http://www.sacbee.com/content/sports/basketball/kings/story/10800843p-11718843c.html NBA Beat: Grading the offseason Heads of the class to class clowns By Joe Davidson -- Bee Staff Writer Published 2:15 am PDT Sunday, September 19, 2004 In the NBA, teams often try to position themselves for a title run, or a run to respectability, by making wholesale changes in the offseason. Or at least that seemed to be the theme this summer with a flurry of trades, free-agent defections and signings. Here's a report card: A grades Denver Nuggets - The acquisition of Kenyon Martin alone to an already effective and rising team makes this a great haul. Martin, the All-Star forward from New Jersey, was brought in for three players not even in the league - draft picks. Miami Heat - Bringing Shaquille O'Neal to South Beach makes the Heat an Eastern Conference title contender. He's trimmed down, and he's motivated, not always the case in Los Angeles. Houston Rockets - With Tracy McGrady flanking Yao Ming, do the Rockets field the next Kareem and Magic with goodwill and looming titles? Or is it Kobe and Shaq with bad blood (and yes, a few titles)? Utah Jazz - After just missing the playoffs, the Jazz beefed up by acquiring bangers Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, and they drafted Kirk Snyder and Kris Humphries. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs didn't have to bring in a host of players, just one critical shooter in Brent Barry. They re-signed Manu Ginobili and may still land Karl Malone. Minnesota Timberwolves - The Wolves ensured that they will be title contenders by re-signing key cogs Fred Hoiberg, Troy Hudson and Trenton Hassell. Detroit Pistons - Subtle changes could make the defending champs the favorite again. They added scoring forward Antonio McDyess, re-signed Rasheed Wallace and dealt Corliss Williamson and his contract to Philadelphia for Derrick Coleman. B grades Orlando Magic - Top pick Dwight Howard has greatly impressed assistant coach Clifford Ray, and the acquisition of Houston starters Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato should thrust the Magic back into the postseason. Phoenix Suns - They could be the league's most prolific scoring team after adding Steve Nash and Quentin Richardson to a stable of fliers. They still need a big man, however. Dallas Mavericks - The Mavs finally landed a legitimate center in Erick Dampier. Draft pick Devin Harris and veterans Jerry Stackhouse and Jason Terry will be factors, prompting coach Don Nelson to say he has never been more excited about a Dallas team. Philadelphia 76ers - They could reach the playoffs with a revamped lineup that includes Williamson, Kevin Ollie, Kedrick Brown and Brian Skinner. Memphis Grizzlies - They kept Stromile Swift, and the deepest team in the league became a little deeper by signing forward Brian Cardinal. C grades Charlotte Bobcats - As with any expansion team, the losses will mount. The NBA draft produced Emeka Okafor, and the expansion draft brought in Gerald Wallace and Melvin Ely. Classy veteran Steve Smith was brought in for leadership and his outside shot. Atlanta Hawks - Upgrades include Antoine Walker, Al Harrington, Jon Barry and Kenny Anderson. There's talent but also a ton of mileage. Chicago Bulls - The draft provides hope in Ben Gordon, Chris Duhon and Luol Deng. Kings - Their moves were limited because of the salary cap, and depth might be a concern. They drafted guards Kevin Martin and Ricky Minard, and signed former Jazz center Greg Ostertag and rookie free agent David Bluthenthal. Washington Wizards - Antawn Jamison, Anthony Peeler and Samaki Walker are in, though Walker may have nothing left. Indiana Pacers - The team that reached the Eastern Conference final made only one move, the swap of Harrington to Atlanta for Stephen Jackson, who can shoot and provide athleticism. Los Angeles Lakers - At first glance, O'Neal's loss seems F-minus material. But he might have been uninterested and lethargic had he remained, and Kobe Bryant might have signed elsewhere. The Lakers brought in Lamar Odom. Vlade Divac is an elite big-man passer, and they could still retain Malone. New Orleans Hornets - The frontcourt is deeper and more athletic with newcomers Chris Andersen and Rodney Rogers. Top pick J.R. Smith has exceptional potential. New York Knicks - Jamal Crawford and Jerome Williams help - and they finally got rid of Dikembe Mutombo's big salary. Portland Trail Blazers - They drafted Sebastian Telfair and brought in Nick Van Exel, who is superb when healthy. D grades Toronto Raptors - Stability is a rumor with another coach and general manager in place. The big move was to sign Rafer Alston to run the team. Cleveland Cavaliers - The loss of Boozer was a serious blow, with Cleveland getting zip in return. The Cavs did bring in steady guard Eric Snow. Seattle SuperSonics - The most significant move was drafting 7-foot prep star Robert Swift, whose upside is dulled by zero experience. Golden State Warriors - They doled out nearly $80 million to sudden starters Adonal Foyle and Derek Fisher, never mind that neither started last season. But elderly and creaky Dale Davis and Eduardo Najera provide interior toughness. Boston Celtics - The draft included three promising rookies; the trade for Gary Payton could be a boost, if he shows up. Los Angeles Clippers - They made a futile run at Bryant, then let Richardson bolt to Phoenix and acquired Kerry Kittles to replace him. Forever residents in Class D. Milwaukee Bucks - There is not much here to jolt the rest of the East. They re-signed Toni Kukoc and brought in Mo Williams and Mike James to shore up the backcourt. F grade New Jersey Nets - Remember the Nets? NBA finalists in 2002 and 2003? They traded Martin for not a single active player, traded away Kittles and didn't re-sign Rogers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I like how they are predicting a few champioships for the Rockets When did the Griz resign Swift? I think the Griz were more deserving of a C than a B Giving the Wolves an A for resigning Hoiberg, Hassell, and Hudson is too high a grade
Too high- Minnesota Detroit (both teams had positive offseasons, but no dramatic changes were made) Orlando (the timing of the McGrady trade was awful, and their addition of Tony Battie, who has struggled since undergoing surgery, leaves me scratching my head) Dallas (unless they make a further move, their roster is in bad shape) Lakers (will not make playoffs IMO) Sacramento (for obvious reasons) Denver (it's never a good idea to yield three first-rounders in any trade) Too low : Golden State (the Foyle signing was outrageous, but I think that they made out nicely in dumping Dampier for draft picks, esp. in light of his 7-year, $73 million contract) Boston (added a highly-touted coach, drafted well, re-signed a starting-quality center who was slated to go elsewhere and shipped out three players they didn't want for a first rounder & Payton) Washington (the most improved team in its division)
Any offseason in which the Mavs lose Steve nash can't be considered a B... especially for what they got back.
This one, I don't get: Their draft and trade will take them from being the worst team in the league to a playoff berth after a single season... and they only get a B?!? Would they need to go straight from worst team to champions to get an A?
Well, on the flipside, anytime you deal away a top 5 player in the league, it's tough to say your offseason was an 'A.' Minny should have no better than a C+ or B- Dallas is okay with a B, simply for landing a legit center for scrap. Lakers should have been C- or D+ at best, seeing as what they got back for O'Neal was borderline insulting. Bos is INC until we see if their rookies really pan out. Until then, giving away Mihm for a has-been locker room cancer looks like poor managment. Was is INC until we see how the Jamison-K Brown situation works. Jamison through endless fits in Golden State when they plugged him in as a 3. Evan
It doesn't matter WHO you trade away as long as your team gets better, and besides the 2 guard spot the Magic are better at every single position. And it's not like Cuttino's a severe downgrade, he's just not at T-Mac's level...improving every single position (and changing your entire roster in 3 months) should count as an A
This makes little sense: Houston, grade A for getting TMac. Orlando, grade B for losing Tmac. If C is average, the only way for Houston to make an A is for Orlando to make a F in the trade. If they think Howard takes the grade from F to B himself, they r crazy. Especially when Okafor only gives the Bobcats a C. There is no such thing as chemistry and personel fit in this equation either, they are unknown. Conclusion: Another beat writer paid by the number of words he typed.
The grade doesn't hinge on who got T-Mac, it hinges on who will get better. While Orlando lost the best player in the deal, they also lost a malcontent and their team got better in almost every position besides T-Mac. Some of you guys hate Francis so much it pisses you off that there are writers who like what Orlando did. Do you honestly think Orlando will win only 21 games again. They are likely to make the biggest improvement in the NBA considering how sorry they were. There are trades that actually benefit all parties.
You don't understand. If what you said is true, then Houston got worse at almost every position besides T-mac ... , Houston should not get an A then. There is no need to bring stuffs like hates into the debate. Why must you assume that? If a writer said bull, what is wrong with saying he is bull. I could care less if he'd said Orlando scored a B or an A, if they did the Rockets could not have scored so high. I doubt they will make the biggest improvement, but even if they are, what is so great about becoming bad from being sorry? Yes, there are trades that benefit all parties. This one is marginal. Orlando got rid of a malcontent? There are 2 sides to that story. Stevie did not jump up and down about going to Orlando either, so we will see who the malcontent will be once things get ugly.
No I do understand. What you don't understand is that the trade isn't the only move these teams have made. So even if one team has to benifit and one has to suffer from the trade which is a simplistic view at best, that still isn't the only moves the teams made. Everyone's opinion is affected by how they feel about these players. If they make the playoffs, which most NBA people think they will, its not even debatebale who made the biggest improvement, given they were the worst team. No matter how you qualify it. One player has a history of turning coat and blaming all of his teams' problems on teamates and managment whether Rockets fans choose to ignore facts or not. I think we know who the malcontent is.
I definitely think that the Magic did a good deal. If Steve and company can make the playoffs then this offseason would have been a rousing success for them. There are such things as a trade that helps both teams. And even though we got a good deal, the Magic also upgraded. Just in different ways. They got more depth and NBA caliber starters, and we got a true superstar that figures to mix better with our current superstar. Basketball trades aren't a zero sum game. Sometimes guys just need a different situation in order to flourish.
Additionally, it is not just about talent acquired/lost. They were not the least talented team, they were just the worst. Practically the same team the year before made it to the playoffs and almost to the second round. So, a change was needed, it happened, and their team will most likely improve. The Rockets also improved based on their team needs and position in the standings...so it makes sense for the grades both teams got.
Consider me one of the people not convinced that the Magic is going to be a playoff team. Mobley/Francis is not going to be much of an improvement over T-Mac/Lue of last year. Cato/Howard is probably a slight improvement over DeClerq/J. Howard last year. And Garrity will be coming off his injury this year. Overall, maybe +5 at best in wins from the upgrade in talent. Heck, an extra 10 wins still won't make them a contender. Obviously Dwight Howard's play will be hugely influential. But the guy's not Lebron, and not going to put up big numbers as a rookie from HS. The only way this team can make the playoffs is if last year's team was severely underachieving based on talent. It's a possibility, given their 3-year playoff run in the previous seasons. But they also replaced the coach who took them to those playoffs. Unless some other Eastern conference teams tank, I don't see them making the playoffs.
Like I said, if you think Howard would take them to the promise land, you will be disappointed. If NO was still in the West, I bet you the house that Orlando won't make it. As it it, I still think they don't but it is a bit easier now for them. I will bet u $50 to Clutch's tip jar that they won't play 50% ball.
They don't need Howard to take them to the playoffs. The fact you choose to ignore is that the Magic made it to the playoffs just the year before. Francis and Mobley have already proved they can have winning seasons without much help from the front court, and that was in the Western Conference. And Francis will have a frontcourt that suits his talents. And that doesn't even take into account what Grant Hill could bring if he sees any playing time. The only teams in the East that are definitely better than the Magic right now are Detroit, Indiana, and Miami. New Jersey has gotten considerably worse, Boston, New York, and Milwaukee made the playoffs with losing records and New Orleans is in the West. Those are the teams that made the playoffs last year in the East and only three of them are clearly better than the Magic. I'll take your bet. That's easy money.
Using your logic the team that would improve is the Magic and the team that would get worse is the Rockets. You replaced major pieces of the worst team with major pieces of a playoff team and the worst team shouldn't get better. But the Rockets should get better because they replaced major pieces from their team with guys who were the worst team in the league. That doesn't make sense at all.
1) I do remember that the Magic went to the play-off the year before last. That is the fact that Stevie's followers ignore when they bashed the trade for TMac, not me. 2) You are also right about Jerseys took themselves out of the play-offs as well as NO. These 2 facts said if Orlando makes the play-offs this year, it does so "not entirely" because of these ex-Rockets. In any case, you got yourself a bet for $50 to Clutch's tip jar on the Majic's record. 50% or better is your call.
