Which six teams’ moves have best positioned them for a lottery-to-playoffs jump?
Admittedly, plenty of the offseason remains (as so much is yet to be set in stone), but it’s certainly not too early to explore the moves that have been made.
New Orleans Pelicans – GM Dell Demps has to shed some salary in order to make the deal work, but the Pelicans got an absolute steal when they acquired Omer Asik from the Houston Rockets. Adding Asik allows Anthony Davis to slide over to power forward and arms the Pels with arguably the best defensive power forward-center combination in the league. Asik is also an excellent diver in the pick-and-roll and should gel well with Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans. I’m also looking forward to watching Pelicans second-round pick Russ Smith and summer league addition Patric Bradley in the Vegas Summer League (I think both guys have the potential to stick in the league). The West is getting better all the time, and the list of talented teams could even be growing. However, the Pelicans adding Asik was as solid as any move made so far this summer, and there’s reason to believe NOLA has a very realistic shot at making the playoffs in 2014-15.
Denver Nuggets – The Nuggets pounced when given the chance to re-acquire Arron Afflalo from Orlando and then added Gary Harris and Jusuf Nurkic in the draft. Afflalo has always been a ready, willing and able defender whom coach Brian Shaw will love, and Afflalo has also improved his offensive game exponentially since entering the league (to the point where he was a borderline All-Star in 2013-14). I have this inkling that this won’t be the last trade the Nuggets make this summer either. Something tells me that Denver is the mystery team who will soon be welcoming restricted free agent Greg Monroe in a sign-and-trade deal with Detroit, with the Nuggets sending a package of Wilson Chandler and J.J. Hickson to the Motor City. Even if my instincts prove to be inaccurate, the Nuggets have the makings of an intriguing team in 2014-15.
Los Angeles Lakers – Julius Randle slipping to No. 7 had to have Kobe Bryant amped up and excited. Randle could very well end up being the best player from this draft class, but fell on draft day due to concerns regarding his foot. However, all the recent updates have been positive and it seems like the Lakers may have lucked out big time after all despite dropping back a spot in the draft (due to Cleveland’s leapfrogging). Even if they don’t land Melo, the Lakers appear likely to make a splash in free agency before all is said and done. And if they’re still unable to woo any of their top targets this summer, landing Randle is reason enough for Lakers fans to light some candles and celebrate.
Detroit Pistons – Detroit snagging sharpshooters Jodie Meeks and Cartier Martin was an absolute necessity in order to make the Pistons basketball watchable next season, as the Pistons were a putrid perimeter shooting squad in 2013-14. Teams would pack the paint and force Detroit to either recklessly attack the paint or settle for outside shots, neither of which working out well for the Pistons. While Meeks and Brandon Jennings would be one of the worst defensive backcourts in the league (if they’re the starting backcourt), at least they’d also have a chance to be among the most deadly 3-point shooting combos in the NBA and afford Andre Drummond and Josh Smith some breathing room on the interior.
Cleveland Cavaliers – Cleveland didn’t trade the top pick for Kevin Love like I suggested and they may not be able to convince LeBron to make a return to town, but they did convince Kyrie Irving to re-sign with the Cavs for five years and they nabbed freak athlete and potential future star Andrew Wiggins in the draft. Cleveland may still be an unattractive free-agent destination, but if Irving and Wiggins are able to live up to all their hype I suppose it’s possible players could open their eyes to playing alongside them in Ohio.
Phoenix Suns – What a wild ride it’s been. The Suns went from projected NBA stomping mat headed into 2013-14, and here we are today and they are right in the thick of any discussion about acquiring an elite-level talent (whether it be via free agency or trade). I almost can’t see them missing out on an All-Star-caliber free agent this summer, but even if they do strike out, as long as they’re able to retain the services of Eric Bledsoe, P.J. Tucker and Channing Frye they’ll battle for a playoff spot in the loaded Western Conference in 2014-15.
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