With the 2007-08 NBA season a little over two weeks away, we here at RealGM decided to offer a six-part series that will break down the off-season maneuvers of each team, take a look at who went where, and pose burning questions that will plague each team as it prepares for the start of the regular season. With great potential surrounding this year?s incoming draft class and plenty of big names migrating from the Western Conference to the East, there are many issues to become aware of prior to the Opening Tip. Stay tuned as RealGM prepares you for the 2007-08 NBA season.
Part 1 ? 19th September, 2007 ? Atlantic Division Season Preview
Part 2 ? 25th September, 2007 ? Central Division Season Preview
Part 3 ? 3rd October, 2007 ? Southeast Division Season Preview
Part 4 ? 11th October, 2007 ? Northwest Division Season Preview
The fifth part of this six-piece series will spotlight the Pacific Division.
- Golden State Warriors -
Last year?s Golden State Warriors were the Colorado Rockies of this year?s baseball regular season. They stormed into the playoffs, clinching the final seed in the final week of the season. They destroyed the powerhouse Dallas Mavericks in a six games. They reflected a win-at-all-costs attitude and brought the Bay Area to life. After retaining head coach Don Nelson, Warrior fans have a lot to look forward to this upcoming season.
NBA Draft Picks: Marco Belinelli (No. 18), Stephane Lasme (No. 46), Kosta Perovic (second round, 2006)
Key Additions: Brandan Wright (trade ? Charlotte), Troy Hudson (Free Agent ? Minnesota), Austin Croshere (FA ? Dallas), Pat Burke (FA ? Phoenix), Carlos Powell (FA), Tierre Brown (FA)
Key Losses: Jason Richardson (trade ? Charlotte), Adonal Foyle (waived ? Orlando), Sarunas Jasikevicious (waived ? Panathinaikos (Greece)), Josh Powell (FA ? L.A. Clippers), Jermareo Davidson (trade ? Charlotte), Zarko Cabarkapa (FA ? unsigned)
It seems like the face of the franchise has been replaced. For as long as any fan can remember, the Warriors had Adonal Foyle and Jason Richardson. Now, they will ride tri-captains Baron Davis, Matt Barnes, and Stephen Jackson to success. They had a very strong Draft Night by bringing in sharpshooter Marco Belinelli and trading J-Rich for UNC standout power forward Brandan Wright. These two youthful additions will pump energy into an already up-tempo squad ready to run their opponents into the ground.
Burning Questions
- Will the Warriors lose some of their edge without Jason Richardson?
- Will Marco Belinelli continue to shoot as he did in the summer leagues?
- Will Baron Davis remain healthy all season?
- Will Stephen Jackson be under control as a captain this year?
- Will Matt Barnes get more tattoos?
- Will Troy Hudson get minutes?
- What will we see from last year?s top pick Patrick O?Bryant this season?
- Will Kelenna Azubuike fight into the starting five?
Person on the Hot Seat: Patrick O?Bryant
Last season?s top pick barely made it out of the NBDL. He played sparingly in sixteen games and was a lottery selection who was supposed to give them minutes at the center position. The seven-footer out of Bradley will look to regain the top spot in the center rotation this year, and battle for time with last season?s breakout player, Andris Biedrins. With the arrival of big man Brandan Wright, this could be a make or break season for Patty O in the Bay Area.
Team Outlook
Following the success at the end of last season for the Warriors, the sky is the limit. They have the same team coming back and added quality veterans and highly talented youths to their already nasty core. Expect to see big things from Brandan Wright and Stephane Lasme fitting in perfectly with Don Nelson?s fast-paced transition attacking scheme. Look for these Warriors to get into the Western Conference?s Elite Eight at the end of the regular season.
- Los Angeles Clippers -
The Clippers have descended from a 47-win team two years ago, to the first team on the outside looking in last year, to quite possibly one of the worst teams in the conference. With Elton Brand likely on the shelf for the entire season and the unknown status of their young point guard, Shaun Livingston, the Clippers will have to look toward the end of the bench to pull out some hard fought wins this season.
NBA Draft Picks: Al Thornton (No. 14), Jared Jordan (No. 45), Guillermo Diaz (second round, 2006)
Key Additions: Brevin Knight (FA ? Charlotte), Ruben Patterson (FA ? Milwaukee), Josh Powell (FA ? Golden State), Dan Dickau (FA ? New York), Kimani Ffriend (FA)
Key Losses: Jason Hart (FA ? Utah), Jared Jordan (trade ? New York), Will Conroy (waived), James Singleton (waived), Daniel Ewing (waived)
We can?t ignore the injuries to their two main stars, but they still are equipped with many valuable veterans. The additions of Brevin Knight and Ruben Patterson give them some insurance for their starters Sam Cassell and Tim Thomas, but the depth behind center Chris Kaman is thin. That is why the selection of Al Thornton was so suspect. He is a great talent, but the Clippers are already saddled with Corey Maggette, Quinton Ross, Tim Thomas, and now Ruben Patterson at the small forward position. Wouldn?t a draft pick of Jason Smith or a deal to move up to grab Spencer Hawes or Joakim Noah made more sense for this team with little depth behind Kaman and Paul Davis at the pivot? Only time will tell this season.
Burning Questions
- How will the Clippers survive without Elton Brand?
- Will Shaun Livingston make a successful return to the floor this season?
- Will Tim Thomas play steady ball from the wing?
- Will Corey Maggette finally be dealt this season?
- Will Al Thornton make an immediate impact?
- Will Sam Cassell hold off Brevin Knight at the point?
- Will Chris Kaman earn his bloated salary?
- Will the Clippers be mired in the cellar all year?
Person on the Hot Seat: Chris Kaman
Kaman will have to shoulder the load this season with Elton Brand out of commission. He barked and barked until he received his massive contract extension before last season, and is now the highest paid player on the active roster (behind only Brand). He will now have to earn his $8.6M and help the team on the boards and with scoring in the paint.
Team Outlook
The Clippers have a lot of talent, but it is an awkward mix of young unproven talents and aging journeyman veterans. They are without their two impact stars and will struggle out of the gate. Look for the Clips to be near the bottom of the league this season, unless they get smart and deal Maggette or Thomas for a big body, namely Kwame Brown from across the hall.
- Los Angeles Lakers -
The Lakers are in a difficult situation. They have reached the stages of mediocrity and it doesn?t appear they are moving in either direction. Because they have superstar Kobe Bryant, they will never be out of a game. However, his supporting cast is mediocre at best, and it doesn?t seem as if a championship run with the current squad is possible in the near future?that is, unless they start making some deals.
NBA Draft Picks: Javaris Crittenton (No. 19), Sun Yue (No. 40), Marc Gasol (No. 48)
Key Additions: Derek Fisher (FA ? Utah), Elton Brown (FA ? NBDL), Andre Patterson (FA ? NBDL), Coby Karl (FA ? undrafted), Larry Turner (FA ? undrafted)
Key Losses: Smush Parker (FA ? Miami), Shammond Williams (FA ? unsigned)
The Lakers strangely drafted another young underclassman point guard in Javaris Crittenton. They could have dealt this pick, along with Bynum and other parts and paired Kobe Bryant with Jason Kidd last year, but refused to part with Bynum. The addition of Derek Fisher is huge, but it only further leads to head-scratching as to why they have both Jordan Farmar and now Crittenton waiting in the wings. The Lakers need to pull off a trade and add another threat from the post position before Kobe hits the wrong side of 30 and his window for a title closes.
Burning Questions
- Is Kobe happy with this roster? Will he demand a trade if they are in the tenth seed in February?
- Will Andrew Bynum bust out?
- How will Phil Jackson use his two young point guards behind Derek Fisher?
- Will Javaris Crittenton even see the court this year?
- Will Luke Walton earn his new deal?
- Will Kwame Brown explode in his contract year? Or will he throw more cakes at people near the Hermosa Beach pier?
- Will Marc Gasol be anywhere near as good as his brother, Pau Gasol?
- Will Kwame Brown be trade bait all season for Jermaine O?Neal?
Person on the Hot Seat: Jerry Buss/Mitch Kupchak
They need to decide the direction of this franchise immediately: put it all on Kobe Bryant and surround him with veterans ready to win now (a la Boston); or deal Kobe and Lamar Odom for a potpourri of assets and start the rebuilding effort around Andrew Bynum and their young point guards. It doesn?t seem reasonable to expect this team to contend anytime soon, so I would venture a suggestion to start making deals for their two stars.
Team Outlook
There is a ton of talent on this roster, but no where near enough to contend for the conference crown. At this point, they have become an easy first round match-up for the Phoenix Suns and not much else. Unless they can package Bynum, Kwame, and the young point guards for a star player like Jason Kidd or Jermaine O?Neal to compliment the games of Kobe and Lamar Odom, we can expect the Lake Show to battle it out for the sixth to tenth spot in the West.
- Phoenix Suns -
The Suns were a Robert Horry hip-check away from winning the NBA championship. Now, they are feisty and angry and ready to redeem last season?s mental mistakes. However, they are not exactly the same team and are still facing the same shortcomings that they dealt with last season.
NBA Draft Picks: Alando Tucker (No. 29), D.J. Strawberry (No. 59)
Key Additions: Grant Hill (FA ? Orlando), Brian Skinner (FA ? Milwaukee)
Key Losses: Kurt Thomas (trade ? Seattle), James Jones (trade ? Portland), Pat Burke (FA ? Golden State), Jalen Rose (FA ? unsigned), Jumaine Jones (FA ? unsigned)
One of the biggest problems with the Phoenix Suns last season was their lack of big men to deal with the Tim Duncan?s in the playoffs. So what did they do? They traded their single greatest line of defense against Duncan to the Sonics, Kurt Thomas. Yes, they signed Brian Skinner, but they are still very very thin in the big man department. A big move they made was bringing in the oft-injured Grant Hill at a veteran discount, but will he be the next aging veteran to ride the pine, like Jalen Rose last season? Or will he start at the wing and provide the leadership this team has needed over the past three seasons? They had a solid draft getting two fundamental players relatively late in the draft.
Burning Questions
- Who will cover Tim Duncan?
- Will Steve Nash?s back hold up?
- Will Shawn Marion continue to want out of Phoenix?
- Will Grant Hill start? Will Barbosa? Raja Bell?
- Will Boris Diaw move back into the starting center position?
- Will Amare Stoudemire continue to improve with age?
- Will Alando Tucker have a solid rookie season?
- Will Marcus Banks earn his contract and make the rotation this year?
- Will the fans miss Pat Burke?
Person on the Hot Seat: Shawn Marion
Marion has voiced his displeasure all off-season long. He is the highest paid player on the roster, but is often viewed as the third option on the team. His game has been steadily among the league leaders in every statistical category over the past couple years (hence the nickname Matrix), but he is becoming viewed as a very selfish player who may have finally made himself expendable. Would the Suns jump at the idea of dealing him to Indiana for Jermaine O?Neal? That deal would make the Suns a frightening team down low with one of the best defensive big men in the game.
Team Outlook
What else can you say about this Suns team other than they have the talent to win it all every year? However, it just hasn?t happened yet. Will this be the year? Anything but a trip to the NBA Finals, and thus, a championship, would seem like failure in the desert.
- Sacramento Kings -
The Sacramento Kings suffered through one of their worst seasons in recent years and are on one of the largest recent declines in the league. They are three years removed from being a 50-win club, and have dropped to 44 wins in 05-06, and only 33 last year. So what did they do to try to restore the spark and fury that brought the Kings to the brink of the NBA Finals earlier this decade?
NBA Draft: Spencer Hawes (No. 10)
Key Additions: Mikki Moore (FA ? New Jersey), Orien Greene (FA ? Indiana)
Key Losses: Corliss Williamson (FA ? retired), Ronnie Price (FA ? Utah), Justin Williams (FA ? unsigned), Vitaly Potapenko (FA ? unsigned)
The Kings are loaded in the one-, two-, and three-positions with Mike Bibby, Kevin Martin, and Ron Artest. They needed to work on adding some depth to their aging frontcourt core of Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Kenny Thomas, and Brad Miller. To this group, they brought in Mikki Moore coming off a career year in New Jersey, and drafted the highly touted center out of the University of Washington, Spencer Hawes. They couldn?t have asked for a bigger upgrade up front to add to the depth they have on the wing with Francisco Garcia, Quincy Douby, and John Salmons. They are weak behind Bibby at the point, but brought in Orien Greene to provide some security when Bibby leaves the court.
Burning Questions
- Will Spencer Hawes play this season?
- Will the Kings finally deal Ron Artest?
- Will Mikki Moore be another victim of a player who produced only because of Kidd?
- Will Quincy Douby crack the regular rotation?
- Will Brad Miller return to form?
- Will Kevin Martin continue to improve?
- Will Mike Bibby be a Sacramento King at the end of the season?
- Will the team abide by the new curfew set out by Coach Reggie Theus?
Person on the Hot Seat: Brad Miller
Assuming Spencer Hawes is able to come back early from this injury he has sustained during camp, Brad Miller could be the player on the Hot Seat in Sacramento. Miller is coming off his worst season since 2000-01 with his 9.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game last year and is the second-highest paid player on the roster. The Kings will need a lot more out of the big veteran out of Purdue if they wish to make it to the postseason in the very deep West. He will also be asked to mentor the young Spencer Hawes, who is often compared to Brad Miller coming out of college.
Team Outlook
The Kings have a very deep and talented team. They have the pieces needed to succeed this season and can turn it around and fight for a playoff spot. It all depends on how rookie Coach Reggie Theus is able to sculpt this team together this year and how many of his players can stay out of the trainer?s room.
Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.