RealGM Wiretap
The NBA trade deadline is fast approaching and this edition of the NBA Team Rankings is devoted to each team's prospects of making a move.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers : 16.9
Cleveland is identically the same defensively (102.4 points per 100 possessions) and just a little off their mark of last season offensively, coming in at 110.3 (compared to 112.4).
Equally important, the Cavaliers have yet to lose since Mo Williams and Delonte West went down with injury, making their need for a backcourt addition seem less pressing.
Cleveland appears most interested in Antawn Jamison as their huge February addition, but I feel Andre Iguodala or Corey Maggette would make better acquisitions. They are younger and bring a skill set on both ends of the floor that I feel the Cavs could use more than Jamison.
2. Boston Celtics : 14.5
Ray Allen isn't having the kind of season he did during his first two seasons in Boston, with a TS% of 56.8% compared to 62.4% last season, but his +9.5 on/off is better than anyone else on the Boston roster and he also leads the team in minutes.
The Celtics have been linked to Kirk Hinrich, who is having the worst season of his career in terms of offensive efficiency with a 47.1 TS%, down from the 55.1% he posted in 08-09.
3. Utah Jazz : 13.5
The ship has apparently sailed on the Jazz dealing Carlos Boozer and now he has begun attempting to make up with the organization and the state of Utah to remain in the SLC for the long haul.
Boozer has had a marked uptick in his production across the board, but the Jazz are -1.3 points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor.
4. L.A. Lakers : 11.1
The Lakers have huge PER net advantages at every position (+7.4 at shooting guard, +3.9 at small forward, +1.6 at power forward and +5.2 at center) with the exception of point guard where they are a -4.9.
Upgrading the point guard position is something the Lakers will have to do at some point in the near future since Derek Fisher, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown will almost certainly all be free agents this summer, but the need for improvement might be a little overstated. None of those three players are defensive liabilities and some of that PER differential is due to the offensive production of their superstar teammates.
5. Orlando Magic : 11.0
The Vince Carter experiment has worked out as well as the Magic intended when they paid a high price for him, as his TS% is below 50% for the first time in his career and his PER has dropped to 14.7. Somehow, however, the Magic have been 4.0 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor.
Marcin Gortat, who has been in the rumor mill ever since the Magic matched the offer sheet he signed with Dallas, has a net -11.6 points per 100 possessions.