duncan228
07-22-2009, 10:00 PM
The contenders have emerged after offseason moves (http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/article/2009-07-22/contenders-have-emerged-after-offseason-moves)
Sean Deveney
By no means has the NBA's offseason ended. We still need to know what will become of some key free agents, and some teams still have big decisions left to make. But, with just a little more than a week remaining in July, the league is easing into its recess period. Some of the elite teams have made big moves, and at this point, it's becoming clear which ones will have a chance at a championship next year and which are still on the outside.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
What they did: The Cavs made the biggest move of the offseason, dumping a pair of players who were not adding much -- Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic -- for All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal. The team then made a nice addition in signing shooting guard Anthony Parker and made an offer for restricted free-agent small forward Jamario Moon that the Heat are not expected to match.
Contender or pretender? Contender. In fact, you'd have to call the Cavs the East favorites. Shaq isn't young, and the Cavs are still missing an offensive-minded power forward, but they've seriously upgraded their depth. More important, they've given themselves the in-the-paint option that they were sorely lacking in the postseason, and that will take pressure off LeBron James.
BOSTON CELTICS
What they did: The Celtics were able to persuade Rasheed Wallace to come aboard for a championship run, giving the roster a very strong and versatile veteran presence. Boston also boosted its depth with the low-risk, high-reward signing of Marquis Daniels. The fate of restricted free agent Glen Davis, however, remains undetermined.
Contender or pretender? Contender. There is the potential for a chemistry conflict in Boston, after point guard Rajon Rondo blossomed into stardom during the playoffs in the absence of Kevin Garnett. Now Garnett will be back, Wallace will be on board and the Celtics have to figure out how to balance Rondo's desire to play a bigger role against the desire of Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and, now, Wallace to lead this team to a championship. Trade rumors that surfaced around Rondo probably haven't helped that situation. But if coach Doc Rivers can smooth out the chemistry and if everyone stays healthy, this team is stacked.
ORLANDO MAGIC
What they did: The Magic added Vince Carter, but lost two-fifths of their starting five in doing so. Gone are Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee, two key elements of last year's Finals run. In letting Turkoglu go and getting Carter, the Magic may have done the better thing for the franchise's future, avoiding getting tied up in a long-term deal with Turkoglu while only committing to two years of Carter. Orlando made a bizarre decision in keeping backup center Marcin Gortat, a decent player who signed a full midlevel deal with Dallas. They improved their depth by adding forward/center Brandon Bass and small forward Matt Barnes.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. Orlando was probably right in not overpaying for Turkoglu, but he was an integral part of the way the Magic played and was the team's best clutch shooter in the postseason. Barnes is a suitable replacement for Lee, and the addition of Bass was a great move. But whether Carter can defend and be the playmaker that Turkoglu was is a big question, and until proven otherwise, the assumption has to be that he can't.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
What they did: The Wizards shuffled off their No. 5 pick and some spare parts to Minnesota for Randy Foye and Mike Miller, a move that made them the deepest team in the league. They also hired the best coach available, Flip Saunders.
Contender or pretender? Contender. If everyone is healthy -- and that's obviously the big question here -- the Wiz will start Gilbert Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood. Off the bench will be Miller, Foye, Nick Young, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee. Oh, and there's Mike James and Dominic McGuire. Saunders will have to figure out how best to deploy all these weapons, and cynics will point out that he doesn't have the greatest of playoff marks. But one thing about the meltdown in Detroit last year is this: It showed that Saunders should not have been blamed for the Pistons' failure to reach The Finals. The guy can coach, and he has plenty to work with.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
What they did: The Lakers let Trevor Ariza go but easily replaced him -- and then some -- with Ron Artest. The status of free agent Lamar Odom is yet to be determined, and losing him would be a blow to the team's depth. Still, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson will be back, so the Lakers are in good shape with or without Odom.
Contender or pretender? Contender. With Odom, the Lakers are the clear-cut favorite to repeat as champs. Without him, they're still the favorite, but just not so clear-cut.
DENVER NUGGETS
What they did: The Nuggets boosted their depth by trading for Arron Afflalo and rookie Ty Lawson, and also re-signed reserve forward Chris Andersen. They let shooting guard Dahntay Jones go, and could wind up losing backup point guard Anthony Carter and forward Linas Kleiza, too.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. The Nugs earned a spot in the West finals last year, and it's difficult to imagine them doing much better than that this year. They had decent luck with health and great years from Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, who will be 33 in September and has got to begin slowing down eventually. The Nuggets will be returning pretty much the same group as last year while the teams around them have added big-time pieces.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
What they did: So far, not nearly as much as expected. The Blazers have a significant slice of cap space (nearly $8 million) and attempted to use it on Hedo Turkoglu, who bolted for Toronto at the last moment, and on Paul Millsap, whose offer was matched by Utah. Now the Blazers are weighing whether to hang on to their cap space and use it next year, or add a significant piece -- such as Andre Miller, Ray Felton or Lamar Odom -- to help immediately.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. Even if the Blazers had landed Turkoglu or Millsap, the team would still need time to develop into a legitimate contender. Portland won 54 games last year but flopped in the first round of the playoffs against the Rockets. The Blazers have had a taste of the playoffs and now must build on that by winning a series or maybe even two. But they're not quite ready to compete for a championship.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
What they did: After a disappointing first-round exit, the Spurs made a deal for Bucks small forward Richard Jefferson, giving them another scoring option to go with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Given Ginobili's dodgy health and Duncan's advancing age, Jefferson figures to alleviate some pressure. Also joining the mix is power forward Antonio McDyess, whose savvy and toughness will be a big boost off the bench. The Spurs lucked into tough wide body DeJuan Blair in the second round of the draft.
Contender or pretender? Contender. The Spurs need to get back to being a dominant defensive team, and the one thing that may be missing is a shot-blocking center who can play next to Duncan. If they can get their defense in order, the Spurs have enough offensive firepower to keep up with the elites.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
What they did: After watching the Spurs and Lakers make big moves, the Mavs came up with a splashy deal of their own, trading for Shawn Marion from the Raptors. They gave up Antoine Wright and Devean George, but adding Marion is a huge boost. Dallas also re-signed Jason Kidd and added Quinton Ross, though they lost underrated contributor Brandon Bass and missed on restricted free-agent Marcin Gortat, whose offer was matched by Orlando.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. The Mavs are just shy of joining the ranks of the contenders. Their starting five is impressive, and Jason Terry off the bench is still the league's best sixth man. But not getting Gortat and losing Bass leaves some holes on the bench. Age, too, is a concern, as most of Dallas' principal players are in their 30s.
Sean Deveney
By no means has the NBA's offseason ended. We still need to know what will become of some key free agents, and some teams still have big decisions left to make. But, with just a little more than a week remaining in July, the league is easing into its recess period. Some of the elite teams have made big moves, and at this point, it's becoming clear which ones will have a chance at a championship next year and which are still on the outside.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS
What they did: The Cavs made the biggest move of the offseason, dumping a pair of players who were not adding much -- Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic -- for All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal. The team then made a nice addition in signing shooting guard Anthony Parker and made an offer for restricted free-agent small forward Jamario Moon that the Heat are not expected to match.
Contender or pretender? Contender. In fact, you'd have to call the Cavs the East favorites. Shaq isn't young, and the Cavs are still missing an offensive-minded power forward, but they've seriously upgraded their depth. More important, they've given themselves the in-the-paint option that they were sorely lacking in the postseason, and that will take pressure off LeBron James.
BOSTON CELTICS
What they did: The Celtics were able to persuade Rasheed Wallace to come aboard for a championship run, giving the roster a very strong and versatile veteran presence. Boston also boosted its depth with the low-risk, high-reward signing of Marquis Daniels. The fate of restricted free agent Glen Davis, however, remains undetermined.
Contender or pretender? Contender. There is the potential for a chemistry conflict in Boston, after point guard Rajon Rondo blossomed into stardom during the playoffs in the absence of Kevin Garnett. Now Garnett will be back, Wallace will be on board and the Celtics have to figure out how to balance Rondo's desire to play a bigger role against the desire of Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and, now, Wallace to lead this team to a championship. Trade rumors that surfaced around Rondo probably haven't helped that situation. But if coach Doc Rivers can smooth out the chemistry and if everyone stays healthy, this team is stacked.
ORLANDO MAGIC
What they did: The Magic added Vince Carter, but lost two-fifths of their starting five in doing so. Gone are Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee, two key elements of last year's Finals run. In letting Turkoglu go and getting Carter, the Magic may have done the better thing for the franchise's future, avoiding getting tied up in a long-term deal with Turkoglu while only committing to two years of Carter. Orlando made a bizarre decision in keeping backup center Marcin Gortat, a decent player who signed a full midlevel deal with Dallas. They improved their depth by adding forward/center Brandon Bass and small forward Matt Barnes.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. Orlando was probably right in not overpaying for Turkoglu, but he was an integral part of the way the Magic played and was the team's best clutch shooter in the postseason. Barnes is a suitable replacement for Lee, and the addition of Bass was a great move. But whether Carter can defend and be the playmaker that Turkoglu was is a big question, and until proven otherwise, the assumption has to be that he can't.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS
What they did: The Wizards shuffled off their No. 5 pick and some spare parts to Minnesota for Randy Foye and Mike Miller, a move that made them the deepest team in the league. They also hired the best coach available, Flip Saunders.
Contender or pretender? Contender. If everyone is healthy -- and that's obviously the big question here -- the Wiz will start Gilbert Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood. Off the bench will be Miller, Foye, Nick Young, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee. Oh, and there's Mike James and Dominic McGuire. Saunders will have to figure out how best to deploy all these weapons, and cynics will point out that he doesn't have the greatest of playoff marks. But one thing about the meltdown in Detroit last year is this: It showed that Saunders should not have been blamed for the Pistons' failure to reach The Finals. The guy can coach, and he has plenty to work with.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
What they did: The Lakers let Trevor Ariza go but easily replaced him -- and then some -- with Ron Artest. The status of free agent Lamar Odom is yet to be determined, and losing him would be a blow to the team's depth. Still, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson will be back, so the Lakers are in good shape with or without Odom.
Contender or pretender? Contender. With Odom, the Lakers are the clear-cut favorite to repeat as champs. Without him, they're still the favorite, but just not so clear-cut.
DENVER NUGGETS
What they did: The Nuggets boosted their depth by trading for Arron Afflalo and rookie Ty Lawson, and also re-signed reserve forward Chris Andersen. They let shooting guard Dahntay Jones go, and could wind up losing backup point guard Anthony Carter and forward Linas Kleiza, too.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. The Nugs earned a spot in the West finals last year, and it's difficult to imagine them doing much better than that this year. They had decent luck with health and great years from Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, who will be 33 in September and has got to begin slowing down eventually. The Nuggets will be returning pretty much the same group as last year while the teams around them have added big-time pieces.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
What they did: So far, not nearly as much as expected. The Blazers have a significant slice of cap space (nearly $8 million) and attempted to use it on Hedo Turkoglu, who bolted for Toronto at the last moment, and on Paul Millsap, whose offer was matched by Utah. Now the Blazers are weighing whether to hang on to their cap space and use it next year, or add a significant piece -- such as Andre Miller, Ray Felton or Lamar Odom -- to help immediately.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. Even if the Blazers had landed Turkoglu or Millsap, the team would still need time to develop into a legitimate contender. Portland won 54 games last year but flopped in the first round of the playoffs against the Rockets. The Blazers have had a taste of the playoffs and now must build on that by winning a series or maybe even two. But they're not quite ready to compete for a championship.
SAN ANTONIO SPURS
What they did: After a disappointing first-round exit, the Spurs made a deal for Bucks small forward Richard Jefferson, giving them another scoring option to go with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Given Ginobili's dodgy health and Duncan's advancing age, Jefferson figures to alleviate some pressure. Also joining the mix is power forward Antonio McDyess, whose savvy and toughness will be a big boost off the bench. The Spurs lucked into tough wide body DeJuan Blair in the second round of the draft.
Contender or pretender? Contender. The Spurs need to get back to being a dominant defensive team, and the one thing that may be missing is a shot-blocking center who can play next to Duncan. If they can get their defense in order, the Spurs have enough offensive firepower to keep up with the elites.
DALLAS MAVERICKS
What they did: After watching the Spurs and Lakers make big moves, the Mavs came up with a splashy deal of their own, trading for Shawn Marion from the Raptors. They gave up Antoine Wright and Devean George, but adding Marion is a huge boost. Dallas also re-signed Jason Kidd and added Quinton Ross, though they lost underrated contributor Brandon Bass and missed on restricted free-agent Marcin Gortat, whose offer was matched by Orlando.
Contender or pretender? Pretender. The Mavs are just shy of joining the ranks of the contenders. Their starting five is impressive, and Jason Terry off the bench is still the league's best sixth man. But not getting Gortat and losing Bass leaves some holes on the bench. Age, too, is a concern, as most of Dallas' principal players are in their 30s.