NBA Central Division Off-Season Grades
By Anonymous
Tue, 07/20/2010 - 1:34am
By Eric Yearian
Chicago Bulls:
Ronnie Brewer with his Bulls uniform
Draft Picks: Kevin Seraphin, France Sent to Washington Wizards
Additions: Carlos Boozer (Jazz 5 years 80 million), Ronnie Brewer (Memphis 3 years 12.5 million), Kyle Korver (Jazz 3 years 15 million), Omer Asik (Turkey), CJ Watson (GSW 3 years 10.2 million)
Subtractions: Hakim Warrick (Suns), Brad Miller (Rockets), Joe Alexander, Devin Brown, Kirk Hinrich (Washington Wizards), Acie Law, Ronald Murray, Jannero Pargo
It’s easy to say the Bulls were losers due to the fact that they looked primed to add LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh to their roster this offseason. Obviously, they weren’t able to seal the deal, so when they moved to get Boozer it filled their need for a strong post presence on the offensive end. They continued raiding the Utah Jazz of their free agents by picking up outside shooting specialist Kyle Korver. Korver comes on board at a very reasonable 15 million over three years. Korver gives the Bulls the shooter they lacked last season (only the Memphis Grizzlies made fewer threes last season). Ronnie Brewer, another Utah Jazz alum and CJ Watson from Golden State will help relieve the loss of defensive stopper and savy veteran Kirk Hinrich. All in all their off-season has to be considered a success, as they improved in some key areas (inside presence, shooting). They may not have gotten the superstar player they were hoping for, but they vastly improved their team and put themselves in position to be very competitive next season and for years to come.
Final Grade: A
Cleveland Cavaliers
Draft Picks: None
Additions: None
Subtractions: LeBron James (HEAT), Shaquille O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (HEAT), Jawad Williams (Likely to stay-Restricted Free Agent)
Has a team in any sport ever had a worse off-season than the Cavaliers had this year? The Cavs have lived in fear for seven years that their homegrown superstar would leave. It finally happened this off-season as James chose Miami and the allure of playing alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Fortunately for Cleveland, they had a backup plan. Unfortunately for Cleveland, that backup plan included owner Dan Gilbert publishing a juvenile letter to his team’s fans berating James for leaving his team, talk of a trade for Marvin Williams (who has been a bust since being selected #2 overall), and signing restricted free agent Kyle Lowery to an offer sheet that was matched by the Rockets before the ink even dried on Lowery’s signature. Then, to add insult to injury, LeBron recruited Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who had been with the team his entire career up until being traded to the Wizards this past season (he rejoined the team after being bought out), to join the “Super Friends” in Miami. Add in the fact that Shaquille O’Neal became a free agent also, and the Cavaliers have yet to add anyone to the team, and it is obvious that they took a major step back. In the one hour it took for “The Decision” to air on ESPN, the Cavs went from the team with the best record over the past two years to looking like they could be next season’s version of the Nets.
Final Grade: F
Detroit Pistons
Draft Picks: Greg Monroe, Georgetown, Terrico White, Mississippi
Additions: Ben Wallace (Resigned 2 yrs 3.8M)
Subtractions: Kwame Brown, Will Bynum (Likely to return- Restricted Free Agent)
The Pistons took themselves out of the running for any major free agents this year by signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to big deals last off-season. The team struggled mightily last season, making it imperative for Joe Dumars and company to nail this draft. The Pistons were lucky to have Greg Monroe, the sweet passing center out of Georgetown fall to them at 7 in the draft. Monroe will never be a dominant post presence, but he is the rare center that a team can run an offense through, especially by getting him the ball on the high post and using him as a passer, which will undoubtedly open up looks for Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon. Their second pick, Terrico White, is more of a project but has good size and quickness for a guard, but like Rodney Stuckey, is a little bit of a tweener. On top of having a good draft, the Pistons were able to keep Ben Wallace on the cheap, giving Monroe a chance to learn from one of the league’s hardest workers for the next two seasons. Despite the good off-season, they didn’t do enough to expect a vast improvement over last year’s disappointing season.
Final Grade: B
Indiana Pacers
Draft Picks: Paul George, Fresno State, Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech.
Additions: None
Subtractions: Luther Head, Earl Watson
One of the main concerns surrounding the Pacers was whether they would select Gordon Hayward of Butler with their first round pick. While Hayward is unquestionably a talented player, many believed that Larry Bird might continue stocking the team with tall white guys who aren’t all that athletic (See: Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Jeff foster, Tyler Hansbrough). That pick likely would have pleased the hometown fans as Hayward just led Butler to the NCAA championship game, but the team really needs athleticism to take the next step. When Utah selected Hayward before Indiana could, it allowed the Pacers to draft for need, selecting one of the draft’s biggest risers, Paul George. George is an outside oriented player who can use his athleticism to get by his defender and finish with authority. In the second round, they were able to acquire Stephenson, nicknamed “Born ready” on the playgrounds of New York City, and Magnum Rolle, a highly versatile forward and one of the real steals of the draft from Louisiana Tech. The main concern for the Pacers now is the fact that they lack depth at point guard (disgruntled Jamal Tinsley and TJ Ford have a lot to do with this), but Stephenson has shown the ability to run the point. Also, the team worked out a deal to stay in town for a while, so that’s a positive as well.
Final Grade: B+
Milwaukee Bucks
John Salmons Returns
Draft Picks: Larry Sanders, VCU, Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Tiny Gallon, Oklahoma
Additions: Drew Gooden (Clippers 5 years 32 million). John Salmons (Resigned 5yrs, 40 million), Corey Maggette (Warriors), Chris Douglas-Roberts (Nets) , Keyon Dooling (New Jersey Nets 2 years 4 million)
Subtractions: Luke Ridnour (Timberwolves), Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey, Jerry Stackhouse, Kurt Thomas, Dan Gadzuric (Warriors), Charlie Bell (Warriors)
The Bucks have had a massive roster overhaul this offseason, as they have seen 7 players leave the team and 7 take their place. They retained their two best players, Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut and resigned John Salmons as well. Prior to the draft Larry Hammond, the team’s general manager, was proactive, making two separate trades netting Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, two solid wing players to take the scoring burden off the Buck’s young point guard. With the scoring taken care of, the team looked for size and rebounding in the draft, selecting Larry Sanders and Tiny Gallon. Each of those two rookies has good size, and they both bring different things to the table. They also added Darington Hobson of New Mexico, who is a hard worker, but with the trades the Bucks made, he will have to wait for his opportunity. Expect him to spend much of his season in the D-League. Drew Gooden, who signed on with the team after the draft, is a true journeyman, but also one of the most underrated rebounders in the game. Gooden should be able to help Bogut out on the boards while not taking offensive possessions away from the suddenly high octane Bucks’ perimeter players. It’s always difficult to bring in a lot of new players and have good team chemistry, especially with a young point guard, but the Bucks feel they are close after taking the Hawks to seven games in the playoffs despite Bogut being out. If Bogut can recover from his gruesome arm injury, Jennings can keep improving, and the rookies and veteran acquisitions do what they are expected to, this Bucks team will take another step forward towards becoming a contender. They better because with these offseason acquisitions they have destroyed their potential cap space freedom when Michael Redd comes off the books at the end of next season. The combo Gooden/Salmons will cost you alone an average of $16.4 million per season over the next 5 seasons. The hope is that Bogut and / or Brandon Jennings can continue their development to superstar status. They aren’t there yet, but with the addition of these costly veteran role players, it’s up to those two to make them championship contenders.
Final Grade: B+
Chicago Bulls:
Ronnie Brewer with his Bulls uniformDraft Picks: Kevin Seraphin, France Sent to Washington Wizards
Additions: Carlos Boozer (Jazz 5 years 80 million), Ronnie Brewer (Memphis 3 years 12.5 million), Kyle Korver (Jazz 3 years 15 million), Omer Asik (Turkey), CJ Watson (GSW 3 years 10.2 million)
Subtractions: Hakim Warrick (Suns), Brad Miller (Rockets), Joe Alexander, Devin Brown, Kirk Hinrich (Washington Wizards), Acie Law, Ronald Murray, Jannero Pargo
It’s easy to say the Bulls were losers due to the fact that they looked primed to add LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh to their roster this offseason. Obviously, they weren’t able to seal the deal, so when they moved to get Boozer it filled their need for a strong post presence on the offensive end. They continued raiding the Utah Jazz of their free agents by picking up outside shooting specialist Kyle Korver. Korver comes on board at a very reasonable 15 million over three years. Korver gives the Bulls the shooter they lacked last season (only the Memphis Grizzlies made fewer threes last season). Ronnie Brewer, another Utah Jazz alum and CJ Watson from Golden State will help relieve the loss of defensive stopper and savy veteran Kirk Hinrich. All in all their off-season has to be considered a success, as they improved in some key areas (inside presence, shooting). They may not have gotten the superstar player they were hoping for, but they vastly improved their team and put themselves in position to be very competitive next season and for years to come.
Final Grade: A
Cleveland Cavaliers
Draft Picks: None
Additions: None
Subtractions: LeBron James (HEAT), Shaquille O’Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas (HEAT), Jawad Williams (Likely to stay-Restricted Free Agent)
Has a team in any sport ever had a worse off-season than the Cavaliers had this year? The Cavs have lived in fear for seven years that their homegrown superstar would leave. It finally happened this off-season as James chose Miami and the allure of playing alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Fortunately for Cleveland, they had a backup plan. Unfortunately for Cleveland, that backup plan included owner Dan Gilbert publishing a juvenile letter to his team’s fans berating James for leaving his team, talk of a trade for Marvin Williams (who has been a bust since being selected #2 overall), and signing restricted free agent Kyle Lowery to an offer sheet that was matched by the Rockets before the ink even dried on Lowery’s signature. Then, to add insult to injury, LeBron recruited Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who had been with the team his entire career up until being traded to the Wizards this past season (he rejoined the team after being bought out), to join the “Super Friends” in Miami. Add in the fact that Shaquille O’Neal became a free agent also, and the Cavaliers have yet to add anyone to the team, and it is obvious that they took a major step back. In the one hour it took for “The Decision” to air on ESPN, the Cavs went from the team with the best record over the past two years to looking like they could be next season’s version of the Nets.
Final Grade: F
Detroit Pistons
Draft Picks: Greg Monroe, Georgetown, Terrico White, Mississippi
Additions: Ben Wallace (Resigned 2 yrs 3.8M)
Subtractions: Kwame Brown, Will Bynum (Likely to return- Restricted Free Agent)
The Pistons took themselves out of the running for any major free agents this year by signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva to big deals last off-season. The team struggled mightily last season, making it imperative for Joe Dumars and company to nail this draft. The Pistons were lucky to have Greg Monroe, the sweet passing center out of Georgetown fall to them at 7 in the draft. Monroe will never be a dominant post presence, but he is the rare center that a team can run an offense through, especially by getting him the ball on the high post and using him as a passer, which will undoubtedly open up looks for Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon. Their second pick, Terrico White, is more of a project but has good size and quickness for a guard, but like Rodney Stuckey, is a little bit of a tweener. On top of having a good draft, the Pistons were able to keep Ben Wallace on the cheap, giving Monroe a chance to learn from one of the league’s hardest workers for the next two seasons. Despite the good off-season, they didn’t do enough to expect a vast improvement over last year’s disappointing season.
Final Grade: B
Indiana Pacers
Draft Picks: Paul George, Fresno State, Lance Stephenson, Cincinnati, Magnum Rolle, Louisiana Tech.
Additions: None
Subtractions: Luther Head, Earl Watson
One of the main concerns surrounding the Pacers was whether they would select Gordon Hayward of Butler with their first round pick. While Hayward is unquestionably a talented player, many believed that Larry Bird might continue stocking the team with tall white guys who aren’t all that athletic (See: Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Jeff foster, Tyler Hansbrough). That pick likely would have pleased the hometown fans as Hayward just led Butler to the NCAA championship game, but the team really needs athleticism to take the next step. When Utah selected Hayward before Indiana could, it allowed the Pacers to draft for need, selecting one of the draft’s biggest risers, Paul George. George is an outside oriented player who can use his athleticism to get by his defender and finish with authority. In the second round, they were able to acquire Stephenson, nicknamed “Born ready” on the playgrounds of New York City, and Magnum Rolle, a highly versatile forward and one of the real steals of the draft from Louisiana Tech. The main concern for the Pacers now is the fact that they lack depth at point guard (disgruntled Jamal Tinsley and TJ Ford have a lot to do with this), but Stephenson has shown the ability to run the point. Also, the team worked out a deal to stay in town for a while, so that’s a positive as well.
Final Grade: B+
Milwaukee Bucks
John Salmons ReturnsDraft Picks: Larry Sanders, VCU, Darington Hobson, New Mexico, Tiny Gallon, Oklahoma
Additions: Drew Gooden (Clippers 5 years 32 million). John Salmons (Resigned 5yrs, 40 million), Corey Maggette (Warriors), Chris Douglas-Roberts (Nets) , Keyon Dooling (New Jersey Nets 2 years 4 million)
Subtractions: Luke Ridnour (Timberwolves), Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey, Jerry Stackhouse, Kurt Thomas, Dan Gadzuric (Warriors), Charlie Bell (Warriors)
The Bucks have had a massive roster overhaul this offseason, as they have seen 7 players leave the team and 7 take their place. They retained their two best players, Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut and resigned John Salmons as well. Prior to the draft Larry Hammond, the team’s general manager, was proactive, making two separate trades netting Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, two solid wing players to take the scoring burden off the Buck’s young point guard. With the scoring taken care of, the team looked for size and rebounding in the draft, selecting Larry Sanders and Tiny Gallon. Each of those two rookies has good size, and they both bring different things to the table. They also added Darington Hobson of New Mexico, who is a hard worker, but with the trades the Bucks made, he will have to wait for his opportunity. Expect him to spend much of his season in the D-League. Drew Gooden, who signed on with the team after the draft, is a true journeyman, but also one of the most underrated rebounders in the game. Gooden should be able to help Bogut out on the boards while not taking offensive possessions away from the suddenly high octane Bucks’ perimeter players. It’s always difficult to bring in a lot of new players and have good team chemistry, especially with a young point guard, but the Bucks feel they are close after taking the Hawks to seven games in the playoffs despite Bogut being out. If Bogut can recover from his gruesome arm injury, Jennings can keep improving, and the rookies and veteran acquisitions do what they are expected to, this Bucks team will take another step forward towards becoming a contender. They better because with these offseason acquisitions they have destroyed their potential cap space freedom when Michael Redd comes off the books at the end of next season. The combo Gooden/Salmons will cost you alone an average of $16.4 million per season over the next 5 seasons. The hope is that Bogut and / or Brandon Jennings can continue their development to superstar status. They aren’t there yet, but with the addition of these costly veteran role players, it’s up to those two to make them championship contenders.
Final Grade: B+
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