Offseason Report Part 1 of 6: The Rebuilding Teams

Editor's note: Fantasy leagues have been created, and players are already joining leagues and participating in mock drafts. The Fantasy Season is almost upon us! To help aid Fantasy players, I'm sharing some outlooks on teams and possible fantasy prospects. In this six part Offseason Report, I divided teams based on how I see them prepare for the upcoming season. Let me stress again for the record that all analysis are based on read articles around the web, 2k13, discussions with experts (and feeling experts) confirmed by web reports, and previous fantasy experience. You know, things that are accessible from my sala or room. 

In part one of the season preview, we look at teams who are looking to build for the future. They aren't going to win a lot of games this year, but they are building around picks and young players, and may contend in a couple of years.  We start off with the Eastern Conference.

Boston Celtics

Huge decision for Rondo when he recovers;
be the Franchise Guy or bolt to make another super team elsewhere

Who they got in the market: Vitor Faverani (Draft), Colton Iverson (Draft), Kelly Olynyk (Draft), Phil Pressy (Draft)
Who they traded for: Keith Bogans, Marshon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace
Who they lost: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, D.J.White, Kris Joseph (Waived)
Projected starters: Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, Kris Humphries
Bench depth: Gerald Wallace, JJ Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Jordan Crawford, Courtney Lee, MarShon Brooks, Keith Bogans
Injured: Rajon Rondo

The Celtics essentially blew up their roster by trading away Doc Rivers (first time I saw a coach traded), longtime Celtic Paul Pierce, and their defensive soul, Kevin Garnett. This is clearly Rajon Rondo’s team now. If he’s healthy, they have a pretty nice team that will still compete in the East. On the long term though, should Rondo decide to stick around for it, they’ll have a really good team as they got a lot of picks to build on when they traded away their marquee names.

Avery Bradley was a player Boston wanted to keep, and though he somewhat disappointed when he came back from injury last season, it’s not too far off to think that he’ll bounce back this year. JJ Sullinger was having a pretty nice rookie season until he was bitten by the injury bug. Brandon Bass was one of their most consistent players last season as well. Kelly Olynyk looks like an intriguing draft pick, but I think he got injured over the summer. If he comes back healthy, he may just be able to compete for minutes at the Center spot, where he’d only be competing against undersized Humphries, and the aforementioned Sullinger and Bass. Gerald Wallace may challenge Green’s minutes, or they could play together in a small ball lineup, with Green moving up to PF. Bradley might be better off coming off the bench to spell for Rondo, as it doesn’t look like they have enough ball handlers off the bench, unless they try to make Courtney Lee, Jordan Crawford, or Marshon Brooks play more of a facilitator.
As a proud franchise that’s looking to rebuild, it’s difficult to determine if they’re going to try to win games or just shuffle players around to figure out who they’ll keep after the season as they move forward.

Fantasy Prospects: Rondo is one of the elite guards in the NBA. If he’s healthy, he could be a player you could build your fantasy team around. But he could be a risky high pick, much like Derrick Rose was last year; if Boston loses a lot of games, would Rondo decide to come back to try and save them, or will he rest this year as they tank for a high draft pick? Without Rondo, Bradley could be the next best pick in this team, but I wouldn’t build my team around him. He’s a scoring guard, but he may need to facilitate more on offense. He’s a solid defender prior to his injury, which is why a lot of people scratched their heads when he came back and performed sub-par. Olynyk would be a nice rookie pick for reasons already mentioned above. Humrphries could potentially be able to produce nice rebounding numbers if he’s given a chance for a fresh start in Boston. That’s a big IF though. You can roll a dice on who might be the primary option for the SG spot if Bradley slides down to PG while Rondo is out; Lee has been with the team longest and could provide defensive stats more than the other two; Crawford is possibly the most offensively gifted among the options, but could be a defensive liability; Brooks is a versatile two guard back in New Jersey, and I always wondered why he got buried so deep in the Nets bench despite the dismal showing of Joe Johnson last year. Green would be a nice pick, as he’ll be the other piece Boston would build on with Rondo and Bradley. Wallace is a sneaky pick; he may play SF alongside Green at PF, but that would mean either Sullinger or Bass will lose minutes.

Philadelphia 76ers

With Holiday out, the Sixers are going all-in on their former top draft pick

Who they got in the market: Fulkan Aldemir (Draft), Michael Carter-Williams (Draft), Pierre Jackson (Draft), Arsalan Kazemi (Draft), Nerlens Noel (Draft), Royce White (Waivers, Rookie)
Who they traded for: N/A
Who they lost: Andrew Bynum, Nick Young, Dorrell Wright, Jrue Holiday
Projected starters: Micheal Carter-Williams, Evan Turner, Jason Richardson, Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes
Bench depth: :LaVoy Allen, Royce White, Arsalan Kazemi, Kwame Brown, Justin Holiday, Arnett Moultrie
Injured: Nerlens Noel

After a breakout season where he saw his first All-Star apperance, Jrue Holiday was traded away by Philadelphia in a move that got them top rookie prospect Nerlens Noel. By trading away their best player from last year and getting a rookie that might not play on opening night because of injury, the Sixers have announced a rebuild for their franchise. This is a direction that the Sixers are choosing a year after they were in a "win now" mentality, gambling on a one-year rental of Andrew Bynum in exchange for young prospects, most notably Nikola Vucevic who was a beast in Orlando last year. Bynum never got to play a single game as a Sixer.
On a positive note, the move freed up the PG spot to rookie Micheal Carter-Williams, and it wouldn't be surprising if their other rookies get to see action this year, as they look to develop their roster for the future. 
Jason Richardson would be a stabilizing voice in the team, but he'll probably spend more time teaching off the court than on it. Royce White may finally get to see action after the Rockets "freed" him from the doghouse. If he plays in the regular season, he'll still be an eligible rookie, as Blake Griffin was after his injury. 

Fantasy Prospects: Evan Turner is a do-it-all swingman who can play three positions (PG, SG, SF) and will be a valuable player in Fantasy ball. Now entering his fourth year, he'll have to show more consistency to maximize his potential. Thaddeus Young is a ball of energy, but his minutes might be cut down by LaVoy Allen and White. Spencer Hawes continues to be a nice prospect from Center; he's a higher-rebounding Andrea Bargnani. He has some passing skills too. Carter-Williams could be a nice pick at guard, but this is a guard-heavy league where you can pick a more experienced player than gamble on the strong upside by this rookie. I'm high on White because of what I've read, and how 2K13 portrays him. 

Milwaukee Bucks

Sanders' huge 2012-2013 campaign earned him a consideration as one of the top Centers in the league

Who they got in the market: Carlos Delfino, OJ Mayo, Gary Neal, Zaza Pachulia, Giannis Antetokounmpo (Draft), Nate Wolters (Draft)
Who they traded for: Brandon Knight, Luke Ridnour, Caron Butler, Khris Middleton
Who they lost: Samuel Dalembert, Monta Ellis, Mike Dunleavy, Brandon Jennings, Luc Mbah-a-Moute, JJ Redick, Gustavo Ayon (Waived), Drew Gooden (Amnesty)
Projected Starters: Luke Ridnour, OJ Mayo, Caron Butler, Ersan Ilyasova, Larry Sanders
Bench Depth: Carlos Delfino, Gary Neal, Ekpe Udoh, Zaza Pachulia, Brandon Knight, John Henson, Kris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo

Their playoff run was apparently their last hurrah for a while. Everyone was looking at how the Bucks were going to make two score-first guards work when they got Monta Ellis to play alongside Brandon Jennings. Now instead of getting rid of one them, they decided to let go of BOTH of them. It looks like their rebuilding process started at the trade deadline, taking part in deals that got them players they let go in the offseason. They let go of about six rotation players by either letting them walk in free agency or traded them away. 

Not to say they made an awful team. I think they made a good enough team that would compete, but not good enough to win a lot of games. Luke Ridnour is a tested veteran at the point, and he'll probably be spelled by a talented young guard in Brandon Knight. OJ Mayo, Gary Neal, and Carlos Delfino would be their outside gunners. They signed Zaza Pachulia to a generous contract, and John Henson was efficient when he got to play. In a late offseason move, they plucked Caron Butler from the Suns, bringing the versatile swingman closer to his home.

They won't be tanking, but surely they're not settling for this lineup to win a championship for them. 

Fantasy Prospects: Larry Sanders was a beast last season, blocking almost any shot that came his way. I think he got a triple double at least once with points, rebounds, and blocks last year. With a bigger role and without Samuel Dalembert looking over his shoulders, he may have a bigger year. Ridnour is a guard who can shoot outside, has nifty passes, and an excellent free throw shooter, but I've kept him in my team for the past couple of years because he could sneak in a block in his stat line every now and then. Those things he could do in limited minutes as he competed for his position against wunderkid Ricky Rubio, the young Alex Shved, and the feisty JJ Barea. Now he has only has Knight to compete with, who's most famous for being in DeAndre Jordan's poster. Mayo could be a nice scoring pick, while Neal would be a specialty pick to provide threes every now and then. Ersan Ilyasova is a versatile forward who can shoot threes and grab rebounds, but he usually does well off the bench. His performance picked up toward the end of last season, so he may just need your patience. Management said that they are looking to play Butler in a lot of minutes this season, which may give good all-around stats for your team as a middle round pick of a deep draft (round 6-9).

Atlanta Hawks

Former All-Star comes to town and yet they're "rebuilding"? Call me crazy, but this does not
look like a team geared for a championship run.

Who they got in the market: Paul Millsap, Elton Brand, Gustavo Ayon, Jeff Teague (Re-signed), Kyle Korver (Re-signed), Mike Muscala (Draft), Lucas Noguiera (Draft), Dennis Shroeder
Who they traded for: Jared Cunningham
Who they lost: Josh Smith, Devin Harris, Zaza Pachulia
Projected starters: Jeff Teague, Lou Williams, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap, Al Horford
Bench depth: Elton Brand, John Jenkins, Gustavo Ayon, Dennis Shroeder, Lucas Noguiera

The Hawks could say they're aiming to win now, but I think they're setting up for a rebuild. They have finally ended the constant Josh Smith drama, and finally let him walk away. They replaced him with another talented PF with a different skillset in Paul Millsap. They were able to keep Jeff Teague, after he flirted with free agency (the Hawks matched the Bucks' offer). They added bench depth by snagging Elton Brand in free agency, but that's about it.
They did pick up intriguing, NBA-ready rookies in big man Lucas Noguiera (who will challenge Anderson Varejao with the best afro in the league) and guard Dennis Shroeder. Despite the talent they brought in, it looks like they'll best resemble Portland of last year; solid starting lineup (ok they have to deal with Kyle Korver being their starting SF) with not much bench support (I still am a firm believer that Brand is no longer half the guy who brought the Clippers to the playoffs on his back).

Fantasy Prospects: Al Horford is a fantasy beast that provides efficient stat lines from the Center position. With the arrival of Paul Millsap (who's a nice source of steals from that position), we can only wait and see whose numbers would go down. You can't go wrong either way, I think; Horford could get more points now as he stretches the floor with confidence that his PF is not lurking by the three point line, while Millsap has had plenty of experience playing with a legit big man with him at the post. This team probably won't be one of the best defensive teams that you can farm for blocks, but for steals, Teague could be a nice pick. He had somewhat of a breakout Fantasy season last year, adding some threes to his game. Korver had a stretch of consecutive played games where he made at least one three pointer, so at least you know what you're getting from him. If Lou Williams is healthy, he'd be a passing Korver. Watch out for his injury status. As mentioned earlier, both their rookies could see playing time, with Shroeder probably getting more burn as an attacking guard who can play alongside both Williams and Teague. Gustavo Ayon won the FIBA Americas MVP honors, which might bump his minutes up a little, but it’ll be difficult considering he’d be competing with All Star-caliber names like Millsap, Horford, and Brand. You get points and rebounds from him off the bench.

Orlando Magic

Talk about a late-season eye opener. Tobias Harris torched opponents in the "garbage time" equivalent of their season

Who they got in the market: Jason Maxiell, Ronnie Price, Victor Oladipo (Draft), Romero Osby 
Who they traded for: N/A
Who they lost: N/A
Projected Starters: Jameer Nelson, Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris, Glen Davis, Nikola Vucevic
Bench Depth: Aaron Afflalo, E’Twuan Moore, Maurice Harkless, Al Harrington, Andrew Nicholson

Since Dwightmare ended in Orlando, the Magic has been on constant rebuild mode. They continue down that path this year, but not without promise. Nikola Vucevic was a revelation last year, and after the trade deadline, they found another gem in their lineup in the person of one Tobias Harris. They also added one of the most talked about prospect in the draft, Victor Oladipo. Apart from Al Harrington, Aaron Afflalo, Glen Davis, and Jameer Nelson, the Magic have young, promising talents who have not even played 5 years in the NBA.
This team will try to win games, but they won't be staked to a cross if they don't. Much like last year, they'll beat stronger teams from time to time and tease us of their potential in years to come, but they'll lose more than they'll win.

Fantasy Prospects: Vucevic, Tobias Harris, and Glen Davis should be your first three off the Magic roster. They showed the best form last year, before Davis got injured and was sidelined for most of the season. Next up, would probably be Oladipo over Jameer Nelson. I could be wrong here, but since they are a rebuilding team, I'd want to take a risk on a promising young upstart than a former All-Star who's probably looking to showcase his talents to show that he still has what it takes to get there. Harkless and Nicholson could be sneaky picks but at best they could be your last picks. Afflalo gives decent defensive stats, but his value last year was that he was the priority in offense. That will change this year with the emergence of Harris.

Offseason Special: The End of the "Next" Era

Over the years, NBA basketball has captured quite a wide range of followers separated by generations. Followers of the sport from each generation enjoyed a different brand of basketball they came to love, and not all may not see it the same way such that they would enjoy it the same way.

At 26 years old, I won't dare say I know the sport like the back of my hand. The brand of NBA basketball I have come to know is that of Micheal Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, who were gunning for their first three-peat, almost the default team of a 90's kid getting to know the game by himself. I was excited by Space Jam and for a time (actually, maybe until now) thought that those were the actual events that transpired while MJ took his leave from basketball. 

Except for MJ's last dunk, I thought this was almost true

Later on, I was able to read about historical games and actually watch quite a few of them. The really grainy ones, I cannot endure watching a whole game of, but the 80's basketball was something I could still enjoy watching.

That said, I think that the 80's was when Magic and Larry took the torch from Dr. J and ran with it. Later, Jordan took it and made it his time. After his 6th championship, that was when a new era started, an era that I would dub the "Next" Era.

MJ took over the league after these two

When Larry and Magic retired, no one was asking who the next Larry or the next Magic was; all people knew was that there was Michael. When Micheal retired the second time, all people cared about was saying who the "next" Jordan was going to be. Every athletic young player exciting enough to be cheered for was dubbed "the next Jordan" or something, but no one actually ended up being "the next Jordan". It was a time when players were not appreciated enough as themselves, but rather criticized because of what they lacked that Jordan had.

On Retirements, and The "Next" Era Ending

A recent chain of events have made me realize that the "next" era is almost coming to an end. Kobe got injured, and we'll be coming in to a season where we won't see the uber-competitve Bryant wearing a Lakers jersey on opening night. Tim Duncan told LeBron in 2003 that "one day" the league will be his, but it was his time that time. With the Spurs' loss in this year's NBA Finals, it almost seems Duncan's words were prophetic. Co-Rookies of the Year Grant Hill and Jason Kidd retired in the offseason. Recently, Allen Iverson decided to finally call it quits after not having a team sign him. Tracy McGrady also called it quits. 

I'm not saying that the new brand of basketball isn't fun to watch, all I'm saying is that it's not as fun as it used to be. We have transitioned from the era that may have contributed to the inception of the word "swag" to this era of a more "diplomatic" NBA, where a superstar's post-game interview will never leave out the line "the other team played great, we were luck to have this win". We are done with players crossing up defenders and stepping over them, finger wagging after a block, staredowns or point-downs after a poster dunk, trash talking then knocking down a game winner, and the genuine hatred of teams or players against opposing teams that makes a rivalry game actually feel like a rivalry game.

"Swag"

You see, those rivalries, those trash talking, and the "swag" are those that made basketball more than just a game for someone like me, who grew up and learned basketball at a relatively young age. Those are some of the reasons why some fans can't stand some teams, i.e. Celtics and Lakers fans, and I dare say Sacramento of 2000's against the Lakers (I curse you, Robert Horry). Those are the same reasons why we were excited to see players dunk on legitimate shot blockers (a breed that seems to be dying), and vice versa. Those are the same reasons why we want to wait for players to fail because they seem to think too highly of themselves, only to silence critics with an incredible game to back up his words. It was a time when the best players owned up to losses than whine in interviews about not having enough help. 

Today, we could have had a rivalry like that of Bird and Magic when LeBron and Melo came to the league, but they chose to have the kind of relationship Bird and Magic had AFTER they retired rather than when they were on opposite ends of the court. We have Chris Paul, arguably the best point guard in the league today, saying that the Clippers are Blake Griffin's team. We have role players talking trash that they can't back up when they're on the floor. Players love each other so much that the best players would rather team up than try to beat the other. The best players on the team always say it's a "team effort" when they win, and whine that their teammates need to step up when they lose.

What could've been a great rivalry has become somewhat of a "Cool Story Bro" feel to it

The "Next" era is coming to an end, and it is evidenced by the fact that Allen Iverson can't get a call from a team, and TMac has been reduced to the Matt Bonner-Brian Scalabrini level of fan pops. "Team-first" players are more venerated and respected, and while they still bring an exciting brand of basketball, I think, it hasn't been as much fun for me as it was before. It has become difficult to hate on anyone now, that when I watch games, I'm almost torn who to cheer for. The recently concluded NBA Finals will go down as one of the best Finals series ever played, but it was as painful for me as it was enjoyable; I cheered for my favorite player in Dwyane Wade, but I didn't have the heart to see such a nice guy like Tim Duncan lose that one.

At this point, I would like to thank the players of the "Next" era. To those who have retired, and those who are continuing their careers in a reduced or transformed role, thank you for igniting a passion for basketball in me. All those years of trying to prove that you are not "the next Jordan" but the first of who you are have given me countless games of one-upsmanship that I enjoyed immensely. But alas, everything must come to an end, and all I can hope for is that your own "Attitude Era" will have a revival of sorts in the future. It's no fun when Roger Mason,Jr. gets destroyed by LeBron James after saying he's overrated. I'll hope that one day, legitimate superstars would claim their team and challenge the rest of the league, as you did in your time.

I'm hoping he backs up his words and make a run at the MVP title

We are now in a time when Derrick Rose's proclamation that he is "the best player in the NBA" is met with ridicule than a legitimate claim, and when players like Brandon Jennings predict a future he can't even back up. To Rose, I say: back it up, boy, and bring attitude and "swagger" back to the NBA that the new basketball fans seem to no longer experience. By all means, shut all your critics up with an amazing season, so that the fans of this new brand of basketball can understand why the fans who grew up in the "Next" era are nostalgic about all these retirements. 

And to Jennings, I would like to tweak a couple of popular viral lines to share to you; "sumwagger ng ayon sa tamang galing". BRO??

Offseason Special: UAAP Cheerdance Competition Burns

While I aim for this blog to be solely about the NBA and deal with NBA Fantasy, I haven't got much to write about these past few days, considering the lack of offseason moves by teams. Besides, all projections on their production will pretty much be speculation until we actually see them on the court.

With this, I'm featuring an offseason special, with the UAAP Cheerdance Competition as the topic. In true Sala Scout spirit, all views and opinions are based on what we see on TV or in our laptops and definitely not based on interviews or inside information from each school. My friend, Imon Olgado (@iamtheblur on Twitter) burns teams in previewing the upcoming CDC this weekend. 

"*ed." are marked as my contributions :)

Memory fails to provide me with exact years of costumes worn

Adamson: After losing for years in the CDC, their coach called it quits and will be resigning effective sept 14, a day before the competition. This will have no effect whatsoever on the chances of their school winning anything, as they have no chance at all of winning.  *ed. They'll probably end up copying parts of routines that have already been done in previous years and claim it like its an original of theirs. Pretty much like what they've done for some of their cheers.

Superheroes! Of course no other school thought of that!

UE: They won't be competing this year on the floor. But do not be surprised if they'll be winning it this year after drafting a letter than will virtually forfeit all the competitors. You have been warned. *ed. Really difficult to write something about really good teams, and really irrelevant teams. 

Ah, how we miss "swagging" ayon sa tamang place sa standing

UST: How the mighty has fallen: the Salinggawi will try again to regain lost glory of the early 2000's. But due to lack of financial backing, flooding in Espana, and forgetting to include a legit point guard in the roster, they won't be winning it this season. *ed. See how it's difficult to burn your own school? =)) 'Gawi is years removed from its glory days, and is having a difficult time reaching the top once again with teams improving around them. 

Not sure how many times they did this, but they almost seem to just do it.

FEU: Dont fix it if aint broke. Expect to the the Tams don costumes of Tamaraws that really look like rugby sniffing green bears of Morayta. They will give the Maroons a scare because of their holdup/snatch tactics and other modus operandi, but will probably lose again because they will probably shave some points off their score. *ed. If the pattern of the Seniors Men's Basketball Tournament is to be followed, then FEU might concede their place in the top 3 to ADMU, much like how they've handed over their almost-championships to the same school in a silver platter. 

Yup, that happened. Gone are the days that this team is trying something new like cheering in blankets

NU: All that glitters is not gold, they might be the SM Dept store powered NU pep squad! From parking lot to the MoA Arena these guys have gone a long way in the competition, from the way they dress and hiring a legit cheerdance coach. They will have a outside chance of winning it all if and only if we can just locate their school. *ed. Contrary to popular belief, they do not hold classes in MoA.

Oh no, we didn't forget, La Sale :)

DASU: If their freethrows are any indication of what they can do, the dyslexic pep squad from Taft can just save everyone time by actually cheering 'Thank you, Bo and Justice for JJ' for a minute. So they can be suspended from next year's competition. Good news: They can man up and accept the suspension. *ed. No typos here. We just did not forget that 2007 mishap :)

Maliit na at malabo ang pic, mei mga cute pa rin :))

ADMU: Their integrity and their participation are not to be questioned! They will probably unseat their Diliman neighbors through their impeccable timing on errors, er, flops, er, graceful fall, er, paying judges, er, giving away cars, er, routines! If in case they lose, Guidon will be their to make up excuses, er, say their are more important things in life like filing a counter 'clarification letter' to the Board. *ed. On a positive note, this team never fails to bring eye candies on the court. Now if only those had points!

Do you not get goosebumps seeing this? Imagine watching a whole routine

UP: YOUR CHEERDANCE CHAMPIONS! Their basketball program (or whatever shit you call it) might be of Purok 2, Mosquito Division level but their cheerdancers are the best in the country. Unfortunately they have fallen off quite a bit from the World Cheerdance Ranking by 60 spots due to lack of support from the state and lack of practice due to the numerous rallies held this semester. *ed. Again, a difficult school to diss because they're just too good. UP's MBT and Pep Squads have the same relationship as Ateneo's Blue Babble Battalion and Senior MBT. Baliktad nga lang. :P