NBA Season Preview: Ranking Eastern Conference Offseasons
With the off-season over, any team can come out successful with hopes and prayers. With training camp just around the corner, many fans will be excited for the new season, or they will be just in the mist of realizing that there team will be horrible this upcoming season. This off-season may have been the craziest off-season in the history of the NBA, with many max contract players up for grabs, solid players out of the draft, and front-office shakeups along with ownership changing.
Since the pre-season is just weeks away why don't we just breakdown each teams' off-season move and their grade I will give them.
I will be grading on the actions the team has performed so far, along with the opportunities they had.
You guys may not agree with every grade I give and that is fine...because the truth is, we don't really know if the off-season move was good or bad to begin with until the post-season.
For right now, I will just be doing the Eastern Conference.
Guess who is number 1???
1. Miami Heat
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I know, it was hard right?!?
Main Additions: Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Mike Miller, Udonis Haslem, James Jones, Juwan Howard, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Main Subtractions: Michael Beasley, Quentin Richardson, Daequan Cook, and Jermaine O'Neal
Even though many will hate me for saying this, the Heat had one of the greatest off-seasons of all-time. With Wade, Lebron, and Bosh, the Miami Heat have the best trio in the NBA, as of now. The Heat, hands-down, get my front-office of the year award. The salary cap management was excellent and still allowed them to pick up the sharpshooter Mike Miller and bring back Udonis Haslem.
Although there are many questions to how this will pan out during the season.
Like, who is going to control the ball the majority of the time? And if the team will fall apart from injury?
No matter what. The Heat are clearly the favorites to win the division.
Grade: A+
2. Washington Wizards
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Main Additions: John Wall, Kirk Hinrich, Josh Howard, Yi Jianlian, Trevor Booker, Kevin Seraphin, and owner Ted Leonsis
Main Subtractions: Mike Miller, Shaun Livingston, and Randy Foye
The Wizards had arguably the toughest regular season in the league last year, with the death of their owner Abe Pollin who owned the Wizards franchise for 46 years, the suspension of their franchise player, and the bombing of their whole roster in February 2010.
For right now, the Wizards are bouncing back, with landing the number 1 overall pick in the draft, John Wall, and getting Kirk Hinrich which was basically a steal. Yi Jianlian performed well in the FIBA World Championship and looks like he can become a steal also.
With Hinrich's leadership in the backcourt, along with a healthy Arenas return, the Wizards could be back on stride to being a playoff contender.
Grade: A
3. Chicago Bulls
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Main Additions: Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver, Ronnie Brewer, and Head Coach Tom Thibodeau
Main Subtractions: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, Hakim Warrick, and Head Coach Vinny Del Negro
The Bulls didn't get what they were hoping for, which was landing Lebron, Bosh, and Wade. Although they came out strong with their "Plan B".
They received Carlos Boozer, which provided the low post scoring threat they were hoping to get the past couple years in Chicago. Ronnie Brewer should provide solid defense in the backcourt while Kyle Korver can spread the floor on offense.
The trio of Rose, Noah, and Boozer is pretty scary on paper; they just need to get together defensively to make it work. If their defense gets to above-average at least then they can definitely be a sleeper team in the Eastern Conference.
Grade: A-
4. New York Knicks
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Main Additions: Amare Stoudemire, Anthony Randolph, Raymond Felton, and Ronny Turiaf
Main Subtractions: David Lee, Al Harrington, Tracy McGrady, Chris Duhon, and Sergio Rodriguez
The Knicks fans almost got a dummy slap to the face if the owner James Dolan went along with rehiring Isiah Thomas on the Knicks staff earlier. At least the Knicks have good news, they have a healthy Amare Stoudemire, Anthony Randolph with incredible potential, and a PG who can push the ball a bit.
I have a gut feeling that by February, we will hear a lot of trade talk involving Eddy Curry and his expiring contract.
The trio of Amare, Randolph, and Felton may not be Miami's, but they are way better than what they had last year.
Grade: B
5. Boston Celtics
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Main Additions: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal, Nate Robinson, and Avery Bradley
Main Subtractions: Tony Allen, Rasheed Wallace, and Tom Thibodeau
The team just made their second NBA Finals appearance in the past three seasons, in which Kendrick Perkins had a season-ending injury. With this injury it leaves people asking questions concerning how much they have left in the tank.
Danny Ainge responded to that question by not blowing up the team and starting over, but by getting two veteran big men to fill in the injured Perkins and retired Wallace. He also re-signed Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Nate Robinson.
On paper, this team should have no problems getting to at least the Eastern Conference Finals, but I've seen crazier things happen in the NBA.
Grade: B-
6. Indiana Pacers
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Main Additions: Darren Collison, James Posey, Paul George, and Lance Stephenson
Main Subtractions: Troy Murphy
The Pacers desperately needed a PG going into the draft and didn't get one, so then they made a trade in August to acquire Collison in a four-way trade, which allowed them to get rid of Murphy's contract.
Collison, the rookie starter who maintained that role because of the injury to Chris Paul, averaged 18.8 ppg and 9 apg. If you ask me, those are rookie of the year numbers, especially when you are shooting 48 percent from the field and 43 behind the arc.
The Pacers also picked up Paul George in the draft, who shows some similarities to Tracy McGrady. He is one of my sleepers for rookie of the year out of the draft by the way. The main story out of the draft for the Pacers is the steal they got out of Lance Stephenson. Although Stephenson shows some flashes of Tyreke Evans in him, he needs to clean up his act off the court.
(Domestic Assault on Girlfriend...c'mon son!!!)
To be honest the Pacers look like they have a legit chance at making the playoffs and cap space should be good come next summer.
Grade: B-
7. New Jersey Nets
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Main Additions: Troy Murphy, Jordan Farmar, Derrick Favors, Damion James, Travis Outlaw, Head Coach Avery Johnson, and GM Billy King
Main Subtractions: Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, Rob Thorn, and Kiki Vandeweghe
The Nets were the number one contender for getting Lebron, Wall, Amare, and Boozer...and none of them went New Jersey's way. So obviously, the Nets didn't necessarily have Derrick Favors and Travis Outlaw as their first choice of rebuilding.
Derrick Favors, the most notable player picked up by the Nets, is mainly just potential and upside...he isn't a NBA stud like John Wall or Evan Turner. From the looks of the roster, it looks like Troy Murphy will start over Favors which could be better for Favors in terms of development.
Avery Johnson.
That's all I have to say about their coaching staff, he is one of my favorite coaches of all-time because of his dictations and expression of his feelings...his patience will be tested this year.
Grade: B-
8. Philadelphia 76ers
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Main Additions: Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, Andres Nocioni, Head Coach Doug Collins, and president Rob Thorn
Main Subtractions: Samuel Dalembert, Head Coach Eddie Jordan
The Sixers have an interesting young core of Evan Turner, Jrue Holiday, and Thaddeus Young; but also suffer from bad contracts from Iguodala, Brand, and Nocioni. For right now, the Sixers lack inside presences and perimeter shooting, and I'm not really sure where the Sixers are looking from now because the additions to the team will have little effect on the standings.
Hopefully, Andre Iguodala can bring the outstanding play from the FIBA World Championship to Philly in hopes of a playoff berth; but for now, look for them to be in the late lottery next year.(It's an improvement.)
Grade: C
9. Milwaukee Bucks
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Main Additions: John Salmons, Drew Gooden, Corey Maggette, and Larry Sanders
Main Subtractions: Kurt Thomas, Luke Ridnour, Charlie Bell, and Dan Gadzuric
One of the surprise teams in the East, at least for me, had the biggest steal in the draft with picking up Brandon Jennings. When they added John Salmons at the trade deadline, it helped give them that extra push for the playoffs.
The players added in the off-season weren't great...but they are solid, and it won't hurt any team to have solid players. The trio that will continue to grow is Jennings, Salmons, and Bogut...you can throw in Maggette also. The Bucks should be a tough team this year.
Grade: C
10. Atlanta Hawks
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Main Additions: Joe Johnson, Jordan Crawford, Head Coach Larry Drew
Main Subtractions: Josh Childress, Head Coach Mike Woodson
The biggest surprise of the off-season was the Atlanta Hawks giving Joe Johnson a max contract, many thought that the Knicks or Bulls would take him off their hands but they fought for him and won. It's good for the future, and by future, I mean 1-2 years. In the long term this was a dumb move for Atlanta.
Joe Johnson is 29 years old, who was horrible in the series against the Magic.(Only averaged 12.8 ppg)
In my opinion, this guy DOESN'T deserve a max contract.
Jamal Crawford averaged more points than him that series and now he is upset and wants a contract extension or trade. They also got rid of Head Coach Mike Woodson and replaced him with the cheapest possible replacement in assistant Larry Drew. I feel that the Hawks will struggle during playoff time and a coach with little to no experience will be lost and not know what to do.
Hawks....c'mon son.
Grade: C-
11. Orlando Magic
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Main Additions: Chris Duhon, Quentin Richardson, J.J. Redick, Jason Williams, and Daniel Orton
Main Subtractions: Matt Barnes
Orlando added some depth to every position on the roster this off-season, which therefore, they didn't have the most exciting off-season, but it was a well needed one. Expect them to make another deep run into the playoffs.
When it comes down to it, the Eastern Conference got better while the Orlando Magic stayed the same, unless Orton becomes a first-round steal, which is very unlikely.
Grade: C-
12. Detroit Pistons
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Main Additions: Greg Monroe, Tracy McGrady, and Ben Wallace
Main Subtractions: Kwame Brown
The Pistons played the quiet ones this off-season even though last year their frontcourt slowly started to disappear. Most of this season was filled with injury,injury, and injury...Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Ben Gordon missed a total of 88 games combined.
Detroit drafted potential face of the franchise, Greg Monroe, a very skilled and smart PF with good footwork. They also picked up Tracy McGrady in hopes of a comeback with some fuel left in his tank.
Although the off-season wasn't great, they can still be better than they were last year.
Grade: D+
13. Toronto Raptors
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Main Additions: Ed Davis, Amir Johnson, Leonardo Barbosa, and Linas Kleiza
Main Subtractions: Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu, Marco Belinelli, Antoine Wright
Raptors fans felt just as much pain as Cavs fans...well, a little less.
The loss of Bosh really hurts the franchise, the franchise also acknowledged their mistake by signing Turkoglu and now they traded him for Barbosa.
The only thing that can go uphill is if Linas Kleiza brings his FIBA World Championship play back to the NBA and if Ed Davis can prove to be a solid replacement for Bosh.
Grade: D
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
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Main Additions: Ramon Sessions, Ryan Hollins, Head Coach Byron Scott, and GM Chris Grant
Main Subtractions: Lebron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, Head Coach Mike Brown, GM Danny Ferry, Larry Blanks
Cleveland fans can point the finger at whoever they want, Lebron, his teammates, Mike Brown, Dan Gilbert, or the media.
Truth is, you guys dumped your roster; so prepare for a LONG season.
(This is probably the 24624554 time you've heard this.)
You can get some bright things out of this Le-pocalypse such as, possibly getting Harrison Barnes next year and looking forward to see J.J. Hickson grow.
Sorry about the loss. Hopefully something good will come out of it.
Grade: F
15. Charlotte Bobcats
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Main Additions: Tyrus Thomas, Kwame Brown, Shaun Livingston, Erick Dampier
Main Subtractions: Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler
All Michael Jordan can do is hope that D.J. Augustin and Tyrus Thomas live up to their potential because so far it doesn't look to good.
*PG position will be an issue
*MJ needs to stop making decisions
*Need a way to motivate veterans like Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace to stay after this season
*Kwame Brown is the starting Center.
C'MON SON....
Grade: Incomplete...
