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| D Rose missed the entire 2012-13 season. |
11. Everyone needs to get healthy and stay healthy!
This season should be called the "what if?" season. Mainly because there were so many teams that had not just key players hurt but their best players out.
What if Derrick Rose came back? What if half the Bulls' team didn't drop like flies? Would the Bulls be competing in the conference finals right now? The Bulls' already had the defense like the Pacers, that could disrupt the heat except they would have an MVP candidate with Rose, something the Pacers don't have.
Speaking of the Pacers, how about this guy Paul George? He's becoming a bonafide star but the Pacers probably still don't have enough offense to overcome the heat. Paul George is doing everything he can but George Hill and Lance Stephenson combined for 5 points! But Imagine if they had their leading scorer from last year, Danny Granger. Would they be up 3-2 in the series?
Then you have a slew of other injuries that derailed the season for many teams; Russell Westbrook for the Thunder, David Lee for the Warriors, Danillo Gallinari for the Nuggets, Rajon Rondo for the Celtics, Andrew Bynum for the Sixers, Amar'e Stoudemire for the Knicks and all of the Lakers throughout the season.
Injuries happen but it doesn't usually happen to this many star players in one season. Danillo Galinari and Kobe Bryant might not come back until late next season but if everybody is healthy next year we are in for a great season.
10. Change Change and more Change
There are some players on some teams that will not thrive in this league until they go to a different team.
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| Cousins wants out of Sacramento. |
Tyreke Evans also needs to move on from the Kings. He has the talent to be the go to guy on a losing team but if he really should be the third best player on a championship caliber team.
Either Monta Ellis or Brandon Jennings or even both need to leave the Bucks. New head coach Larry Drew probably wants to keep one of them and Jennings will probably stay because he is a restricted free agent. Either way Jennings isn't happy in Milwaukee and could help another team and so could Ellis.
Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap both need to leave the Utah Jazz as well. Millsap could be a great starter or bench player on a contender and Jefferson could be the final piece to put a team like Houston or even Dallas that can put them over the top.
9. The Wizards need to draft Otto Porter.
Yes the Wizard's didn't make the playoffs for the fifth year in a row but they have a lot to look forward for next year.
John Wall and Nene entered the 2012-13 season injured but when they came back down the stretch the Wizards went 22-16. Bradley Beal also came on once wall returned and can help form a formidable backcourt. They also were one of the few young teams in the league that actually played defense.
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| Porter could push the Wizards in the playoffs. |
The Wizards played out the rest of the season hard and for that the basketball Gods granted them with the third pick in the draft from a projected eighth pick. Which puts them in position to draft the perfect player for the one position that they need.
Otto Porter can give them some more offense to complement Beal and Wall and can do all the multifaceted things that Trevor Ariza does now like defend and rebound.
In reality Otto Porter needs the Wizards as much as they need him. He would have been a high draft pick regardless and it would have put pressure on him to be the go-to-guy on a team. He just doesn't project to be that guy. But if the Wizards draft Porter they will go to the playoffs next year.
The 76ers are in an awful situation. They gave up an olympic gold medalist in Andre Iguodala to get Andrew Bynum and then his season pooped the bed. Actually at risk of sounding gross it diarrhea'd the bed. Yes I know that was overboard but it is the only way to describe a season that was this terrible because Andrew Bynum re-injured his leg bowling.
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| Maybe the only time Bynum wore this jersey. |
I know I wouldn't want to be in the sixers' shoes. Hey at least Jrue Holiday is amazing.
Side note: Maybe they should trade Bynum to Phoenix for Marcin Gortat. Gortat isn't Bynum but is an upgrade over Spencer Hawes. Also Phoenix has a miracle training staff that can heal Bynum. Check the Suns track record of resurrecting players.
7. Josh Smith needs to go to a contender and stop shooting long jumpers.
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| Josh Smith's shooting percentage shot chart. Courtesy of Vorped |
The first was Joe Johnson and Mike Woodson who decided to play a bunch of hero isolation ball. Smith would be a great complement to a superstar player but Johnson was not that. If he partners with James Harden and the Rockets if they don't land Dwight than he'll have a chance to go further than the 1st round of the playoffs.
Losing in the first round of the playoffs has to be monotonous right?
Maybe Iso Joe's game rubbed off on Josh Smith because he's gained a very irrational confidence in his jumpshot. Although he shot an atrocious 29.9 percent from the midrange he continued to take long 2's. He is obviously good around the basket but he needs to work on his shot selection.
6. Blake Griffin and Serge Ibaka need to develop their offense.
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| Blake Griffin's shot chart. via Vorped |
Both these guys are similar in one way. They both are in the NBA mainly because of their tremendous athletic ability. But both are limited offensively in different ways.
Blake jumper make him look like Iron Man because it is so robotic. Ironically his jumper tends to clank off of the iron. Griffin is great around the basket but he needs to shoot better to take his team to the next level.
Serge Ibaka has absolutely no post game at all but he sure does have a pure stroke from the mid range. If he could develop a low post game, one that the Oklahoma City Thunder sorely need, the Thunder would have a big three again. A low post scorer is more potent than a third
perimeter scorer because it can open lanes for Durant and Westbrook. It could also make an already potent offense less stagnant.
Ibaka is already a great off ball defender and free throw shooter so the only hole in his game is a low post game.
This is why I think that Ibaka and Blake Griffin both need to spend not a week, not a month, but a whole summer with Hakeem Olajuwon. If Im the Thunder or the Clippers Im packing their bags myself and sending them to Houston for summer camp Olajuwon on the team's tab as soon as possible.
5. The Thunder need to amnesty Kendrick Perkins.
Although it has been reported that OKC Thunder general Manager Sam Presti has no intentions of amnestying Perkins, he should at least consider it.
Getting Perkins for Jeff Green a few years ago transformed the Thunder into legitamate contenders but
now he has regressed into a liability. Yes he can guard bigger centers in the league but that is about all he can do now. |
| Perkins' production has deteriorated recently. |
He can't score and he can't rebound which was evident in the playoffs, he averaged 2 points and 3 rebounds. They can find a cheaper big body like a Brandon Wright who can actually add some scoring in the front court. Perkins couldn't even catch and finish layups against the Grizzlies.
Maybe if Perkins only made 3 or 4 million a year than it would be acceptable but he is owed over 18 million over the next two years. Letting him go can open up a chance to gain some cap relief and a mid level exception.
The Thunder can maybe draft an offensive oriented center like Kelly Olynyk to help bring in offense in the post for cheap so they won't have to amnesty Perkins but he has to play better.
4. The Knicks need to find a way to get younger and score more.
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| Carmelo needs help. |
The old roster caught up with them in the playoffs because Rasheed Wallace went down, Marcus Camby did nothing at all and Jason Kidd didn't score at all in the playoffs. He might still be missing open three's in his backyard.
I don't know how they can do it but they need to get rid of all the old people and maybe let J.R. Smith go and look to groom Shumpart. They should also give Chris Copeland an extended role and pray that Amar'e stays healthy.
I have been on and off the Amar'e and Carmelo band wagon. Deep down I think they can somehow work only if Amar'e stays healthy. But now it is probably a safer bet that Lindsay Lohan resurrects her career.
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| Andre Iguodala would be a perfect fit for the Cavs... if they give up on the LeBron sweepstakes. |
This is a move that the Cavs could push to make and be a solid threat to making the playoffs next year. But it is also a move that I think they will not make because Dan Gilbert is holding out hope that they land LeBron James next summer.
If they sign Iggy to a long term deal that will kill the hopes of bringing LeBron back to Cleveland. But what if they pass up on Iggy and LeBron burns them again? Do they hope they get lucky again and get Andrew Wiggins in next years draft?
It is possible that they could make the playoffs with a different small forward if they draft Nerlens Noel and he actually makes it back be December. Also if Anderson Varejao stays healthy for an extended period of time for once.
Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters are only going to get better next year so they can still make the playoffs in the east but I would probably wait on LeBron. Sorry Iggy.
2. Chris Paul needs to stay with the Clippers but they need to get rid of DeAndre Jordan.
Chris Paul should sign back with the Clippers. Unless He can team up with Dwight Howard and Al Horford in Atlanta. But I don't think that will happen because Dwight doesn't want to play in Atlanta.
So Paul should go back to the Clippers and develop more on his duo with Blake Griffin. Yes there has been some trials and tribulations in their relationship but something tells me that Blake would rather have Paul than not have him.
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| Paul should return to the Clips. |
The Clippers fired their coach Vinny Del Negro in an attempt to appease CP3 but it has back fired. Paul is now pissed that he is perceived as they reason Vinny was kicked to the curb. The reality was that Del Negro needed to go based on his fit with the team although he had a great year.
They need a coach that focuses on defense --like Byron Scott, who they are reportedly talking to-- to make this team better. They also need someone who knows how to coach in clutch situations and Del Negro failed doing that on to many occasions.
The other problem is DeAndre Jordan. Although he is great for dunks and highlights, his game is very limited. He can't shoot at all and his free throw shooting is among the worst in the league. He also doesn't really give them a great amount of defense and can't play down the stretch in games, therefore he needs to go somehow.
Either he needs be traded maybe to get somebody like Al Jefferson in a sign and trade or he needs to get substantially better but I doubt he can do it.
1. Dwight Howard needs to go to the Houston Rockets.
Howard does not fit with the Los Angelos Lakers. I know that the front office wants to resign him but only because they put so many eggs in his basket when they traded for him. They are in denial that Dwight can be the next Wilt or Kareem but he can't.
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| Howard and Asik can work side by side next year. |
Many people think that he will go back to LA because they can offer a 5 year 118 million dollar deal but he would probably opt out of it in the fourth year. Also Houston has no state tax so that narrows the gap between the 88 million they can offer and the 118 million the Lakers can offer.
There is no shame in Dwight Howard going to a better basketball situation. James Harden is the best young shooting guard in the game right now and he has no issue sharing the ball. Chandler Parson's is capable of becoming a great third scorer and they have a ton of shooters to free up Dwight Howard down low.
They can also play Omer Asik and Howard together as an overpowering defensive duo. The Rockets would automatically become a candidate to contend in the western conference and add another intriguing story to the league.
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