http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insid...od_nba_xxx_xxx
Not a lot of optimism here. Their projected starting 5:
Collison
Dunleavy, Jr.
Granger
McRoberts (!)
Hibbert
NBA Offseason Buzz: Teams 25-30
Timberwolves, Pistons, Raptors, Pacers, Wizards, Nets, projections and previews
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4
By Chris Broussard and John Hollinger
ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Insider
Getty Images
A tough road lies ahead for the teams of Kevin Love, Gilbert Arenas and Richard Hamilton.
With the most highly anticipated free-agency period in NBA history now in the books, ESPN Insider is surveying the new landscape of the Association over the next five days. Chris Broussard examines what changed for each team and what issues still linger, before ranking the teams from No. 30 to No. 1 for the coming season. And John Hollinger weighs in with per-40 minute statistical projections for each squad's starting lineup.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
30. Minnesota Timberwolves
The more things change: Losing the best player on a 15-win team is no big deal, so bye-bye Al Jefferson. Now, the Wolves' most talented player, though perhaps not their best, is Michael Beasley, who's already had a duffle bag's worth of controversy in his disappointing two-year career. While you hope Beasley can turn it around in Minny, it just doesn't seem like the place to build a problem child into a professional. Elsewhere on the roster, Luke Ridnour replaces Ramon Sessions. Ho-hum. Both are truly backups.
The more they stay the same: The Timberwolves remain, undisputedly, the worst team and franchise in the league. Since Kevin Garnett left for brighter days in Boston three years ago, the Timberwolves have become a joke. They're overstocked at point guard, yet all of them are mediocre, and perhaps the best of the bunch (Ricky Rubio) refuses to play for them, choosing instead to remain in Europe. The one bright spot is Kevin Love, but even he's not bright enough to overcome the darkness covering this club.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
29. Detroit Pistons
The more things change: Years ago, when Tracy McGrady was healthy and in his prime, the Pistons tried and failed to trade for him. Well, they finally got McGrady, signing him as a free agent this summer for the veteran's minimum of $1.35 million. But the 31-year-old McGrady is such a shell of himself that the Pistons were perhaps the only team that wanted him. McGrady will get a chance to shine in Detroit, though, which is an opportunity he would not have received in most places. The Pistons also finally got a skilled big man, happily drafting Georgetown's Greg Monroe. Monroe has great talent, but his toughness and determination have been questioned, as he underachieved in NCAA ball.
The more they stay the same: Detroit's three best players may still play largely the same position. Point guard Rodney Stuckey may be more like a shooting guard, a position that's already stocked with Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon. The three are too small to start in a three-guard lineup, but the Pistons' front line is too offensively challenged to put up big points without those three on the floor.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
28. Toronto Raptors
The more things change: The Raptors played the Chris Bosh situation all wrong. It seems that every single individual in the league knew Bosh was leaving Toronto except those working in Toronto. Why else would the Raptors hold onto him until the summer, when they would have been far better off trading him before last season's deadline? In the end, Toronto was left to take whatever it could get in the form of draft picks and a huge trade exception for its best player. The Raptors were able to get rid of the disgruntled Hedo Turkoglu, bringing in another international player in Leandro Barbosa, and they also added free agents Amir Johnson and Linas Kleiza and draft pick Ed Davis. Those are decent players, but this was, without question, a lost summer for the Raptors.
The more they stay the same: The Raptors organization has to begin seriously wondering whether it can get an American-born star to stay in Toronto. McGrady left as a free agent years ago, then Vince Carter forced his way out of the country and now Bosh has followed suit. If talented second-year guard DeMar DeRozan blossoms into a star, will he eventually bolt, too? You can't help but think "probably."
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
27. Indiana Pacers
The more things change: The Pacers added a potential star in Darren Collison, who put up big numbers while filling in for Chris Paul last season in New Orleans. James Posey also came along in the trade that cost Indiana Troy Murphy, and he brings championship pedigree and leadership. For all their struggles on the court, the Pacers are beginning to manage their cap well and could be players in free agency next summer.
The more they stay the same: Second-round pick Lance Stephenson's recent altercation with the mother of his child, in which he allegedly pushed her down a flight of stairs and slammed her head against a step, brings back despicable memories of the havoc wreaked by Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley a few years ago. Indiana, in an effort to win back its fan base, has brought in nothing but "good guys" the past few years, but diverted from that strategy in drafting Stephenson, whose troubled past is well-documented. They got burned for it.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
26. Washington Wizards
The more things change: There's a new leader off the court, in new owner Ted Leonsis, and one on the court, in new point guard John Wall. Wall has explosive talent and is expected to become a superstar, and the Wizards acquired Kirk Hinrich to give Wall a veteran sounding board to help him maximize his potential. There's been a ton of team turnover, both at last February's trade deadline and over the summer, including a minor move that brought Yi Jianlian over from New Jersey. The Wizards are now a young team with big talent.
The more they stay the same: Gilbert Arenas is back, but back in a different role. When Gilbert left the team after being suspended because of his foolish gunplay with Javaris Crittenton, he was the face of the franchise, on and off the court. Now both of those titles belong to Wall, and no matter what he says, Arenas will have a hard time accepting that. The Wizards would love to trade him but his baggage and the four years and $80 million left on his contract make that awfully hard to do. Arenas helped ruin last season; the Wizards are determined not to let him ruin this one, as well.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
25. New Jersey Nets
The more things change: Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe are out, and Billy King, Avery Johnson and celebrity Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov are in. Johnson was one of the league's most successful coaches during his tenure in Dallas and will whip the talented but young Nets into shape. Free agency was a failure, pure and simple, since the Nets missed out on all the big names, but they added some quality in Travis Outlaw (though they overpaid him with a five-year, $35 million deal), Jordan Farmar and Anthony Morrow. No. 3 pick Derrick Favors has a world of potential, and the Nets smartly brought in Troy Murphy to hold down the power forward spot until Favors learns the ropes.
The more they stay the same: The Nets are still stuck in a sort of limbo. While they've left the Izod Center in the New Jersey swamps, they're still not in their permanent digs yet. They'll spend the next two years in Newark, playing at the Prudential Center, before moving to Brooklyn for good in 2012. The failure to reach Brooklyn earlier, which was the initial plan, certainly cost the Nets a legitimate shot at LeBron James and the other big-name free agents this summer. Some would say it was fitting for a franchise that, despite its back-to-back trips to the Finals in 2002 and 2003, is still largely regarded as backward.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
Not a lot of optimism here. Their projected starting 5:
Collison
Dunleavy, Jr.
Granger
McRoberts (!)
Hibbert
NBA Offseason Buzz: Teams 25-30
Timberwolves, Pistons, Raptors, Pacers, Wizards, Nets, projections and previews
EmailPrintComments
4
By Chris Broussard and John Hollinger
ESPN The Magazine and ESPN Insider
Getty Images
A tough road lies ahead for the teams of Kevin Love, Gilbert Arenas and Richard Hamilton.
With the most highly anticipated free-agency period in NBA history now in the books, ESPN Insider is surveying the new landscape of the Association over the next five days. Chris Broussard examines what changed for each team and what issues still linger, before ranking the teams from No. 30 to No. 1 for the coming season. And John Hollinger weighs in with per-40 minute statistical projections for each squad's starting lineup.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
30. Minnesota Timberwolves
The more things change: Losing the best player on a 15-win team is no big deal, so bye-bye Al Jefferson. Now, the Wolves' most talented player, though perhaps not their best, is Michael Beasley, who's already had a duffle bag's worth of controversy in his disappointing two-year career. While you hope Beasley can turn it around in Minny, it just doesn't seem like the place to build a problem child into a professional. Elsewhere on the roster, Luke Ridnour replaces Ramon Sessions. Ho-hum. Both are truly backups.
The more they stay the same: The Timberwolves remain, undisputedly, the worst team and franchise in the league. Since Kevin Garnett left for brighter days in Boston three years ago, the Timberwolves have become a joke. They're overstocked at point guard, yet all of them are mediocre, and perhaps the best of the bunch (Ricky Rubio) refuses to play for them, choosing instead to remain in Europe. The one bright spot is Kevin Love, but even he's not bright enough to overcome the darkness covering this club.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
29. Detroit Pistons
The more things change: Years ago, when Tracy McGrady was healthy and in his prime, the Pistons tried and failed to trade for him. Well, they finally got McGrady, signing him as a free agent this summer for the veteran's minimum of $1.35 million. But the 31-year-old McGrady is such a shell of himself that the Pistons were perhaps the only team that wanted him. McGrady will get a chance to shine in Detroit, though, which is an opportunity he would not have received in most places. The Pistons also finally got a skilled big man, happily drafting Georgetown's Greg Monroe. Monroe has great talent, but his toughness and determination have been questioned, as he underachieved in NCAA ball.
The more they stay the same: Detroit's three best players may still play largely the same position. Point guard Rodney Stuckey may be more like a shooting guard, a position that's already stocked with Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon. The three are too small to start in a three-guard lineup, but the Pistons' front line is too offensively challenged to put up big points without those three on the floor.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
28. Toronto Raptors
The more things change: The Raptors played the Chris Bosh situation all wrong. It seems that every single individual in the league knew Bosh was leaving Toronto except those working in Toronto. Why else would the Raptors hold onto him until the summer, when they would have been far better off trading him before last season's deadline? In the end, Toronto was left to take whatever it could get in the form of draft picks and a huge trade exception for its best player. The Raptors were able to get rid of the disgruntled Hedo Turkoglu, bringing in another international player in Leandro Barbosa, and they also added free agents Amir Johnson and Linas Kleiza and draft pick Ed Davis. Those are decent players, but this was, without question, a lost summer for the Raptors.
The more they stay the same: The Raptors organization has to begin seriously wondering whether it can get an American-born star to stay in Toronto. McGrady left as a free agent years ago, then Vince Carter forced his way out of the country and now Bosh has followed suit. If talented second-year guard DeMar DeRozan blossoms into a star, will he eventually bolt, too? You can't help but think "probably."
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
27. Indiana Pacers
The more things change: The Pacers added a potential star in Darren Collison, who put up big numbers while filling in for Chris Paul last season in New Orleans. James Posey also came along in the trade that cost Indiana Troy Murphy, and he brings championship pedigree and leadership. For all their struggles on the court, the Pacers are beginning to manage their cap well and could be players in free agency next summer.
The more they stay the same: Second-round pick Lance Stephenson's recent altercation with the mother of his child, in which he allegedly pushed her down a flight of stairs and slammed her head against a step, brings back despicable memories of the havoc wreaked by Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jamaal Tinsley a few years ago. Indiana, in an effort to win back its fan base, has brought in nothing but "good guys" the past few years, but diverted from that strategy in drafting Stephenson, whose troubled past is well-documented. They got burned for it.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
26. Washington Wizards
The more things change: There's a new leader off the court, in new owner Ted Leonsis, and one on the court, in new point guard John Wall. Wall has explosive talent and is expected to become a superstar, and the Wizards acquired Kirk Hinrich to give Wall a veteran sounding board to help him maximize his potential. There's been a ton of team turnover, both at last February's trade deadline and over the summer, including a minor move that brought Yi Jianlian over from New Jersey. The Wizards are now a young team with big talent.
The more they stay the same: Gilbert Arenas is back, but back in a different role. When Gilbert left the team after being suspended because of his foolish gunplay with Javaris Crittenton, he was the face of the franchise, on and off the court. Now both of those titles belong to Wall, and no matter what he says, Arenas will have a hard time accepting that. The Wizards would love to trade him but his baggage and the four years and $80 million left on his contract make that awfully hard to do. Arenas helped ruin last season; the Wizards are determined not to let him ruin this one, as well.
PG | SG | SF | PF | C
25. New Jersey Nets
The more things change: Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe are out, and Billy King, Avery Johnson and celebrity Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov are in. Johnson was one of the league's most successful coaches during his tenure in Dallas and will whip the talented but young Nets into shape. Free agency was a failure, pure and simple, since the Nets missed out on all the big names, but they added some quality in Travis Outlaw (though they overpaid him with a five-year, $35 million deal), Jordan Farmar and Anthony Morrow. No. 3 pick Derrick Favors has a world of potential, and the Nets smartly brought in Troy Murphy to hold down the power forward spot until Favors learns the ropes.
The more they stay the same: The Nets are still stuck in a sort of limbo. While they've left the Izod Center in the New Jersey swamps, they're still not in their permanent digs yet. They'll spend the next two years in Newark, playing at the Prudential Center, before moving to Brooklyn for good in 2012. The failure to reach Brooklyn earlier, which was the initial plan, certainly cost the Nets a legitimate shot at LeBron James and the other big-name free agents this summer. Some would say it was fitting for a franchise that, despite its back-to-back trips to the Finals in 2002 and 2003, is still largely regarded as backward.
Chris Broussard is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine.
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