Rider on the move... (August 3, 1999)

Jimmy Jackson and Isaiah Rider to the Atlanta Hawks for Steve Smith and underachieving Ed Gray. I usually say who ever gets the best player in the trade usually wins, but not in this case. On the surface this sounds like a bad trade, based on talent alone, for the Blazers. There aren't many shooting guards as talented than Rider. Jimmy Jackson is a great scorer as well. Don't be misled by JJ's stats this year. He can put points up on the board when need be. Those two are fine players. Rider is a head case, a malcontent and an accident waiting to happen. But Pete Babcock must have been dying watching Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell kill the Hawks with their speed and athleticism. They needed to get younger and faster. First they unloaded veteran point guard Mookie Blaylock and replaced him with highly touted rookie point guard Jason Terry, from Arizona. Then he made this trade. Jackson and Rider are very athletic and both are exceptional scorers, when they are hot. Jackson can backup at three positions, 1, 2 and 3. This gives the Hawks some nice depth. The Hawks give up a quality player and a quality person is Steve Smith. Smith has been a but injury prone because of his knees, but in Portland, he won't have to play 36-40 minutes a game, with Bonzi Wells, expected to push for some minutes. Ed Gray was a throw in for salary cap reasons. He was in Lenny Wilkens dog house and Wilkens wanted him gone. He was a good scorer in college, but hasn't shown much in the pros. In my opinion, Steve Smith was the best player in this trade, but he's not that much better than Rider or Jackson. I think if Rider can be controlled, and he hasn't been too often, the Hawks win this trade, otherwise, the Blazers are better off.

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