2007-08 outlook: Who's improved thanks to offseason moves?
BDodgers at aol.com
BDodgers at aol.com
Wed Jul 18 19:20:06 CDT 2007
2007-08 outlook: Who's improved thanks to offseason moves?
(http://x.go.com/cgi/x.pl?goto=http://search.espn.go.com/keyword/search?searchString=john_hollinger&name=SEARCH_m_archive&srvc=sz)
By John Hollinger
ESPN Insider
Improvement. That's the name of the game in the offseason, and it comes in
all shapes and sizes. Teams can get better in a variety of ways -- through
holdover players raising their games, through trimming dead wood from the previous
season's roster, or by adding talent through the draft, trades or free agency.
And sometimes, it doesn't even take any of that -- it just takes a different
general on the sidelines pulling it all together.
But one thing remains constant: Standing pat is a formula for failure. In a
business in which careers tend to be brief, it's imperative to constantly bring
in new blood. Just ask the _Miami Heat_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=mia) , who were so giddy about winning a championship in 2006 that
they brought back the same roster last season -- and watched their aging crew
fail to win a single playoff game in one of the weaker title defenses in league
history.
Fortunately, half of the league's teams have made additions to their rosters
that should prove quite helpful in the coming season, and that's the group
I'll be discussing today. While not all of these moves were in the teams' best
long-term interests ($24 million for _Jason Kapono_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3734) !?!?!?), what I want to do today is focus on
how those maneuvers affect each team for this coming season in particular.
And if we're only looking at the upcoming season, even a fairly reckless move
can have positive short-term effects.
With that as the background, here's a midsummer update showing the teams that
have made themselves more formidable than they were a year ago:
(Major additions and subtractions are given in parentheses)
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=hou)
1. _Houston Rockets_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=hou)
(added _Mike James_ (http
://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3577) , Luis Scola, _Jackie Butler_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3909) and _Aaron Brooks_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4304) ; lost _Juwan Howard_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=2628) and _Vassilis Spanoulis_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3867) ; replaced Jeff Van Gundy with Rick Adelman)
While you're focusing on the San Antonio-Dallas-Phoenix triumvirate in the
West, don't sleep on Houston. The Rockets have quietly put together a roster
that very well could be the last team standing in the Western Conference in 2008.
Start with the decision to replace Van Gundy with Adelman -- a change in
direction that will likely make the team more up-tempo and offensive-minded.
They'll miss Van Gundy's defensive genius, but given the offensive stagnation this
club showed in 2006-07, it's not a bad trade.
Moreover, hiring Adelman was especially important in this case because it
basically adds another player to the roster. _Bonzi Wells_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3254) bristled under Van Gundy after showing
up out of shape, and hardly played last season. But he seems excited by being
reunited with Adelman, who coached him to a strong campaign in Sacramento two
years ago.
>From there, add in two vastly underrated trades. The first one pilfered James
from Minnesota for Howard, giving the Rockets a do-over on the disastrous
James-for-_Rafer Alston_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3282) trade two years ago. The second nabbed Scola and Butler from San Antonio
in return for Spanoulis.
Scola, a skilled Argentinian who has been one of the best players in Europe
for the past half-decade, will make an immediate impact as a starting power
forward. Butler, as a young center with strong scoring skills in the post, should
energize a second unit that was bereft of offense last season.
In the big picture, the Rockets aggressively addressed their three main
problems: stagant offense, point guard and power forward. Between the coaching
change, the additions of James and first-round pick Aaron Brooks at the point, the
pickups of Scola and Butler up front, and the de facto addition of Wells,
this team suddenly looks loaded. At this point in the offseason, nobody has
upgraded more than this club.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=cha)
2. _Charlotte Bobcats_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=cha)
(added _Jason Richardson_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3515) and _Jared Dudley_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4300) ; lost _Brevin Knight_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3186) ; replaced Bernie Bickerstaff with Sam Vincent)
While cynics will claim that frugal Bobcats owner Robert Johnson only signed
off on the Richardson deal because he had to get over the minimum salary
floor, there's no question that the deal addressed a huge weakness that has plagued
the Cats throughout their existence.
Richardson is a reliable scorer and rebounder -- one that will help push
rookie bust _Adam Morrison_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4131) out of the rotation if he struggles again -- and gives the Bobcats a
much-needed go-to guy late in games. It also allows sharpshooter _Matt Carroll_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3785) to shift to a
more suitable sixth-man role, in which his defensive shortcomings won't be so
glaring. As a late first-rounder, Dudley could be surprisingly effective too --
don't be shocked if he's earning important minutes by season's end. Add it up
and a playoff run doesn't seem far-fetched at all.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=pho)
3. _Phoenix Suns_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=pho)
(added _Grant Hill_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profil
e?statsId=2626) , _Alando Tucker_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4307) ; lost _James Jones_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3752) )
The Suns sold one of their first-round draft picks (uh-gain) but they also
used one to grab Tucker, a tweener who should be able to fill in a lot of the
minutes played by Jones. But their big grab was Hill, who is as brittle as they
come but still a star when he's healthy enough to go.
He should thrive in Phoenix's running game and take over _Boris Diaw_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3724) 's role as the de facto
point man when _Steve Nash_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3103) is out of the game. Plus, his willingness to sign on the cheap
means the Suns might not be done maneuvering just yet. After four decades they're
still looking for a title in the Valley of the Sun; Hill might be the guy to
get them over the top.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=nyk)
4. _New York Knicks_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=nyk)
(added _Zach Randolph_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3531) , _Wilson Chandler_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4301) , _Dan Dickau_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3625) and _Fred Jones_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3612) ; lost _Steve Francis_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3325) and _Channing Frye_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3934) )
I'd rank this higher if I had any faith in the ability of Curry and Randolph
to defend with even a smidgen of enthusiasm or competence, but I don't. The
two will combine to give the Knicks the league's most defensively disinterested
frontcourt, and that should put them in the bottom five or so in defensive
efficiency.
But offensively, the Knicks might be good enough to play .500 ball anyway.
Randolph is a beast in the post, and he can play the high post and float in his
feathery left-handed jumper if he needs to clear the lane for Curry. Adding
Chandler, Dickau and Jones also helps in the depth department, especially if it
gives Isiah Thomas the stones to finally cut _Jerome James_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3279) .
However, the Randolph deal didn't help the Knicks nearly as much as it did
the rest of the league, who now can rejoice in several more years of expected
luxury tax payments from Zeke's spendthrift regime.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=atl)
5. _Atlanta Hawks_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=atl)
(added _Al Horford_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4245) , Acie Law)
Throw in two more lottery picks to a cast that already includes rising stars
_Joe Johnson_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3520)
and _Josh Smith_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3834) ,
and suddenly the Hawks look a lot more like a real basketball team. Horford
was one of the top talents in an extremely strong draft, and at his size he'll
probably be able to play some center -- a spot where the Hawks have been badly
undermanned in the past.
I'm less bullish on Law's prospects, but he can't be any worse than the gang
that manned the point for Atlanta last season. As with Charlotte, it's
possible this team's lottery days are coming to an end. Too bad nobody will be in the
stands to see it.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=bos)
6. _Boston Celtics_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=bos)
(added _Ray Allen_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3080) ; lost _Wally Szczerbiak_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3329) and _Delonte West_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3841) )
Long-term, I have grave doubts about whether this was the right move for
Boston; as I've mentioned before, unless they're about to use _Gerald Green_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3944) and _Theo Ratliff_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3020) 's expiring
contract as bait to bring in another star, I hardly see the point of acquiring Allen.
But in the short-term, Allen will be a big upgrade on the Wally/West combo
that manned a lot of the shooting guard minutes for Boston last season, and that
should be enough to pull the C's out of the cellar in the Atlantic.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=mem)
7. _Memphis Grizzlies_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=mem)
(added Mike Conley, _Darko Milicic_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3705) ; lost _Chucky Atkins_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3391) ; replaced Tony Barone with Marc Iavaroni)
The Grizzlies added two coveted young talents in Conley and Milicic, with the
latter being hugely important because of the lack of a dependable frontcourt
sidekick for _Pau Gasol_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3513) . Conley also figures to make an impact, but given his youth, it may
come more in future seasons than the present.
Besides, he's filling some big shoes: Unbeknownst to many, Atkins played out
of his mind a year ago. Conley will be hard-pressed just to match those
numbers this season, let alone exceed them. But with these two additions, Grizz fans
at least can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=was)
8. _Washington Wizards_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=was)
(added _Nick Young_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4294) , _Oleksiy Pecherov_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4146) ; likely to add Juan Carlos Navarro)
Can it be? Do the Wizards finally have a bench? Adding three young players to
the mix (their last two first-round picks plus whomever they trade for
Navarro) certainly makes last season's feeble second unit seem much more imposing
for this go-round.
As those who read my draft preview know, I'm hugely skeptical of Young. But
if all he has to do is improve upon _Roger Mason Jr._
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3628) 's play last season, I'm guessing he can
handle that. Similarly, Pecherov is something of a mystery meat, but he can't
be any worse than _Jarvis Hayes_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3713) was last season. And Navarro will be a solid No. 3 guard
wherever he ends up, though right now the Wizards seem intent on a trade.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=nor)
9. _New Orleans Hornets_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=nor)
(added Morris Peterson, Julian Wright)
The Hornets filled their hole at the wings with free agent Peterson and
first-rounder Wright, who should be a big upgrade on the Rasual Butler/Desmond
Mason combo that filled the slot last season.
Peterson gives the team a legit perimeter threat, something it lacked a year
ago once Peja Stojakovic went on the shelf, while Wright's all-around game
should provide a nice complement off the bench. Between those two and Peja's
return, the Hornets impotent offense of a year ago should be a thing of the past.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=sac)
10. _Sacramento Kings_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=sac)
(added _Spencer Hawes_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4288) and _Mikki Moore_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3308) ; replaced coach Eric Musselman with Reggie Theus)
I have no idea if Theus can coach or not, and I think Musselman could do a
pretty good job in the right situation. But nobody doubts that the wheels were
coming off by the end of last season and that a change would be for the better,
so in this case the Mussleman-for-Theus swap should be for the better.
Moreover, the Kings addressed their horrid frontcourt by adding two centers
in Hawes and Moore. Neither is going to be great, but right now the Kings will
settle for "adequate," especially given the price they paid. These moves may
not keep them out of the lottery, but it will at least help stop the bleeding.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=lal)
11. _Los Angeles Lakers_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=lal)
(added _Javaris Crittenton_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4297) , Derek Fisher)
I'm not sure if this is enough to make Kobe rescind his trade demand, but it
helps. The Lakers point guards were disastrous last season, so adding the
veteran Fisher to take over for _Smush Parker_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3662) should pay immediate dividends (although the Lakers
overpaid and will hate themselves for this two years from now, that's in the
future -- remember, we're just looking at the impacts for 2007-08 today).
Crittenton was supposed to be a long-range pick, but he played well enough in
summer league that folks may reconsider that position -- especially since at
6-foot-5, he has the size that Phil Jackson craves in the backcourt.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=chi)
12. _Chicago Bulls_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=chi)
(added _Joakim Noah_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4287) and _Joe Smith_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3003) ; lost _P.J. Brown_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=814) )
Maybe power forward isn't the weak spot on the roster anymore. Already
possessing a promising stud at the position in _Tyrus Thomas_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4132) , the Bulls added the energy of Noah
and the veteran smarts of Smith to their roster, shoring up a spot manned by a
fading Brown last season. No, none of these guys can score in the post, which
is where the Bulls really could use help, but they'll add another jolt of
energy to the frontcourt. Plus, they give Chicago yet more assets to throw into a
trade for the likes of _Kevin Garnett_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3007) or Pau Gasol.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=tor)
13. _Toronto Raptors_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=tor)
(added _Maceo Baston_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3301) and Jason Kapono; lost Morris Peterson)
Kapono might not even be as good as Mo Pete, the man whose spot he takes at
greater expense. But the big picture in Toronto is that they have three deadly
shooters surrounding _T.J. Ford_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3711) and _Chris Bosh_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3707) , so defending the latter two on the pick-and-roll will be a
pick-your-poison proposition. Additionally, the more important comparison was
improving on _Joey Graham_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3942) -- who inexplicably became the starter last season after the team
soured on Peterson -- and Kapono is more than up to that challenge.
In the meantime, don't sleep on Baston. The former Michigan star was a
Euroleague stalwart for several years but didn't get a chance to show his goods in
Indiana. That's likely to change in Toronto this season, where he'll provide an
inexpensive source of frontcourt offense off the pine.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=det)
14. _Detroit Pistons_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=det)
(added _Rodney Stuckey_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4293) and _Arron Afflalo_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4305) )
I'm not sold on Afflalo at all, but Stuckey looks like the real deal, and
should give Detroit a second-unit guard who can actually score once in awhile.
After watching _Flip Murray_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=3639) and _Lindsey Hunter_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=1281) hoist brick after brick the past two seasons, Pistons fans are
going to think this guy is the second coming of Dave Bing.
____________________________________
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=phi)
15. _Philadelphia 76ers_ (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=phi)
(added _Thaddeus Young_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4290) and _Jason Smith_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?statsId=4298) ; lost Joe Smith)
Joe Smith was one of the keys to the Sixers' strong second-half run last
season, so losing him leaves a dent. On the other hand, they added two first-round
picks in Young and Jason Smith, and my guess is the contributions of those
two will offset what has been lost.
Not that you'll see much difference in the win column -- I suspect the Sixers
will be terrible -- but these moves didn't make the news any worse. Given
some of the previous offseason maneuvers by the Billy King regime, that's a
victory in itself.
John Hollinger writes for ESPN Insider. To e-mail him, _click here_
(http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/mailbagESPN?event_id=7936) .
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