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Cleveland Cavaliers: They clearly will be in the NBA Finals again with no major competition from the East until Lebron James retires. But also they have the best big 3 in the East and no one in the East has a big 3 to compete with them even if they did. It can be possible they win back to back titles since it’s harder for the Warriors to get by a tougher Western Conference compared to the cake walk in the East. What is up with Iman Shumpert’s hair and play? His hair has been all over the place in styles and when he hasn’t been hurt he hasn’t been the same player he was with the potential he had with the Knicks. Its good JR Smith is back, Mike Dunleavy JR, Richard Jefferson and James Jones will be there to take minutes at SG/backing up Lebron. Happy Trails: Mo Williams you got the ring you missed out last time Lebron took the Cavaliers to the finals when you were there. Who will backup Kyrie Irving with Delly out and Mo retired?
Departures: PG Matthew Dellavedova C Timogey Mozgov PG Mo Williams Additions: SF Mike Dunleavy JR C Chris Anderson Head Coach: Tyron Lue
The only issue I have with the team is the idea they are starting both PFs Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson at the same time. Since they let Mozgov leave and only have one other center on the roster in Anderson outside of 7 footer 3 point specialist Channing Fyre, who they traded for during last season’s trading deadline. Defense inside the paint will be an issue since Love isn’t that tall or known for his defense and Thompson is only 6’9 so they will be a little small inside. On the flipside they can play small ball and space the floor with Love on the wing.
Departures: PF Luis Scola C Bismack Biyombo F Anthony Bennett F James Johnson Additions: PF Jared Sullinger Head Coach: Dwayne Casey
The only issue is the two all stars not showing up in the playoffs last year when they couldn’t shoot.
Boston Celtics: Outside of the Raptors or Pacers this is the only team that can really give fits to the Cavaliers in making a playoff series tough on them. The question is can a team full of good players beat a super team with three great players. They at least addressed that issue somewhat by getting All-Star center Al Horford making the total 2 All-Stars on this team full of good players. I really like how they grind out games with all they have especially in All Star PG Isaiah Thomas, all 5’9 of him. They also have one of the most underrated players in the league in Jae Crowder who just fills a stat sheet. They also have two of the best defensive players in the league in Avery Brady and Marcus Smart; a slew of great role players and young players drafted in this and last year’s draft that they have to send most to the D-League to fit them all in.
Departures: F Evan Turner PF Jared Sullinger SG RJ Hunter Arrivals: C Al Horford SF Gerald Green Head Coach: Brad Stevens
The main issue for me is that Horford isn’t really a center he only played it in Atlanta since they had two stretch fours then another PF in Paul Millsap. In that time he has become a three point shooter and jump shooter despite playing center. Even his dad one time asked the coach for him to get a center so his son could go back to PF. They are also are too point guard heavy with five of them that maybe they should trade one to get some more length. Tyler Zeller/Kelly Olynyk are the only 7 footers since two of their PFs are also undersized including the starter in Amir Johnson. Or just trade that depth from all the picks they made this year and last since they had to waive one to make room for all of the players. Since most are in the D-League like local native Abdel Nader as they drafted 8 players but they got rid of three of them while two are still playing overseas.
Indiana Pacers: As I stated earlier only Toronto, Boston and Indiana have any real shot at beating or giving the Cavaliers a hard time in the playoffs. I do like the moves they made by adding a few more all stars and good players in general to help Paul George. By swapping out George Hill for Jeff Teague at PG helps them be better on offense and makes it easier for George so he doesn’t have to initiate the offense or create it for others. But they do lose out on the defensive end since both Teague and SG Monta Ellis aren’t known for defense. The inside game is far different from when it was at its peak with Roy Hibbert and David West. Enter in All-NBA 2nd rookie team Myles Turner who will get better and better each year. Add veterans in All-star Al Jefferson and Thaddeus Young to the mix of offensive talent. This time Jefferson can play PF and even come off the bench to lead the second unit which is good since bench play was an issue for the team last year. Indiana also has one of the best offense units in the league with three ball handlers/facilitators. One puzzling thing was firing defensive minded head coach Frank Vogel in favor of his assistant Nate McMillan former NBA player/head coach. Yes they wanted to get better offensively since the league is geared to offense more but if he is on your staff can’t he just implement the offense? They let go a good coach because they thought it was stale and they needed a new direction to maximize George’s talent but he was on your staff already. They have talent as whole to be at best 2nd or 3rd in the NBA but most likely be a 4thor 5th seed.
Departures: C Ian Mahinmi F Jordan Hill F Solomon Hill PG George Hill PG Ty Lawson Arrivals: PF Al Jefferson PG Jeff Teague F Thaddeus Young PG Aaron Brooks PF Kevin Seraphin Head Coach: Nate McMillan
The biggest issue will be that George, Teague and Ellis all want the ball in their hands and only Ellis can be a spot up shooter so McMillan is going to have to decide which player should initiate the offense and make the decisions. We all know in clutch or key moments it will be in George’s hand as a top 10 player. Other issue will be the sacrifice of defense with the three new players and Ellis not known for defense that they will try to outscore everyone they face.
Atlanta Hawks: I’m unsure of which other team in the other three spots are as consistent as they are of being good enough just to be a playoff team pretty much every year for awhile. Since they had Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Al Horford they always made playoffs. All they did was swap out Johnson for Teague, Paul Millsap for Smith, and Kyle Korver for Williams to pair with Horford but now its musical chairs again. With Dennis Schroder replacing Teague who was jettisoned for a draft pick to let Schroder take the reins of the team since he was younger. They finally have a real center in Dwight Howard with Horford in Boston now. Cue the laughs, I get it, but before all the injuries he was one of the 10 best players and the best center. All they need is to let the key players like Schroder and Millsap worry about the offense and let Howard do what he does best which is play defense/protect the rim and get rebounds. The player that you should get most excited about is a hidden gem in SF Kent Bazemore. He quietly is becoming one of the best two way players in the league. He can guard any wing player, rebound, handle the ball and has drastically improved his three point shot. I have no idea how he went undrafted and was let go/traded by three previous team based on how good he has become. They have also stolen one of the best three point shooters in the league from the Knicks in Tim Hardaway JR, while also having a strong bench with veterans Thabo Sefolosha and Tiago Splitter who will be healthy after missing most of last year, giving them two 7 foot centers. As always they will make the playoffs and lose again like last year getting swept by the Cavaliers.
Departures: C Al Horford PG Kirk Hinrich PG Jeff Teague Arrivals: C Dwight Howard Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer
Theissue that I have is yes they finally have a center well actually two that is but they got weaker by losing two All Stars in Teague and Horford. Schroder is a question mark of how good he can be and if he isn’t a true facilitator it could be bad because he has two of the best three point shooters in Korver and Hardaway Jr., while Millsap and Bazmore need touches and shots. Since some scouts say he pounds the ball a lot and looks to score for himself too much. The other issue will be spacing since Howard will always be in the lane as a back to the basket player while Horford and Millsap shoot jumpers and play facing the basket which means the lane might not be open for Schroder and Bazemore.
Chicago Bulls: As a Bulls fan I can say I think they can win it all, but since I’m an NBA fan as well I know that they are one of the teams that are good enough to be a playoff team based on talent but not enough to win it all, and that was when they had Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in their primes along with Luol Deng. They lost to the main guy, LeBron who will keep the rest of the East out of the finals so it doesn’t matter who they have, they still are a team in the middle. I do like the moves they decided to make instead of rebuilding. Getting rid of Rose and Noah was a tough emotional move they needed to make for their next chapter in history. I like what they got in the trade a younger version of Noah in Robin Lopez. He isn’t as good as Noah was but he does all the little things you need to get done, dive for loose balls, play defense, grab rebounds, and block shots/be a real center which they didn’t have last year. I never liked Rajon Rondo as a player but the dude is a genius on the court. He does things before others do with his playmaking that he can be selfish at times when trying to assist, but doesn’t drive to basket or shoot as he seems afraid of scoring. but can play defense too. Getting Dwayne Wade will help Jimmy Butler take the next step as a leader/winner and improve his game as a whole by being out there on the floor, taking the big time shots/clutch shots with all the pressure. Butler can focus on what he does best which is defense and slashing to the basket and let Wade or the 3 point shooters take tons of outside shots so he can go back to playing off the ball like when he first entered the league. Yes all three need the ball in their hands and don’t shoot from outside well, but they shouldn’t have to worry about that since they have two of the best three point shooters, Doug McDermott and Nikola Mirotic along with new guy Isaiah Canaan. I really liked what Cristiano Felico showed in the last month last year when they finally played him. The dude just showed off his hidden talents as a big man in this league, rebounding, defense and offense down low. They should play him and Nico more and stop playing Taj Gibson who is undersized and looks like he lost his ability to shoot. The same goes for Bobby Portis, hopefully year two ends better than year one. He is a hustle guy who can shoot threes and play both big man spots he just needs more time to develop. He was a steal at the spot they drafted him. I’m a big fan of Michael-Carter Williams a big tall PG who has fallen out of favor because of injury. He won rookie of the year and the 76ers just shipped him to a team full of PGS, he will help the Bulls this year but hopefully for longer. It is a low risk high reward. If rookie Denzel Valentine plays he will prove how talented he is but for now the Bulls should let him develop in practice or even in the D-League so he gets minutes.
Departures: C Joakim Noah PG Derrick Rose PG Aaron Brooks PF Pau Gasol G E’Twaun Moore SF Mike Dunleavy JR SF Tony Snell Arrivals: SG Dwayne Wade PG Rajon Rondo PG Michael-Carter Williams C Robin Lopez PG Isaiah Canaan Head Coach: Fred Hoiberg
The only issue will be chemistry between the big 3 of Wade, Rondo, and Butler on who has the ball. The other issue is they aren’t good three point shooters so spacing will be an issue. That they need to remember they have specialists to do it and not hold onto the ball and play hero ball till the clock runs out.
Charlotte Hornets: This is another team with potential to be good and make the playoffs but not go far since they lost three good players in Jefferson their 2nd best player, and Jeremy Lin and Courtney two very good role players, and didn’t really bring in anyone substantial to replace them. All they did was re-sign two of the starters so they would still have three of their starters intact. F Marvin Williams played so well they gave him a four year deal, and five years to SG Nicolas Batum who was one of those great supporting players from Portland they got in the Gerald Henderson trade. But they also do get back Michael Kidd-Gilchrist who missed all of the season and they will need his defense to make up for the lost offense. They see it as addition by subtraction which means they will finally play the young Cody Zeller at center like he should be playing or starting. But knowing them they will waste time with washed up Roy Hibbert at center and play Marco Bellinelli off the bench instead of the young Jeremy Lamb who got away from the Thunder as they were never using him. They are a playoff team based on the merits of All-Star Kemba Walker but they should be trying to build long term pieces around the franchise players by playing Lamb, Zeller and Frank Kaminisky off the bench, but more importantly having Zeller start at center. For me they are barely a playoff team when you have Walker and some good players. Being in the East it’s a safe bet to make it which is nice since when they were the Bobcats they only made it once before the name change.
Departures: C/PF Al Jefferson PG Jeremy Lin SG Courtney Lee Additions: C Roy Hibbert PG Ramon Sessions PF Christian Wood G Brian Roberts Head Coach: Steve Clifford
The issues will be will Walker have enough help on the scoring side since Batum and Kidd-Gilchrist aren’t known for scoring. Will his role players like Williams, Sessions, Belinelli, and Frank the Tank score enough when he passes it to them since three of them are there to hit three pointers. Also, can the coach actually use the young guns and not use veterans just because it’s easier and wants to make the playoffs.
Detroit Pistons: I think this is the year the Pistons make the playoffs and actually win a series. In the NBA you don’t just overnight win the whole thing you need to first make the playoffs and gradually get a high seed so you’re not facing the best team first. With a full year of Tobias Harris with another year in development of Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson will make them better to start of the year even if Jackson misses time. The additions to the bench will help the starters not tire out with two good backup PGS and two good backup big men that go with the second year development of Stanley Johnson, who will not have the pressure to start since Harris is there the whole season. I’m thinking they have a chance for any spot between 5-7 seeds if they want to avoid losing to the Cavaliers again.
Departures: F Anthony Toliver SG Jodie Meeks PG Steve Blake C Joel Anthony Arrivals: PF Jon Leuer C Boban Marjanovic PG Ish Smith PG Beno Udrih Head Coach: Stan Van Gundy
The issues will be consistent shooting from ok shooters in Johnson, Harris, Kentavious Caldwell- Pope and crew. They don’t have a killer shooter even Jackson isn’t the best shooter more a slasher. But with that weakness they have strength in strong defense from Caldwell-Pope, Harris and Johnson. Size in starting lineup is small issue as Morris is one of those guys we never figured out is a SF or an undersized PF like his twin brother since he has played both with two good backup big men, size shouldn’t be an issue as big as the others. The other issue is can the all star player that is Drummond play like it or like all year when he went off in the first half and just fizzled in the second half last year. He has to play like an all star if they want to be better than an 8th seed or to win a series in the playoffs. I think he needs to try underhanded shooting free throws, it can’t make it worse since he is a liability late in games. If your team can’t use him in crunch time at the end of games you’re not impacting the team in a good way.
New York Knicks: I have zero idea what the Knicks are trying to do since they fired two coaches since the end of last season and hired a non Phil Jackson guy in Jeff Hornacek. That they run the triangle offense sometimes but not really since it’s not the new coach’s forte. Now the other part of what I don’t get is trading for guys with big names that are either too injured or past their prime. The only way this team makes the playoffs as an 8th seed is if they stay healthy and that’s a big IF. You’re looking at one of Joakim Noah’s biggest fans he is the energy guy, heart of the team and the voice/captain of a team but all big guys have foot injures because you’re putting a constant stress on them. He is their first real rim protector since Tyson Chandler but he is going to struggle to stay healthy. Yes Carmelo Anthony has more help than last year when you had D-League players out there but you can’t rely on Derrick Rose to stay healthy to be reliable. I hear all the Rose lovers being mad at me for that but he needs the play in his hands to succeed and Melo wants the ball in his hands too and those two aren’t even the best players in the league. That’s Kristaps Porzingis, he’s 7’3 can shoot from anywhere and handle the ball like a guard. So if Rose/Melo will both need the ball in their hands it’s not going to help the development of the Unicorn. He needs to get the ball as much as possible but knowing this team and Melo it will be a stretch they can play well enough to be a playoff team if they healthy. I do like the Courtney Lee signing he does what he’s supposed to, play defense and hit threes, and I do like them signing Brandon Jennings who could be a starter in this league still, so having him when Rose goes down will be a good move because it will happen.
Departures: C Robin Lopez G: Jerian Grant PG Jose Calderon SG Aaron Afflalo F Derrick Williams Arrivals: PG Derrick Rose PG Brandon Jennings SG Courtney Lee C Joakim Noah G Justin Holiday Head Coach: Jeff Hornacek The issues are health for the key players and they have to co-exist by not being ball hogs and let the Unicorn and Lee take shots.
Milwaukee Bucks: This team will be exciting based on the young talent, the question is how it all will fit together. Since head coach Jason Kidd is also the GM it will be his job to put together the pieces he added and kept into one consistent rotation. Lot of the players can play more than one position so it will be hard to decide where they should go since he already is making Giannis Antetokounmpo his SF from last year the team’s point guard. When you start at 6’9 and get taller like to almost 7 feet tall you’re a rarity in the NBA to grow while in the league. Kidd make the teams PG based on his ball handling skills and took off with it since he already was filling the stat sheet with blocks, steals, rebounds and points, and now he could be a triple double every night with a quadruple a possibility. Now that we established how great the Greek Freak can be and will be, let’s talk about his teammates like Jabari Parker. He also is a freak of nature with his athleticism and scoring ability you would think at 6’8 he would be a good shooter but he isn’t the best shooter which is something he will need to work on, since you never know which forward spot he will playing on a given night. It sucks they lost Kris Middelton who has proven he can be a scorer in this league with an almost 40% mark from the three. They will try to make up for his absence with Micahel Beasley, Tony Snell, Rashad Vaughn and Mirz Teletovic, who was clearly signed to just shoot threes and space the floor as a stretch four. We all know that Beasley can shoot but he never became the player he was supposed to be based on his lack of desire to get better than just rely on his natural abilities like he does. He has gone overseas twice so no one wanted to put him with his attitude. I can’t believe there was a debate for him or Derrick Rose but the Bucks will need his scoring. Vaughn and Snell are unproven since one’s a sophomore and both haven’t proven anything yet. To say they are going to be a bust or not but they are just role players. For this team to be a playoff team they will need their three best players to show up and with one missing and the other two just scratching the surface on how good they can be it will be tough to make the playoffs even in the East. Then I don’t know what Thon Maker will be besides big and tall at 7’1 but he will be very raw because he didn’t even play college ball since he graduated and stayed as a post graduate which confuses us all even the NBA since he technically followed the rules. I hope Kidd sends him to the D-League to get game action instead of having him ride the bench since he needs minutes to get better when you’re as raw as him. They also are paying three big men almost $40 millon, so will the GM in Kidd play them since he is paying them or will coach Kidd go with the best lineup for example what’s best for Greek Freak who can play any position and Parker. So first up is Greg Monroe who was never a center in Detroit but has to since he is the best big man they have and Parker is 6’8 only. Also, if the Greek Freak is the team’s PG what does their big free agent signing PG Matthew Dellavedova do then, move him to the bench or just make him a spot up shooter?
Departures: PG Michael Carter-Williams SG OJ Mayo G Gervais Vazquez PG Jerryd Blayless Arrivals: F Michael Beasley G Jason Terry F Tony Snell F Mirza Teletovic G Matthew Dellavedova Head Coach: Jason Kidd
They have too many issues to be a playoff team this year but look out for next year’s team. With Middelton out they will lack the instant scoring they need with non shooters in the Greek Freak, Parker or guys who can’t create their own shots like Monroe and Teletovic. Figuring out where the best two players fit and with who in terms of the big men they have and which role players to fill Middleton’s scoring will be. Other issues are what to do with Maker and his development, and how to use Dellavedova with the Greek Freak or as leader of the bench.
Washington Wizards: With a new voice speaking to the players in former Thunder coach Scott Brooks it will be good for John Wall who is in 7th year but hasn’t really put all that talent into what he can be and take his team to the playoffs this year after missing it last year. Yes health and some years wasted with idiots around him stalled him but he has the potential to be the second best point guard in the East behind Kyrie Irving. Now what doesn’t help him is that the Wizards cleared all that cap space by letting everyone go or trading them thinking they had a chance on the hometown kid Kevin Durant who never once said he wanted to go there. They didn’t get him or anyone that will help him make the playoffs or take off the pressure. They resigned Bradley Beal to a max deal, which is bad since they both have admitted they hate each other and Beal can never stay healthy so he can’t rely on him to be on the court or even trust him. Beal can be one of the most talented scorers and three point shooters but he will never get there with his issue of getting hurt all the time. If both of them are healthy they can pair for one of the best four starters in the league with the young and improving every year Otto Porter JR and C Marcin Gortat. Gortat is what you want in a center someone who score and grab rebounds. He isn’t the best defensive center but he isn’t the worst with his size but he is intimidating. Signing Ian Mahimi which is where some of the open cap space went to is the perfect complement to Gortat as he is a shut down defender and superior rebounder. While a full year of Markieff Morris you can get all the talent because of a fresh start away from his brother and the dysfunction he had in Phoenix. He can let them go small with him at center and he can shoot it well. They let 7 players go to clear that cap space so it makes sense they needed to fill the roster out and they did with three undrafted players and not so great talent for the bench. The interesting move was acquiring PG Trey Burke. Yes he will be Wall’s backup but he can get a shot to play without all the pressure of being a top 10 pick and being traded to the Jazz where he broke a finger. It delayed his career, and when he thought he was going to start a fresh year healthy they drafted Dante Exum the young passing phenom making him a backup. Then Exum got hurt last year but instead of using them they used someone else as the starter. So you would think a 24 year old with the injury behind him and a fresh start he will get a chance to show off his skills and excel.
Departures: PF Nene PF Drew Gooden G Jared Dudley PG Ramon Sessions PG Gary Temple PF JJ Hickson SG Alan Anderson Arrivals: C Ian Mahinmi PF Andrew Nicholson PF Jason Smith PG Trey Burke Head Coach: Scott Brooks
The big issues will be health and chemistry between the two best players since the combination of them is one of the best backcourts in the league. Also will the new bench be as good as its being paid to be.
Miami Heat: Lebron has left, Loul Deng left, Dwayne Wade the franchise player has left and Chris Bosh’s career is over with the blood clot issue back to back years. So where does Pat Riley go from here? He had to keep inconsistent but super talented and well traveled C Hassan Whiteside and still has PG Goran Dragic still under contract so there is something there. They will have to rely on second year players Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and undrafted Tyler Johnson who they resigned to a lucrative deal to play lots of minutes to replace the players that have left. The rest of the team is full of washed up players or players who never lived up to their potentials or journey men who were undrafted. Dion Waiters never got a full chance in Cleveland before Lebron came back but never did show that he can be consistent but he can score it and play both guard positions. Yes he’s been in the league for four years but we have to remember he is 24 only. Luke Babbit and James Johnson have never been good while Wayne Ellington and Derrick Williams who played together in Minnesota during the time they were being run into the ground. They were drafting too many players at each position not having enough minutes to go around and develop but also not good enough coaching staff to either. Williams has another issue being a tweener since he’s undersized PF but can’t shoot well enough to be a SF but he will get first crack at replacing Bosh. Udonis Haslem is more of a coach then a player and Josh McRoberts hasn’t stayed healthy.
Departures: G Dwayne Wade SF Loul Deng PF Amar’e Stoudmire SF Gerald Green G Joe Johnson Arrivals: SF Luke Babbit SF James Johnson G Wayne Ellington PF Derrick Williams G Dion Waiters Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra
There isn’t enough talent like the Bucks or Wizards that if they were healthy can be a playoff team. Riley needs to hit the restart button not try to get players to make you only better for now but build for the future. Build around Whiteside and Winslow even Johnson, Walker and Waiters because they aren’t going anywhere for the time being. If they were contending I would say the issue is they don’t have any real PF.
Orlando Magic: We all thought how could all of this talent not be a playoff team in the East for a few years so they fired the head coach and hired former Magic great Scott Skiles, but he resigned after one year. Now they are turning to defensive coach Frank Vogel who was fired by the Pacers despite being a successful coach to right the ship in the right direction for a future playoff appearance. But guess what? Again they took a step back by trading combo guard Victor Oladipo for a player who will be a free agent, a draft pick and a good role player. Serge Ibaka will leave them and will cost them too much to bring back and he’s become a perimeter player on offense ever since he started taking threes occasionally. Also playing with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook just to get open somewhere not in the paint so he got used to being a jump shooter. With height and size he should be using to overmatch these new stretch fours/fives that have started popping up and he is still a great shot blocker as well. Fogel is going to have an issue finding minutes for him, C Bismack Biyombo F Jeff Green and incumbents F Aaron Gordon and C Nikola Vucevic. Vucevic is now the best player with Oladipo gone based on his size and scoring ability. You can’t play two centers who both need to be in the paint and Biyombo can’t really score his game is defense and rebounding so he will either start in place of Vucevic, since Vogel prefers defense or he will a high paid bench player. With the influx of big men it will negatively affect Gordon who is a tweener but can’t shoot well enough to be a wing player, that his game is hustle points and getting rebounds or playing good defense. He will now have to play lots of SF which isn’t good for him or the team. My advice is be Ibaka’s backup and let Green and Mario Henzonja play SF since they drafted Mario to shoot threes and Green has been a SF for most of his career, he only spent time at PF because of Durant moving to SF. It’s the best for the logjam and development of Gordon since Ibaka will probably be gone next year. Now to address who will replace Oladipo, Evan Fournier has been a good role player/shooter but the team will be missing the talent of Oladipo and his shot creating. They did get four veteran guards to replace him and backup Elfrid Payton which is what he did when Payton was off the floor. Payton has been a good defender and ball hander/facilitator but he can’t shoot and hasn’t improved since he entered league relying on sheer talent. So they made the wrong decision of which guard they should have kept going forward.
Departures: G Victor Oladipo F Ersan Ilyasova PF Andrew Nicholson PF Jason Smith PG Brandon Jennings C Dewayne Dedmon Arrivals: PF Serge Ibaka C Bismack Biyombo F Jeff Green PG DJ Augstin SG Jodie Meeks G CJ Wilcox F Damjan Rudez Head Coach: Fran Vogel
If they were a playoff team the issues would be how to sort out the front court. Who plays where and who starts. The other issue is to replace everything Oladipo can give to a team between 4-5 players despite Fournier is a nice role player/three point shooter.
Philadelphia 76ers: Well they will not be the worst team in the East or whole NBA! But like the Magic they have too many big men/players in the front court for their own good. A positive about this year isn’t they just stopped doing the process of firing the GM Sam Hinkie, but it’s also that they finally have a competent starting lineup and rotation of players. Yes Jerryd Bayless has always been a backup but he isn’t a third string PG like what they were trotting out there since they moronically traded Michael Carter-Williams. He will do fine till the real star, the first overall pick Ben Simmons will be back from an injury at some point. He is going to be a special player like Lebron or Magic Johnson since he is tall and big but a gifted passer/ball handler who will be their point forward for years. Joel Embiid is finally healthy and will win rookie of the year he is too talented not to succeed, he is on a minutes restrictions but will be good issue how will it all fit with the other bigs on the team. Nerlens Noel is a great defender and shot blocker but can’t score and isn’t a PF so he can’t play with Emiid, and Jahil Okafor is one of the most talented low post scorers in the league but can’t play good defense to be a center. With the way the league is going having two tall towers playing together is rare so we will not see Embiid with Noel, or even Embiid with Okafor since Emiid hasn’t proven he can be a good defensive center to pick up defense for Okafor. Also former first round draft pick Dario Saric is finally here coming from overseas and he’s one of those stretch fives or fours based on size and shooting so he needs minutes too. You can’t blame Nik Stauskas for being drafted by a team that has gone through too many coaching changes to develop the way he should so the King dumped him on the 76ers last year and didn’t show much. So they went and got Gerald Henderson who is just a stop gap but they finally have a starting SG. Robert Covington is one of the remaining young players from the Hinke years who didn’t have to red shirt and miss time to become a successful role player at the SF spot so that spot should be covered. They got lucky no one drafted him or that the Rockets let him go when they snagged him in D-League draft. He has been one of their consistent players since he wasn’t traded for picks and stayed healthy. I normally would like the pickup of Ersan Ilysova but they already have too many big men and he is really a stretch four so he might find minutes backing up Covington.
Departures: PG Kendall Marshall F Jerami Grant PG Ish Smith PF Christan Wood PF Carl Landy PF Elton Brand Arrivals: PG Jerryd Bayless SG Gerald Henderson G Sergio Rodriguez Head Coach: Brett Brown
Brooklyn Nets: Well what can you say about the worst team in the NBA? That they are the current Knicks when it comes to not having 1st round draft picks for a few more years meaning they have to sign undrafted players or just use cap space on bad players. Trading for washed up players and tearing up your core to get old guys didn’t work out. As Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and Joe Johnson were either just out of their primes or past it and didn’t turn out too well as they didn’t win anything substantial to mortgage your future. They gutted their team to acquire Deron Williams who was going to be a free agent and basically out bid themselves for him. Yes he got hurt but even when healthy with those four other guys they didn’t win it all. Their best player then and now can’t stay healthy but is one of the most talented low post scores in the league. They should trade Brook Lopez to maybe get some first round picks back since they are wasting his talent on the worst team in the league. They have no future plan or young exciting players outside of Lopez. They have mostly backup PGS in Jeremy Lin and Randy Foye with some players past their primes like Luis Scola. The only young promising player is Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who wasn’t even drafted by them, they got him and few other rookies last year or this year through draft night trades. At least Bojan Bogdanovic has been a productive shooter since he came from Croatia. Rest of the team are undrafted rookies/rookies from other teams acquired draft night or washed veterans and guys who were never great like Trevor Booker and the worst #1 of pick of all time Anthony Bennett. They did get a whole new coach and GM to start over for this team Sean Marks who comes from the Spurs front office and he hired his own coach in Kenny Atikson who comes from another former Spurs coach or front office member tree, the current Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. Mikhail Prokhorov hopes these changes make a difference for the future but for now expect a whole lot of sucking.
Departures: F Thaddeus Young G Wayne Ellington Arrivals: PG Jeremy Lin F Anthony Bennett PF Luis Scola G Randy Foye F Trevor Booker G Joe Harris C Justin Hamilton Head Coach: Kenny Atkinson
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Golden State Warriors: We all know they blew a 3-1 lead over the Cavaliers and Cleveland won the NBA finals but that’s history it’s a new season. If it isn’t a finals rematch I’ll be shocked unless the issues that this team has rears its head in the playoffs, since it’s harder to get through the West than the East. The big thing will be how they will jell together with one of the 5 best players in the league. and probably one of the 3 best scorers in the league. Kevin Durant is taking over for the 4th best player on the team making it hard for Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to take a step back. Since he will take shots away from them especially Thompson. They will figure it out since it’s a group of veterans and not young guys just starting. Steve Kerr has to prove how good of a coach he is by coaching his team through this adjustment they need to make. The addition of Durant meant the lost of C Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, Mo Speights, Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Rush and most importantly Harrison Barnes who wasn’t just there to shoot threes, as he anchored the defense with Bogut and Green. Green is last man standing from the D-unit besides former finals MVP Andre Iguodala, who is a role player for them. So they will miss defense in the paint and on the wing. Yes they brought back Anderson Varejao but he can never stay healthy, and Zaza Pachulia but he’s more of an offense and rebound guy not known for the defense Bogut played. They even signed JAVALE MCGEE!! For jokes, no really the talented 7 footer is the team’s backup plan when Varejao gets hurts. They also got David West who’s been like an assassin for hire, last year for the Spurs and now this year with Golden State, as he is trying to win a championship at all costs even turning down more money. They hope these 3 make up for the loss of the other 3 big men, and Durant cancels out anything else. Plus they have the best backup PG in the league in Shawn Livingston.
Departures: C Andrew Bogut C Festus Ezeli F Mo Speights G Leonardo Barbosa G Bradon Rush SF Harrison Barnes Additions: SF Kevin Durant C Zaza Pachulia C JaVale McGee PF David West Head Coach: Steve Kerr
Theissues are obvious to everyone. Interior defense with the loss of Bougt/Ezeli and perimeter defense without Barnes will suffer no matter how many scorers you have in the NBA. Will Green/Thompson take to getting the ball less/have less shots and stick to their strengths like just getting open, since Steph Curry will not forget the guys who got him there. Green/Thompson should worry about doing things that they are better at then what Durant which is being quality defenders to make up for the losses on defense. So chemistry with the new guy who’s going to take a lot of shots and get lots of touches which means less for those two. For me I still don’t get a 6’7 playing center in a small ball lineup or even PF since he is shorter then Durant who is almost 7 feet. If you were 6’9 or even 6’8 I could see, it’s just for me just one of those things I’ll never get.
San Antonio Spurs: If the Warriors or Thunder make the finals the only obvious choice is the most well run franchise in the NBA. Even with Tim Duncan retiring and two role players leaving they are still a top 5 team in the West if not the whole league. Having arguably one of the 5 best players in the league in Kawhi Leonard and another top 20 player in LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker, they can still win 50+ games but knowing coach Greg Popovich they will not need to win as many games as the other four teams in the West as long as they are rested and healthy for the playoffs. Since it doesn’t matter the seed they can still make it to the Western Conference Finals. Signing Pau Gasol will help them offensively but he isn’t a center so that will be an issue when it comes to defense when they pair him with Aldridge. So the signing of Center Dewayne Dedmon will help them out for strictly defense. Being one well coached and managed they will figure out how to pair up the key three big men on the team as well the minutes issues for Gasol, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili who re-signed and Aldridge. They still have some of the best role players and benches no matter who is on them: Danny Green is one of the more underrated players out there, he isn’t on the level of Leonard but he can play great perimeter defense and can shoot three pointers among the best. The bench players like backup PG Patty Mills and third year player Kyle Anderson do what they can based on their strengths which is backup Parker and Leonard. I’m unsure what former All-Star PF David Lee has left in the tank for a guy who was never known for defense but he used to be a double-double machine, now he is just there to backup Aldridge, but as a key player Aldridge plays most of the games so his usage will be minimal. That the undrafted/rookie/overseas players will probably get the other backup minutes like usual and become good players like it’s known to happen for the Spurs under Popovich.
Departures: PF Tim Duncan PF David West C Boban Marjanovic F Boris Diaw Arrivals: PF/C Pau Gasol PF David Lee C Dewayne Dedmon F Davis Bertans G Nicolas Laprovittola Head Coach: Greg Popovich
The big issue will be not replacing Duncan’s defense or impact but can Gasol and Aldridge co-exist on the floor and be productive on offense since defense will be a major issue. Also how effective will Park and Ginobili be with their wear and tear on their 34 and 37 year old bodies from all their overseas play compared to American players their ages. So Anderson/Mills will be key and we will have to see if they can step it up if needed.
Los Angeles Clippers: GM/Coach Doc Rivers decided to keep the band together for one more run. PG Chris Paul is clearly a future hall of famer but the big knock on him will be how he does as a leader of a playoff team no matter the circumstances. Same for this team as they have great regular seasons and even make it past the first round but it doesn’t go further than that. With Blake Griffin back healthy he is the best PF in the league with all these stretch fours on most teams and with one of the best defensive centers in the league in DeAndre Johnson, they have the talent inside to challenge the small Warriors. But like always something happens, someone gets hurt or they just crack under pressure. We still don’t know what it is but they always come up short despite a talented starting lineup, and this year they will have a better starting SF to start the year, and the bench is finally deep. In Paul Pierce’s final year Rivers knows he isn’t the same player, as his coach in Boston, but he is there for emotional support/leadership which is why Luc Mbah A Moute will start. Moute is just out there to play defense and grab rebounds and with his length it makes the front court with the most length in a starting five in the league. They now have a good backup PF for Griffin in Brandon Bass and Mo Speights when they go small as he is one of those stretch fours. To back up Moute with Pierce not really playing big minutes is Wesley Johnson and Alan Anderson. Paul has a real PG to back him up in Raymond Felton since Crawford’s days as a PG are beyond him as he is strictly out there to score. Austin Rivers is a tweener at both guard positions not being the best scorer or facilitator yet, and his defense has never been good. He is a guy who needed more time in college and playing for your dad it’s really hard to improve. JJ Redick has become more than just a three point shooter he has become a good all around player, but teams in the playoffs have time to scout him and make it tough on him to get good shots up, being a spot up shooter which is hard in the regular season as well. If they don’t make it to the NBA Finals or even the conference finals changes are going to come after the season.
Departures: F Jeff Green G CJ Wilcox C Cole Aldrich PG Pablo Prigioni F Jeff Ayres Arrivals: F Mo Speights PF Brandon Bass PG Raymond Felton F Alan Anderson Head Coach: Doc Rivers
The big issue will be health of Blake Griffin who missed lots of time last season. Will the new bench players make the impact they hope. Can they get over the hump in the playoffs or not?
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F: Mo Speights
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Oklahoma City Thunder: He is the last man standing after Jeff Green, James Harden, Serge Ibaka and most importantly Kevin Durant has left. It’s now PG Russell Westbrook’s team for better or worse at least for three years extra after the extension he signed this summer. Some might say they will struggle to be a playoff team in the West and its true it will be tough to be a top four team, but based on the merits of Westbrook and that most teams are either too young or don’t have enough talent to make the playoffs besides the norms. Only Houston, Portland, Memphis and Utah are real threats to them for playoff spots. The addition of a mini Dwayne Wade in his prime will help them on the defensive end and give Westbrook another ball handler/shot creator for others in Victor Oladipo. His defense and effort will go well with Andre Roberson who can’t shoot for his life but is an elite wing defender. It also goes with one of the best young defensive centers in the league in Steven Adams who every year has improved his game to be a quality starting center. The question will be can the collective effort on defense be enough to overcome the loss of Durant and Ibaka’s scoring ability. Yes Ibaka was a great defender but the team has Adams and Nick Collison for defense upfront. You also never know the potential of rookie Domantas Sabonis and how good he can be since his father is an accomplished Hall of Famer in Arvydas, who was 7’3. He would be the first person to be tried at PF since Nick Collision is a backup and it didn’t work for Enes Kanter to be on the floor at the same time as Adams. Kanter is one of the best low post scoring players and can average a double if he tried to get rebounds. He might get the chance to start if the rookie doesn’t work out to inject some offense since the other big man on the roster is French veteran Joffery Lauvergne, who they traded for before the season started. The rest of the team is full of guards and wing players with three point specialist Anthony Morrow and former Pistons all rookie SF Kyle Singler who will be entering his 2nd full year with the team while still only being 28. He has the chance to make an impactful role player off the bench.
Departures: SF Kevin Durant PF Serge Ibaka G Randy Foye G Dion Waiters Arrivals: G Victor Oladipo F Jerami Grant Head Coach: Billy Donovan
Theissues are very visible who will actually be the starting PF replacing Ibaka besides replacing Durant’s scoring, but they have a few wing players who will take his place. Will Oladipo connect with Westbrook unlike his time with Elfrid Payton? Can Westbrook trust his teammates to play defense, grab rebounds and even score when he’s not on the court/when he passes them the ball. It’s an adjustment period going from sidekick to alpha dog will he try to win every game himself because he is the best player, or will he let others help him succeed since they will make the playoffs based on his merits no matter how good the team is around him is. Hero ball doesn’t all work and doing 1on1 offense isn’t always easy or sustainable.
Portland Trailblazers: They are somewhat similar to the Toronto Raptors who have one of the best backcourts in the league, but the rest of the starting lineup or bench isn’t as good and will only go as far as the backcourt takes them. PG Damian Lillard is probably the best PG not name Westbrook or Curry that he could even win without his sidekick CJ McCollum, he would will his team to the playoffs. He did it before McCollum, established himself as this good scorer in the league and he was the better player than Aldridge. Most of Aldridge’s success was with either peak Brandon Roy or Lillard, proving how good Damian is. Only issue with McCollum is his size and defense but he is one of the best ball handlers and is good at the midrange game. Now the front court I’m a huge fan of Evan Turner, but it didn’t make sense to sign him since there four other SFs on the roster. He likes to have the ball in his hand and is an all around player but you want Lillard and McCollum to have the ball. Having a Moe Harkless and Allen Crabbe who have always been role players, they fit in right in not needing the ball. Harkless is known for his defense and Crabbe is good at spacing the floor for the main guys. In my opinion, I would play Al-Farouq Aminu at SF, he has really turned into a good player after being injured and being marred on a losing team. He really showed up for them in the playoffs but in this new NBA he is being used a stretch four for his shooting ability and defense. They do have two PFS in Noah Vonleh and Ed Davis but both haven’t proved good enough to start or be a quality NBA player. I do like their starting at center in Mason Plumlee, he had a great rookie year with the Nets but was being used as a backup. Here he gets the chance to average almost a double just based on his hustle. Getting Festus Ezeli from Golden State weakens their opponent but helps them have a quality backup big man for defense, but he has to stay healthy. The hope is that they play 7 footer Meyers Leonard at center but not at the same time as Plumlee, since they both operate in the same space. Well maybe now Shabazz Napier will get a chance to play. He was only drafted by Miami because Lebron told them to do it and then he left. Then Napier went to Orlando and didn’t play, he is the only really backup PG on this roster so he will get chances, he’s only 25. They do have a chance to fight the Warriors in a shootout but with Durant on the team now it will be harder, so they will make the playoffs even have home court but will not go that far.
Departures: C Chris Kaman G Brian Roberts G Gerald Henderson Additions: SF Evan Turner C Festus Ezeli PG Shabazz Napier G Tim Quaterman Head Coach: Terry Stotts
The issue will be will the defense match, no matter how good the offense is, because if they can’t defend it doesn’t matter how much scoring they have, they aren’t going to win the playoffs. Will they be too top heavy with the backcourt being so much better than the front court? Will Turner fit in with the backcourt? Will Aminu be an effective stretch four all year, or will he become the starting SF making them use Davis at PF?
Utah Jazz:They are one of the youngest, deep and talented teams in the league and will make the playoffs this year the first time since 2012. They have one of the best front courts in the league with Gordon Heyward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert. Gobert is like a one man defense by himself. But all three all can play defense and get rebounds as Favors is the better low post scoring than Gobert, but Favors has been in the league longer so Gobert has a chance to be an elite two threat later. While Hayward is one of the most underrated two way wing players in the league as he is the heart and soul of this team. He guards the toughest wing player and tried to be the guy to lead the team on offense as well, while also being a hustle guy. Enough about the front court they also have some talented back court players too in Dante Exum, Alec Burks and Rodney Hood. Hayward and Hood can be one of the best wing duos for a decade with Hood having size, ball handling skills and he can flat out score besides being a good shooter. If he can be better with moving off the ball and having someone pass it to him to score he has a chance to be an all-star level player. Issue for this wing combo was they aren’t there yet to be the ones who come up with clutch shots as last year, as they tried to win games playing one-on-one too much. Which is why I like the addition of Joe Johnson who has been there taking clutch and difficult shots for many playoff teams. Yes he takes minutes away from one of them but they can go really big with Hood at PG if they play Johnson at same time. With PG being a mess of a carrousel in years past with Trey Burke, then Dante Exum, then Raul Neto, it was a good move to get veteran PG George Hill known for his defense, facilitating, shot creation, and can be a good spot up shooter if the ball is in Hood or Hayward’s hand. It also helps ease Exum back into playing after missing the year after ACL surgery. They got another former Spur in Boris Diaw, who can be a stretch four with his 3 point shooting, and his ability to defend the frontcourt when they go a small lineup, and he will take pressure of the young frontcourt when he is in the game. We haven’t even gotten to the other young players like Burks, Trey Lyles, Neto, Joe Ingles and Jeff Withey who all give them depth with how talented they are, when they are needed to be used. They improved some weaknesses by getting three veterans but they are all role players now. They don’t have a star but they will be a tough out in the playoffs, no one will want to face a team that can take you to 7 games. If head coach Quinn Synder can figure out the correct combinations for this year and next they can be more than a 6th seed.
Departures: F Trevor Booker F Chris Johnson Additions: PG George Hill F Boris Diaw G Joe Johnson Head Coach: Quin Synder
The issue will be can Johnson, Diaw, Hill take the pressure of the youngsters but not step on their toes so they develop more and more as players do each year. They can for sure defend and match up with any team but will be able to score enough to beat a teams like Golden State or LA?
Memphis Grizzlies:After have one of the most unluckiest years ever having 28 players suit up and even more just on your bench, they will have extra bodies and hope this year goes better for them in terms of health. Losing both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley to injury that kept them out for most of the year and the backup to Gasol, Brandon Wright was tough to overcome despite being a playoff team. Which was by default as Dallas was only other team over .500 last year. They have the talent to be a 50 win team but that’s a big IF when you’re relying on Conley who they re-signed long term, Gasol, and their big free agent signing SF Chandler Parsons, who are all known for having a long history of injuries. They are one of those teams that are too good to be a lottery team and not good enough to challenge for the title, but they are right in the middle with a few teams for the last two playoff seeds. PF Zach Randolph is at the end of his days of being an impactful starting forward who can score, which doesn’t mean he isn’t good anymore, he just is not going to be the same player going forward, which is why they are having him come off the bench to use his skills over the other team’s bench players. They still have one of the best defensive players in Tony Allen, who has been a bench player and has started at both wing positions with his hustle and heart; he is part of the reason that they will still be a good team just not great. They also have a new coach and it’s the 2ndcoaching change in recent memory which will be an adjustment period. He has to figure out how he wants his players to play and how he monitors the minutes for the best three players since this was another firing for being stagnant and wanting to change things up. Give it up for Vince Carter, he is the only superstar who changed his game and accepted being a role player when his skills started to erode as he used to be a highflying player. He now has been a good defensive player and jump shooter since the change and he will be 39 this year, all the props to him for sticking with it even at this age.
Departures: SF Matt Barnes C Chris Andersen PG Jordan Farmar SF Lance Stephenson PG Mario Chalmers C Ryan Hollins Arrivals: SF Chandler Parsons SF James Ennis G Troy Daniels Head Coach: David Fizdale
The issues will be simple: can Gasol, Conley, and Parsons stay healthy to make this team go. Will Randolph take to be a bench player after being a starter his whole career and can the four other veterans on the bench handle the pressure of more minutes if the starters miss time due to injury. Since the other five players on the bench are all rookies or sophomores this can all be young guys out there without the main players and they could slip out of the playoffs. Will the new coach keep the ship in the direction of the playoffs or will it sink out of the playoffs? Who is the backup PG since the guy they drafted isn’t ready, is it Daniels?
Houston Rockets:They fired Hall of Famer Kevin McHale as head coach last year and hired offensive genius Mike D’Antoni. He just missed the promised land with the Suns and then coached the Knicks, epic disaster in LA with an old Steve Nash and Dwight Howard who is gone, then he was an assistant with the 76ers. He took this gig despite having some who people think Harden is more like Carmelo Anthony a guy who shoots it and never passes or plays defense. The difference is James Harden is one of the top 10 players in the league finishing 2nd to Steph Curry in MVP voting the 1st time Steph won it. He has the athleticism and wingspan to play defense if he wanted to and this season he has been the team’s PG. So far so good he has been averaging a double-double with assists and even some triple-doubles. The marriage of coach and player will be a good one since; Houston and Harden don’t play defense which is never a concern of D’Antoni as this will be a high scoring exciting offense to see not just because of Harden at PG. This allows them to play another shooter at SG and signed a good shooter and ball handler/shot creator in Eric Gordon and three point specialist in Ryan Anderson. Gordon will give them a second facilitator and Anderson gives Harden more shooters something he lacked last year. It’s funny having Anderson would have been good for Howard since they were teammates in Orlando and plays well with three point guys, but the Howard experiment is over and it didn’t work what so ever. Houston did solve the issue of not having a real PF besides Josh Smith as stretch four as they failed with Terrence Jones who was an undersized tweanner. So having Anderson for shooting 3’s and a former starter in Nene who is a scoring machine inside which will take pressure off the starting center, who now is Clint Capela a Swiss player who played in France before entering the league and is 22, so having two veterans to help him will let him develop without having to worrying about scoring. Capela can just focus on rebounding and defense. Having Trevor Ariza on any team always helps having one of the better perimeter defenders and 3 point shooters, and this team needs someone playing defense and having veteran leadership. He is one of those guys that help teams get to the level they want since he was on a title team and they respect that. Also with Harden starting at PG, Patrick Beverly can lead the second unit and have the ball in his hands unlike when he was asked to guard the tougher guards and to stand in the corner to catch and shoot 3’s despite being the PG, just like Mario Chalmers did in Miami. The other good role player that all playoffs team wish they had is Corey Brewer who is a good perimeter defender and also won a title so he has been through it like Ariza. It hasn’t been a graceful NBA career like we all thought he could have since he was drafted by a bad team in Minnesota that never really develop players correctly, but he is a good ball hander as well who can create his own shot. They will not back their way into the playoffs at .500 like last year, they will be much better.
Departures: C Dwight Howard F Terrence Jones F Josh Smith G Jason Terry F Michael Beasley C Dontas Motiejunas Arrivals: G Eric Gordon F Ryan Anderson PF Nene G Bobby Brown PG Tyler Ennis Head Coach: Mike D’Antoni
The biggest issue will be defense since the coach and star player don’t play it nor does the three new players. Will the PG experiment work all year, if Haden gets tired of it. Can Capela handle the rigors of being a starting center being only 6’10, since others are taller or bigger and is so young? Can Gordon, Nene, Anderson the biggest acquisitions stay healthy, they have been known to be fragile. That could lead to big minutes for unproven players like KJ McDaniels who the 76ers just gave up for nothing, Tyler Ennis is another guy who just dumped on them after being dumped on Milwaukee who also had Carter Williams then at PG. Bobby Brown who has been overseas most recently and sophomores Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell.
Minnesota Timberwolves: After the tragic death of head coach and GM Flip Saunders last year, and former NBA player Sam Mitchell as interim coach this year, they turned to Tom Thibodeau to be the coach and GM. This team has the talent to be an 8th seed but most likely will just miss it as they are a year away realistically, since they are young and have to still develop. It’s also adjusting to Thibs rigorous coaching, practices and becoming a tough defensive team. When you have a 7ft center who shoots 3’s/handles the ball well and isn’t a stretch five but a skilled big man inside who is like an old school center based on his merits then this team will be a great team, but first Karl Anthony-Towns has to get past his sophomore year. We have to remember how young he is at 22 and is only scratching the surface on how good he can be and with Thibs he will get better on defense and other aspects of the game because he gets the best out of his players. They also have one of the other best young players in the league who already is a great defender, with so much athleticism that with a new strict coach it will rein him from over doing it and see if he can score within a game plan and not just use his athletic ability in the open court to score on fast breaks. The next big thing for Wiggins is will he become a good shooter or at least be a better 3 point shooter. They also have the 2x reining slam-dunk champion in Zach Levine who can handle the ball some as combo guard. And yes he is so athletic he just can’t shoot yet or guard well that Thibs might bench him since you need to be good at one of those in the coach’s mind and might just be a scorer off the bench. They also used their 1st round pick on a PG in Kris Dunn who everyone is raving about for his potential to be a starting PG in this league, meaning it could be the end of Ricky Rubio in Minnesota. When healthy Rubio is an elite defender and one of the best play makers in history but since he has never gotten to the next step as a shooter or scorer this is what he is-a good starting PG, but you will not gets lots of scoring and is fragile similar to Rajon Rondo who can’t shoot or score either. Rubio might be traded since they have Dunn and Tyus Jones both accomplished NCAA players. Gorgui Deing is lost in the shuffle of great young talent, he was the team’s starting center for one year before they drafted Kat. He was only in since the former center Nikola Pekovic has missed the last 3 years due to injuries giving them a need to draft a center in KAT and with no PF since Kevin Garnett retiring Deing is first up at PF. They do have even more young talent in Shabazz Muhammad who has his troubles off the court and with injuries, if he can overcome them he has a chance to be a role player for them but who could start for other teams. He is one of those guys who could have benefitted from a longer stay in college. They also have two other big men a stretch four but have Adreian Payne who has been thrown to the side by the Hawks and now will get chance to be a backup big man. The rest of the team is a much needed veteran presence. If Houston or Memphis falters they can make the playoffs.
Departures: PF Kevin Garnett SF Tayshaun Prince PF Greg Smith F Damjan Rudez Additions: C Cole Aldrich F Jordan Hill PG John Lucas III G Brandon Rush Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau
The issues will be growing pains with a new coach who preaches defense and discipline for a young team that didn’t play defense last year. If Rubio stays this year his health will be a key to being a playoff team. Also will Thibs figure out the correct rotation for all of these young players and few veterans? This team will go as far as Thibs wills them and how Wiggins/Kat handle the pressure and their growth as players.
Dallas Mavericks:This will be the second time in 16 years that the Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki will not make the playoffs with 2012-2013 being the other time. Dirk being 38 is no longer going to be able to will his team to the playoffs like he has for most of his career but he is different than the other 38 year olds. He was never a high flyer or had huge athleticism so being an elite shooter and scorer he can still do that but not as the lead guy which is why no playoffs for him. They swapped out one SF for another, letting Chandler Parsons leave and signing Harrison Barnes. Barnes is an all around player but not #1 on a team but will get more shots and more chances to show off his skills after leaving Golden State. He is no star but will give Dallas their first SF for multiple years that is healthy and contributes. Even if he doesn’t become a 20 point scorer it was a good investment in a 24 year old and the coach will get offense out of him like he usually does. Outside of Richard Jefferson and Shawn Marion the year they won it, it will be the first time they will have two talented players at SF like Barnes and Justin Anderson who is a sophomore who showed flashes last year when Parsons was out and will get minutes at SG if Wesley Matthews again misses time to injury. He is the first SG they have had since the short time Monta Ellis was there. They had to when Matthews was out use two PG lineups or even 3 at same time. Now Deron Williams isn’t the same player he was in Utah but having him lead the offense will be good since Rick Carlie gets the most out of PGS and they have 3 backing him up just in case he goes down. Dwight Powell will be a key big man with new center Andrew Bogut who is a great defender and passer but will only play 60 games at best replacing Zaza Pachuila. The big man from Canada was a throw in the Rondo trade and played really well last year making the Rising Stars game and is 25 which means they will have him for awhile. They also have a great bench as I mentioned earlier they have Steph’s bro Seth Curry who is finally given a shot like last year and will get lots of minutes because they will need scoring. JJ Barea is one of the best backups in the league with his 3 point shooting and he was a reason why they won the title. It’s funny that with Williams here for year two that Devin Harris is his teammate after being traded for each in the trade that sent Williams to New Jersey. Harris also was drafted by this team so it’s interesting he has been back with them for a few years. It wasn’t too long ago he was an All-Star but he has become a great role player too.
Departures: SF Chandler Parsons C Zaza Pachuila C JaVale McGee PF David Lee PG Raymond Felton SF Jeremy Evans Additions: SF Harrison Barnes C Andrew Bogut G Seth Curry SF Nicolas Brussino Head Coach: Rick Carlisle
Theonly way they make the playoffs is Barnes turns into an All-Star based on the way he is paying. But its health issues since Williams, Bogut and Matthews can’t always stay healthy if they can, they can be .500 or even better based on the veterans on this team.
New Orleans Pelicans:I trust Alvin Gentry to guide the ship in the right direction in year two. They had so many injuries and had to play so many guys who weren’t good or belonged in the NBA. Last year wasn’t a good year for anyone on this team so I will give Anthony Davis a pass he is only 23 so injures and shouldering the load of defense took a toll on his game. He is still a top 10 player and one of the best big men in the league. He doesn’t have to worry about playing center since they had two 7 foot centers, and one is Omar Asik who can help him on defense after being hurt last year. But as great he is he can’t will a team of nobodies, has-beens or unproven players especially in a tough West. Things will get better when Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday come back. Asik is recovering from knee surgery, and Holiday is at home with his wife recovering from a brain tumor removal treatment. Evans isn’t the player he showed he could be in his rookie year, being the rookie of the year but has become a great role player at 3 positions after being ruined by the Kings. Holiday is former All-Star PG with Philly before they dumped to start the process. But both have an issue staying healthy. Till they come back they are relying on an undrafted player in Tim Frazier, former D-League Star Langston Galloway who got big in New York, and former Bull E’Twuan Moore who is combo guard. At the wing spot they will turn to their 1st round draft pick Buddy Hield for scoring who seems like he is one dimensional. If Gentry loses his patience with the rook he will turn to one of his three veterans SF, free agent Solomon Hill, Dante Cunningham or Quincy Pondexter.
Departures: PF Ryan Anderson SF James Ennis C Kendrick Perkins SF Alonzo Gee SF Luke Babbitt G Norris Cole G Toney Douglas Additions: G E’Twaun Moore G Tim Frazier PG Langston Galloway F Terrence Jones F Solomon Hill SF Anthony Brown Head Coach: Alvin Gentry
The biggest issue will be health since they weren’t a very lucky team in terms of staying healthy including Anthony Davis. If they can stay relatively healthy they can at least be better than last year and even try for the 8thseed. With the all the veterans they signed it will help in case they have all these injures, they will at least have guys who can play even if they are backups. You would think with a top 10 player he could will his team to playoffs on his own merit but he has to first stay healthy and we have to remember it’s a team sport.
* Melancholy happy trails to Bryce Dejean-Jones who was tragically killed this year at the age of 23. He mistakenly went to the wrong floor/room for his daughter’s birthday at his ex’s new apartment. He couldn’t get in so he forced his way into the apartment and bedroom and was shot by the owner who wasn’t his ex and was pronounced dead at the hospital. Jones was the typical underdog story being an undrafted player making the Pelican team after being in the D-League. He signed his first NBA contract with a 10-day one and then a second one which led to a 3 year deal after his promising start filling in for Evans. But he hurt his right wrist the next week and had season ending surgery to fix it. It was a setback for a guy with so many, but for being someone who made it after being undrafted. He and the team felt he could come back strong for the next season but the best laid plans don’t always happen. RIP. Phoenix Suns:It will be former NBA PG Earl Watson’s first full year of being head coach after they fired Jeff Hornacek after an injury plagued year where they were playing nobodies and players out of position to fill holes. They also have abandoned the starting 2 or even 3 PGS at once, since they used to have Isaiah Thomas and Goran Dragic with a combination of Brandon Knight or Eric Bledsoe. They have two rosters one full of rookies/young players and a bunch of veterans but don’t have enough to be a playoff team yet. They have at least a direction with Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker who are 26 and 20 respectively. With all those injures Booker emerged as a capable scorer in this league, he looks like a seasoned veteran out there with how calm he is and he can handle the ball as well and play within the flow of the game. With his size he can be a two way player in the future and will finally give Bledsoe a player he can count on so he doesn’t have to do it all on his own since he’s had to play with other PGS at the same time or just not enough talent and also hasn’t been healthy enough to show off his real potential. This one will be one of the best backcourts in the future. With Knight put on the bench he will lead the unit because he will have the ball in his hand and wasn’t at good just standing around when he started alongside another PG. He has never been a backup but for the time being it will do him well to build his stock back after missing time to injuries and could be traded to a team needing a PG down the stretch. Now Tyson Chandler was only signed since they thought they could get LaMarcus Aldridge, since Aldridge didn’t want to play center or worry about defense which is what Chandler does best, be tall and be an elite defense center. Now they have too many big men that forced Alex Len to the bench in the middle of his development and they drafted two big men in the draft as well but neither of them nor Len is even starting. Since they thought it was a good idea to bring back a very good role player who is a wing player to be their small ball stretch four at 6’7 after his work in Washington as the PF, Jared Dudley. That’s fine if it’s some of the time not all the time. Unsure if it was the front office or Watson’s decision but I hope they abandon it and realize they are playing for the future. By getting Len or Dragan Bender or even Marquese Chriss who they traded multiple picks and draft rights just to get him. I do like them bringing back Leonardo Barbosa after he won with the Warriors. He offers veteran leadership on a team with 11 out of 15 players are 26 or younger.
Departures: F Mirza Teletovic F Jon Leuer G Ronnie Price SF Chase Budinger G Archie Goodwin Arrivals: G Lenard Barbosa F Jared Dudley Head Coach: Earl Watson
Theissue I have is they have too many big men and are going to play Dudley at PF all the time not just some of the time. Meaning the three young big men will fight for backup time and that’s it. They are a little weak at SF which is where Dudley would fix it but if he is playing PF he can’t fix the SF problem.
Los Angeles Lakers:Kobe Bryant is gone and Bryon Scott was fired and so far the team has played better than anyone had predicted but they will not make the playoffs but will not be the worst team in the West or the NBA. They hired former Laker, former Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton and he is the perfect guy to lead a team of young players since he is only 36. They also signed/traded for the right amount of veterans so the young players can play but also get some veteran leadership on the court with them. SF Luol Deng will start while the 2ndoverall pick Brandon Ingram learns the NBA game and adds muscle to his skinny frame. Also, getting Timofey Mozgav, a 7 footer who will just be out there to grab rebounds and play defense for a team that needed a capable center so the young players can get touches on offense. I’m a huge fan of Jordan Clarkson he can shoot, play defense, rebound and be a good point guard in his ball handling skills and facilitating. It was a mistake to play him and D’Angelo Russell at the same time. This year Clarkson will lead the second unit while Russell will get a full chance without a coach benching him. He clearly can score in the NBA the question is can he be an all around talent, but he is only 20 and this will really be his first year leading the starting unit on offense. It was tragic that Julius Randle missed his entire rookie year due to surgery to fix a broken tibia, but he showed last year he can score the question is his size and defense. He is undersized at 6’9 when he faces normal PFS but will the advantage VS stretch fours. Larry Nance Jr. will be the key player off the bench based on how Randle does since he is an energy guy fighting for rebounds/loose balls and playing scrappy defense. The rest of the team is full of seasoned veterans like Lou Williams who will provide instant offense off the bench. Nick Young (Swaggy P) will start alongside Russell at the SG to provide three point shooting which is all he has become, while Tarik Black who went undrafted and was on Houston before coming to LA will get a chance to come off the bench for defense and rebounding. They also have Jose Calderon, Marcelo Huertras for depth at PG and Metta World Peace, plus Thomas Robinson a guy who was never given a chance to play and develop since he was traded 3x after being drafted by Sacramento. I would play him at PF if I were the Lakers off the bench, he is only 25.
Departures: G Kobe Bryant C Roy Hibbert G Anthony Brown PF Brandon Bass C Robert Sacre Additions: C Timofey Mozgov SF Luol Deng PG Jose Calderon PF Thomas Robinson Head Coach: Luke Walton
They will be better than last year and maybe can compete but they’re still a year or two away from making the playoffs. They do have some size issues with Randle and Nance being undersized, but outside of that no big issues that will hold them back besides youth.
Denver Nuggets: Its year two for both the head coach Mike Malone and PG Emmanuel Mudiay. How Mudiay handles this year will be a big step in his development and the future of this team. He is a good PG in ways of generating offense, penetrating the defense and plays great defense especially with steals. It will be his shooting that needs to improve. They drafted a SG with their 1st round pick in Jamal Murray to build around Mudiay having a guard who can score alongside him for years if he can get enough playing time, since they have two other SGS in Gary Harris and Will Barton. Barton is a perfect role player with his energy but Harris can be a starter for years to come because of his shooting while he and Muiday can be interchangeable on defense. So Muidiay has two good complementary players at the other guard they will use along with Barton off the bench and he also has two talented big men. Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic both are 21 year old centers who have both started for this team the past few years. Jokic is good playmaker and passer while Nurkic has a low post game. Both can average a double but Malone will have to decide who should start since in today’s NBA not many teams start two big men who are 7 feet. They also have Kenneth Faried who has fallen out of favor to the 7 footers which makes no sense despite being only 6’8, since he used to be their starting center or PF since everybody is going small with stretch fours. I still think he can make the same impact he used to make on defense based on his being a hustle player. He also has lost time to Danilo Gallinari at PF as a stretch four and Wilson Chandler at SF, but since both of those two have missed so much time it’s hard to rely on them all year. Also since Denver is in rebuild mode it’s better to trade one or both to clear minutes for Harris, Barton, Murray and Faried at the forward positions. Many teams would take Chandler, Gallinari or even Faried. They do have a good backup PG in Jameer Nelson since he has been around for awhile and will be there to help mentor Muiday. It is funny they resigned Mike Miller who can’t stay healthy and they don’t even play because of the many wing players they already do have.
The only issue will be health of the main veterans on this team. They will not be a playoff team this year or next but it is a promising team with everything hinging on the development of Mudiay. This team at least has a direction it’s not stuck in the middle it’s in rebuild mode looking to the future with the moves it has made and should make.
Sacramento Kings:Well then another new coach for DeMarcus Cousins his 6th coach, David Joerger who was let go by Memphis. They even got a new arena quieting any thoughts of moving since they do have a new owner who thinks he is the GM or coach, and a GM who had a good playing career but so far looks he doesn’t know how to be a GM, and the front office didn’t even take him seriously since they thought it was a ceremonial job when he first was in the front office. That translates to no matter how good Cousins plays, develops and becomes coachable will not matter since it’s hindered this team from being even competitive. This team has no direction and will be last in the conference since the rest of the teams are either veteran filled or a young team in rebuilding mode moving into the right direction. It made no sense to sign Kosta Koufos to a multiyear and then draft Willie Cauley-Stein last year while this year draft two more big men when you have one of the best big men or centers in the league. Yes he isn’t the tallest player in the NBA but how the NBA has moved to smaller lineups with stretch fours or fives he has been dominate enough vs. other team’s “big men”. I’ve always said if Anthony Davis does it Cousins should play PF and just dominate even more since lots of teams don’t have a real PF since most are stretch fours. With his sheer size/built and low post skills he would score and rebound more. They are going to do that this year since they have too many 7 foot centers by playing Stein at center since, they should see what he has since he has all the length to be a good rim protector and rebounder. They finally pushed Ben Mclemore to the bench since he is another of example of bad developing of players in Sacramento by signing Aaron Affalo who is a starting SG player with defense and 3 point shooting. They should trade Mclemore for his own good. Rudy Gay has never lived up to the player we all thought he was going to be at the most, the third best player on a good team. But he is the 2nd best player here and it’s wasted on a team not going anywhere while this team has too many veteran players that would help a team fighting for the playoffs not just to fill up space. Matt Barnes is a good defender, Omri Casspi is another player Sacramento failed to help develop after coming from overseas as he’s been back for round two, and Ty Lawson who never became what he could have been while in Denver, while having off court issues as well. Darren Collison is healthy now and will take over PG roles after Rajon Rondo left. They will not miss Rondo and his issues since Collision can be effective just not the numbers Rondo usually puts up but doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective. As veterans Garret Temple and Anthony Tolliver round out the bench but as I said they don’t need all of these veterans if they not going anywhere since they can be making impacts somewhere else.
Departures: PG Rajon Rondo G Seth Curry F Quincy Acy SF Marco Belinelli SF Caron Butler Additions: G Aaron Affalo PG Garret Temple SF Matt Barnes F Anthony Tolliver PG Ty Lawson Head Coach: Dave Joerger
The issue is they have too many big men when already having Cousins. They also have three PGS who all are really backups that might be an issue all year.