RealGM Analysis
With the 2008-09 NBA season only five weeks away, we here at RealGM are bringing back our annual six-part series that will break down the off-season maneuvers of each team, take a look at whom went where, and pose burning questions that will plague each team as it prepares for the start of the regular season. With potential star players emerging from this year?s incoming draft class, the (hopeful) debut of last year?s top pick Greg Oden, and plenty migration from the NBA to foreign nations overseas, there are many issues to become aware of prior to the Opening Tip. Stay tuned as RealGM prepares you for the 2008-09 NBA season.
Click here to read our Season Preview on the Northwest Division.
The second part of this six-piece series spotlights the Pacific Division.
- Golden State Warriors -
The Warriors were unfortunately the best team in NBA history not to reach the postseason, finishing ninth in the mighty West with 48 wins ? which would have put them as the four-seed, three games ahead of the Cavaliers in the East. So what did the Warriors do this offseason to try to sneak up into the top eight out West? Re-tooled the entire roster?
NBA Draft Picks: Anthony Randolph (No. 14), Richard Hendrix (No. 49)
Key Additions: Corey Maggette (Free Agent ? L.A. Clippers), Ronny Turiaf (FA ? L.A. Lakers), Marcus Williams (trade ? New Jersey), DeMarcus Nelson (FA), Anthony Morrow (FA), Dion Dowell (FA), Rob Kurz (FA)
Key Losses: Baron Davis (FA ? L.A. Clippers), Matt Barnes (FA ? Phoenix), Mickael Pietrus (FA ? Orlando), Patrick O?Bryant (FA ? Boston), Kosta Perovic (waived) , Austin Croshere (FA ? unsigned)
The biggest move over the summer for Golden State saw star point guard Baron Davis flee the Bay Area in favor of his hometown Los Angeles. After the staggering jolt sent tremors through the organization, GM Chris Mullin acted fast to replace some of his scoring and swagger. He plucked the dynamic scorer Corey Maggette from the Clippers in a virtual trade for Baron. He snatched sparkplug big man Ronny Turiaf from the Lakers with a gaudy offer sheet. And he committed highway robbery in New Jersey when he acquired Marcus Williams from the Nets for basically nothing. The only downside of the offseason was that star combo guard Monta Ellis injured himself while taking part in ?non-basketball activities?. Yikes.
Burning Questions
- Will Marcus Williams report to camp in shape?
- Will Ronny Turiaf give the Warriors some much needed intensity down low?
- Is this the year Brandan Wright breaks out?
- Is Anthony Randolph completely redundant to B-Wright? Will he contribute this season?
- Can Stephen Jackson continue to improve his numbers across the board?
Person on the Hot Seat: Monta Ellis
A year ago, Monta was the Golden Child of the Golden State franchise. Now, he is somewhat of a public enemy. After Baron fled the scene, the Warriors got concerned. Rather than let their prized restricted free agent test the waters and match whatever offer he received, they inked him to a healthy extension fit to make his parents sure to love their next Christmas gift. However, he then turned up with an injured ankle, a bogus cover story, and all of a sudden people are beginning to doubt his character and wonder if the massive contract was a good idea. Monta must come back soon and continue to be the ultra quick game changer that he demonstrated last year and earn the love back from the fans and front office.
Team Outlook
Since Denver basically said ?no thanks? to returning to the postseason this summer by trading their only defensive player to the Clippers for nothing, the Warriors should find themselves battling with the much improved Blazers and the steadily falling Mavericks for a ticket to the postseason.
- Los Angeles Clippers -
This team is totally different. The Clippers might be entering this upcoming season with one of the most intriguing rosters in recent league memory. They made a couple of great decisions on Draft Night and made a few trades and signings that surely raised some eyebrows with some ?interesting? character guys but ultimately have made them a team to watch for whenever they appear on your favorite team?s schedule.
NBA Draft Picks: Eric Gordon (No. 7), DeAndre Jordan (No. 35), Mike Taylor (No. 55 ? trade from Portland)
Key Additions: Baron Davis (FA ? Golden State), Marcus Camby (trade ? Denver), Ricky Davis (FA ? Miami), Jason Williams (FA ? Miami), Brian Skinner (FA ? Phoenix), Jason Hart (trade ? Utah), Steve Novak (trade ? Houston)
Key Losses: Elton Brand (FA ? Philadelphia), Corey Maggette (FA ? Golden State), Brevin Knight (trade ? Utah), Josh Powell (waived ? L.A. Lakers), Shaun Livingston (FA ? unsigned), Dan Dickau (FA - Italy), James Singleton (FA ? Dallas), Smush Parker (FA ? unsigned), Quinton Ross (FA ? unsigned), Nick Fazekas (FA ? unsigned)
They were the talk of the town once star point guard drove down the 5 to the Staples Center to hold up his brand new home white Clippers' jersey, but then the wheels fell off ? or did they? The much ballyhooed inside-out pairing of Baron and Elton Brand was sure to wet the pants of any Clipper opponent ? that is, until Brand spurned LA and headed to the Sixers for a cruise ship full of money. After that, they acted quickly, also saying goodbye to Mr. Maggette, trading nothing for Marcus Camby, and signing two has-beens from the Miami Heat Ricky Davis and Jason Williams. All of a sudden, the Clipper depth chart said: Baron Davis PG, Cuttino Mobley SG, Al Thornton SF, Chris Kaman PF, Marcus Camby C ? with Jason Williams PG, Eric Gordon SG, Ricky Davis SF, and Tim Thomas PF, and Brian Skinner C on the pine. And for the inevitable injury to J-Will, they will have Jason Hart to come in off the bench.
Burning Questions
- Will Baron Davis and Ricky Davis play nice in LA?
- Will the Clips develop DeAndre Jordan into the SuperBeast that he has the potential to become?
- Does J-Will have anything left?
- Will Chris Kaman hang out with only Paul Davis on the team?
- What will happen to Shaun Livingston?
Person on the Hot Seat: Tim Thomas
We all know the story when it comes to Whiny Tim. The former high school legend out of Paterson, New Jersey, has the potential to put up huge numbers every season but also gives up on his team in non-contract years more often than Tom Brady wakes up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat after having nightmares of Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora coming off the corner. This year, with plenty of developmental pieces like Jordan waiting in the wings, Thomas might have to fight for minutes. And if he wants to be in a position to play out of his mind again next year (expiring contract year), then he might have to show his bosses something this year.
Team Outlook
To be honest, this team could go either way. They have plenty of talent, but also plenty of troubled backgrounds. If Coach Dunleavy can mold these players into a cohesive unit, we could be in store for a bounce-back year from The Other LA Team. Or, they could bicker and fight and continue to be horrible and known for as being The Other LA Team.
- Los Angeles Lakers -
The Lake Show made its way back to the top of the West last season, but will it be able to remain there? Many experts are picking another trip to the Finals for this Laker squad, but that seems a lot easier said than done.
NBA Draft Picks: Joe Crawford (No. 58), Sun Yue (from 2007 NBA Draft)
Key Additions: Josh Powell (FA ? L.A. Clippers), Dwayne Mitchell (FA), Brandon Heath (FA), CJ Giles (FA)
Key Losses: Ronny Turiaf (FA ? Golden State), D.J. Mbenga (FA ? unsigned), Ira Newble (FA ? unsigned)
The Lakers really didn?t add anything to their team this summer but lost a huge contributor in Ronny Turiaf. His departure will be a very difficult spot to fill. Sure, they still have Kobe and Gasol, and a full year out of Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza ? but will that be enough? The Lakers were a team clicking on all cylinders, and had a bunch of role players playing disgustingly out of their minds, and used a weak path (Denver, Utah, and San Antonio with an injured Manu Ginobili and a non-call on Brent Barry?s three) to get to the Finals. Once there, they were exposed and failed to cover the spread in a single game. Now that Kobe has his MVP and his gold medal ? what will he and his busted pinky have left to play for?
Burning Questions
- Is Kobe Bryant physically and mentally ready to lead this team again?
- Will Kobe miss passing to LeBron on the wing when he looks over and sees only Luke Walton there?
- Will Derek Fisher?s legs fall off?
- Will Sasha Vujacic return to Earth now that he has his long term money?
- Will Chris Mihm continue to collect money for doing absolutely nothing whatsoever?
- Will Jordan Farmar finally get starter?s minutes at the point?
- Is this the year they trade Lamar Odom?
Person on the Hot Seat: Andrew Bynum
Bynum was on a tear before leaving the season with an injury last year ? and was often The Patented Lakers Fan Excuse for their failure to win the title against the hated Celtics. ?Yea, well, we didn?t have Bynum ? imagine if Bynum was in there on Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe! We definitely would've won!? is all you will hear from anybody who claims to be a Laker fan. But here?s the rebuttal: IT WAS KENDRICK PERKINS AND LEON POWE!! Not Tim Duncan and David Robinson in 1999. Not Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley in 1994. Not Bill Laimbeer and John Salley in 1989. KENDRICK PERKINS AND LEON POWE!
If Pau Gasol is this super stud power forward/center, then why couldn?t he stop Perkins, Powe, KG,
Team Outlook
There is plenty of reason to believe this team can get back to the Finals, but there are also plenty of doubts. Kobe must be The Man again and ignore his lingering pinky injury to guide this team back to the head of the conference. A full year of Pau Gasol should help early on, and a healthy Andrew Bynum should add to their interior defense. However, after last season?s embarrassing Game 6 finish, the fans in Tinsel Town expect nothing less than a title.
- Phoenix Suns -
After the past couple of seasons of Mike D?Antoni?s run and gun system, this is going to be one of the more exciting Phoenix teams to watch. They had a roster shakeup last season with the Marion for Shaq trade, and then let Coach D head to the Knicks. Now, they added some nice pieces over the summer to the aging icons on the roster and will give it one last shot with the current team nucleus.
NBA Draft Picks: Robin Lopez (No. 15), Goran Dragic (No. 45 ? trade from Toronto), Sean Singletary (No. 42 ? trade from Houston)
Key Additions: Matt Barnes (FA ? Golden State), Louis Amundson (FA ? Philadelphia)
Key Losses: Brian Skinner (FA ? L.A. Clippers), Gordon Giricek (FA ? Turkey), Sean Marks (FA ? New Orleans), D.J. Strawberry (trade ? Houston), Eric Piatkowski (FA ? unsigned), Linton Johnson (FA ? unsigned)
The starting five is sick ? Steve Nash PG, Raja Bell SG, Grant Hill SF, Amare Stoudemire PF, Shaquille O?Neal C. Wow. That is just awesome to write down on paper. But this year ? and unlike any of the past five years ? this Suns' team finally has some depth. They still have Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw chiming in off the bench. But now they added The Human Tattoo Matt Barnes, international star Goran Dragic, and the next Anderson Varejao, Robin Lopez. Lopez is a giant who will only get better when learning how to play from Shaq and Amare in practice.
Burning Questions
- Will Shaq be able to stay healthy in Phoenix? Will Grant Hill? Will Steve Nash?
- Will Robin Lopez become more annoying than Varejao in the paint?
- Will Rob-Lo become the Marc Gasol to Brook Lopez?s Pau?
- Will the Suns falter without D?Antoni?
- Is this it for Grant ?Ancient? Hill?
- Will Raja Bell fight Kobe?
Person on the Hot Seat: Shaq
Shaq has been a dominant force for a long time. However, he may be overplaying his limits at this point. After heading to Phoenix in a trade from the Heat, Shaq came to the Valley of the Sun and preached that he would help deliver a title to Arizona. But then they got stomped out in the first round. Now, Shaq has already put a date on his retirement and has pledged that he has two last shots to get this team to win the Finals. He loves it when he gets the opportunity to prove people wrong, and quite frankly, nobody at this point believes that he has enough gas left in the tank to get it done.
Team Outlook
If The Old Three can stay healthy, and Amare can continue to become a life destroyer in the paint, then this team can make strides this season. Now, they will have an entire camp and full season to learn how to play with Shaq and will have reinforcements off the bench in Rob-Lo and newly acquired Louis Amundson to help shoulder the load up front. Also, Raja Bell will be able to challenge The Human Tattoo for team leader in flagrant fouls. I am excited for Suns' basketball this season.
- Sacramento Kings -
The Kings are in rebuilding mode, and they are proud of it. They know heading into this season that they are a long-shot to make the playoffs. Gone from the start of last season are Mike Bibby, Ron Artest and Shareef Abdur-Rahim, with a stale Brad Miller and Kenny Thomas being the only stench of the recent down years still lingering. They have infused a ton of talented youths, and will surely become a contender with a big name free agent here and there down the road.
NBA Draft: Jason Thompson (No. 12), Donte Greene (No. 28, trade from Houston)
Key Additions: Bobby Jackson (trade ? Houston), Bobby Brown (FA)
Key Losses: Ron Artest (trade ? Houston), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (retired), Anthony Johnson (FA ? Orlando), Lorenzen Wright (FA ? Cleveland), Sean Singletary (No. 42 ? traded to Houston), Patrick Ewing Jr. (No. 43 ? traded to Houston)
They turned Artest into Donte Greene, who was a machine this summer. They took a flier on the raw but talented Jason Thompson way earlier than anyone expected on Draft Night but stand by their position. They added a former King sparkplug Bobby Jackson in the Artest deal and let Anthony Johnson and Lorenzen Wright walk after their contracts expired. They had a very conservative, yet effective summer ? and are excited to finally start letting these young guys play.
Burning Questions
- Will they find a taker for Brad Miller this year?
- Will Donte Greene get enough minutes with John Salmons and Francisco Garcia ahead of him at small forward?
- Will Spencer Hawes finally become Brad Miller 2?
- Will Mikki Moore continue to play out of his mind?
- Is Beno a legit starting point guard for the money they just gave him?
Person on the Hot Seat: The Landlord
I was going to put Brad Miller here since he is the highest paid player on the team who has been around seemingly forever, with a lottery pick that looks and plays like him sitting directly behind him on the depth chart. But I had to go with Shelden ? the man with the lowest Sweet Game to Nickname Ratio ever. I mean, what is it like for Shelden to know that he was magically the fifth overall pick by Atlanta a few years back, was a star at Duke, had the sweetest nickname for a post player in history, and is now in such a sad state that his girlfriend would destroy him in one-on-one basketball? He?s recently been seen on TV more as Candace Parker?s main squeeze than he has as an acclaimed NBA player. While she?s been winning basketball awards left and right ? Olympic Gold Medal, countless ESPYs, WNBA hardware, etc ? he?s been on the sidelines holding a digital camcorder and a pompom. I?m just worried for Sacto that in a couple of years, we will start to see boxscores with the listing: S. Williams, PF ? DNP (babysitting).
Team Outlook
I love how nobody is saying anything about this, but the Kings have themselves in a position where they could have a ton of money to throw at free agents in the Fabled Free Agent Class of 2010. Brad Miller, Kenny Thomas, and the now-retired Shareef Abdur-Rahim?s combined $27.5M come off the books, and they will have plenty of young talent still in the mix. Throw in another couple of lottery picks in the next two years, and boom ? the Kings might be a nice place for a Chris Bosh type to soak up some money. They have turned Kevin Martin into a fringe All Star and Beno Udrih into a strong starting point guard. They have weapons everywhere with Donte Greene, John Salmons, Spencer Hawes, and Jason Thompson. And oh yea, they have the WNBA?s biggest fan, Shelden Williams, in the rotation.
Feel free to contact Jason M. Williams with your thoughts. He can be reached at Jason.Williams@RealGM.com for comments or questions.