  He isn't skilled offensively and doesn't grab the number of rebounds you'd expect from a "seven-footer."  But he was available right then, so the Celtics felt the need to sign him.

I can't rip Danny Ainge too much.  He has made some phenomenal personnel decisions over the past year and half that won the Celtics the championship last season, but the signing of Moore harkens back to his early days as GM.  When he started out, Ainge was a lot like a rookie GM in fantasy basketball.  He made trades because he could.  He brought in guys because they were available, and he was never happy with what he had.  This move smacks of that same impatience and naivety.

Could impatience be the biggest factor in deciding this year's championship?  The Celtics had to know that Smith was being released.  The writing had been on the wall all season, and he could have been this season's P.J. Brown (i.e. veteran power forward that can grab boards, play in the post and step out for a 15-footer when needed).  Maybe Gooden being released wasn't as obvious, but why not wait until now to see who would become available that could help you in the playoffs?

Many would point out that the Celtics had to move on Moore because he was out there and someone else could get him.  This is Mikki Moore we're talking about, right?  What happened to the talent evaluators in this league?  Doesn't it raise any red flags that Moore couldn't even get minutes on the 13-win Kings?  Wouldn't letting another team get him just keep that team out of the running to sign someone else?  How many questions can I ask in one paragraph? Six?  Seven?

Now there are two much more skilled power forwards available to be signed, and it looks like at least one of them is headed to another top team in the East.  Cleveland could use another big man to shore up their rotation and improve their depth, and they now have their choice between Smith and Gooden.  Adding either would be a boon for them.  It would take pressure off of Ilgauskas by lightening his load and lowering his minutes for the rest of the season.  Either way the Cavs would be adding someone familiar with LeBron both of whom put up great numbers alongside James.  Smith could give them the steadying hand of a veteran, and Gooden could give them a bruiser that can create extra possessions with his offensive rebounding.

No one is saying that Gooden or Smith are going to make the sort of difference that a healthy Kevin Garnett or Tim Duncan make, but they could be what tips the scales in a close series.  Who would you rather go to battle with come playoff time: Mikki Moore or Drew Gooden/Joe Smith?

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