2009 NBA Summer Fun

The NBA offseason has started so fast that the Lakers weren’t on ESPN as much as I thought they would be after their 16th title. All the early offseason moves are creating some interesting storylines for next season. Richard Jefferson brings another athletic wing to the Spurs and Vince Carter is the scorer the Magic were obviously lacking in the Finals. That’s just the beginning. I really like the Pistons picking up Villanueva and Gordon. I think Villanueva will blossom into a dynamic scorer in Detroit and we already know what Gordon is capable of. Not exactly sure how Shaq will play in Cleveland, but now two of the most physically overwhelming players are on the same roster, so there is definitely potential for a surge to the Finals. Shaq makes the Cavs the Lakers of the East, with three serviceable seven footers.
When you win the title you’re instantly the favorite heading into next season but I think the Lakers may have a hard time repeating depending on how this offseason unfolds. Losing Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza would deplete the Lakers of role players that found their niche in LA this year, even though I think Shannon Brown would contribute in an expanded role. Hedo Turkoglu, who epitomized moving from a minor contributor to a major scoring threat is the most sawed after name on the 2009 market. If the Magic can keep him in Disney World, Orlando may be as complete of a team as the Clevelands and Bostons of the world. Most likely, Turkoglu will land elsewhere and his size and three point prowess will make a contender out of a pretender. In a offseason that was supposed to play second fiddle to the blockbuster summer of 2010, we’ve seen plenty of big names on the move, which will make next season more intriguing than we may have expected.