Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2020 17:28:59 GMT -8
Boston Celtics: D
Radio silence as ever from Boston in the offseason. No trades, no picks, no meaningful free agent signings. Boston seems destined for the playoff bubble and didn’t do anything to avert it this offseason.Miami Heat: B
Just one move, but it was a blockbuster, as Kobe sent Heat lifer Ricky Davis to the Blazers for David West, Joe Smith, and picks. The move shores up Miami’s frontline and allows Kobe to move ZBo to SF. The Portland 07 seems to have nice trade value, too, as everyone seems interested in tanking for KD. And even though Ricky is one of the best scorers in BBS, Kobe had and has plenty of scoring to spare. Still, Ricky wasn’t on the block very long, and I don’t think Kobe got a premier piece back for him.New York Knicks: A-
Skillz has shown that trading is a fun exercise for him en route to landing on a new contender each season, so his deals don’t seem worth scrutinizing. On the whole, though, he had a very good offseason. He got incredible return for Zo, having drafted Shaun Livingston with the Wovles 04 and flipped the Magic 05 for Leandro Barbosa. He sold low on Chauncey to get fun pieces, but AK and the Pacce man are good prospects who are likely to improve in TC. Given Shaq’s contract and glaring deficiencies, I don’t know about dealing Livingston and Rose for him, but Skillz is likely on the prowl for other superstars to justify the move. New Jersey Nets: B+
Greeme may actually manage to stave off the post-MJ rebuild I’d been saying he needed. After dealing Joe Johnson for Sargo’s shotblocking bigs, Greeme finds himself with one of the best rotation of bigs in the league. Couple that with the selection of Tony Allen, who should be an elite wing defender/rebounder, and the Nets suddenly have important strengths at a good, young core. They need offense, but not desperately; Marbury, Mike Miller, and Memo Okur make for fine options. Anyway, perimeter scoring is easily acquired in BBS, so JJ shouldn’t be a huge loss. Orlando Magic: C
Setting aside the attempted gift to Royal, I don’t see why a team with Allen Iverson, Leandro Barbosa, and Marcus Camby would need to deal a premier asset to reacquire its pick, but some GMs don’t know how to build without tanking. The Magic sold low on Barbosa and probably won’t get anyone as good as him with their ’05 pick. Anyway, he wasn’t the one to deal. He’s 22, a point guard, and on his rookie contract. He’s the one you keep for your rebuild. We’ll see what they get for AI and Camby, but Trapstar had great assets and a lot of options and seems destined to turn the Magic into an ordinary tank job.Philadelphia 76ers: C
Nothing to do but wait on TCs from Yao, Andre Miller, and Franchise Steven, I guess, but I'd like to see Stevie B retool and get youth/picks for Webber and Jamison. The rest of the core is young and good--go get them suitable friends.Washington Wizards: A
JAH had no business having the Sonics 2006 1st, having dealt toxic fuck Antonio McDyess for the pick from a desperate contract year team, but he had it, and he cashed in nicely. He desperately needed a big and got a very good, versatile one, so good job. I don’t know if Michael Redd has value, but it’s certainly time to find out. RJ should be starting, and JAH should aggressively pursue upgrades at point guard and center.Atlanta Hawks: C-
Offseasons are short, and I know Footy is being patient as he decides the right direction for the Hawks. I also know he’s been active in trade talks. Still, only bad things so far. His ’05 pick landed in Game’s tanking lap, he dumped his best PG for cap, and he struck out in FA. He inherited a bad situation, but I worry he’s exacerbating it by demanding too much in trade talks. While Ray and Big Dog are studs, BBS is full of good alternatives and easy trading partners. Footy may need to adjust--maybe get a new haircut and change his name to The Podiatrist, Thursday nights on CBS.New Orleans Hornets: A-
Skillz had his sights set on Pig’s fun youths and Pig benefitted to the tune of the league’s best PG (maybe, lots of them are good and I love to praise them) and a high equity Donyell “The Donyell Man” Marshall. The Billups-Houston backcourt will be lethal. I really hate Pig’s frontcourt, and he didn’t really address it, but he deserved credit for how he handled Elton Brand’s free agency. Brand isn’t worth anywhere near a max, but Pig badly needed to keep him as a fifth starter. The three-year max was savvy—Brand isn’t signed long enough to cripple the Hornets’ cap situation or become unmovable.Chicago Bulls: A
Melo would’ve gone #1 in this draft. He’s 20 and just did 25 PPG on 48/86/40 with low turnovers and high rebounding. He’s heading for A-/A scoring and will likely become passable on defense. Plus Play and Insane got Royal to the do the work of fully camping him for them. I had Al Jefferson ranked eighth in this draft class. He’s Eddy Curry lite. Highway robbery. Good to see the Bulls rebuild off to a great start.Cleveland Cavaliers: A+
The groupme strikes again. He got Game to deal possibly the best point guard in BBS—a 22 year-old still on his rookie contract, no less—for a good perimeter prospect, a middling point guard prospect, and a pick without even putting Parker on the trade block! I don’t really mind the value, but A+ for landing a megastar at reasonable cost.Detroit Pistons: A-
I liked Galo’s draft a lot. Call me crazy--frankly, call me anything you want. I'm married. I have a career. I have a daughter. I've overcome gout and the first known case of gonorrhea depression. Nothing you say matters to me--but I think Devin Harris has a chance to develop into a Tony Parker type. Harris is at C+/B scoring before his first TC. Galo can +10 his shooting to get him up to A- outside shooting in time. If good TCs do the rest, and Harris’ handle are as his notes suggest, he’s a superstar. We’ll need to see Josh Smith’s handles, but he’s coming in so skilled for a 19 year-old, and I think he has big potential. Telfair is boom or bust but a great gamble outside of the lotto, and Dorrell Wright looks to have a high floor and solid potential. Another perk of Galo’s offseason: the Clippers dealt Duncan and look lottery-curious; Galo has their ’05. Indiana Pacers: B
I don’t think Gilbert Arenas and Joe Johnson to Tim Duncan+ is highway robbery whatsoever—it was notable that so much of the reaction to that trade focused on the pretty insignificant assets Frangie added. Having said that, Sargo did well in the deal, and I don’t want to quibble with adding the best player in the league while he’s in his prime. But I gotta! The Pacers don’t have any path to contention. Khalid El-Amin is as bad a non-tanking starting PG as there is, Macijauskus and Posey form a below-average perimeter duo, and the Pacers don’t have a playable big apart from Dunkin’ Tim. I don’t think Duncan’s long for Indiana—there’s just nowhere to go with him. Sargo knows how to deal, though, and I look forward to the return he gets for TD. It’s coming!!!Toronto Raptors: C-
Love Game. One of the good guys. But he dealt Parker without shopping him or posting a block. One good prospect, one decent prospect, and one pick is the floor on a return for TP. I understand being all-in on Iguodala—he looks great—but he’s a developing wing in a league full of superstar wings, this offer would’ve been there after TC, and TP is way too good of an asset to deal without gauging interest. 
