Top 5 Offseason Moves In The East

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Strangely enough, the Celtics aren't mentioned.....

 http://espn.go.com/nba/columns/carter_fred/1592098.html

Friday, August 8

Top 5 offseason moves in Eastern Conference

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By Fred Carter
Special to ESPN.com


1. New Jersey Nets
The Nets re-signed Jason Kidd (six years, $103 million) and signed free
agent Alonzo Mourning from Miami (four years, $22 million). With Kidd,
the Nets have made the NBA Finals for the past two years. Mourning gives
them the potential to go over the top.

The addition of Mourning is a tremendous move for the Nets. He is a
marquee player who's an accomplished rebounder, defender and scorer. I
expect that the Nets will be able to rest Mourning enough, with Aaron
Williams and Dikembe Mutombo on the roster, so he can stay healthy.

Keeping Kidd was huge. He has been the unquestioned catalyst for the
Nets' reversal of fortunes from NBA doormat to repeat Eastern Conference
champs.

2. Orlando Magic
Signing free agent power forward Juwan Howard from Denver is a big deal
for the Magic (five years, at least $28 million). Orlando has lacked
size in recent years, with no interior game to speak of. Howard will
give them a presence and toughness inside.

Howard also will take some of the pressure off All-Star guard Tracy
McGrady. Keep in mind, McGrady takes probably five shots per game that
he's forced to take because no one else will step up and shoot. Howard
will provide some interior offense and open things up for T-Mac on the
perimeter.

The Magic also made a good move by signing free agent point guard Tyronn
Lue from Washington (two years, $3 million). Lue played well as a backup
with the Lakers and did a good job in his two years with the Wizards.


3. Indiana Pacers
If the Pacers had been unable to re-sign All-Star Jermaine O'Neal, the
organization would have plummeted. But they were able to sign him (seven
years, $120 million).

The signing of O'Neal keeps the Pacers on track in the East. Since they
traded Brad Miller -- acquiring Scot Pollard and Danny Manning in a
three-team deal -- it was incumbent upon them to sign the 24-year-old
O'Neal.


 Not All Moves Are Good...
 Some NBA franchises fail to help themselves with their offseason moves.
I would put the Miami Heat's signing of free agent Samaki Walker (from
the Lakers) in that category.
Yes, the Heat needed a backup big man. But if Walker was the best option
out there, I question whether the Heat improved their roster.

Walker often sat the bench for L.A., and when he played he was
inconsistent (4.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 42% FG).


4. Detroit Pistons
Signing free agent center Elden Campbell from Seattle was a good move
for the Pistons (two years, about $8.4 million). While Campbell can be
inconsistent and occasionally moody, if he can give the Pistons even 50
good games out of 82, Detroit's other centers can pick up the slack.

He's a serviceable center who can start if needed or serve as the
backup. He sometimes lacks passion for the game, so he needs to work at
playing hard every night.

With Ben Wallace's massive defensive presence, Campbell will need to
play only a complementary role. That might be enough for the Pistons to
challenge the Nets for the best record in the Eastern Conference.


5. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls brought free agent forward Scottie Pippen back to Chicago from
Portland (two years, $10 million).

The Bulls have plenty of young players, and with Pippen's veteran
leadership Chicago has a shot at the playoffs. The Bulls excelled at
home last season (27-14) but were not mature enough to win on the road
(3-38). In fact, Chicago won more home games than four Eastern
Conference playoff teams, including the Sixers.

With the addition of Pippen's experience and overall game, the Bulls
might be thinking postseason. Remember, the East lacks talent compared
to the West, and given the East's relative weakness, the Bulls could
sneak in.


Honorable Mention
Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers got Glenn Robinson from the Hawks and
Marc Jackson from Minnesota in four-team trade in which they sent Keith
Van Horn to the Knicks. When you can get two starters for one, that's
usually a good deal.

The landscape in Philly has changed. The Sixers were a hard-nosed
defensive team, but Robinson and Jackson are not especially
defensive-minded. Look for more offense from Philly, though I don't see
them being as good as they were last season. The Sixers must also deal
with the coaching transition from Larry Brown to Randy Ayers.

New York Knicks: I'm a Keith Van Horn fan. A guy who gets you 16 points
and seven rebounds a game while shooting 48 percent from the floor is an
asset. The addition of Van Horn gives the Knicks' offense some floor
balance, as opposed to having two 2-guards controlling the ball all the
time (Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell, who was sent to Minnesota in
the deal).

A former NBA player and coach, Fred Carter is an NBA analyst for ESPN.