David Aldridge's Off-Season Team Rankings - Middle 10

by **bobheckler** Tue Aug 09, 2016 2:20 pm

There is no bottom, it seems.

There was so much money spent by so many NBA teams on so many, uh, unproven players in free agency this season that Twitter came unglued. The dollars spent on the Timofey Mozgovs and Chandler Parsons of the world seemed so outsized and inexplicable that NFL players took to social media to complain about those players' lack of credentials.

The money flowed and flowed and chaos seemed to reign, stopped only by NBA nation's Kevin Durant obsession. We all wanted to know if KD was staying in Oklahoma City (personal aside: his since-shuttered restaurant there was damned good, giving me a gastro-centric rooting interest) or going elsewhere.

His, though, was merely the biggest story of movement from team to team since the end of The Finals.

With so much TV money flooding the system, every team was compelled to spend as much of it as it could, leaving just about all of them dramatically different than they were just weeks ago.

This is where we, as ever, come in.

The annual rankings of all 30 teams is, again, just taking into account everything that teams have done since they last played a game, factoring in the Draft, free agency and trades.

Here's what it is not:
• A predicted order of finish for next season.
I do not expect the Jazz, for example, to have a better record than the Cavs. We're not talking about next year; we're talking about this summer. Is your team better now than it was before? That's all. (Some teams, though not all, have a Key Man or person listed in the rankings that is worth paying special attention to when assessing how productive their offseason was.)
• If your team is ranked in the top 10, it doesn't mean I love your team.
• If your team is ranked in the bottom 10, it doesn't mean I hate your team.
It's an opinion that seeks to answer a question: is the team better now than at the end of last season? The ranking reflects the belief on whether, and how much, that is so. (I like certain guys in the Draft more than others, so if your team took them, I probably gave it more weight. Doesn't mean I'm right.)

What plays into the rankings:
• This is art as much as science, weighing the impact both of the Draft and free agency, but also assessing whether teams got value in their free-agent signings. Overpaying the right player is as much a sin as signing the wrong player.
• New coaches, new GMs, new owners and new arenas are also significant factors in judging a team's summer success. A good coach can coax some more wins out of a roster, and a new building can generate the kind of revenue necessary to let a team be aggressive in pursuing free agents and trades -- if not this season, then in future seasons.
• Teams that are rebuilding obviously have different priorities than those making a championship push. That's factored in. It's why, even though I may like Oklahoma City's trade for Victor Oladipo, losing Durant obviously carries more weight. And a team like the Warriors that commits to paying Durant after already paying so many of its core players gets more positive bounce. That luxury tax is a real thing. Owners like Joe Lacob and Peter Guber in Golden State, who pay the tax to remain competitive, should get credit.
• Continuity matters here as well. The most successful teams identify a core group of players and keep them together several seasons; teams that re-sign their own players (at reasonable amounts) get good marks. The explosion in the cap means everyone has to be more aggressive, and everyone has to spend; keeping your powder dry for another day doesn't have as much cache as it used to.
Salary numbers, with a couple of exceptions, come from Basketball Insiders, whose Eric Pincus does the best job of anyone in the game of keeping track of all the moving financial parts, quickly and accurately.

The Top 10
Warriors, Grizzlies, Jazz, Pacers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Suns, Timberwolves, Nuggets, 76ers
The Middle 10
Trail Blazers, Magic, Kings, Hawks, Hornets, Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, Knicks, Pistons
The Bottom 10
Bulls, Clippers, Bucks, Thunder, Spurs, Wizards, Raptors, Pelicans, Heat, Nets

The Middle 10

11. PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS
2015-16 RECORD: 44-38, lost in Western Conference semifinals
ADDED: G/F Evan Turner (four years, $70 million); C Festus Ezeli (two years, $15.1 million); G Shabazz Napier (acquired from Orlando); F Jake Layman (Draft rights acquired from Orlando)
LOST: G Gerald Henderson (signed with Philadelphia); G Brian Roberts (signed with Charlotte)
RETAINED: G/F Allen Crabbe (matched Brooklyn offer sheet: four years, $75 million); C Meyers Leonard (four years, $41 million); F Maurice Harkless (four years, $40 million);

THE SKINNY: Other than shelling out for Turner, whom the Blazers believe will help take some of the ballhandling and playmaking burden off of Damian Lillard, Portland took care of its own this summer. Makes sense, given the Blazers' rapid rebuild last year that leaves them as a top candidate to threaten to become a top four team in the Western Conference next season. So Portland extended coach Terry Stotts, and kept fourth-year guard C.J. McCollum away from restricted free agency next summer with a $106 million extension this summer. Then the Blazers waited out their own three restricted free agents, knowing owner Paul Allen will never be outspent for a player. Only Crabbe came up with an offer sheet that Portland quickly matched, with Leonard and Harkless signing new deals soon after. Ezeli was frequently good as a reserve at Golden State, and has a chance to be a starter in Portland. Even if he doesn't beat out Mason Plumlee next season, he's a bargain -- compared with what others with his skill set got -- coming off the bench at $8 million per.

12. ORLANDO MAGIC
2015-16 RECORD: 35-47, did not make playoffs
ADDED: C Bismack Biyombo (four years, $68 million); F Jeff Green (one year, $15 million); G D.J. Augustin (four years, $29 million); F/C Serge Ibaka (acquired from Oklahoma City); G Jodie Meeks (acquired from Detroit); F C.J. Wilcox (acquired from L.A. Clippers); C Stephen Zimmerman (second round, 41st pick overall); hired coach Frank Vogel
LOST: G Victor Oladipo (traded to Oklahoma City); F Ersan Ilyasova (traded to Oklahoma City); G Shabazz Napier (traded to Portland); G/F Devyn Marble (traded to L.A. Clippers); F Andrew Nicholson (signed with Washington); G Brandon Jennings (signed with New York); F/C Jason Smith (signed with Washington); C Dewayne Dedmon (signed with San Antonio); former head coach Scott Skiles (resigned)
RETAINED: G Evan Fournier (five years, $85 million)
THE KEY MAN: G Elfrid Payton. The third-year point guard will get another shot to show he can run the show, but he's struggled in each of his first two years with consistency, especially with his jumper (30.6 percent on 3-pointers his first two seasons, with just 41 threes total). Management still believes in him, but he's got to raise his game across the board.

THE SKINNY: I wanted to like Orlando's total makeover more than I actually did. It's just jarring for a team to absorb that much change in one offseason quickly and smoothly. In a year, it may have all been worth it, but it's going to be tough to hit the ground running next season. For one, who's the starting power forward next season: Ibaka, the centerpiece of the deal with the Thunder that sent Oladipo packing, and who'll be in a contract year? Or is it incumbent Nikola Vucevic, who's been the Magic's best player the last two seasons? You can't play either of them at center when you just spent $68 million for Biyombo, whose star turn in Toronto in the playoffs was right on time for puffing up his bank account. If you play Biyombo and Ibaka together, you don't have a lot in terms of low-post options. The Magic still has high hopes for Aaron Gordon to be a major contributor. That's four frontcourt players. Add to that Green, who has never shot it well enough during his eight NBA seasons to be a true stretch four, but doesn't rebound or defend the perimeter well enough to play the three consistently. And even if Orlando thinks Green can play the three, it just spent the fifth pick in last year's Draft on second-year forward Mario Hezonja. Vogel is a heck of a coach, but somebody -- maybe a couple of somebodies -- is going to be unhappy with his minutes. Still, from a talent standpoint, Orlando has a lot more to work with this season than last, and measuring improvement from one year to the next is the purpose of this exercise.

13. SACRAMENTO KINGS
2015-16 RECORD: 33-49, did not make playoffs
ADDED: G Arron Afflalo (two years, $25 million); F Anthony Tolliver (two years, $16 million); G Garrett Temple (three years, $24 million); F Matt Barnes (two years, $12.5 million); F Lamar Patterson (waiver claim from Atlanta: two years, $2 million); C Georgios Papagiannis (Draft rights acquired from Phoenix); G Malachi Richardson (Draft rights acquired from Charlotte); F Skal Labissiere (Draft rights acquired from Phoenix); G Bogdan Bogdanovic (Draft rights acquired from Phoenix); G Isaiah Cousins (second round, 59th pick overall); hired coach Dave Joerger; moving into Golden 1 Center
LOST: G Rajon Rondo (signed with Chicago); F Quincy Acy (signed with Dallas); G Seth Curry (signed with Dallas); fired former coach George Karl
RETAINED: None
THE KEY MAN: G Darren Collison. The Kings made little effort to re-sign Rajon Rondo, feeling comfortable they could make do with the seven-year vet Collison as the starter next season. The start of his season is pending the adjudication of two misdemeanor domestic violence charges filed against him after he was arrested in May. The NBA suspended Charlotte Hornets forward Jeffery Taylor for 24 games without pay in 2014 after he pled guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic violence and malicious destruction of property. The potential for a lengthy suspension leaves Sacramento with Temple as a potential starter, but at some point, Collison will get the ball and another opportunity to show he can run a team nightly, as he got with the Pacers in 2011. He was penciled in as the starter in Sacramento in 2014, getting 45 starts, but wound up splitting the spot with Ray McCallum.
Top 10 Plays: Sacramento Kings
Check out the Sacramento Kings top 10 plays of the 2015-16 regular season.

THE SKINNY: Slow and steady went the Kings, adding a whole lot of quality people to their roster, starting with Temple, late of the Wizards, and Tolliver, last with the Pistons. This is a good strategy after the unending craziness of the last few years in the capital city, both on and off the court. The net result is good vets to surround All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins going forward, and a new coach in Joerger that will be a much better fit than Karl. Barnes and Afflalo provide some bite on the wings. The Kings maneuvered to get three players for their first-round pick. Good again. But the deal will turn on how good Papagiannis becomes. A lot of teams liked him and he may well have been off the board by the time Sacramento picked again in the first, but it was still a gamble, especially considering the Kings already have one of the league's elite bigs in Cousins. Labissiere was viewed by some as a possible Lottery pick before last season; to get him so late in the first is great potential value. The Kings will still have to, in all likelihood, move Rudy Gay before the start of the season.

14. ATLANTA HAWKS
2015-16 RECORD: 48-34, lost in Eastern Conference semifinals
ADDED: C Dwight Howard (three years $70.5 million); G Jarrett Jack (one year, $1.6 million); G Malcolm Delaney (two years, $5 million); F Taurean Prince (Draft rights acquired from Utah); F DeAndre Bembry (first round, 21st pick overall); G Isaia Cordinier (second round, 44th pick overall)
LOST: C Al Horford (signed with Boston); G Jeff Teague (traded to Indiana)
RETAINED: F Kent Bazemore (four years, $70 million); F Kris Humphries (one year, $4 million); C Mike Muscala (picked up 2016-17 option)
THE KEY MAN: G Dennis Schroder. It's his show now, after the Hawks moved Teague. Still just 23, it only seems like Schroder's been in the league a decade. Inconsistent production has been his bugaboo in three seasons. That can't happen any more if Atlanta is going to remain in the upper echelon in the Eastern Conference.
Dwight Howard On Hawks
Dwight Howard of the Atlanta Hawks checks in with Matt Winer and Steve Smith during Las Vegas Summer League action.

THE SKINNY: Like Jules Winnfield, the Hawks are in a transitional period. They were plenty good during the last two regular seasons, but they were overmatched against the Cavs, going 0-8 in their last two postseason series with Cleveland. They wanted to keep Horford, but left the door open by not offering the max, and he walked to the Celtics. But Atlanta had already hedged its bet by signing Howard, looking to re-establish himself as a dominant big man in his hometown. The bet here is Howard still has enough tread left on the tires to give the Hawks defense and rebounding. The issue is the team's transition (that word again) on offense. Teague was second on the team in scoring, and Atlanta ran so much through Horford -- pick-and-rolls, slip screens, pick-and-pops -- things that Howard is not good at. But if there's one thing coach Mike Budenholzer and his staff are great at, it's finding out ways to utilize what they have. So Atlanta will no doubt develop some quick hitters and post-ups for Howard, who will have room to operate with All-Star Paul Millsap able to stretch the floor and Bazemore able to run the baseline. The Hawks will also the Kyle Korver of the last two months of the regular season and not the one who struggled through the first two months recovering from two offseason surgeries.

15. CHARLOTTE HORNETS
2015-16 RECORD: 48-34, lost in first round
ADDED: G Marco Belinelli (acquired from Sacramento); G Ramon Sessions (two years, $12.3 million); C Roy Hibbert (one year, $5 million); G Brian Roberts (one year, $1.1 million); F Christian Wood (two years, $1.9 million)
LOST: G Jeremy Lin (signed with Brooklyn); G Courtney Lee (signed with New York); C Al Jefferson (signed with Indiana); G Troy Daniels (traded to Memphis)
RETAINED: F Nicolas Batum (five years, $120 million); F Marvin Williams (four years, $54.5 million)
THE KEY MAN: F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Two seasons in a row -- including all but seven games last season -- for the second overall pick in 2012 have been wrecked by injuries. The Hornets were very good last season without their emotional leader, but they could use the guy who was averaging almost 13 points a game and shooting 43 percent on 3-pointers after his initial return from a torn labrum suffered just before the start of the season. MKG returned in February, but lasted a little more than a week before he tore the labrum again, requiring season-ending surgery. A perimeter-centric Kidd-Gilchrist would help Kemba Walker retain the operating room he had last season.

THE SKINNY: The Hornets' main objective this summer was to keep Batum, and Charlotte paid handsomely to do so. But the 27-year-old's unique package of ballhandling, shooting and playmaking is crucial to Charlotte's small-ball lineup. Replacing Lee may be harder than the Hornets think. Belinelli seems like a bit of a reach at his age, but Sessions played off the ball some in Washington if Kidd-Gilchrist and/or Belinelli struggle shooting. Otherwise, there's no reason the Hornets can't keep playing the way they did last season, with a lot of four-out/one-in action. Williams has figured out the art of the stretch four, shooting a career best 40 percent behind the arc last season. It's hard to see Hibbert as a good fit with the starters, which would leave Cody Zeller as the incumbent.

16. LOS ANGELES LAKERS
2015-16 RECORD: 17-65, did not make playoffs
ADDED: F Luol Deng (four years, $72 million); C Timofey Mozgov (four years, $64 million); G Jose Calderon (acquired from Chicago); F Brandon Ingram (first round, second pick overall); C Ivica Zubac (second round, 32nd pick overall); hired coach Luke Walton
LOST: G Kobe Bryant (retired); C Roy Hibbert (signed with Charlotte); F Brandon Bass (signed with Clippers); fired former coach Byron Scott
RETAINED: G Jordan Clarkson (four years, $50 million)
THE KEY WOMAN: Team President Jeanie Buss. The most drama-laden family ownership structure this side of the Carringtons (kids! Ask your parents who the Carringtons were) would seem to be facing its denouement. To recap: Jim Buss, the team's executive VP of Basketball Operations -- and Jeanie's brother -- said in 2014 that if the Lakers weren't again contending for supremacy in the west in "three to four years," that he would resign. Jim Buss now says that time frame extends to the end of the 2017-18 season. But his sister has said that the deadline to once again be a factor in the playoffs -- the second round or better, as she told USA Today -- is the 2016-17 season. As in, next season. Jeanie has made it clear, in other interviews, that she believes she has the hammer on the basketball ops side, and can and will fire her brother if she has to. She may have to pretty soon.
Summer League Highlights: Brandon Ingram
Check out Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram's highlights from the Las Vegas Summer League.

THE SKINNY: After a two-year hiatus from the NBA to settle with franchise icon Kobe Bryant -- $48 million and all the shots he could hoist -- the Lakers return to trying to build a team around the young guys they've drafted the last couple of years. Ingram, after one season at Duke, is the latest, with elite shooting and playmaking potential. (It is not about how much weight 190-pound Ingram puts on; it's about whether he gets stronger. He will.) The Lakers kept their guard rotation intact by re-signing their restricted free agent, Clarkson. He will start at the two alongside second-year point guard D'Angelo Russell, with Ingram at the three, veteran Deng at the four and Mozgov, late of the Cavaliers, in the middle. Everyone clowned L.A. for giving Mozgov so much money when he didn't play last season for Cleveland, but Mozgov is just one year removed from being the starting center for the Cavs, and a starter on their 2015 Finals team. He's an improvement. Isn't that what the offseason is about -- getting better? Walton will bring some happiness and purpose to a young group that will need to be built up more than torn down.

17. DALLAS MAVERICKS
2015-16 RECORD: 42-40; lost in first round
ADDED: F Harrison Barnes (four years, $94 million); G Seth Curry (two years, $5.9 million); F Quincy Acy (two years, $2.2 million); C Andrew Bogut (acquired from Golden State); C A.J. Hammons (second round, 46th pick overall)
LOST: F Chandler Parsons (signed with Memphis); C Zaza Pachulia (signed with Golden State); G Raymond Felton (signed with L.A. Clippers); F David Lee (signed with San Antonio); F Jeremy Evans (traded to Indiana)
RETAINED: F Dirk Nowitzki (two years, $50 million); G Deron Williams (one year, $9 million); F Dwight Powell (four years, $37 million); C Salah Mejri (guaranteed 2016-17 contract)

THE SKINNY: We're not being critical of the Mavs' moves by ranking them here. But the franchise is spinning its wheels. Every summer since its championship season, Dallas has lined up cap space to try and get an elite free agent. And every summer, it's come up snake eyes. This year, the targets were Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside and Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. The Mavs struck out, just as they did for Dwight Howard and LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh and DeAndre Jordan and Kevin Durant. They always salvage the summer with decent veteran pickups, and this one was no different. Barnes had a horrible Finals, but he's still just 24 and he's worth putting some money into. Bogut gets hurt a lot, but he's still a terrific defensive center and offensive screener/passer when available. But the same could be said over the past few years about Al-Farouq Aminu (2014-15), Monta Ellis (2013-15), Jose Calderon (2013-14), Darren Collison (2012-13) and on and on. They were all good players and coach Rick Carlisle got a lot out of each. But none could move the needle. With Nowitzki getting the Kobe legacy deal, Dallas looks locked in to a familiar pattern for two more years -- good enough to make the playoffs, not good enough to do much damage once it gets there.

18. HOUSTON ROCKETS
2015-16 RECORD: 41-41; lost in first round
ADDED: F Ryan Anderson (four years, $80 million); G Eric Gordon (four years, $53 million); F/C Nene (one year, $2.9 million); G Pablo Prigioni (two years, $2.2 million); F/C Chinanu Onauku (second round, 37th pick overall); C Zhou Qi (second round, 43rd pick overall); hired coach Mike D'Antoni
LOST: C Dwight Howard (signed with Atlanta); F Terrence Jones (signed with New Orleans); did not retain former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff
RETAINED: F Michael Beasley (guaranteed 2016-17 salary)
THE KEY MAN: Jeff Bzdelik, assistant coach. Bzdelik has been tasked (along with new assistant Roy Rogers) with improving the Rockets' defense, which was awful both terrestrially (106.4 points allowed per game, 25th in the league) and analytically (105.6 defensive rating, 20th). Bzdelik has helped shore up good defenses for many years, including the last couple with injury-riddled Memphis -- which still managed to finish 11th last season in points allowed.
Mike D'Antoni Interview
Mark Adams and Joel Meyers sit down with Houston Head Coach Mike D'Antoni to talk Rockets basketball.

THE SKINNY: The Rockets didn't make any headway with some of the bigger name free agents they coveted, but they made use of the resulting cap space they had by renegotiating and extending James Harden's deal to go through the 2020 season (Harden could opt out after 2019) for a total of $118 million, staring a trend that other teams have followed to give their marquee players raises. That's a perfectly good use of cap space. Why reach when you can lock up your star a little longer? But the Rockets have a lot of question marks besides "The Beard." Can they get healthy seasons from their two ex-Pelicans, Anderson and Gordon? They've averaged 50 and 57 games, respectively, the last three seasons. Can Clint Capela's and Nene's respective abilities (Capela's lateral quickness; Nene's low-post capabilities and still-capable skills on the block) help lessen Howard's departure? Can Harden be a difference-making playmaker, or someone who just gets inflated assist numbers because he has the ball in his hands a lot? Probably too many questions to feel comfortable.

19. NEW YORK KNICKS
2015-16 RECORD: 32-50, did not make playoffs
ADDED: F/C Joakim Noah (four years, $72 million); G Courtney Lee (four years, $48 million); G Brandon Jennings (one year, $5 million); F Willy Hernangomez (four years, $5.9 million); F Mindaugas Kuzminskas (two years, $5.8 million); G Derrick Rose (acquired from Chicago); G Justin Holiday (acquired from Chicago); hired coach Jeff Hornacek
LOST: G Arron Afflalo (signed with Sacramento); F Derrick Williams (signed with Miami); G Langston Galloway (signed with New Orleans); C Robin Lopez (traded to Chicago); G Jose Calderon (traded to Chicago); G Jerian Grant (traded to Chicago); F Amare Stoudemire (retired); re-assigned former head coach Kurt Rambis
RETAINED: F Lance Thomas (four years, $27.5 million); G Sasha Vucecic (one year, $1.4 million)
GameTime: Rose Calls Knicks Super Team
GameTime weighs in on the recent comments that Derrick Rose made calling the Knicks a Super Team.

THE SKINNY: There is a sweet spot between thinking the Knicks made some decent moves -- nothing wrong with test-driving Rose for a year to see if he has dominant basketball left in him -- and thinking they did anything that will definitely propel them to the postseason. Their best pickup may well be Lee, a solid two-way player who can step right in at two guard alongside Rose, and take some of the pressure off of Carmelo Anthony defensively. Whatever Noah has left will surely come out in his native New York; he'll clearly be a fan favorite, and his passing at the top of the key will help Kristaps Porzingis. Team president Phil Jackson seems to be giving Hornacek the room to implement non-triangle sets more regularly.

20. DETROIT PISTONS
2015-16 RECORD: 44-38; lost in first round
ADDED: F Jon Leuer (four years, $41 million); C Boban Marjanovic (three years, $21 million); G Ish Smith (three years, $18 million); G Ray McCallum (one year, $1 million); F Henry Ellenson (first round, 18th pick overall); F Michael Gbinije (second round, 49th pick overall)
LOST: F Anthony Tolliver (signed with Sacramento); G Jodie Meeks (traded to Orlando)
RETAINED: C Andre Drummond (five years, $127 million); G Darrun Hilliard (guaranteed 2016-17 contract)
THE KEY MAN: G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. In this day and age, a two guard who only shoots 42 percent overall and 31 percent on 3-pointers is in jeopardy. He's up for an extension this season as well, only adding to the pressure. Detroit has invested big money into Reggie Jackson, Tobias Harris and, now, Drummond. If KCP wants his taste, he's going to have to shoot better. Point blank.
Top 10 Plays: Andre Drummond
Check the top 10 plays from Andre Drummond's 2015-16 NBA season.

THE SKINNY: No one thought Detroit would lose Drummond, so while no nine-figure deal is a "formality," it wasn't a shock to the system. The Pistons' rotation is set, but it was a little surprising to see coach/team president Stan Van Gundy put $10 million per into Leuer, a good player in Phoenix who nonetheless only played 19 minutes a game off the bench. After raiding the Spurs for another big in Marjanovic (Detroit signed Aron Baynes last summer), the Pistons now have a lot of depth if Drummond gets in foul trouble (as he is wont to do). Van Gundy opted to trade for players under contract rather than take a shot at free agency this summer. If he was right, his guys will need to get better.

bob

.