2016 East Off-season Grades
Apr 15, 2013 18:09:42 GMT -5
Post by gp on Apr 15, 2013 18:09:42 GMT -5
Atlantic
Boston Celtics
Key Acquisition: C Emeka Okafor, C Erik Osgood, PG Leandro Barbosa
Key Departure: PF Eddy Curry, C Tyson Chandler
Off-season summary: The C’s did a nice job restocking young talent after being pushed against the hard cap this off-season. Dumping Eddy Curry was a tough experience for a vital cog of the frontcourt. But, Boston found a good suitor for Tyson Chandler was able to flip him for solid contributor in Emeka Okafor and a younger big in Erik Osgood. Overall, Magna Carta did a good job in making the best of something after handing big resigned contracts to David Lee and Michael Kidd Gilchrist.
Grade: B
Miami Heat
Key Acquisitions: N/A
Key Departures: SF Danny Granger, SF Travis Carter
Off-season summary: The Heat joined a number of other teams in shedding talent and salary in order to resign players and stay under the hard cap. In this case, they cut ties with Danny Granger, who was integral in last year’s team and a promising young forward in Travis Carter. This year’s squad will be thinner in depth and will have to rely more on its starters.
Grade: C-
New Jersey Nets
Key Acquisitions: PG Darren Collison, PF Quincy Davis, SF Marcus Morris
Key Departures: SF Rudy Gay, SF Kawhi Leonard, C Andre Bogut, SG Gerald Henderson
Off-season summary: GM greeme was very active this off-season on the trading front in dealing several important pieces. It seemed like many of these moves were cost cutting in moving the recently signed Rudy Gay and Kawhi Leonard for a younger intriguing piece in Quincy Davis and speedy guard Darren Collison. The Nets also used their future draft picks to land swingman Marcus Morris from New Orleans which should solidify their frontcourt of Tibor Pleis and Davis.
Grade: B+
New York Knicks
Key Acquisitions: SG James Young
Key Departures: PF Kareem Cronin
Off-season summary: nybombers3 lucked out in the draft in landing guard James Young so late in the lottery. After a nice training camp, Young should probably have been a top 5 pick instead of the No. 9 selection in the draft. Andy definitely has the pieces in place for a nice rebuild around Young, Vadim Yakimov and Anatoly Rientizis.
Grade: B+
Orlando Magic
Key Acquisitions: PG Russell Westbrook, SF Ben Simmons
Key Departures: N/A
Off-season summary: In their most important off-season in quite some time, ORL GM bundy made some nice moves in drafting forward Ben Simmons with their first rounder and getting guard Russell Westbrook as trade bait on a nice one year deal. There is still speculation that Damian Lillard is on his way out of Orlando yet there doesn’t seem to be a package that has intrigued the Magic to pull the trigger just yet.
Grade: B+
Philadelphia 76ers
Key Acquisitions: N/A
Key Departures: PF Patric Young
Off-season summary: Philly GM Mark has been the model of doing enough activity just to get by in the BBS and the team has suffered through it thus far. The Sixers maintain the same core they’ve had since Alex Len left the front office to join the BBS management team. Still, this team lacks some good depth and has some hefty contracts on the books for aging stars Ben Gordon and Amare Stoudamire.
Grade: C-
Washington Wizards
Key Acquisitions: PF Eddy Curry, C Ben Beals, SG Jesus Brown, SF Jerome Claxton
Key Departures: SF Ersan Illyasova
Off-season summary: alldaygb probably had one of the best drafts in the league in nabbing Jesus Brown with the 8th pick, grabbing big man Ben Beals with the the last pick of the lotto and the under the radar SF Jerome Claxton. The Wizards also picked up a nice resigning offer sheet from Iman Shumpert and was able to pick up Eddy Curry as a trade piece for essentially nothing. Losing Illysova for nothing was essentially the only thing that kept the Wizards from having the best off-season in the league.
Grade: A-
Central
Atlanta Hawks
Key Acquisitions: PF Tyler Zeller
Key Departures: SG Michael Redd
Off-season summary: donatello2424 received considerable flack around the league for sitting on his core too long and not getting enough value in the end. The perfect example was the dealing of guard Michael Redd, who at one time was one of the best SG’s in the league but was virtually a salary dump to Chicago in the off-season now. Now, the Hawks are faced with the dilemma of getting fair value for former MVP guard Kyle Lowry, who was recently reinked to a monster 7 year, $156 million dollar contract.
Grade: B-
New Orleans Hornets
Key Acquisitions: C Kareem Cronin, SF Ersan Illyasova
Key Departures: C Greg Smith, SF Marcus Morris
Off-season summary: New Orleans’ GM aar made some shrewd moves this off-season that were under the radar but rather savvy at the same time. It began with the Cavs trade which landed them Marcus Morris who he later flipped for two future New Jersey picks and more assets. The Hornets also gained a cheap shotblocker from the Knicks in Kareem Cronin while maintaining a nice cap figure and flexibility moving forward.
Grade: A-
Chicago Bulls
Key Acquisitions: SG Michael Redd, C Andrew Bynum, C Dakari Johnson, PG Tyreke Evans, SF Derrick Williams
Key Departures: SF Jabari Parker, PF Tristan Thompson
Off-season summary: On paper, the Bulls had the best off-season of any team in the league without question. But it remains to be seen how this team will look at the end of the season barring injuries and irregularities. ashes is against his contract year but will have plenty of quality veterans in big man Andrew Bynum, Michael Redd and Tyreke Evans to support the young nucleus of Dakari Johnson and guard Marcus Smart. As of now, the Bulls look to be in great shape.
Grade: A-
Cleveland Cavaliers
Key Acquisitions: SF LeBron James, SF Josh Smith, PF Royce White, SF Renaldo Balkman
Key Departures: SF Marcus Morris, SG Klay Thompson, PG Darren Collison, C Samuel Dalembert, SG Dwyane Wade, C Greg Smith
Off-season summary: The Cavs have been another active team on the trade market this off-season but may have torn down their build with youth philosophy and shifted to win now with vets. After tearing up the trifecta of Marcus Morris, Klay Thompson and Darren Collison, the Cavs will look to combine an ultra big and versatile lineup compose of LeBron, Josh Smith, Royce White, Milan MacVan and Nate Templeton to create matchup nightmares at every position.
Grade: B-
Detroit Pistons
Key Acquisitions: PF Joel Freeland
Key Departures: N/A
Off-season summary: The Pistons remained fairly quiet this off-season with their only major pickup being forward Joel Freeland with their mid-level exception. They were able to extend the contract of Alando Tucker for a reasonable amount and look to be in a good position to contend if they can upgrade their big men from Marcin Gortat and Kendrick Perkins.
Grade: B-
Indiana Pacers
Key Acquisitions: N/A
Key Departures: N/A
Off-season summary: Not much is known about new GM norgeis other than he is an experience FBB player. The Pacers remain entirely as constructed by former GM Erbes with the entire starting lineup intact and a bunch of second round picks and fillers are the remaining bench for this team. In other words, there is fairly uneventful management going on in Indiana right now.
Grade: C
Milwaukee Bucks
Key Acquisitions: SG Dwyane Wade, C Greg Smith, PG Royal Ivey
Key Departures: SG Marcus Thornton, SF Josh Smith, PF Royce White, SF Renaldo Balkman
Off-season summary: After many detractors counted them out, the Bucks were able to squeak into the playoffs and save ellbee ‘s job at the same time. The Bucks are going in a different direction this year with the pickups of Wade and Ivey this year and getting some more depth down low with Greg Smith. Overall, this team does not have a ton of youth coming their way in the next few season so they need to win as much as possible with their current group of players headlined by forward Carmelo Anthony.
Grade: B-
Toronto Raptors
Key Acquisitions: PG Kyle Crawford, PF Lucas Brandon
Key Departures: SF Ryan Anderson
Off-season summary: The reigning champion Raptors have one of the most cost effective squads in the league with two very good starters still on their rookie contracts while still having a nice group of young talent in Martin Henderson and Terrence Ross. Toronto also added to their backcourt in drafting Kyle Crawford, who will be a nice compliment to Deron Williams as well as Lucas Brandon with the last pick of the first round.
Grade: B
