NBA Rankings: Three for Thought -18 through 16
Rankings season is in full force across the basketball online world, everybody weighing in on where each team will finish.
My latest instalment touches on the fringes of the play-offs, rosters built to strike this season, not the teams looking to metaphorically scrap the 2013/14 season in an attempt to create a team fans will actually want to watch in the future.
Here are the previous teams to have made it on my list; all in all I’ve dumped four teams from the play-off berth they earned last year (Lakers, Hawks, Celtics, and Bucks.) The power rankings in the East might stay similar this year but spots 5-8 are open to any team that wants them, although I doubt many teams actually do.
30 – Phoenix Suns
29 – Orlando Magic
28 – Charlotte Bobcats
27 – Utah Jazz
26 – Milwaukee Bucks
25 – Toronto Raptors
24 – Boston Celtics
23 – Philadelphia 76ers
22 – Sacramento Kings
21 – LA Lakers
20 – Atlanta Hawks
19 – Portland Trailblazers
18 – New Orleans Pelicans – 2012/13: 27-55 – 2013/14: 37-45
The 2012/13 ‘Hornets’ were terrible. Not many people expected Anthony Davis to break-out immediately after being picked at Number 1 in the 2012 draft. At 6ft 10in and 220lb most analysts around the league knew that his first season in the bigs would be a learning experience, nobody was going to ‘fear the brow’ of a lanky forward unsure over his future position but at 20 years old you can guarantee he’ll get bigger and more aggressive over the summer, combined with an almost full season of experience behind him stands the team in great stead moving forward. The all-rookie first team David average 13.5ppg, eight rebounds and almost two blocks a game, despite the fact his court time over the 64 matches played in was just shy of 30 minutes. For a guy who can only get better those are some impressive numbers, especially considering he has injury troubles over the course of the season.
So on to the rest of the brand spanking new Pelicans.
The front office have made a clear decision to try and improve right now, building a roster that might even surprise a few and grab 7th or 8th spot in the West. One move that shocked most around the league was the 4-year/$44m given to Tyreke Evans. He may be a former rookie of the year in 2010 but that was also his most productive year as a pro. Since averaging 20ppg in his first season out of Memphis the 24-year-old shooting guard’s production has faltered, only putting up 15ppg last season for the Kings. With low rebound, assist and steal averages the main reason you sign a guy like this is for baskets, and since he isn’t getting it done in that area like he used to, it has the hallmarks of an overinflated contract by a trigger happy front office looking to move up in the world.
Arguably one of the best off-season moves by any NBA team was the acquisition of Jrue Holiday. Sure the Peli’s had to give up a potential star in Nerlens Noel along with a 2014 1st rounder, but it’s given the backcourt more than just the one-directional passing game Greivis Vasques the old Hornets last season (Vasques being sent to the Kings as part of the Tyreke trade.)
New Orleans also managed to grab 7ft Centre Jeff Withey in the draft at an amazingly low 39th! The rookie big man lit up the NCAA highlight reel last season with his athletic dunking ability whilst playing for Kansas. The roster is pretty weak in forwards and the signing of Withey may help alleviate some pressure on David to play extended minutes seeing as their only other option is journeyman Greg Stiesma, who averages 3.5ppg in his NBA career.
There are a lot of individual pieces in New Orleans this year but it’s doubtful that they’ll all fit together. If Jrue and Davis can establish a link as well as Tyreke returning numbers like those of his rookie season, then the club may even flirt with .500%, but A LOT of things would have to go right for that to happen to Monty Williams and his team.
17 – Cleveland Cavaliers – 2012/13: 24-58 – 2013/14: 38-44
This season at the ‘Quick Loans Arena’ in Cleveland will be…..interesting.
Not only did the Cavaliers have the first pick in the draft choosing UNLV’s one-and-done Anthony Bennett (despite the need to lose some weight he’s already of Ohio natives excited after a 15 point 4th quarter last week in pre-season), they also gave up millions of dollars to see if Andrew Bynum can still play productive NBA basketball at the big man.
If he can though, and this team will comfortably grab one of the playoff seeds up for grab this season in the East. Milwaukee got the 8th spot with a 38-44 record, so no doubt that it’s possible for Cleveland.
Obviously this is yet another big year for Kyrie Irving. Not only does he have to prove that his growth and maturity as a basketball player is still improving beyond a first All-Star call up last season, the young point guard will now have Derrick Rose back again, healthy and ready to lay claim as the best point guard in the NBA once more. This will no doubt put pressure on Irving who has certainly talked the talk and put his image out their as one of the leagues prominent stars through advertising over the summer, now he has to walk the walk. Not that he has done already in his short career to date, but now he has a team around him capable of good things he has to start sharing the ball more, learn to utilise a world class centre and pick and choose his shots. It’s fine when you’re the only guy on your team anyone relies on because then the plan of attack is simple: Do it yourself. But with so many talented guys around him he has to learn to run the whole unit, not just his own great attacking play.
Bennett and Bynum are obviously great starting points in terms of recruitment, even if both are a tad risky. But the Cavs front office has pulled off some great signings to add depth and credibility in every position of the roster.
Jarrett Jack signed in the at the guard position gives the teams a good offensive threat and some defensive hustle, Jack himself almost won 6th man of the year last season he’s proven to be productive in the minutes he plays. Couple this with the progression of All-Rookie first-teamer Dion Waiters and you’ve got a more than formidable supporting class to the main man Kyrie.
Up front in the forward position the team have signed Earl Clark who was easily one of the only good things to happen to the Lakers last season, starting 2012/13 as a small time bench player and ending up a first team power forward sometimes keeping Pau out of the line-up. It just so happens that LA don’t particularly want good players for the 12 months so the Cavs shrewdly signed him up, if Bennett works out Earl on in his career, then this is a great second PF to have, not forgetting Tristan Thompson sitting on the roster also.
The Centre position is an intriguing and scary mystery whichever way you look at it. Andrew Bynum thankfully didn’t go bowling over the off-season so would seemingly appear to be a healthy pro player for the first time in a long time. If you were lucky enough to get starting minutes from the 7′, 2x champion, then with everything else going on on-court then my 38 win prediction is likely to be exceeded. If it doesn’t work out however, they have very little depth to fall back on. Tyler Zeller had a solid first year averaging 8ppg out of UNC and maybe he’s destined to get better this season, if he doesn’t then Cleveland will regularly be using three centre’s a game to make up un-productive minutes the first two may not be giving you which is not good for the offensive and defensive shape of a ball club.
This all might just be worrying over nothing and Bynum will be healthy and dominant with Zeller giving great replacement minutes but it’s something to think about.
All in all Cleveland is in kind of good shape heading into the season, they have former coach Mike Brown back in the fold and some really exciting players suiting up for the franchise, a productive season is vital however if the team at all feels as if it has a chance of tempting LeBron back home in 2014.
16 – Dallas Mavericks – 2012/13: 41-41 – 2013/14: 39-43
Dirk Nowitzki refused to shave his beard until the Dallas Mavericks propped themselves back up to .500% when the team were down at Christmas, hopefully he won’t make the same promise this year, nobody wants to see a beard that big.
The Mavericks only two seasons ago won a championship. Clearly with the Heat out looking for revenge the defending champs didn’t have the roster to do it all again so Mark Cuba chose to break the squad down and build it back up again.
Dallas this have signed the controversial Monta Ellis. Controversial in the sense of the widespread debate he produces over whether in fact he is a productive NBA player or not. Obviously his scoring is on a high level, but it’s often wasteful and tunnel visioned… i.e. he isn’t much of a team player. That’s what made the Bucks such a strange back-court last season, Monta and Jennings side by side was a power struggle that neither one of them actually ended up winning.
One thing you can’t deny however is that this Mavericks team needs some guarantee scoring and for $8m a year over 3 years, Ellis gives you that without you having to overspend like the Pelicans did on Tyreke.
Dirk is entering his last year on is deal and Cuban has indicated he wants him to retire with the Texas team, but also that he may have to be willing to take a pay-cut for the good of the team.
Mavs chose not to resign Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand over the summer and OJ Mayo opted to jump ship to the Bucks when he declined his player option with the team. The head office has in turn signed Ellis, Calderon (from the Pistons) and vet Samuel Dalembert. Calderon could be a nice match with Ellis, being so unselfish to the where Monta’s selfishness balances it out into a productive backcourt.
Dirk was clearly playing with a body still trying to heal from knee surgery so after a long play-off-less off-season he could come back with an All-Star quality season once again despite his advancing years.
With only $30m in salary already being pre-determined for the 2014/15 season however the Mavericks are using this season as a platform to try and tempt a big free agent next summer. Rick Carlisle is too good a coach to tank the team, but with the pieces in play it’d take some breakout performances to get this team into the Western Conference first round next summer. It’s unlikely… but not out of the realms of possibility.