There is still plenty of time left for teams to make deals and sign players, but as summer ball begins, I’ll take my first crack at ranking each team so far this offseason.
1) Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs puzzled some by drafting Christian Eyenga when the logic would have been to go big, but then traded for Shaquille O’Neal the next day. I love it. They fill their void, and do so by acquiring (still) the most dominant big man in the game. Some say he’ll clog the lane and LeBron won’t get to the rim. On the contrary actually. Opposing bigs can’t leave to double team LeBron anymore. On defense, the guards won’t have to help down low, meaning Cleveland won’t give up a million threes, which doomed them in the Orlando series. In the long run, this is not a good trade, but Cleveland is going all-in for one run at the title. Drafting Danny Green was a stellar draft choice at 46 overall, and they resigned versitile backup forward Anderson Varejao too.
2) Minnesota Timberwolves – They weren’t kidding when they said they were going after all guards. The ‘Wolves get lucky when Oklahoma City passes on Ricky Rubio, then get Jonny Flynn and Ty Lawson later. The Rubio situation is still unresolved, so this #2 ranking hinges on him working out a buyout with his Spanish team. Still, Minnesota gets some electrifying young talent to build around big men Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. Trading Ty Lawson gave them another first round pick next year, and the forgotten draft pick – Wayne Ellington – is a sharpshooter who will get a lot of shots because of what Rubio and Flynn can do off the dribble. This team is putting all the pieces together to compete in the West.
3) New Jersey Nets – The team that went to the NBA Finals did so because of great shooting and defense, and now they have neither. Instead, the Nets now have three really good players in Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie. All three played 77 of the 82 games last year for Orlando, and together averaged roughly 25 points. Lee and Battie are both great sparkplugs off the bench that will help New Jersey immediately. Alston will likely start, averaging 12 points and five assists last season. They needed more depth and got it, and snagged physical Louisville forward Terrence Williams at #11. The Nets have to be thinking long-term with what they’ve done this offseason, and they should have the money to make a few more moves that would help with that goal.
4) Los Angeles Clippers – Not much to say here. The Clippers had the easiest decision of anyone in the draft: pick the best player first overall, then call it a night. That’s exactly what L.A. did by selecting Blake Griffin #1. It was the only pick for the Clippers, but the obvious one, and he should help. Looking at a roster with him, Baron Davis, Al Thornton, Zach Randolph, Eric Gordon and Marcus Camby, you would think this team would be better. Allen Iverson rumors are swirling too. Maybe next year is the breakout year.
5) San Antonio Spurs – I’m a huge Bruce Bowen fan, but giving him up for Richard Jefferson was a good move. The team needs offensive help and gets it from a guy averaging nearly 20 PPG. They also signed Antonio McDyess, who averaged a double double for Detroit last season. Throw in Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Michael Finley and Manu Ginobili and you have a star-studded roster. The only problem is a good one – the draft picks won’t get a lot of time. The Spurs did what so many teams should have done – draft DeJuan Blair. He’s a huge physical presence down low who is built well for the NBA. Jack McClinton should also contribute right away. This team should challenge the Lakers in the West this season.
6) Phoenix Suns – While the Shaq trade worked out great for Cleveland, it also worked for Phoenix. Shaq was a barricade in the Suns’ speedway of an offense. Instead they get Ben Wallace for defense, Sasha Pavlovic, a 2010 second round pick and cash. Wallace can still be a viable inside presence, and they still have Amar’e Stoudemire for now. The draft was also good. Earl Clark is a physical body who can help with rebounds and defense, yet still run the floor. Taylor Griffin can run too and could be a spark off the bench. They’ll have to play defense to have a chance to make the playoffs.
7) Dallas Mavericks - The Mavs resigned veteran point guard Jason Kidd, and while he isn’t the same Kidd who led the Nets to back-to-back East titles, he’s still a threat and a great decision maker. The big offseason trade was acquiring Shawn Marion. They had to give up Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George and Antoine Wright to do it, but it looks better now that the Grizzlies released Stackhouse. Marion averaged 13 points and nine rebounds last year and will fit in right away with Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki in the frontcourt. The draft was a bit questionable as they drafted B.J. Mullens, then traded him for Rodrigue Beaubois.
8) Sacramento Kings – I know that the trade with Chicago in February doesn’t count as “offseason,” but it got the ball rolling for a team that has been playoff-deprived since 2006 and had just 17 wins last season. Andres Nocioni is a hard worker who will be as aggressive as anyone and Drew Gooden was a nice addition too. The big move came with the fourth pick in the draft though, after both Memphis and Oklahoma City passed on the second best player. The Kings landed Tyreke Evans, the athletic 6′5″ guard from Memphis. Some say he’s not a typical point guard, but in the NBA that doesn’t even matter anymore. He can still handle the ball, and he’ll be able to use his sized to get to the rim. They traded Jeff Pendergraph to get Jon Brockman and cash, which to me is a great deal for Sacramento. Brockman is a bruiser inside, and the Kings will enjoy the extra money.
9) Houston Rockets – The Rockets better hope their draft picks come through, or they’ll be broke for nothing. Houston has had it tough this offseason, finding out that Yao Ming may never play again, then losing Ron Artest. However, the Rockets took advantage of the Lakers’ decision to sign Artest by snagging Trevor Ariza. Ariza showed in the playoffs that he has the potential to be a star in this league, and while he’s not Artest yet, it could work out beautifully for Houston down the road. Their draft picks were all good. Jermaine Taylor can score from anywhere on the floor, and I can’t believe Chase Budinger was still available as low as #44. Houston will take a step back next year, but they’re making the right moves for the future.
10) Toronto Raptors – There’s a lot to like about the active offseason Toronto has had. The DeMar DeRozan pick made sense at #9. They’ll get what they want out of him right away. The big four team deal involved them getting Hedo Turkoglu, who is only getting better and is about as clutch as anyone, especially in the 2009 playoffs. They did have to give up Marion, but got two solid bench players in Devean George and Antoine Wright. They also resigned Andrea Bargnani, their second leading scorer from a year ago. Now there’s talk of 2010 free agent Chris Bosh resigning. They are one big man away from being a real threat in the East.
11) Boston Celtics – Signing Rasheed Wallace was downright sick. Their starting lineup now consists of him, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. With Wallace and a healthy Garnett, they have the best team in the NBA. They may also have the biggest trash talking team with Wallace, Garnett and Pierce on the floor, but that’s okay because they’ll have a lot to brag about. The only reason they are as low as 11 is because they really didn’t even need Wallace with Kendrick Perkins and Glen ‘Big Baby” Davis. Now those two are coming off the bench. Lester Hudson was the second leading scorer in the nation last year and Boston got him at #58 with their only draft pick. Cleveland will be the only team that tests them this year in the East.
12) Denver Nuggets – Denver saw what Minnesota was doing in the draft and took advantage. The Nuggets traded a first round pick to the ‘Wolves to grab Ty Lawson, who will have an outstanding mentor in Chauncey Billups. Lawson is electrifying and can handle the point as well as anyone in the draft. Sending Sergio Llull to Houston is fine because he wouldn’t play in Denver anyway, and the Nuggets get cash in return. Other than those two draft moves, it’s been a quiet offseason for Denver. I’d like to see them go after a big guy – the Lakers dominated the interior in the West finals.
13) Detroit Pistons – If the Pistons really wanted a small forward, Austin Daye was the best left on the board at #15. Still, I think there were better players in the draft than him. They lose McDyess and Wallace to free agency, meaning two big guys who combine for 22 points need tom be replaced. I really like DeJuan Summers, but he doesn’t realy solve the problem of needing a big man. We’ll see what Charlie Villanueva can do, but Detroit really scored with the signing of Ben Gordon. He’ll provide instant help in the backcourt, and if nothing else, him, Richard Hamilton and Allen Iverson should be fun to watch.
14) Milwaukee Bucks - Richard Jefferson will be a huge loss, but they got a guy in Bruce Bowen who can realy play defense. He’s also a good leader for a team now filled with young potential. If Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut stay healthy (they played just 69 games combined last year), Milwaukee can still make some noise. I don’t know much about Brandon Jennings, but I’ve heard that he’s a special player. I really like Jodie Meeks at #41. His decision to go pro was a good one because he’ll see playing time in Milwaukee. Young guys like Luc Mbah A Moute and Joe Alexander should be able to fill in adequately for Charlie Villanueva.
15) Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers signed Ron Artest, giving them 16 points, four assists and one of the game’s best defenders. So why are they ranked so low? For starters, they didn’t need Artest. they could have resigned Trevor Ariza and probably still been the favorites in the East. Instead, Ariza is gone and a guy with a huge temper and not much love for Kobe Bryant now has to play alongside him. They traded Toney Douglas and Patrick Beverly in the draft to get cash, so now I’m wondering what their plan for the future is. Their only pick was a second rounder named Chinemelu Elonu who may never see the inside of the Staples Center. They’re loaded for now, but I worry about the future. They did get two future second round picks.
16) Washington Wizards – The Wiz didn’t get anyone in the draft. Instead they gave away Jermaine Taylor for cash and the #5 overall pick for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. Those two guys give Washington 26 points, and both should start. A healthy Gilbert Arenas will be a nice addition for Washington this season. I like the mentality of trying to win now, which is what they are trying to do. Still, that #5 pick would still look really good with a guy like Ricky Rubio or Jonny Flynn.
17) Philadelphia 76ers – The Sixers drafted Jrue Holiday #17, but really they had a number of options. Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson, Darren Collison and Eric Maynor were all still available, but you can’t go wrong with Holliday, who is probably the best of all of them when healthy. They needed backcourt help and got it, but their only offseason acquisition was a trade for sharpshooter Jason Kapono. Kapono is one dimensional, so I expect the Sixers to make another move before the season starts.
18) Chicago Bulls – The Bulls have been guard heavy with no true big man for some time, yet for the past few years they’ve drafted and traded for guards. This year they focused their draft on building a front line. James Johnson is good, how do you pass up DeJuan Blair for him? Blair is bigger, stronger and a better athlete. Taj Gibson is a nice second round pick but a little undersized. They lost Ben Gordon to free agency, and it’s a big loss, but hopefully Jannero Pargo will be able to bring a bit of range to the backcourt. The Bulls are one of the frontrunners for Carlos Boozer, which would significantly bump them up on this list.
19) Portland Trail Blazers – The Blazers had a pretty good draft. They moved up to take Victor Claver, and although there were better players available, I know they really liked Claver. I love Dante Cunningham, probably because of his performance in the NCAA tournament, and Patty Mills is a great sparkplug who can backup Brandon Roy. However, I think the Blazers got the short end of both trades they made. Pendergraph is not much better than Brockman, so losing Brockman, Rodriguez and cash to get him was too much. They also lost a 2010 second round pick to Dallas to move up two spots and take a guy (Claver) who may have still been available. Even so, this team could be scary if all the young guys can get on track early.
20) Oklahoma City Thunder – The Grizzlies’ miscue gave Oklahoma City two great players in Rubio and Evans to choose from. They chose neither. And while James Harden is a special player, they’ll regret passing on Evans and Rubio. They did get B.J. Mullens in a trade with Dallas in which they gave up Beaubois and a second round pick. He shined in Columbus, and even though I’m not a huge fan, he should be able to help them in the middle. Robert Vaden is durable. If they stay healthy, they’ll be a terrific young team to watch.
21) Charlotte Bobcats – I thought there were more talented players in the draft than Gerald Henderson at #12. The Bobcats passed on Clark, Blair, and a bunch of electrifying point guards. One nice thing about Henderson is that he has size and can play defense as well as anyone in the draft. They extended an offer to Raymond Felton, and the Derrick Brown pick was as good as it could be for #40. As far as Henderson goes, I’m wondering how much he’ll play if Felton and Raja Bell are both healthy and on the floor.
22) Indiana Pacers – I was a huge Tyler Hansbrough fan in college. But that was college. As aggressive and hard-working as he is, you have to wonder if he has the strength and athleticism to make it in the NBA. Apparently the Pacers thought so when they shocked everyone by drafting him #13 overall. He’ll probably play right away, bringing toughness and energy to the frontline if nothing else. I like A.J. Price, who really got his chance to lead when Jerome Dyson went down. They signed Dahntay Jones, who started 71 games for Denver last season but didn’t do a whole lot. The jury is still out on whether or not this was a good draft, but for now there’s too much skepticism.
23) New York Knicks – The Knicks had a decent draft, snagging versitile power forward Jordan Hill at #8, then trading for Toney Douglas at #29. Both are great players who I think will succeed in the NBA because of their athleticism. So why are they so low? They traded Quentin Richardson, a guy averaging 10 points and four rebounds, to get Darko Milicic. Even worse, they gave Memphis cash too. In other words, they think Milicic is better than Richardson which is funny, because I think he’s the most overrated #2 draft pick of all time. Why get him when you just drafted Hill? They have a long way to go to get into contention.
24) Utah Jazz – Somehow I have a feeling this ranking is too low, but I’m not a huge Eric Maynor fan and never have been. I think Lawson, Teague and Holiday are all better, but they were all taken, so the Jazz should have gone somewhere else with the #20 pick. Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Wayne Ellington were all still available, but instead they drafted a point guard who is going to spend his time on the bench behind Deron Williams. They resigned Mehmet Okur but lost Paul Millsap, and they’re likely to lose Carlos Boozer too. Goron Suton is a solid second rounder, but they had more pressing needs in the first round that wouldn’t have required them to draft a guy to sit behind their best player.
25) Golden State Warriors – Stephen Curry can run up and down the floor. He can run around the three point arc. He can shoot a college-ranged three pointer. That’s all well and good, but it won’t get him anywhere in the NBA. Yet the Warriors took him at #7, which may have been the worst first round pick because it was so high. He reminds me of J.J. Redick, and, just like Redick, he’ll have to change his game to see any kind of time. The Warriors had talked about trading him to Phoenix for Amar’e Staodemire, which would have been brilliant, but it fell through. Instead they boost their lineup by…trading Jamal Crawford for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton? Huh? So now they have Law, Claxton and Curry – three tiny guards with lots of quickness and not much else. Great job Warriors. Great job.
26) Orlando Magic – The Magic have carried over the disappointment from the NBA Finals right on into the offseason. First they resign Hedo Turkoglu, just to trade him. In the four team deal involving Dallas, Toronto and Memphis, the Magic got nothing but cash. Which is okay if they plan on spending it, but they haven’t. Then came the most lopsided trade of the offseason. Orlando gave up three key pieces from its East-winning team in Lee, Alston and Battie just get Vince Carter. Carter’s numbers have been slowly declining since 2004-2005, and he’s not the leader they need to get over that final hump. Without those four guys, and possibly without Marcin Gortot to back up Dwight Howard, it’ll be tough for Orlando to match what they did this past season. They had no draft picks either.
27) Atlanta Hawks – Jeff Teague was the best point guard left, so I don’t have a problem with the pick on its own. But then the Hawks resign Mike Bibby and acquire Jamal Crawford, meaning they now have a surplus of guards. So it looks like a bad pick now. Sergiy Gladyr is another no-namer to me, so we’ll see whether or not he proves to be better than McClinton and Hudson – the two shooting guards taken after him. I like thec intentions of Atlanta’s draft, but after being embarrassed by Cleveland in the playoffs, they aren’t showing an urgency to get any better.
28) Miami Heat – It’s hard to see how the Heat arec expecting to be any better with the offseason they’ve had. Wade, Chalmers and Beasley bring a good young nucleus, but Jermaine O’Neal is only getting older. They traded for Patrick Beverly, another guard, but gave up Marcus Thornton. I’d rather have Thornton. He played in college and is a better scorer, but the Heat wanted Beverly and got him. The Robert Dozier pick gives them a small forward who can play defense, but they’re still looking for inside help. O’Neal, Udonis Haslem and Jermaine O’Neal cannot matchup inside with Cleveland or Boston’s bigs, and Wade won’t be able to carry this team on his back. Expect the Heat to be first or second round losers again.
29) New Orleans Hornets – Darren Collison is undersized, and they already have the best point guard in the league. Yet the Hornets chose to draft a backup forv Chris Paul instead of looking for size. Then in the second round, New Orleans traded for Thornton, another guard who won’t make the team get any bigger. Without Tyson Chandler, it looks like David West is the only threat on the frontline, and I can think of a forward on just about every team in the West that should school him. Two years ago they were a two seed. Last year they didn’t make the playoffs. Shouldn’t that be a red flag?
30) Memphis Grizzlies – Their draft had so much potential, yet it couldn’t have gone worse in the first round for Memphis. First they pass on Harden, Evans, Rubio and Flynn to take Hasheem Thabeet #2. Thabeet provides little to no offense, and should have gone no higher than #6 in this draft. They had another first round dud when they passed on Blair, Cunningham and Pendergraph to take DeMarre Carroll. Carroll is a slightly more athletic version of Tyler Hansbrough, but without any fundamentals. Sam Young was a very good pick at #36, but it was too late by that point to give the Grizz any credit for a respectable draft. To make matters worse, they essentially rip off Dallas by giving up Greg Buckner for Jerry Stackhouse in the four team deal, then waive Stackhouse. This could be another long year for Memphis fans.
