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
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| Huge decision for Rondo when he recovers; be the Franchise Guy or bolt to make another super team elsewhere |
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
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| With Holiday out, the Sixers are going all-in on their former top draft pick |
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
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| Sanders' huge 2012-2013 campaign earned him a consideration as one of the top Centers in the league |
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
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| 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 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
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| Talk about a late-season eye opener. Tobias Harris torched opponents in the "garbage time" equivalent of their season |
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.
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