Parsing Through All 30 NBA Teams for Tricks and Treats
By: Jeff McDonough
Memphis Grizzlies
Starting Lineup: Mike
Conley (PG), Courtney Lee (SG), Jeff Green (SF), Zach Randolph (PF), Marc Gasol
(C)
Bench: Tony Allen
(SG/SF), Matt Barnes (SF), Brandan Wright (PF/C), Vince Carter (SG/SF), Benoh
Udrih (PG), Jordan Adams (SG), Jarell Martin (PF)
Key Additions: Barnes,
Wright, Martin, Jeff Green (trade deadline), Luke Ridnour (traded from Orlando)
Key Losses: Kosta
Koufos, Nick Calathes, Luke Ridnour (traded to Charlotte)
Injury Concerns: Martin
(Foot, Slow cautious return)
Memphis has made the postseason five straight years, but
they have never been higher than the 4-Seed. This is a feisty bunch though and
they have made some serious noise in those playoffs, winning 27 games and
upsetting the Spurs, Clippers and Thunder. Marc Gasol has become the unquestioned best
center in the NBA and the Grizz re-upped the Spanish big man to a five-year,
$110 million max extension in the offseason. With Gasol, Allen, Randolph,
Conley, Lee and now Barnes on board, this team has been renown for its defense,
toughness and grit. The problems have been with whether they can generate
enough offense. They brought in Green via trade midway through last season, but
the fit has not been great and he has been rather inconsistent on offense,
while harming their defense when he’s on the court. I also don’t love coach Dave
Joerger.
Projected Win Total Over/Under: 50.5
Final Assessment: Just Under. This is still one of the ten best teams in the league. But in the West what does that get you? Opening the playoffs on the road. I think Barnes and Wright and nice role player additions, but it’s not enough to move the needle. NBA Analyst Jeff Van Gundy put it best with this team: “I think they can beat anybody in a series. But I don’t think they can win four series.” Agreed. This team can’t win it all. However, come playoff time, you gon’ be happy if you have to travel into Grind City? Me either.
Los Angeles Lakers
Starting Lineup: D’Angelo
Russell (PG), Jordan Clarkson (SG), Kobe Bryant (SF), Julius Randle (PF), Roy
Hibbert (C)
Bench: Nick Young
(SG/SF), Lou Williams (G), Brandon Bass (PF), Ryan Kelly (PF/C), Larry Nance
(F), Robert Sacre (C), Metta World Peace (SF)
Key Additions:
Russell, Hibbert, Williams, Bass
Key Losses:
Jeremy Lin, Ed Davis, Wesley Johnson, Carlos Boozer
Injury Concerns: Randle
(Leg, Missed 81 games, ready to go), Bryant (Shoulder, Missed final 39 games,
ready to go), Clarkson (Shoulder, banged up but playing)
Charles Barkley put it best a couple years
ago: “The window ain’t closed, the windows are boarded up like a hurricane
comin’. The Lakers are gone… I love Kobe Bryant. He’s gonna come back and
probably play pretty good. But the Lakers are gonna stink, bro. The Lakers
stink.” Kobe coming back is a constant theme, as Bryant has had a season-ending
injury three straight years, with a ruptured Achilles, fractured shin and torn
rotator cuff respectively. I would imagine he can still put up some points,
but the rest of his game — including his durability — might have fallen of a
cliff. The young nucleus of Russell, Randle and Clarkson is nice. At least
they’re attempting some sort of a rebuild. But they also have brought in middling
veterans Hibbert, Willaims and Bass — in addition to retaining Swaggy P on a
$21.5 million contract. Are they rebuilding with their youngsters, or gunning
for the 8-Seed with their aging vets? I don’t think they know themselves.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 29.5
Final Assessment:
Under. You look on paper and the squad doesn’t seem awful. Byron Scott is not a
good coach in 2015 however, and I don’t think he can put together a good game
plan and get the most out of these guys. There are also many injury concerns
and just a general feeling of bad luck. The Lakers had a streak of losing an
All-NBA center three years in a row — Bynum, Howard, Gasol — with nothing to
show for it. That has ended, although underrated big man Ed Davis — the only
member of last year’s team who had any aptitude for defense whatsoever — did bolt
in free agency this offseason as well. Could I see a best-case scenario where
they make a little noise because of the talent level of many of their guys?
Sure. But there are so many things that could easily go wrong, and I imagine
they will continue to, just like they have since 2011.
Los Angeles Clippers
Starting Lineup: Chris
Paul (PG), JJ Reddick (SG), Lance Stephenson (SG), Blake Griffin (PF), DeAndre
Jordan (C)
Bench: Paul
Pierce (F), Jamal Crawford (G), Josh Smith (F), Austin Rivers (G), Wesley
Johnson (SG/SF), Luc Mbah a Moute (F), Pablo Prigioni (PG)
Key Additions: Pierce,
Stephenson, Smith, Johnson, Cole Aldrich, Jordan (Kinda)
Key Losses: Matt
Barnes, Spencer Hawes, Glen Davis, Hedo Türkoğlu, Jordan (For about 48 hours)
Injury Concerns:
Crawford (Triceps, banged up but playing)
It seemed like it might be a bad offseason for LA’s other
team, when First-Team All-Defense center DeAndre Jordan agreed in principal to
a deal with the Mavericks. An emoji-battle and apparent hostage situation eventually led to the Clippers retaining
him. They also brought in Pierce, Smith and Stephenson to bolster their depth
on the wings. After years of having a paltry bench, that unit actually looks
promising now — and their starters have always been an elite group. Their depth in
the frontcourt is still concerning, especially with Jordan often being benched
when opposing teams employ the Hack-a-Shaq strategy on the career 41.6% free
throw shooter. Smith and Pierce could play some small-ball four with Griffin
shifting to the five. Due to their lack of cap space though, I was impressed
with their ability to improve their squad this offseason.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 56.5
Final Assessment:
Over. I think they could have the best record in the West. Golden State is
going to get everyone’s best shot as defending champions. The Spurs and Thunder
will want to give adequate rest to their stars and neither’s focus lies on
regular season win totals. They can’t afford to lose one of the stars for any
extended period of time — although who really can? — but none are particularly fragile
and they finally have a worthy bench to supplement some of those minutes. There
are some major personalities in tow here and a potential for clashes is the one
pitfall I could see keeping the Clips and Paul from making their first
conference finals.
Indiana Pacers
Starting Lineup: George
Hill (PG), Monta Ellis (SG), CJ Miles (SF), Paul George (PF), Ian Mahinmi (C)
Bench: Jordan
Hill (PF/C), Rodney Stuckey (G), Myles Turner (C), Chase Budinger (SF), Lavoy
Allen (PF), Solomon Hill (SF), Joe Young (G)
Key Additions:
Ellis, J. Hill, Turner, Budinger
Key Losses: David
West, Roy Hibbert, CJ Watson, Luis Scola, Chris Copeland
Injury Concerns:
George (Leg, Missed 76 games last year, ready to go), Turner (Ankle, Banged up
but playing)
Paul George had been making his claim as one of the best
players in the NBA before the brutal leg injury he sustained while playing for
Team USA. After returning for a few games at the end of last year, George looks
to make his full-time return. Team President Larry Bird has said he wants
George to play power forward, which gives me pause. A wing returning from a
gruesome leg fracture now taking on the burden of banging down low with the big
boys does not sound ideal. With Stephenson, West and Hibbert now elsewhere,
that great starting five that had once been a dominant force has been shattered.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 41.5
Final Assessment:
Under. Having George back — along with adding Ellis — is huge, but the Pacers
are a far cry from their teams that pushed Miami to the brink three straight
playoffs.
Houston Rockets
Starting Lineup: Ty
Lawson (PG), James Harden (SG), Trevor Ariza (SF), Dontas Motiejūnas (PF),
Dwight Howard (C)
Bench: Patrick
Beverley (PG), Corey Brewer (SF), Terrence Jones (PF), Clint Capela (C), Jason
Terry (G), Montrezl Harrell (PF), KJ McDaniels (SG/SF)
Key Additions: Lawson,
Harrell, Sam Dekker, Marcus Thornton, Brewer/McDaniels (trade deadline), Khloe Kardashian
Key Losses: Josh
Smith, Kostas Papanikolaou, Pablo Prigioni
Injury Concerns: Motiejūnas
(Back, Missed final 11 games, slow cautious return), Howard (Back, Missed 41
games last year, day-to day), Beverly (Wrist, Missed final 12 games, ready to
go)
Do not sleep on the Rockets. There are eight teams in the
NBA that I think are legitimate title contenders and then 22 others that are
almost guaranteed to not win the Finals. The Rockets are definitely in the
former group. Harden has always been a dominant offensive player with the
Rockets, but after constant internet shaming, he actually put in the work to be
a competent defender last year. Houston was the 2-Seed in the West and a Top-10
defense with Howard out half of the season. That is remarkable, and paired with
Harden’s per game statline of 27.4 pts, 7.0 ast, 5.7 reb, 1.9 stl and 0.7 blk, should’ve
earned Harden MVP honors. That is no dig at the amazing season Curry and the
Warriors had, but with Kerr, Thompson and Green aiding Curry, Harden’s one-man
show effort was more impressive to me.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 54.5
Final Assessment:
Over. This team is stacked. They are crazy deep. They have 14 actual,
functional NBA players. With Capella ascending as a young star, the Rockets can
feel free to put Howard on a minutes restriction to help him not only avoid injury,
but play at his healthy peak while he’s on the floor. Lawson coming on board — if he can get his shit together — could be the piece that puts them over the
edge. I am sincerely contemplating them for my out-of-the-box championship pick.
They shoot threes and drive to the rack for dunks and free throws. That’s
basketball in 2015. No team is more emblematic of the new age then the Rockets.
Golden State
Warriors
Starting Lineup: Steph
Curry (PG), Klay Thompson (SG), Harrison Barnes (SF), Draymond Green (PF),
Andrew Bogut (C)
Bench: Andre
Iguodala (SG/SF), Marreese Speights (PF/C), Shaun Livingston (PG), Leandro
Barbosa (G), Festus Ezeli (C), James Michael McAdoo (F), Brandon Rush (SG/SF)
Key Additions: Jason
Thompson, Kevon Looney (hurt)
Key Losses: David
Lee
Injury Concerns:
Bogut (Nose, banged up but playing), Kevon Looney (Hip, Likely out for season)
The Warriors just had one of the best seasons in NBA
history. People need to realize and acknowledge this. Their 67-15 record — in
an era where their conference is historically loaded, no less — is tied for the
sixth best all-time. Their margin of victory was over 10 points a game, a feat
only seven teams have ever accomplished. The teams in their company for those two accomplishments include the
Jordan Bulls, Bird Celtics, Kareem Bucks, Shaq-Kobe Lakers and a couple Wilt
Chamberlain squads. Golden State was tested a little in the playoffs, but went
16-5 and were never pushed to a Game 7 during their path to the title. Saying it
takes luck to win a championship should not stir up controversy. That is a
given. But do not let that bleed into discounting the 2015-16 Warriors in any
way, shape or form. They were a historically good team. Period. This season, they return all of
their young core. Will Curry and his youthful buddies improve even more with
experience, or will the Shakespearean aphorism “uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” prove true?
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 60.5
Final Assessment:
Under. Repeating is very hard. This is one of the best organizations in the NBA and
they’ve done an amazing job locking up all of these pieces at reasonable rates.
The fact that a 67-win championship team, in today’s day and age, only lost their
11th man David Lee in the offseason, but returns everyone else, is
insane. They should be the betting favorites to win it all, no question. That doesn’t
mean they necessarily will though. The clichés about defending a championship
generally hold up. People start to relax a little, the drive isn’t quite as
high over the course of an 82-game regular season, it’s hard for everything to
break right two years in a row and, perhaps most importantly, you are now the
hunted. You get every team’s best shot every night because they know they’re
taking on the champs. But don’t forget what Omar said…
Detroit Pistons
Starting Lineup: Reggie
Jackson (PG), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (SG), Ersan İlyasova (SF), Marcus Morris
(PF), Andre Drummond (C)
Bench: Brandon
Jennings (G), Stanley Johnson (SF), Jodie Meeks (SG), Aaron Baynes (PF/C),
Steve Blake (PG), Reggie Bullock (SG/SF), Anthony Tolliver (PF)
Key Additions: İlyasova,
Morris, Johnson, Baynes, Blake
Key Losses: Greg
Monroe, Caron Butler, Tayshaun Prince, Josh Smith (trade deadline)
Injury Concerns:
Jennings (Achilles, Missed final 38 games, out until December), Caldwell-Pope (Foot,
banged up but playing)
I think Stan Van Gundy is a great coach. He still needs to
prove himself in a front office role. They jettisoned erstwhile star Josh Smith
last season, but footed the bill for the remaining $35 million on his contract.
Yikes. They lost perhaps their best player in free agency. And finally, they
gave an $80 million contract to Reggie Jackson, who’s about the 18th
best point guard in the NBA. Not really lovin’ how all those move looks all together.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 34.5
Final Assessment:
Under. Maybe Stan will rally the troops around Drummond, who is a budding star
at center, and they’ll sniff the Eastern Conference playoffs. A more likely
scenario is that this is another below average team that isn’t quite bad enough
to fall to the top of the lottery.
Denver Nuggets
Starting Lineup: Emmanuel
Mudiay (PG), Gary Harris (SG), Danilo Gallinari (SF), Kenneth Faried (PF), Jusuf
Nurkić (C)
Bench: Wilson
Chandler (SF), Jameer Nelson (PG), Randy Foye (SG), Joffrey Lauvergne (PF/C),
Darrell Arthur (PF), Will Barton (SG), JJ Hickson (PF/C)
Key Additions: Mudiay,
Mike Miller, Head Coach Mike Malone
Key Losses: Ty
Lawson, Head Coach Brian Shaw
Injury Concerns: Nurkić
(Knee, Out through November), Wilson (Hip, Week-to-week), Mudiay (Hamstring,
banged up but playing)
Similar outlook here to the Pistons. I think Malone is an improvement
at head coach. Losing Lawson for nothing is rough, but it’s hard to blame them too much after his off the court issues. If Mudiay is NBA ready and Gallinari is back
healthy, they might be a lot of fun to watch, running’ and gunnin’ in that
rocky mountain altitude as defenses attempt to catch their breath.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 26.5
Final Assessment:
Under. The depth that they once had is just no longer there. They are a couple
injuries away from being deep in the lottery. Any stumble out of the gate, and
I think they’ll be selling off any useable parts. On paper, this roster is better
than 26 wins, but taking the under is the safer bet.
Dallas Mavericks
Starting Lineup: Deron
Williams (PG), Wes Matthews (SG), Chandler Parsons (SF), Dirk Nowitzki (PF),
Zaza Pachulia (C)
Bench: Devin
Harris (G), Raymond Felton (PG), Jeremy Evans (F), JJ Barea (PG), Charlie
Villanueva (PF/C), Dwight Powell (PF/C), Salah Mejri (C)
Key Additions: Matthews,
Williams, Pachulia, JaVale McGee (C)
Key Losses: Tyson
Chandler, Monta Ellis, Rajon Rondo, Al-Farouq Aminu, Amar'e Stoudemire, Richard
Jefferson
Injury Concerns:
Parsons (Knee, Missed end of season, day-to-day), McGee (Leg, day-to-day), Matthews
(Achilles, Missed final 22 games, ready to go)
Oh, poor Mavericks. Their run to the 2011 title was so
magical. And it’s been nothing but bad break after bad break since. I was impressed
by their team last year in the first half. Their offense was on a near-historic
pace. Point guard was their one weakness, so they decided to bring in Rajon
Rondo and it was an unqualified disaster. He was supposed to improve their defense, but
didn’t, and he completely wrecked their offense. He’s gone now, but so are the
integral Ellis and Chandler. Even if they had gotten DeAndre Jordan like they
thought they did, I don’t think this team would be a real contender. After not
only missing out on him, but missing out any other major free agents with him
stringing them along, this roster is depleted.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 37.5
Final Assessment:
Under. They tried to rebound and bring in some guys off the scrap heap, but
this is not a playoff team. It wouldn’t shock me to see their season go the way
of the Knick last year. They try to be respectable and compete even though they
don’t have the horses. Then when it's clear it ain’t happening, Dirk has some
nagging “injury” that sends him to IR, ala Melo last year. Poor, poor Dirk.
Cleveland
Cavaliers
Starting Lineup: Kyrie
Irving (PG), Iman Shumpert (SG), LeBron James (SF), Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov
(C)
Bench: JR Smith
(SG), Tristan Thompson (PF/C), Mo Williams (G), Anderson Varejão (C), Matthew
Dellavedova (G), James Jones (F), Joe Harris (SG)
Key Additions:
Williams, Richard Jefferson, Sasha Kaun
Key Losses: Mike
Miller, Kendrick Perkins, Shawn Marion, Brendan Haywood
Injury Concerns:
Shumpert (Wrist, Out until 2016), Irving (Knee, Missed end of season, out
through November), Love (Shoulder, Missed end of season, ready to go), Varejão
(Achilles, Missed final 55 games, ready to go), Mozgov (Knee, banged up but
playing), James (Back, banged up but playing)
The Cavs took a little time to find themselves last year,
but when they added former Knicks Mozgov, Shumpert and Smith at the deadline,
they took off. In the playoffs, they lost both Love and Irving to injuries.
They almost seemed unaffected. They challenged the — as I’ve said — all-time
great Warriors in the Finals. LeBron had to carry the offense himself, but the
defense got much better. That was a problem I always thought this group
would have. Irving and Love have never showed the capability or willingness to
be anything other than terrible defenders. It’s why I was against the Andrew
Wiggins trade. Wiggins could’ve been LeBron’s Scottie Pippen. He’s an athletic
defender on a rookie contract, who could’ve grown alongside LeBron’s mentorship.
Instead they gave up Wiggins, Anthony Bennett and another first-rounder for
Love, who had a down season and got hurt. Then they had to beg him to stay for
a $113.2 million contract. Having all that said, Cleveland is still stacked.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 56.5
Final Assessment:
Under. The early season injuries have piled up, so I think it’ll take some time
for them to hit their stride. That will obviously effect their win total. I don’t
think they view anyone in their East as a threat, nor are they worried about
having home court advantage, so I don’t think they really care what seed they
get come playoff time. They are still overwhelming favorites in the East. They
retained their entire core and added a couple veterans for depth. LeBron
apparently has a nagging back injury and has looked like an aging Larry Bird,
laying on the court to ease his pain. That should worry Cavs fans more than
anything else. If the King is no longer the King, the walls will come crumbling
down.
Chicago Bulls
Starting Lineup: Derrick
Rose (PG), Jimmy Butler (SG), Mike Dunleavy (SF), Nikola Mirotić (PF), Pau
Gasol (C)
Bench: Joakim
Noah (C), Taj Gibson (PF), Tony Snell (SF), Aaron Brooks (PG), Doug McDermott
(SF), E’Twaun Moore (SG), Kirk Hinrich (G)
Key Additions:
Bobby Portis, Head Coach Fred Hoiberg
Key Losses: Head
Coach Tom Thibodeau
Injury Concerns:
Dunleavy (Back, Out through November), Rose (Orbital bone, ready to go; Also
perpetual leg issues)
The talk around Coach Tom Thibodeau is interesting. He was
able to execute an excellent defensive system and even when stars got injured,
the team always over-performed. He was once viewed as one of the very best coaches
in the league. In recent years, people began to question his prowess because of
his caveman philosophy with how he managed his rotations and players’ minutes.
Was he partly to blame for some of these injuries? Fred Hoiberg will come in
and try to reinvent their offense. They still have so many stars, but are some
of them shells of their former shells? Will Jimmy Butler be unleashed and be
the NBA’s new superstar to offset this? Is it at all surprising the Bulls
section is the one with all the question marks?
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 49.5
Final Assessment:
What the Hell, Over. Fool me three times… It’s the same story as so many
recent years in Chicago. It all looks good on paper, but something always seems
to go wrong. Maybe Hoiberg will be a breath of fresh air, but I wasn’t watching
a ton of Iowa State games to know anything about the dude. They are crazy deep
at big man. I don’t love the idea of starting the two euros together, for
defensive reasons. I’d leave it as Noah and Pau, with Mirotić and Gibson
spelling them. Starter and bench distinctions shouldn’t matter though. Distribute the
minutes equally, with some fluctuation based on health, matchups and gameflow. Bobby
Portis is apparently a player too, so there’s another front court asset for
these guys. This is a contender. I am not willing to rule out a Finals run
because of all that they have going for them. But I ain't betting on ‘em. There is
so much that can, and usually does, go awry. But 50 wins and a place amongst
the East’s best teams is not a far limb on which to be.
Charlotte Hornets
Starting Lineup: Kemba
Walker (PG), PJ Hairston (SG), Nic Batum (SF), Marvin Williams (PF), Al
Jefferson (C)
Bench: Cody
Zeller (PF/C), Jeremy Lin (G), Frank Kaminsky (PF/C), Spencer Hawes (PF/C),
Jeremy Lamb (SG), Brian Roberts (G), Aaron Harrison (SG)
Key Additions: Batum,
Kaminsky, Lin, Hawes, Lamb, Tyler Hansbrough, Luke Ridnour (traded from
Memphis)
Key Losses: Lance
Stephenson, Gerald Henderson, Noah Vonleh, Mo Williams, Bismack Biyombo,
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (injury), Luke Ridnour (traded to OKC)
Injury Concerns:
Kidd-Gilchrist (Shoulder, Likely out for season), Lamb (Ankle, Day-to-day)
The MKG injury is devastating. He’s wreaks havoc on D and
was looking to take that next step. Also, picking Kaminsky over Winslow looks
puzzling. They reportedly turned down a mega-offer from the Celtics for
that pick as well. He’s a seven-footer who can shoot and play D, so maybe that’ll
translate to the NBA. It remains to be seen, but I’d rather have Winslow.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 34.5
Final Assessment:
Over. I like the defensive system that Steve Clifford runs and he’s gotten a
decent amount out of this bunch in the past. Injuries were the only thing that
kept them from the playoffs last year. Well, that and Lance. They’re in that hunt for the 8-Seed
discussion, but will not hit .500. On the bright side, they have ascended to having maybe the best
logo, uniform and court design combination in the league.
Brooklyn Nets
Starting Lineup: Jarrett
Jack (PG), Wayne Ellington (SG), Joe Johnson (SF), Thad Young (PF), Brook Lopez
(C)
Bench: Bojan Bogdanović
(SG/SF), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (SF), Andrea Bargnani (PF), Thomas Robinson
(PF), Shane Larkin (PG), Donald Sloan (G), Markel Brown (SG),
Key Additions: Ellington,
Hollis-Jefferson, Bargnani, Robinson, Larkin
Key Losses: Mason
Plumlee, Deron Williams, Mirza Teletović, Alan Anderson
Injury Concerns:
Jack (Hamstring, Day-to-day), Bargnani (Hamstring, Day-to-day)
Good gosh. The Nets used to be so fun. They were the new mega-spenders
with all these big additions. Even after the shine started to wear off, they at least gave us Paul freakin’ Pierce. Now? Woof! I could go all season without watching
a Nets game and not bat an eye. The Islanders are the only team I’m interested in watching at Barclays Center
this season.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 28.5
Final Assessment:
Sigh… Over. I mean they can probably get to 29, right? They somehow sleepwalked
into the 8-Seed last year with a minimum amount of effort. This isn’t a playoff
team though. And it’s just no fun. All of that money and all of those veterans
and all of that Jay-Z posturing, and what did it get them? Hardly anything. And
even that era is definitively over. In the infamous words of Eddie Martel, “You’re not even a has-been. You’re a never-was.”
Boston Celtics
Starting Lineup: Marcus
Smart (PG), Avery Bradley (SG), Jae Crowder (SF), David Lee (PF), Tyler Zeller
(C)
Bench: Isaiah
Thomas (PG), Evan Turner (SG/SF), Jared Sullinger (PF), Amir Johnson (PF),
Kelly Olynyk (C), Jonas Jerebko (PF/C), Terry Rozier (PG)
Key Additions: Lee,
Johnson, Rozier, RJ Hunter, Isaiah Thomas (trade deadline)
Key Losses: Brandon
Bass, Gerald Wallace, Phil Pressey, Rajon Rondo (trade deadline), Jeff Green
(trade deadline)
Injury Concerns: Hunter
(Illness, Day-to-day)
I love this Celtics team, as I’ve said many times. Here’s
what I said about them in my column on tanking and the 76ers:
The rebuild in Boston is one with which I’ve had no qualms.
They unloaded two aging superstars to the Nets at exactly the right time, while
procuring three first round picks and a pick swap (the right to swap first
round picks with Brooklyn if their pick is better). And the Nets are no
contender after getting fleeced in this deal, so the picks could be good. They
acquired point guard Isaiah Thomas — no, not that Isiah Thomas — for free-agent-to-be Marcus Thornton and the Cavaliers’ first
round pick this coming year …you think that’s gonna be a high one? Thomas,
while not a Hall of Fame point guard like his namesake, is an explosive scorer,
who spurred the Celtics to a playoff run with the second best record in the
East after his acquisition. While not a star, his style involves driving to the
hoop and making threes — isn’t that the perfect offense for a guard in 2015? —
and I truly believe he could be the sixth man on a championship team. Oh yeah,
and Thomas has three years and $19 million left on his contract in an offseason
where Reggie Jackson got paid $80 million. And no, not that Reggie Jackson either. This is what a smart trade looks like. They acquired
a talented player, with years left under contract, which happens to be
affordable, while giving up nothing in return. The only crime of Celtics’ GM
Danny Ainge during this rebuild is that he hired too good of a coach to tank.
Brad Stevens, who
took mid-major Butler to the NCAA Championship game in consecutive years,
implemented his system, while highlighting his players’ skillsets and took this
ragtag group of players to the East 7-seed. They somehow got better AFTER they
traded their two best player in Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green, which were also
great trades at the right time by the masterful Ainge. THIS is what a good
rebuild looks like. The GM acquires assets while the coach develops the talent.
Now there’s still work to be done. Boston has twelve role players, good
players, guys who could be the fifth-to-tenth best players on a championship
contender. The problem is that the Celtics are still missing their best two
players, but if/when Ainge figures that out, Stevens has these guys ready. Only
the GM/Coach duos in San Antonio and Miami have a claim to being better than
what they got going on up in Boston.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 42.5
Final Assessment:
Over. No, they haven’t gotten their superstar yet, but I believe in Stevens.
They have a lot of guys who can play and he’ll figure how to turn them into 4-6
seed. And while he’s teaching the guys how to play, Ainge will always be
scouring the league for ways to make them better.
Atlanta Hawks
Starting Lineup: Jeff
Teague (PG), Kyle Korver (SG), Kent Bazemore (SF), Paul Millsap (PF), Al
Horford (C)
Bench: Dennis Schröder
(PG), Tiago Splitter (C), Tim Hardaway (SG), Thabo Sefolosha (SG/SF), Mike
Scott (F), Lamar Patterson (SG/SF), Mike Muscala (PF/C)
Key Additions: Hardaway,
Splitter, Atrocious Uniforms
Key Losses: DeMarre
Caroll, Pero Antić, Elton Brand, Mirrors
Injury Concerns:
Sefolosha (Leg, Missed final 35 games, day-to-day)
So we’ve reach our final spot. The biggest thing of note here is
how garish their new unis are. I mean, look at these! The highlighter yellow, the triangles, the font… Just
no. And apparently they’re planning on mixing and matching different colored jerseys
and shirts, which makes it all the worse. I’m rooting for them to be bad just
so I don’t have to watch many of their games.
Projected Win Total
Over/Under: 49.5
Final Assessment:
Slightly Under. They are no longer an elite team in the Eastern Conference. Carroll’s
departure will hurt. Plus, it’s frankly amazing they won 60 games last year. Mike
Budenholzer has done a great job of setting up the Hawks as “Spurs East,” but
it’s really “Spurs Light.” A system is great, but the Spurs also have three of the
best 20 players in the league. The Hawks did have a league-best four All-Stars
last season to be fair — and all of them will be back. They’re still a playoff
team and it wouldn’t shock me to see them get a home court series in the
playoffs. Last year was their peak though. They are not championship material.
And those uniforms are repugnant.
That wraps up my preview of ALL 30 teams for the 2015-2016
NBA season. I can’t wait for people to fact check my predictions when they blow
up in my face! All win projections came from Vegas Insider the day before the
season began. You’ve seen my guesses for the regular season, now time for the
playoffs. In the East, fuck it, I’m going with the Heat. I think the potential
for greatness is truly there. So much of what’s happening in Cleveland troubles
me. I don’t know if LeBron’s back will hold up. Did it literally give out from
figuratively carrying them? Cleveland’s championship drought grows by another
year. In the West, San Antonio is my choice. A lot of the teams intrigue me,
but the Spurs are just loaded. They won’t die. They just get stronger like the
White Walkers from Game of Thrones. So
Heat vs. Spurs in the Finals, who wins out? Well, I got some bad news for the
Heat… Winter is coming. Spurs in 5.
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