Waiver Wire Picks

The trade deadline has passed and there was a lot of wheelin' and dealin' that happened in the League. Below are some waiver wire picks that should benefit from the most recent transactions in the NBA.

Tyrus Thomas - Charlotte Bobcats - Forward
John Salmons - Milwaukee Bucks - Guard-Forward
 
The Skinny: The Chicago Bulls have shipped Tyrus Thomas to the Charlotte Bobcats and John Salmons to the Milwaukee Bucks.  After they both languished on the bench in Chicago, the former Bulls teammates are now going their separate ways and have a fresh start with their new respective teams. John Salmons should eventually start over the incumbent Charlie Bell after he averaged 19 pts, 2.5 3's, 3 rebs, 3.5 asts, and 1 stl in his last two as a Buck. Meanwhile, Tyrus Thomas should get plenty of burn as his real competition for mins Tyson Chandler and Nazr Mohammed. He has averaged 10.5 pts, 11.5 rebs, 2 asts and a mind-boggling 5 swats in his last 2 games. Both are primed for a great second half.
Why They're Risky: Salmons is still just shooting just 36.7 % from the field and still has stiff competition in mins with Luke Ridnour, Charlie Bell, Royal Ivey, Ersan Ilyasova and Jerry Stackhouse. Tyrus Thomas on the other hand can easily go back to his new coach's doghouse as he did in Chicago if he's not careful.



Tracy McGrady - New York Knicks - Shooting Guard
Sergio Rodriguez - New York Knicks - Point Guard

The Skinny: The Knicks acquired a new backcourt tandem in Tracy McGrady and Sergio Rodriguez in a three-team deal that involved the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings. Knicks coach Mike D'antoni has already indicated that he plans to play McGrady heavy minutes and is excited to see what he can still do.Rodriguez on the other hand, should eventually replace Chris Duhon in the starting line-up as its no secret that the Knicks are not happy with Duhon's production. "Spanish Chocolate" can push the ball, pass and shoot better than Duhon at this point.
Why They're Risky: T-Mac has barely played this season and we still have no clue about the status of his surgically-repaired knee or if he still has anything left in his tank.Conditioning is also an issue as he had not played heavy mins since his surgery. Rodriguez still has to familiarized himself with the offensive schemes of the Knicks and may take sometime to start.

DeAndre Jordan - Los Angeles Clippers - Center 
JaVale McGee - Washington Wizards - Center

The Skinny:What does Javale McGee and DeAndre Jordan have in common? Well, both were drafted in 2008, both are playing center for struggling teams and both are going to get to strut their stuff in the 2nd half!! With Marcus Camby being sent packing to the Trailblazers and Antawn Jamison traded to the Cavaliers, both Mcgee and Jordan had the opportunity to showcase their talents and did not disappoint. In their first games since the trade, DeAndre Jordan had 14 pts, 11 asts and 3 blks while JaVale Mcgee had 14 pts, 11 rebs and 5 blks. Pretty damn solid if you ask me. And with their respective teams out of contention, expect them to be given heavy minutes to develop their game and build their confidence.
Why They're Risky: While both are oozing with potential, they are also still very raw and inexperienced. Playing more games will definitely help in their improvement as players. Be also ready to punt your FT% as McGee's has a career average of 66.7% while Jordan has an average of just 36.8%. Ouch.

Francisco Garcia - Sacramento Kings - Shooting Guard
Beno Udrih - Sacramento Kings - Point Guard

The Skinny: Francisco Garcia just came back from wrist injury and is now being thrust into starting line-up with the departure of SG Kevin Martin in a trade with the Houston Rockets. With the team's roster now consisting 80% forwards or swing men after the trade, Udrih will eventually see more mins as he is the team's only legit point-guard. While both are not automatic pick-ups, they should be watched closely as they could have an interesting 2nd half.

 Why They're Risky: Garcia might not be ready to take the starting gig after just coming back from major wrist surgery. Same as Mcgrady, his conditioning will also be in question. With the playoffs now out of reach, Kings coach Paul Westpaul may opt to play and develop the younger guys and may use Udrih sparringly.