Post by repole ಠ_ಠ on Jun 1, 2012 16:11:01 GMT -5
Boston Celtics
Key Arrivals: Bernard King, Kenny Carr, Dwight Jones
Key Departures: Happy Hairston, Dwight Davis, Herb White, Stan Washington
Analysis: The Celtics head into this season expecting to tank it up again, but they're going to have a bit harder of a time doing that this season than last. Nearly all of their "key" departures (using the term key very losely) were guys who got minutes but frankly didn't deserve any. This season a lot of those minutes will be going to new comers like Bernard King and Kenny Carr, who while not necessarily ready to be much beyond mediocre, will make it tougher for the Celtics to lose as frequently as they did last year. Jones should help the tank fest though, he's still terrible.
Prediction: 28-54
Miami Heat
Key Arrivals:
Key Departures: Greg Smith, Keith Erickson
Analysis: Miami was a bit worse than mediocre last year, and with a few key departures without any out of house improvement, it's a good bet to expect the Heat to be well on their way to a top 10 pick this season. The player threatening to make that difficult is Ricky Sobers, who had a HUGE training camp, but I'd expect him to remain a turnover prone PG who doesn't give much statistically defensively. Don't expect John Drew to breakthrough any time soon, he's still the same inefficient offensive player he's always been. Still, the Heat have a bit of talent on their roster, probably too much to find themselves in the bottom 5 of the league.
Prediction: 32-52
Brooklyn Nets
Key Departures: Kermit Washington, Arvesta Kelly
Key Arrivals: Norm Van Lier
Analysis: The Nets had one of the more interesting offseasons in the league. After a solid season, there wasn't a team in the East who wanted to see a roster as talented as the Nets in the playoffs. Free agency dealt them a huge blow however, as Kermit Washington packed his bags for Portland. Most teams wouldn't be able to recover from a blow like that, as one could argue Washington was the franchise player for Brooklyn, the heart and soul of the team. But the Nets countered the loss by bringing in championship point guard Norm Van Lier, a guy who has been relegated to being a role player in Orlando, but now has a chance to spread his wings once again in Brooklyn. Expect the Nets not to loose a step on offense, in fact they should be even better, and if they can find a way to partially replace Washington defensively, they'll be right where they were last year, ready to make some noise in the playoffs.
Prediction: 52-30
New York Knicks
Key Arrivals: Bill Willoughby, Otis Birdson, Major Jones, Jeff Wilkins
Key Departures: Zaid Abdul-Aziz, Phil Jackson, Joe Ellis, Gail Goodrich, Don Buse, Allan Bristow
Analysis: After a season in which the Knicks defiantly won 50 games following their inability to re-acquire their pick, Skillz looks to start officially rebuilding this year. Gone are any core pieces that helped win, and in are an inexperienced group of youngsters who are about to get thrown into the fire. Birdsong looks like he'll be carrying the bulk of the scoring load this year, and unfortunately for Skillz tanking efforts, it appears as though he might be a bit too good a bit too soon. Willoughby was a great pickup from the Bucks, he appears to be a nice young shot blocker who can score inside relatively effectively. Though he's doing his best to get rid of talent, Skillz may find himself with a bit too much left on his roster to secure a top 5 pick.
Prediction: 26-56
Orlando Magic
Key Arrivals: Michael Cooper, Mike Glenn, Don Ford
Key Departures: Some guy named Smith, Willie Davis, George Trapp, Norm Van Lier, Lamar Green, Mel Daniels, Barry Clemens
Analysis: The Magic have seen about as much roster turnover as any team in the history of BBS, and the only question now is whether this year's team will lose more games than last year's team won. It appears Mike Glenn is ready to put up some big scoring numbers out of the gate, but after that the rest of the roster is entirely void of even average caliber starters. It appears that Michael Cooper has the keys to the franchise for now, and though Magic have invested a great deal of resources into his development, it's clear he's not ready to be much more than a role player at this point. Unfortunately for Cooper, the Magic are asking him to be a whole lot more than that right out of the gate. This team sucks, real bad, and anything less than a bottom three finish would be a surprise.
Prediction: 15-67
Philadelphia 76ers
Key Departures: George Gervin, Foots Walker
Key Arrivals: George Gervin, Foots Walker
Analysis: This 76ers team looks almost identical to the one that ended last season a few games short of saving the previous GM his job. Duke looked ready to shake things up, dealing Gervin and Walker for stud point guard Mengelt, but the deal fell through and left Philadelphia with the same roster as last season. Gervin's a year older though, and appears ready to more efficiently carry the scoring load, which combined with a Willis Reed that hasn't appeared to take a step back should lead the 76ers to a playoff birth in the East. Their weaknesses include an inability to rebound outside of Reed and Lacey, and a defense that struggles to consistently get stops. While Austin Carr is a great scorer, the 76ers would likely be better off if they moved him for a more well rounded swingman who rebounds and defends, as it seems like Gervin and Foots are ready to carry the scoring load along with Love off the bench.
Prediction: 45-37
Washington Wizards
Key Arrivals: Cedric Maxwell, Charlie Scott
Key Departures: Herm Gilliam, Johnny Davis
Analysis: The Wizards round out a pretty awful Atlantic division. With everyone outside of the Nets and 76ers trying to tank, the Wizards may have a tough time securing a high end draft pick. Marvin Barnes returns as the face of the franchise,looking to quiet any concerns about his ability to efficiently score and lead a team. The team's unquestioned leader however is gone, as Herm Gilliam left Washington behind for greener pastures in Portland. The ultra talented Charlie Scott arrives and brings his turnovers with him, but should provide a pretty steady scoring punch for Washington. He's not the type of player you want on your roster if you're trying to win, but he's also not the type you want if you're trying to lose. Charles Johnson still runs a relatively steady point, and John Williamson provides some decent scoring. At the end of the day, the Wizards are unlikely to be as bad as they'd like to be unless they unload some talent fast.
Prediction: 30-52
