Tuesday, July 2, 2013

A Very Early 2014 NBA Preview

A Very Early 2013-14 NBA Preview


All 30 teams and their title chances

#30. Charlotte Bobcats: Rebuilding has been the name of the game for Michael Jordan's team. On the bright side, they did triple their wins from last year (from 7 to 21) and have a promising young group of talent which includes Kemba Walker, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and freshly drafted Cody Zeller. With some seasoning, this team may be a contender a few years down the road, but to say 2013-14 will be that year is a bit of a stretch, unless of course, the 29 other franchises all get hit by a plane or something.


#29. Orlando Magic: The wounds Dwight Howard left on the Orlando organization are still very visible and raw. But all hope isn't lost. With the exit of Dwight Howard came some light, including a great deal of spending money and draft picks. The success of the franchise depends solely upon what the owners choose to do with the opportunities in front of them, specifically if they can find a long term solution.


#28. Detroit Pistons: The future isn't bad for Motor City...it's just gonna take some time. The hopes are high for the young front court duo of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, as well as Brandon Knight. The lack of faith I have in Detroit comes from the GM's office. I never agreed with the firings of Larry Brown or Flip Saunders, which both occurred some time ago. But maybe with time and experience, this Detroit Piston team can go back to the smash mouth ball they played in the mid 2000s.


#27. Miluakee Bucks: Here comes the first big surprise. A 2013 playoff team so low on the list. What's the big damage? Monta Ellis is gone, and Brandon Jennings will likely follow suit. Combine losing your 2 best players with a coaching change and in year 1, it's often a struggle.


#26. Phoenix Suns: Most people prefer to write off Phoenix even further down the list. But I actually like some things I see here. I like the hiring of Jeff Hornacek, and the underrated talent of Gordon Dragic, Michael Beasley, and Marcin Gortat. The downside is, in addition to being bad, Phoenix has one of the older rosters in the league. On the bright side, if things really are as bad as they seem, they will be in the Andrew Wiggins sweepstakes in June 2014.


#25. Toronto Raptors: Toronto has some work ahead of them, make no mistake of that. But not as much as some others. With the acquisition of Rudy Gay halfway through last season, they present themselves with their best player in Canada since Chris Bosh. In addition, they have a good young point guard and shooter in Kyle Lowery and DeMar DeRozan is a nice compliment to Gay on the wing. The questions lie in the front court, and minimizing Bargnani's fat contract.


#24. Sacramento Kings: New ownership has breathed new life into California's capital. Management has quietly done a good job by drafting lottery picks Demarcus Cousins and former rookie of the year Tyreke Evans, and if Kings fans are lucky, they can expect the same with their new addition Ben McLemore. But more success leads to tougher decisions for management, such as to continue to build, or deal away young talent in hopes for a higher-caliber player.


#23. New Orleans Pelicans: It's going to take more than a name change to return Nola to contention, but Anthony Davis and Eric Gordon might fill the "more". New Orleans made their big move in the draft by sending Nerlens Noel to Philly in exchange for Jrue Holiday, which may even be a nice wake up call to rookie disappointment Austin Rivers. New names and new faces are what fans hope yields new winning ways in New Orleans.


#22. Utah Jazz: Every year since the departure of Deron Williams, I expect the Jazz to be much worse off. Yet every year, they actually put together a decent record, and make a playoff push. This year, I once again revert back to my low expectations. The keys are Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, and what management decides to do with them. On a lighter note, Utah was one of the big winners of the draft by finally addressing their point guard problem and landing NCAA player of the year Trey Burke. If college is any indication of what to expect in the big leagues, Burke will be both a scorer and a solid floor general at the point. And if he's really good, he might be the third-best point guard to throw on a Jazz uniform.


#21. Portland Trailblazers: Portland finally has a reason to be excited about basketball once again. Damian Lillard had a tremendous rookie season, unanimously winning rookie of the year. The question is whether or not he can continue that trend or turn into a bust like other past winners. In addition to Lillard, LeMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, and Nicholas Batum all continue to grow. The bad news? Portland had the worst bench in the year last year, and defense isn't their cup of tea either.


#20. Cleveland Cavaliers: Now let's be honest. Kyrie Irving is one, quick, talented, flashy, basketball player....who only turned 21 in March. Unfortunately for Irving, he doesn't have much of a supporting cast to work with. Cleveland had a great opportunity with the top pick in the draft, and chose to blow it on underdog Anthony Bennett. However, Cleveland's last two #1 draft picks have rose to stardom in the league, Cavs fans can only hope this one doesn't take his talents to South Beach, or anywhere else for that matter.


#19. Washington Wizards: Washington has quietly put together the essential tools of a good basketball team. After John Wall returned from injury, the team played significantly better, and Wall has quietly accelerated towards the top half of point guards in the league. Bradley Beal had a good first year and shot the ball with confidence, and Washington helped themselves by adding veteran big boys Nene and Emeka Okafor up front. The Wizards further added to that group by acquiring local Georgetown star Otto Porter Jr., and I'll go out on a limb here to say that IF they remain healthy, you may see playoff basketball in DC this year.


#18. Boston Celtics: Things really took a turn from bad to worse for the Celts this past week. If losing their hall of fame worthy coach wasn't depleting enough, KG and Paul Pierce being dealt to division rival Brooklyn certainly is. Their only remaining all-star, Rajon Rondo, will be recovering from an ACL tear as well. Jeff Green will be turned to to step-up in a big way, and Kelly Olynyk will be asked to step in early and efficiently as a rookie. The reason Boston doesn't slip further on the list is simply because in troubled times Boston has a knack of finding the light at the end of the tunnel, though this time will be especially challenging given their low cap room.


#17. Minnesota Timberwolves: The days of Minnesota being at the bottom of the NBA seem to be behind them, that being said, it's still a long climb to the top. The obvious good news for T-wolves fans is that Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio will finally be healthy and together again, though there is no guarantee on how long that will last, or if either will return to full strength. And even if they do, Minnesota still needs an explosive offensive player to push them over the .500 hump. Minnesota also has a lot of free agency problems to address deeper in the roster. The draft brought more hope to Minnesota though, who picked up first rounders Shabazz Muhammed and Gorgui Dieng and even some more cash to work with.


#16. Philadelphia 76ers: Philadelphia has been good for some time now; not great, but good. We all know Andrew Bynum's first year in Philly was one he wishes he could redo, but he could come back. Add a more focused Bynum to an already talented young group that includes Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, and their newest teammate Nerlens Noel. If Noel can become what analysts are building him up to be, he and Bynum may become a scary 1-2-punch in the post.

#15. Dallas Mavericks: I realize Mark Cuban can be annoying and hog the spotlight more so than any other NBA owner or GM, but he's also one of the best at what he does. Cuban has what it takes to land a big free agent in Dallas this summer to join forces with Dirk, who has one last good push in his system. And if Dirk were to rework that ginormous contract of his, Cuban could probably bring in another star to form a "big three", though that might not take place til next summer. For the present year, returning to the playoffs and even making some noise might be a nice goal with even bigger aspirations in mind down the road. But it all rests on making a big signing this summer.


#14. Atlanta Hawks: Atlanta has created some summer noise by flirting around with the idea of uniting Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Doing so would be a huge boost for the Hawks towards the top of the East. Failing to do so would result in yet another mediocre season. Sorry Hawks fans, Josh Smith is not the answer.


#13. Houston Rockets: Houston made good progress last season, and can only hope they will continue to progress. James Harden has finally had a year to be the star and gain the recognition he deserved while he was overshadowed in OKC, and prove himself as one of the best scorers in the league. Chandler Parsons also stepped up in a big way for Houston last season and will try to continue that trend. Jeremy Lin and Patrick Beverly continue to battle for the bulk of the minutes at the point. And of course if the rockets were to land Dwight Howard they would skyrocket to one of the Western favorites. Even without Howard, the Rockets ranked 6th in offense last year. The x-factor will be whether or not Houston will be able to defend people this year. If we learned one thing from last year, it's that defensively sound teams go far in the post-season.


#12. Los Angeles Lakers: Things don't look as good for the city of Angels as they normally do. Their best player appears to be out for at least 2 months of the season, and may take even longer to return to full Mamba form, if ever. Their 2nd best player is the most popular free agent on the market, which might not be a bad thing for LA. Their 3rd best player turns 40 in February. Their 4th best player turns 33 this month, and is coming off arguably the worst season of his pro career. There is no doubt still hope in LA, as there perennially is. The Lakers finished 28-12 last season and finally appeared to be gelling before the Kobe injury. Regardless, these are the Los Angeles Lakers, and they are iconic to the NBA. They will find some way of being the center of media attention next year.


#11. Los Angeles Clippers: Of all 30 teams in the league, my crystal ball was no foggier when trying to determine the future of the Clips. The roller coaster began with the firing of Vinny Del Negro after dropping 4 straight to the Grizz. While a first round exit was not what LA had in mind, I was skeptical about firing the guy who had the Clips competing for the top seed in the West for the majority of the year. Regardless, bringing in Doc Rivers was a huge victory for this organization, and gives them a better chance at retaining Chris Paul. Regarding Paul, he seems to be the 2nd most popular free agent on the market right now and his future seems really unclear at this point. The possibility of him playing with KG is now out the window, and while the one with him playing with Dwight Howard still remains, it's still very unclear as to where. The Clipper's summer will be one filled with a lot of whispering and gossip, as it has been already. But the Clips should enjoy the spotlight while it lasts, it's rough being the 2nd most popular team in your own city.


#10. Denver Nuggets: The future was looking mighty bright for the Denver Nuggets....and then they fired NBA coach of the year George Karl. Karl predicted his firing was "very stupid", and he may be right. But this team still flourishes with young talent. Ty Lawson is quietly one of the best and quickest point guards in the league. Kenneth Faried is a human tricep who continues to bang his opponents around in the post. Dano Gallinari has been solid for Denver and will continue to be, though he will be sidelined the majority of next season. Which brings us to the bad news. Denver will start from square 1, with changes in both coaching and ownership. Furthermore, Andre Iguodola opted for free agency, and we're still not sure if JaVale McGee is brilliant or a bust. With so many different variables to address, the possibilities are endless for the mile high city.


#9. New York Knicks: The past few years have gotten hopes up for Knick's fans, only to continuously have them come crashing down. Carmello Anthony continues to be the man in New York, and looks to be a top 5 scorer in the league for years to come. The questions in the big apple continue to be courtesy of Mello's supporting cast. Tyson Chandler just doesn't look like the same aggresive Tyson Chandler that we watched in Dallas or on the Olympic team. Amare Stoudemire looks even worse. J.R. Smith has been the 2nd best player for the Knicks, despite not even starting, and Raymond Felton has quietly played well at the point. But unless New York's stars play like stars, fans can rely on another Eastern Conference Semi's exit.


#8. Chicago Bulls: Tom Thibodeau continues to give very positive reports on the progress of former MVP and 3-time all star Derrick Rose. Thibodeau claims he's finally returning to the level of confidence and explosiveness that we saw him perform at in his MVP peak season 2 years ago. It's no surprise that Chicago's championship aspirations are directly related to the health and performance of Derrick Rose, no matter how much we all love Nate Robinson. We've seen that this team is among the best with Rose running the show, and we've also seen that they're willing to compete with anyone with or without him. People wrote Chicago off at the beginning of last year, and Chicago surprised a lot of people by still finishing 5th in the East, winning a playoff series, and beating the champs on their home court. That's great and all, but this team's title odds rely solely at Derrick Rose playing MVP basketball once again.


#7. Memphis Grizzlies: I have yet to hear a great explanation as to the firing of Lionel Hollins. Despite leading the Grizzlies to their first Western Conference Finals appearance in franchise history, Hollins was given the axe, which is just a good reminder to all coaches that your job is never secure, and you should never take shots at your bosses. The Grizz are loaded with underrated talent. Mike Conley has silently evolved into one of the best point guards in the game as both a scorer and a passer, Zach Randolph continues to be a solid 20 & 10 performer as he has been throughout his career, and Marc Gasol continues to give the Grizz a strong inside presence along with Randolph. The front office will have its hands full this summer though, Their problems include re-signing Tony Allen, figuring out what to do with Jerryd Bayless, and helping out a thin bench (specifically with a shooter or two) with their already small cap space. The team could further spice things up by trading away one of its best players like Randolph. There's a lot of different issues that come into play here, but when all is said and done, Memphis should still be able to compete for the West.


#6. Golden State Warriors: They. Will. Score. A lot. Placing them this high on the list is possibly my biggest gamble and biggest surprise. Steph Curry is going to make lots and lots of jumpshots, and on the rare occasion he isn't, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes still will be. David Lee, who led the NBA in double-doubles last year, will be healthy again. Jarrett Jack was solid, but it's uncertain whether or not he'll be in a Warrior uniform next year, as it is with Carl Landry. Regardless, the Warriors are explosive, and the majority of their superstars are 25 or younger. Onto the negatives now. Steph Curry's ankle seems to be developing into a long-term concern, Thompson is streaky and not consistent enough as a shooter, and Lee is a burden on the defensive end, not that the rest of the team did much better. The cap room is thin as ice, which makes it more probable that they would have to do away with Jack and Landry in hopes of opening up space for future moves. Nevertheless, for the first time in ages, Golden State is the best team in California, and that's something to be very very excited about.


#5 Indiana Pacers: This team has all the tools for an NBA championship run, as they proved last season. Paul George continues to rise as one of the elite players in the NBA who fills out the stat sheet in more ways than one, Roy Hibbert has in my opinion become the 2nd best center in the game and still doesn't get the recognition he fully deserves, Danny Granger returns from surgery and hopes to still be the scorer and iso player Indiana needs him to be, and George Hill and Lance Stephenson continue to be young spark plugs in the Indiana motor. David West is expected to return to Indiana, or at least he has no legitimate reason not to at this point. On the flip side, the bench could use some work, and Solomon Hill was one of the more disappointing picks of the NBA draft. Despite minor issues, the Pacers should still be geared for a deep post season run.

#4. Brooklyn NetsThe outright winners of the 2013 NBA draft. The Nets recognize that the key to success has been creating a "big 3" and providing Deron Williams with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett skyrockets Brooklyn among the beasts of the East. Add Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez and you have possibly the most well rounded starting 5 in the NBA. The concerns lie past that, where your best bench players are old goats Jason Terry and Reggie Evans, followed by no names. Mason Plumlee was a great pick up for the Nets, and will serve as a solid back up for both Lopez and Garnett, but it's also expected that only time and experience can truly break him in to the length and challenge of a full NBA season. Still, Brooklyn made the big free agency move that many other franchises are struggling to make and have propelled themselves to title talk.


#3. San Antonio Spurs: People are always willing to discuss how complicated defending a title is. What you don't hear as much, is how hard it is to recover from having it slip through there fingers. Game 6 is something that will be forever engraved in the minds of Spurs players, coaches, and fans. One made free throw or one defensive rebound would have changed the outcome of the entire season, and Ray Allen's shot will haunt San Antonio for years to come. Furthermore, the hunger just isn't there, as a bulk of the roster has won 2, 3, or even 4 NBA titles. For Tony Parker, age is but a number and he will be a yearly MVP candidate, but his long time teammates Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli add another year on. On a lighter note, Kawhi Leonard has emerged as one of the fastest rising stars in the league, and Danny Greene became one of the biggest celebrities over a 5-game span. If there's one thing we've learned over the beginning of the century though, it's that this organization is full of winners, and to never, ever, ever count out the San Antonio Spurs....ever.


#2. Oklahoma City Thunder: OKC fans will always wonder what could have been had a guy with the last name "Westbrook" not have had his meniscus torn in a collision with Patrick Beverly. Russ is young enough to where this injury won't be a big setback to his game. We know Kevin Durant is going to be a top 5 scorer and player in the league for many years down the road, and many still believe and hope that Serge Ibaka has still yet to hit his peak. The playoffs taught us though that banking on the health of KD and Russ is truly putting all your eggs in one basket (or 2 if you wanna get technical), and a deeper supporting cast is a necessity for another Thunder championship run. The youth is there, and one can only believe that in time this group is going to win an NBA championship. The question is when.


#1. Miami Heat: Defending their NBA title took everything Miami had in the tank. Three-peating, will be even more challenging. Chris Bosh took a major step back, especially down the stretch, and Dwayne Wade was inconsistent. Regardless, add LeBron James and this group is still the iconic "big 3" to model in the NBA. James is peaking, he has emerged head, shoulders, knees, and toes above all other players in the NBA. His focus now is creating a legacy similar to, or better than, that of the great Michael Jordan, and his biggest competition will always remain between his ears rather than on the court. This past year, Miami's success was very reliant on great role players who came to life on any given night. Allen and Battier are the obvious that come to mind, but Miller, Haslem, Cole, Chalmers, and the Birdman all added to the White Heat. Even if Miami can't hang onto all their key pieces, other role players will be more than welcome to the idea of coming in and becoming part of something so successful. The one concern of Miami's is how many more great runs this group has left in them, some new young blood would do this franchise good and assure that this isn't going to die out in the next few years. But until Miami shows us a reason to believe their cooling off, it's hard not to deem them as the obvious front runners. 




Written by: Ryan Quigley








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