The realities at center stage

The Portland Trail Blazers needed a center last week. They added Sean Marks. The Phoenix Suns need a center this week. Earl Barron will be onboard Wednesday night when they play at AmericanAirlines Arena. The used-center business clearly is flourishing at 601 Biscayne, as we await a Mark Blount comeback and Michael Doleac encore. Earl Barron rises again, this time with the Suns. It also offers a glimpse of reality into the NBA’s secondary market at center. Foremost, Phoenix instead could have added Erick Dampier. And didn’t. And Portland, which still does not have clear read on Greg Oden’s outlook, also did not move in Erick Dampier’s direction. Allow that to marinate. A pair of center-starved franchises looked at Erick Dampier and instead opted for Sean Marks and Earl Barron. Which is why, at least for now, the Heat might even consider themselves somewhat fortunate to have Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Joel Anthony, Jamaal Magloire and the promise of Dexter Pittman. F...