Atlantic Division
1. Boston Celtics
The Celtics are in a clear rebuilding mode. Danny Ainge has acquired a lot of assets (e.g. the three unprotected first round picks from the Brooklyn Nets) to move forward. Part of the plan is to struggle so they have the high draft picks to acquire elite talent through the NBA Draft. As such, it will be a long season of losses for the Celtics especially after the injury to star point guard, Rajon Rondo, which appears will cost him the early part of the season. It should be very interesting to see if the Celtics will try to trade Rondo before he hits free agency after this season. He is an impact player who can significantly improve any team that needs a point guard. Nevertheless, there is a young core consisting of rookie and first round pick Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley, Jeff Green, Jared Sullinger, and Kelly Olynyk for Celtics fans to watch grow.
2. Brooklyn Nets
The Nets mortgaged their future in an attempt to acquire a championship caliber team immediately. The gamble has not paid off and they have paid a fortune in luxury taxes. The trade for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett also costs them three future, unprotected first round picks to the Celtics. They allowed Pierce to leave via free agency because of the luxury tax penalties. A diminished Garnett is a very expensive bench player. They are left with a playoff team in the 3-6 seed range that has no real chance to win the championship. Their point guard Deron Williams has not been the star he once was due to injury. Apparently, he feels a lot better heading into this season. They need him to be a star again but the totality of his injuries may have permanently diminished his abilities. Another big factor is the return of All-Star center Brook Lopez. He is an impact center who can score down low. Nevertheless, it is difficult to rely on him with his injury history. If these two return to form (and it is a big if), then the Nets could be a top 3 seed. On the positive, they have a deep team of good players. They are also bringing over rookie, Bojan Bogdanovic, from Croatia to replace Pierce. He is a talented prospect. While I do not think he is a star, he can be a strong contributor for the Nets. I also like the addition of head coach Lionel Hollins to replace Jason Kidd. Hollins led the Memphis Grizzlies to the Western Conference Finals two seasons ago. He is a humble, intelligent man who just wants to coach basketball and has no ego. The defensive and tough minded style of play Hollins deployed in Memphis should work well with the Nets roster.
3. New York Knicks
The Knicks were able to re-sign Carmelo Anthony. However, there was not really a doubt to it for me since they offered a max contract. I did like the other offseason moves made by Phil Jackson: trading Tyson Chandler for Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert as well as drafting Cleanthony Early. I am also intrigued to see how second year guard, Tim Hardaway Jr., progresses. He had a solid rookie season. At the very least, he will be a good sixth man. With the lack of top talent on the Knicks this year, Hardaway has the opportunity to become a reliable starter. Nevertheless, the Knicks are no better than a low seeded playoff team in the East. This season is about Carmelo Anthony adapting to the Triangle Offense and the Knicks getting into position to sign a couple of key free agents to help and build around Anthony.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are building through the draft and tanking in order to acquire top draft picks. They stashed an injured Nerlens Noel in last year’s draft and kept him off the court the entire season. Similarly, they drafted Joel Embid this past draft even though he got hurt right before the draft. It would not shock me if they sat Embid for most, if not all, of the season so the 76ers have the best chance at winning the draft lottery for the first pick. Noel and Embid are very talented big men who are worth the wait. 76ers fans will get a chance to watch Noel develop and reigning rookie of the year Michael-Carter Williams progress during this season.
5. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors are an exciting, young team that won the division last year. They Re-signing point guard Kyle Lowry was the key to their offseason as he is part of the core going forward. They took a good step forward last season making the playoffs while DeMar Derozan developed into a star. It will be interesting to see if they can take another step forward. Derozan will need to continue his ascension. Ideally, another young player will step forward as a second star. As such, center Jonas Valanciunas is a player to watch. He is only 22 years old and already averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 rebounds last year. They are another team that should finish within the 3 to 6 range in the East.
Central Division
1. Chicago Bulls
Carmelo Anthony was the homerun free agent that the Bulls could have used to address their ineptitude on offense. However, the signing of Pau Gasol probably fits better with the team. He provides low post scoring and is a great passer. I also like the drafting of Doug McDermott who was a great shooter in college. The Bulls will also bring over rookie Nikola Mirotic from Yugloslavia. He is a talented forward and will add to their depth. The biggest question for the Bulls remains the health of superstar point guard Derrick Rose. He has suffered devastating injuries and has not been healthy in years. Consequently, it is very difficult to assume that he will be his MVP self for an entire season. He has picked it up of late in the preseason and is giving us glimpses of his previous explosiveness. If he returns and stays to form, the Bulls are a championship caliber team. Regardless, they play great defense and are a playoff team.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers
The return of Lebron James to Cleveland was the biggest story in the offseason. While he wanted to return home, there are also obvious basketball reasons for his decision. Kyrie Irving is an up and coming superstar point guard. In Miami, Dwayne Wade is at the end of his career. As such, it is easy to see that Irving will be the better player in coming years. Moreover, the Cavaliers were able to trade for Kevin Love in a deal that involved number 1 overall picks, Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett. While Chris Bosh adjusted his game to support Lebron by staying outside and shooting threes, Kevin Love’s actual game is to hit long shots. Love is also known for his outlet passes which will ignite Irving and James on the fast break. Accordingly, Love is the better complement to Lebron’s game. Besides these three top studs, the Cavaliers also have a couple of talented young players who have the potential to develop into stars, guard Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson. The acquisition of Lebron should accelerate their progress. Waiters is already spending as much time with Lebron as possible to soak in basketball knowledge like a sponge. Veteran Anderson Varejao is a great role player who plays defense and rebounds. After the signing of Lebron, the Cavaliers have also been able to attract veterans Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, and James Jones to join their bench with the lure of a great chance at the championship. This team has a great mix of experience and youth to go along with the Big Three they have assembled. It is a significantly better talent than Lebron would have returned to in Miami. I think the Cavaliers will come together quickly. They will be amazing to watch on offense and win their 60 games this season. If the Bulls do not have a healthy Derrick Rose, I believe the Cavaliers will cruise to the NBA Finals. On the other hand, they will need to overcome a couple of hurdles to win the title. First, they will need to come together and be a top defensive team to match their offense. Next, the lack of playoff experience for Irving and Love is a major question mark. Until you see a player perform in the biggest moments and with their backs against the wall in the playoffs, you just do not know how they will respond. These issues can be exposed by one of the Western Conference teams (e.g. the San Antonio Spurs) in the Finals. Nevertheless, we will just have to wait and see.
3. Detroit Pistons
The Pistons signed Stan Van Gundy to coach and make the personnel decisions. He is a good basketball coach so it is a decent move for a franchise that has struggled in recent years. While Van Gundy has a tall task ahead of him, he has young talent to move forward. Brandon Jennings was a disappointment in his first year with the Pistons but has flashed great talent in his young career. They also have a good front line with veteran Josh Smith and two stud youngsters, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. In particular, watch out for Drummond. He is only 21 years old and prime for a monster, breakout season after averaging 13.5 points and 13.2 rebounds last season. Monroe is also a good, young post player that has averaged approximately 15 points and 10 rebounds in each of the last three seasons. However, I do not know if all the pieces can ever fit well together. It is exactly why Josh Smith was put on the trade block during the offseason. If they can sort it out, the Pistons definitely have the talent to make the playoffs in a weak East.
4. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers were a championship caliber team in the middle of last season before completely collapsing in the second half. They squeaked their way to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling easily to the Miami Heat. Things have gone from bad to worse in the offseason. First, they lost talented but troubled guard, Lance Stephenson, via free agency. Next, they lost their star and best player, Paul George, for the season due to a gruesome injury he sustained while preparing for the FIBA World Cup. In less than 6 months, the Pacers have gone from a legitimate title contender to a lottery team. If they lose and are able to select a future star in the draft to pair with George, this injury may be a blessing in disguise for the long run. However, it will be a long season coming up.
5. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have new ownership and drafted Jabari Parker 2nd overall. While there are a lot of young athletes on this team, they are raw and this team will not be very good. Parker will be the best player on the Bucks in his rookie year and is the early frontrunner to win the NBA Rookie of the Year. Another player to watch on this team is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is a freak athlete as a 6’9” forward. He is also only 19 years old. It will take him a few years to develop but it will be fun to watch him grow alongside Parker. The Bucks also brought in a new coach by acquiring Jason Kidd from the Brooklyn Nets. Kidd had his struggles early with the Nets but did pretty well in the second half of last season. As shown in his playing career, he is a great basketball mind and will get a chance to grow as a coach with this young team. They should rack up a lot of losses again this season and be in position to draft another top talent to put alongside Parker and Antetokounmpo.
Southeast Division
1. Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are a low playoff seed in the Eastern Conference with little upside. Paul Millsap, Al Horford, and Jeff Teague are a good core but it is far from a championship core. They are stuck in the dreaded middle of the NBA where they do not have the players to be a top team but are not bad enough to acquire high draft picks to select elite talent. Of course, they also have issues with ownership. Bruce Levenson admitted to making racist remarks and is volunteering to sell the team. The new owner will have major decisions to make in regards to the direction of the franchise.
2. Charlotte Bobcats
Steve Clifford is a heck of a head coach. He got his young team to play hard and play defense. They made the playoffs and played well against the Heat in the first round despite getting swept. Al Jefferson was a great signing last year. Lance Stephenson is a good gamble as a free agent signing this year. He has a reasonable contract and is a very talented young player despite his erratic behavior. The Bobcats have a good team with a lot of young talent. As with most teams, they need a superstar to ascend to the next level as a team. While they have good young players, I just do not see any of them developing a star player. Accordingly, the Bobcats will need to find a creative way to acquire a top talent.
3. Miami Heat
The Heat suffered the biggest loss in the offseason when Lebron James went back home and signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, they did a nice job recovering afterwards by re-signing Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. While no one is Lebron James, Luol Deng is a solid free agent signing who will take over at small forward. Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger are also solid additions to the bench. The Heat season will depend on how well and how many games Wade can play. They still have enough players to finish near the top of the Eastern Conference. While I could still see them making it to the Eastern Conference Finals if things broke right for them, I do not think they are good enough anymore to get to the NBA Finals.
4. Orlando Magic
The Magic are in the middle of a rebuild job. They have acquired some good, young talent from the draft that includes Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton, and Aaron Gordon. Vucevic has already developed into a very productive center at the age of 23 averaging a double double. Oladipo is a candidate to break out this season. Point guard Elfrid Payton and forward Aaron Gordon are lottery picks from this past draft. They will struggle to win again this season so they will be in the lottery again to add more talent to this mix. They are probably a few more years away from being a good team.
5. Washington Wizards
The Wizards are a team on the rise. They have a great mix of young and experienced players with a young stud backcourt and a solid veteran frontcourt. John Wall and Bradley Beal are one of the best backcourts in the NBA. The Wizards have been waiting for Wall to develop into a superstar. He is definitely on the cusp of becoming one. Coming out of college, he was supposed to be the 6’4” Lebron James. He definitely showed us why last year as he was also able to carry his team to the playoffs and won a round. While Beal got hurt and will be out for the beginning of the season, he should be back in late November. They also have productive low post, veteran players in Nene Hilario and Marcin Gortat. Besides Wall, Nene was the best Wizard last year. There was a direct correlation with wins and when he was on the court. I also like the addition of Paul Pierce. He is a champion and gamer. His experience will be invaluable in guiding the Wizards to the next level. I expect John Wall to continue in his development and the Wizards to be a top Eastern Conference team soon. Keep an eye on the Wizards. They are my dark horse team to go deep into the playoffs this season.
About Pat Wong
Patrick is a contributor for Rookerville. He is an avid sports fan. Before joining Rookerville, he was part of a defunct New York Yankees message board, NYYankeefans, where he was its top poster and was inducted in its Hall of Fame for his contributions. Patrick is also a passionate fan of movies. He has enjoyed reading movie reviews over the years and is excited about the opportunity to review movies.