TORONTO: Exceeds Expectations

5. Jonas Valanciunas

It’s deja vu all over again. Last year, a team above them unexpectedly took an athletic defensive power forward which resulted in a higher ranked big man unexpectedly falling to the Raptors. Colangelo and the Raptors brass probably can’t believe their luck. I was afraid they might still take Knight, but Colangelo showed he is indeed focused on the future, rather than the present.

Valanciunas will fill the void at center the Raptors have been lacking for, well, ever. While apparently a lot of Raptor fans are unhappy with the pick, I think they’ll eventually regret that as Valanciunas is the type of player that Raptor fans love. He’s a high energy player who hustles, defends and rebounds. English, though, is not his strong suit.

On the other hand, the pick they got from the Heat, which they traded to the Bulls for James Johnson, could have been used to pick Corey Joseph at 28, who went one spot later to the Spurs. Who knows if that’s who Colangelo would have picked, as he was projected to go in the second round, but I’ll certainly be comparing their careers. And since the Spurs are pretty much never wrong…

I would have liked to see them try and scoop up another pick, but it’s not a big deal that they didn’t.

SAN ANTONIO: Exceeds Expectations

29. Cory Joseph

Traded George Hill for Indiana’s 15th pick, Kawhi Leonard.

I assumed the Spurs would exceed expectations, and again they have. Trading for Leonard is huge, especially since he was projected to go in the top ten and dropped. He’s the type of defender than the Spurs love, is in the perfect situation, and should step in Bruce Bowen’s shoes, that have been empty for a few years.

If on of my sleepers, Toronto’s Cory Joseph couldn’t get drafted by the Raptors, then the Spurs would have been my second choice. And it’s incredible timing because they might have their replacement for Hill. Yes, he projected to go in the second round, but I think he has first round talent and so, apparently, do the Spurs.haunt them. Burks should be a decent player, but guys like him are a dime a dozen.

CHARLOTTE: Exceeds Expectations

7. Bismack Biyombo
9. Kemba Walker

Traded Stephen Jackson for Sacramento’s 7th pick and Corey Maggette.

Sold 39th pick, Jeremy Tyler to Golden State, I’m guessing for cash.

It hurts to say it, but Charlotte actually did well. I was surprised that they passed on Knight for Biyombo, as they’ve been looking for a real starting PG for, well, their entire existence, but they resisted temptation and went with a guy who I think will be better down the road. I also look forward to watching Biyombo and Tyrus Thomas being on the floor at the same time. The front row needs to watch out.

Maggette was a disaster in Milwaukee and now brings his brand of scoring and no defense to Charlotte. He’s probably going to lose games for them, but that’s kind of what they wanted, so maybe it’s a good thing?

Walker fell, but not as far as I thought he might. I think it’s still a pretty good pick at 9, but Charlotte seems to like picking decent PGs with little upside.

CHICAGO: Exceeds Expectations

23. Nikola Mirotic
30. Jimmy Butler

Traded 28th and 43rd picks for Houstons 23rd pick, Nikola Mirotic.

Butler was very efficient offensively at Butler, and is a very good defender, so the Bulls may have a sleeper on their hands.

How much do you think the Spurs are pissed at not getting Mirotic, who is exactly the type of player they usually scoop up at the end up the first round? He’s a huge steal, but will play overseas for a couple of more seasons. That’s fine with the Bulls.

DENVER: Exceeds Expectations

22. Kenneth Faried
26. Jordan Hamilton
56. Chukwudiebere Maduabum

Traded Raymond Felton for Portland’s 26th pick, Jordan Hamilton, and Andre Miller.

Traded for Laker’s 56th pick, Chukwudiebere Maduabum, somehow.

Although I haven’t confirmed that Denver is, in fact, keeping Faried, if they do this was a very good draft day. I would have liked to have seen them get more for Felton, but Miller is a good, veteran PG that will probably be shipped elsewhere soon. Plus they were able to pick up another pick and a SF who has a chance to be a decent pro.

Faried is the type of player that everyone loves and helps you win. So why didn’t he go higher? Probably because he’s not a scorer and a little undersized.

I have no idea who Chukwudiebere Maduabum, but on his Draft Express profile, he’s listed as Chu Chu. I think he’s worthy of picking just for that. He immediately is in the running for best All-Tim NBA name.

MEMPHIS: Exceeds Expectations

49. Josh Selby

Selby was considered a first round talent, so this has to be considered a steal. Where they’ll find room for him, is another thing.
DETROIT: Exceeds Expectations

8. Brandon Knight
33. Kyle Singler
52. Vernon Macklin

Although I question whether he can play PG, Knight was projected to go in the top 5 and dropped to 8th, so Pistons fans have to be happy. Of course, he kind of presents the same problems that Rodney Stuckey, who’s also a combo guard they tried to turn into a point guard, did.

Singler is never going to be a star, but last year he was considered a middle first round pick and they got him in the second round. I think he’ll hang on and have a decent career as a bench player.

DALLAS: Exceeds Expectations

Traded their 26th pick to Portland for Rudy Fernandez

The rich get richer. Dallas has no use for a rookie and no one picked there was going to help them like Fernandez. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up starting next year.

LAKERS: Exceeds Expectations

41. Darius Morris
46. Andrew Goodelock
58. Ater Majok

Without a first round pick, they were able to pick up a decent prospect, in Darius Morris. This might be the second year in a row they get at least one keeper from the second round.

PHILADELPHIA: Exceeds Expectations

16. Nikola Vucevic
50. Lavoy Allen

Vucevic should end up being a pretty good pro and probable starter. At 16, in this draft, that’s pretty damn good.

CLEVELAND: Meets Expectations

1. Kyrie Irving
4. Tristan Thompson
32. Justin Harper

Irving will probably be the best player, so it was no surprise he was the first pick.

Thompson was the first big surprise of the night. And while I don’t think it’s a bad pick, since I think Thompson is going to be a very good pro, but he was a big reach at 3. Valanciunas would have made much more sense, but apparently Cleveland wants to make an impact immediately. Something they might regret down the line.

I think Cleveland should have offered Minnesota everything but it’s first pick to move up to 2 and draft Williams. If they had come out of the draft with Irving AND Williams, their future would have looked A LOT brighter.

Justin Harper is a stretch 4 that isn’t very big and probably won’t be much of a rebounder in the NBA. If he sticks, it’s because of his shooting. On Cleveland, that’s devoid of talent, he might, but with Antawn Jamison and J.J. Hickson as well as Anderson Varejao, who will probably be traded this summer, it’s puzzling why they’d take another power forward.

NEW YORK: Meets Expectations

45. Josh Harrellson

New York gets the guy Enes Kanter apparently made into the player he is today. So says Harrellson.

MINNESOTA: Meets Expectations

2. Derrick Williams

Traded Jonny Flynn for Houston’s 23rd pick, Nikola Mirotic, and Brad Miller.

For some reason the T-Wolves don’t end up with the 23d pick, so it’s basically a Flynn for Miller deal. Not sure why they’d do that.

Keeping Williams is the right move even though he doubles up on Beasley’s skills. He should be better than Bealsey and should give the Wolves some star power.

UTAH: Meets Expectations

3. Enes Kanter
12. Alec Burks

Although a lot of people had Brandon Knight going to Utah for the months leading up to the draft, they apparently changed their mind with less than a week to go. And while I was a little missed he didn’t fall to the Raptors, I think Utah will be VERY happy they chose Kanter instead of Knight.

Of course, while I think they made the right decision at 3, passing up Leonard, who is probably exactly what the Jazz need, is probably going to

OKLAHOMA CITY: Meets Expectations

27. Reggie Jackson

Jackson is a combo guard who joins an already crowded Thunder backcourt. I really don’t know where he’ll find minutes. I wonder why Oklahoma didn’t simply trade out of the draft.

PORTLAND: Meets Expectations

21. Nolan Smith
51. Jon Diebler

Traded Andre Miller for Raymond Felton

Traded Rudy Fernandez to Dallas for 26th pick, which they gave to Denver in prearranged deal.

Getting Felton for Miller is a great deal for Portland. He might be the young point guard they’ve been looking for all these years.

Unfortunately, picking Nolan Smith over Faried, who they could really use, was a mistake.

ORLANDO: Meets Expectations

53. DeAndre Liggins

He’s a player that was on Kentucky, but now he’s not.

ATLANTA: Meets Expectations

48. Keith Benson

He’s got legit size for an NBA power forward, and he’s stronger than he looks. For the 48th pick, the Hawks did well.

For a team hitting their ceiling, I would have liked to have seen them a little more active. Maybe after the new CBA is signed, whenever that happens.

MIAMI: Approaching Expectations

28. Norris Cole

Somehow got the 28th pick from Chicago to draft Cole, a PG, who should provide insurance in case Bibby is not re-upped.

BOSTON: Approaching  Expectations

27. JuJuan Johnson
55. E’Twaun Moore

Traded their 25th pick for the 27th pick.

Johnson is a decent player, but I don’t see him making any impact on the Celtics, either now or down the line. But would anyone else have?

Moore is an undersized shooting guard, but I’m guessing what attracted Boston was the ability to tell people they drafted JuJuan and E’Twaun. And both are American.

MILWAUKEE: Approaching Expectations

19. Tobias Harris
40. John Leuer

Traded Corey Maggette and 10th pick for Stephen Jackson and Charlotte’s 19th pick, Tobias Harris.

Getting rid of Maggette, who was a disaster, is good, but is Jackson really what they need? And how much longer does he have? Harris is a good pick, though, who’s been compared to Shane Battier.

PHOENIX: Approaching  Expectations

13. Markieff Morris

Morris might make a pretty good role player on a good team. Phoenix, however, needs home runs, not singles. They have a lot of role players and the engine that makes them go, Nash, is nearing the end of his career.

GOLDEN STATE: Approaching Expectations

11. Klay Thompson
37. Jeremy Tyler
44. Charles Jenkins

So they STILL have Monta Ellis, yet decide to draft yet another shooter, while Kawhi Leonard  and Nikola Vucevic were still available. Thompson might be the best player available, for all I know, though, and if Jerry West thinks so, it’s probably true.

I don’t know about Tyler, though, who seems to have the physical tools, but needs maturity.

WASHINGTON: Approaching Expectations

6. Jan Vesely
18.Chris Singleton
34. Shelvin Mack

A lot of teams seemed high on Vesley, but I don’t understand the attraction to him. He’s 6’11 and athletic, but he’s not a great scorer, can’t shoot, isn’t a good ball handler, will probably struggle defensively at the 3 and is a poor rebounder for his size. He’s apparently got a good motor, though, and he’s got a very hot girlfriend, so those are both pluses.

Singleton was on my don’t draft list and I really don’t see how he’s going to play with Vesley. Neither can shoot, but Singleton has even fewer skills than Vesley.

NEW JERSEY: Approaching Expectations

25. Marshon Brooks
36. Jordan Williams

Traded their 27th pick, JaJuan Johnson for Boston’s 25th pick, Marshon Brooks

When I first saw a trade between Boston and New Jersey involving Brooks, I thought it was a blockbuster. No, it was not Brooks Lopez, but Marshon Brooks, who bring his great shooting and horrible defense to a bad defensive team.

CLIPPERS: Needs Improvement

37. Trey Thompkins
47. Travis Leslie

The Clippers traded away a unprotected lottery pick that ended up being Kyrie Irving, who’s probably just what the Clippers could have used to solidify them as one of the teams of the future. What they ended up drafting were two solid NCAA players with probably very little chance of sticking in the NBA.

SACRAMENTO: Needs Improvement

10. Jimmer Fredette
35. Tyler Honeycutt

Traded their 7th pick for Milwaukee’s 10th pick, Jimmer Fredette, and John Salmons

So, the Kings trade John Salmons away, only to trade back for him a couple of years later. And move down in the draft in order to do it. Fredette might be a great shooter, but I don’t see how he helps Sacramento. He’s not going to be a good defender and will do nothing for the chemistry. Keeping the pick and taking Knight or Walker would have been preferable.

HOUSTON: Needs Improvement

14. Marcus Morris
38. Chandler Parsons

Traded Brad Miller, the 23rd pick and a future first rounder for Minnesota’s 20th pick, Donatas Motiejunas, and Jonny Flynn.

Houston’s GM, Daryl Morey, intrigues me. He’s apparently a big advanced stats guy and was initially a guy a lot of Raptor fans wanted to replace Colangelo, but he makes the most head scratching trades. Motiejunas was another on my do not draft list. He doesn’t defend or rebound, but should be able to score a lot, which makes him basically a bigger version of Kevin Martin

Morris is, yet another young, decent power forward to join Houston’s stable of other decent, power forwards. Apparently you can never get enough of them.

Parsons is a typical Rocket small forward. he does a whole lot of things, but none of them really well.

INDIANA: Needs Improvement

Traded their 15th pick, Kawhi Leonard, to the Spurs for George Hill

Don’t the Pacers already have enough PGs who aren’t really PGs? George Hill looked good in the Spurs system, but you need to watch out for those guys, because there’s a good chance he won’t look nearly as good out of it. And while the Pacers already have enough SFs, don’t they know not to trade a draft pick to the Spurs?

NEW ORLEANS: Incomplete

Traded completely out of the draft by trading the 45th pick, Josh Harrellson, to the Knicks for cash.

The Rookies and Sophomores were announced and while DeMar DeRozan was selected, Ed Davis was not.  Was Davis deserving? Sure, but  wouldn’t call it a snub. Favors, who got in over Davis, has similar numbers and with the Nets not having anyone with any chance to make the team, I’m guessing the NBA wanted them to have some presence. It’s likely Davis will replace Blake Griffin, anyway, since most feel Griffin is going to be playing in the big game.

As for the real All-Stars, here would be my selections:

WEST

Guards:

Like other years in the West, there are more All-Stars than spots available for the All-Star game. Guys who probably should make it, but don’t really have a shot, like Steve Nash and Tony Parker, would probably make it in the East.

Manu Ginobili

The best player on the best team in the league. Yes, Tim Duncan may be still the franchise player, but Ginobili is the guy who carries this team and he’s having a career year now that he’s finally injury free. The reason the Spurs are my favourite to win the title is partly because of this guy. No one gets better at crunch time than him. No one.

Deron Williams

Deron deserves a better team than he is surrounded by at the moment, and Utah’s high level mediocrity is not his fault. Without him, this team wouldn’t have a shot at the playoffs.

Forwards:

Someone deserving is going to get left off, and, like the guard position snubs, at least one of them would probably make it if he had this season in the East.

Dirk Nowitzki

Before he went down with injury, Dallas was the second best team in the league. Without him, they were 2-7. It’s not hard to do the math on that one. Nowitzki will never be the defensive force that most Hall of Fame big men are, and because of that probably won’t ever lead Dallas to a Championship (Dallas has underperformed consistently in the playoffs with him), but there’s no doubt this team is far, far much better because of him.

Blake Griffin

Blake Griffin very well might be having the best rookie season since Tim Duncan. He’s 12th in scoring, 4th in rebounding and even dishing a very good 3.6 assists per game, 3rd among ALL big men (PFs and centers) in the league. And he’s getting better every month. Plus, he’s actually helping the Clippers not suck, which is enough to get my vote. Still, if he wants to become truly great, he’s going to have to vastly improve his defense because right now he makes Amare Stoudemire look like Bill Russell.

Center:

Remember when the West had Shaq in his prime and David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon still playing very high level basketball? Now, in order to find a healthy, All-Star worthy center, you have to use the David Stern added rule that you can pick someone who ALSO plays center.

Pau Gasol

Gasol has struggled this year, partly due to an increased workload, but he’s still been one of the main reasons why the Lakers, despite their struggles, are still number 2 in the West.

Wildcards:

Kevin Love

He scores 21.4 ppg and grabs a monstrous 15.5 rpg despite taking 148 shots from beyond the arc and being 10th in the league in 3 point percentage. Oh, and he’s one of the top passers at his position. Sure, he plays for the basement dwelling T-Wolves, but as his video tells us, he’s got the numbers

Russell Westbrook

Some thought he was Oklahoma’s MVP in the early part of the season, and he’s shown some kinks in his armour (why is a PG who shoots 43% from the field taking 17 shots per game), but he’s still helped Oklahoma move up to the fourth seed in the West.

Who I left off:

Obviously I’ve left off some very good players. Tim Duncan was probably the most difficult omission, since he plays on the best team in the league, right now, but does anyone really think he’s not going to be selected to replace Yao?

Tony Parker and Steve Nash I already mentioned, and it’s a shame they won’t make it because they are having All-Star seasons. There just simply isn’t room.

Another guy I’d love to include, but can’t, is LaMarcus Aldridge. He’s carries the Blazers since Roy went down and if he had played like he has in January for the entire season, I’d be tempted to include him. Still, he’s quietly becoming one of the best PFs in the league.

I know Monta Ellis and Zach Randolph put up great numbers, and I included Kevin Love because of his great stats, but I simply can’t see either player ever being a major contributor for a contender. These are prototypical good players on bad teams.

EAST

Guards:

The guard position is very much like the Center position in the West. Obviously not as glaring, but still not exactly strong.

Rajon Rondo

It’s amazing how much he’s improved since he was drafted. His lack of jumpshot might very well be the Celtic’s Achilles heal, but he’s still managed to shoot over 50% from the field, so he’s not exactly hurting the team much.

Ray Allen

He’s having his best season as a Celtic and looking nothing like the creaky, aging player that sometimes looked like he might not have a lot left in the tank the last year or two. I don’t know what the Celtics are giving him, but I want some.

Forwards:

Kevin Garnett

Back when Garnett went down with injury, in 2008, I was adamant that the Celtics were hiding the seriousness of the injury. They never satisfactorily explained the injury or commented how long he’d be out. The deeper the Celtics got in the playoffs, the more fishy it looked that he didn’t look like he was trying to return. Honestly, after that, I figured his career was pretty much done. Especially after the start last year. But whatever the Celtics are giving to Allen, they must also be giving to Garnett because he looks fully recovered.

Chris Bosh

Remember when everyone thought Chris Bosh was the problem in Miami during their horrible start? No one has any harsh words to say about him now (well, except for some Raptor fans). He’s not the best player on the Heat, but he’s just as important as Wade and LeBron to their success.

Center:

A lot has changed in the East at the center position when Jamaal Magloire made the All Star team for the sole fact that he was the best player at a position that didn’t include many good players.While the position is not exactly teeming with All-Star worthy players, with guys like Horford, Noah, Bogut and Lopez, the East looks like it won’t have any trouble filling the position any time soon.

Al Horford

Joe Johnson is the team’s leading scorer, but I think Horford has become the team’s best player. When Johnson went down, the team barely faltered, but they lost Horford, I think they’d be in trouble. He’s not a great scorer, but he can score if needed, and he really doesn’t have a weakness.

Wildcards:

Paul Pierce

The main reason the Celtics didn’t falter when Rondo went down was Paul Pierce played like an MVP. Like his other veteran stars, he’s getting old, but he’s proven he’s still got a couple of good years left, at least.

Carlos Boozer

The selection I’m least happy about. Noah is the second best player on Chicago, but because he’s injured, he’s out. I could easily be swayed to select Joe Johnson, instead, but Boozer had a big impact on Chicago, so he sneaks by. He’s still not a good defensive player, but he’s decent enough that he’s not a liability on that end.

Who I left off:

Obviously Joe Johnson was the hardest cut. And I’m not thrilled about having FOUR Celtics, no matter how good the team is. San Antonio only has three and they have the best record in the league. The truth is, though, that all four Celtic All-Stars are deserving.

Joakim Noah will be a perennial All-Star when he’s healthy, and his injury is the only thing that prevented his inclusion.

Andrew Bogut might end up being a perennial snub since both Noah and Horford should probably always be ahead of him. He’s still a very good player and would probably be an All-Star in the West, at center.

Josh Smith again misses out on the cut. Good, but not good enough.

—-

My end of the year post, which detailed 5 trades that needed to happen in 2011, may not have been so far out, after all. A few weeks after I posted that column, and not long after Anderson Varejao ended his season with an injury, it came out that Oklahoma was in discussions with Cleveland to try and get…you guessed it, Anderson Varejao.

—

Speaking of my trades that need to happen, the Nets have pulled out and I think it’s probably the best thing for them. Carmelo has never proven to be enough of a difference maker to want to dismantle your team to get him. He’d certainly be a nice player if they can sign him, but if I were the Nets, I wouldn’t try and hit a home run with a kid’s bat (that’s the only analogy I could think of). Especially if the deal includes the aging Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, who are still good, but aren’t going to get the Nets to the promised land.

—

One more thing about Andrea Bargnani after last week’s column. Kevin Love, who is averaging 15.5 rpg has taken 3 fewer three point shots, while shooting a much higher percentage, than Andrea, this season. So much for the excuse that Bargnani doesn’t grab as many rebounds because he takes so many threes. Obviously Kevin Love doesn’t listen to excuses.

As for the game, despite losing 98-93 to the Knicks, it wasn’t all bad for the Raptors. There were definitely some positives. Andrea Bargnani took more shots in the paint against the Knicks, last night, than he did in all of preseason. Of course, you’d like to see him shoot at least 50% from in there and maybe not fadeaway in the post when he had the smaller Chandler and Felton on him, but let’s not nitpick.

Jarrett Jack was actually the Raptors leading scorer, from in the paint, thanks to his constant drives to the basket. It would have been nice to see him actually pass once in a while when he drove the ball, but, again, let’s focus on the positive.

Reggie Evans was a monster on the boards tonight, and did a great job of defending Amare Stoudemire for the first three quarters. Okay, he did pick up 5 fouls in one half, the last two almost Amir-like, but he actually did very little wrong and Stoudemire simply hit some great shots in the fourth.

Speaking of Amir….

DeRozan continued his preseason habit of drawing fouls, but it would be nice to see him hit better than 2-7. Overall, though, he did play probably better than he did all of preseason, passing, rebounding and being active on defense.

Calderon gets a lot of flak from the fans, at least on Raptors Republic, but he played well. Other than shooting 2 of 8. His 7 assists in 18 minutes, though, did show how much he kept the ball moving while he was on the floor. Something Jack maybe should try and emulate a little. It’s really too bad you can’t simply splice those two guys together.

The two new guys, Kleiza and Barbosa, both scored 13 points and had a positive effect, for the most part, but neither really had a good game and didn’t perform anywhere near where they did in the preseason.

My one criticism of Triano, and I don’t usually like to criticize the coach, is that I think he took Evans out too early. Obviously for the last shot you probably don’t want him on the floor, but with about a minute left, Kleiza missed a three and the only Raptor near the rebound was Bargnani, who had a predictable 6 rebounds. It would have been nice to see Evans on the floor where he might be able to get an offensive rebound.

Overall, I think there were some bright spots and New York actually played better than I expected. What the Raptors missed was an All-Star they could give the ball to in the last few minutes. Unfortunately that guy is now playing in Miami…

—

AROUND THE NBA

Speaking of Bosh, his Miami Heat finally won a game, beating the 76ers, to go 1-1. Like last night, however, only one of the three had a really good night. Dwayne Wade this time. Bosh and LeBron scored 15 and 16 respectively, while shooting poorly from the field.

Speaking of LeBron…

LeBron’s old team, playing their first game without LeBron, beat the team that beat the Celtics, the team that beat Miami last night, in their opener. For anyone wondering, that’s the definition of irony.

I have a question for Brandon Jennings. Why do you continue to shoot more than anyone else on the team when there are so many other players on your team that shoot much better? When they get the ball. Jennings shot 5 for 14, while Bogut, Gooden, Delfino and Maggette all shot at least 50% from the field and all scored at least 15 points. Milwaukee lost, by the way. To New Orleans.

As for New Orleans, Marco Belinelli, who is trying to be one of the most lopsided trades of the summer two years running, scored 18 points and grabbed 6 rebounds while starting for the Hornets. I understand why Colangelo made the trade, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Speaking of Colangelo, all his anti-fans no doubt looked at Roy Hibbert’s 28 and 9 night against the Spurs and wished he was on the Raptors. Hey, he’s not going to be doing that every night, but it would be nice.

Joakim Noah outdid Reggie in the rebounding department as he desperately tries to show he’s worth his rather large extension. He grabbed 19 boards, to go along with his 18 points, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Ya, I’d say he’s worth the money.

Blake Griffin played his first NBA game (finally) against the Blazers and hit for 20 points, on 8-14 shooting, grabbed 14 rebounds and even dished out 4 assists. And they lost. Well, he is still a Clipper.

So far, here are the grades…

Here’s the rundown so far…

Needs Improvement:
Cleveland
Atlanta
Denver
Golden State
Charlotte

Approaching Expectations:
Houston
Utah
Memphis
Detroit
Orlando
Phoenix

Meets Expectations:
Toronto
Clippers
New Orleans
Minnesota
Philadelphia
New Jersey
Oklahoma City
Chicago
New York

So now are the teams that Exceeded Expectations. That doesn’t necessarily mean they improved themselves more than everyone else. As I said in the comments section of the last post, New York probably improved themselves more than anyone, but considering what they went through to get there and what fans were probably hoping for, they didn’t knock anyone’s socks off.

BOSTON: Exceeds Expectations

- Tom Thibodeau left to become Head Coach of Chicago

This is one of the people who has been given the most credit for turning Boston into the defensive team they are. How much of that they will miss will be the big question. The system he designed will still be in place and it’s not likely the players will suddenly forget what to do, but Thibodeau will be missed.

- Rasheed Wallace retireed

Signing Rasheed to the contract they did was a bit of a gamble, but him retiring pretty much nullifies the gamble. He didn’t help them win the title and looked like a shadow of himself for most of the season.

- Drafted Avery Bradley and Luke Harangody

Bradley was projected, at one point, to go int the top 15, so finding him available at 19 must have made Celtics fans happy. I’m not a fan. A lot of his fans point to the fact that he’s a defensive stopper, which is great, except that he’s 6’1 and not a PG.  Now, I certainly wouldn’t mind him as maybe my third or fourth guard, which is at best what he’ll be on the Celtics.

- Signed Jermaine O’Neal

Jermaine is a shadow of his former self and probably not even the same player he was in Toronto, but he’s in the perfect situation in Boston, where he’ll probably play 20-25 mpg and be asked to rebound and play defense, especially until Kendrick Perkins returns from injury.

- Hired Lawrence Frank as Assistant Coach

He probably shouldn’t have been fired from New Jersey, as their losing wasn’t his fault. He’s a hard working coach and should help replace Thibodeau.

- Re-signed Nate Robinson

He’s got to be humbled a little. It wasn’t that long ago that Robinson was starting in New York and expecting big money. Now Boston has re-signed him for less than the MLE to come off their bench. Good for them, not so good for Nate.

- Re-signed Marquis Daniels

Didn’t quite have the impact as they probably hoped, last season, due to injury, but he can help.

- Signed Von Wafer

He’s always had talent, but he’s also always been a bit of a headcase, which is why he didn’t last in Houston. Boston’s veteran roster might be good for him, if he makes it.

- Signed Shaquille O’Neal

I hated the trade that sent him to Cleveland, because I felt he was a bad fit and might be a distraction to their Championship hopes. In Boston, his inability to defend the pick and roll won’t be as much of a liability and he fits in better. Plus, the veteran roster should be able to handle him better. If he plays much more than 20 mpg, Boston is probably in trouble, but he should be a nice platoon with the other O’Neal.

Summary

Boston surprised just about everyone by returning to the Finals despite only winning 50 games last season. They picked up some nice pieces, especially the two O’Neals which should help while Kendrick recuperates from surgery. While they didn’t make any moves that knock your socks off, they made improvements in areas they needed to and should, again, be in the fight for the Eastern Conference Finals.

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DALLAS: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted and traded Solomon Alabi for a future 2nd round pick

Dallas is obviously focused on winning right now, but Alabi dropped and Dallas could have easily stashed him on the bench or even let him play in Europe for a season or two.

- Re-signed Dirk Nowitzki

It certainly wasn’t a surprise, but it would have been devastating for the team if Dirk had signed elsewhere.

- Re-signed Brendan Haywood

With Dampier getting older, it was important that Haywood return, and, quite frankly, he was re-signed for less than I had expected.

- Traded Erick Dampier for Tyson Chandler and Alexa Ajinca

Dallas got a younger, more athletic center with an expiring contract, as well as a young project, in exchange for a declining center who had lost his starting position. Chandler should thrive playing with Jason Kidd like he did playing alongside Chris Paul. And Ajinca is probably what Alabi will be in a couple of seasons.

Summary

Dallas is already stocked full of talent and what they need most is to play together for a while. Adding Chandler, however, will be a big plus for them, especially if they hope to get past the Lakers.

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PORTLAND: Exceeds Expectations

- Fired GM Kevin Pritchard

The man who was credited with turning the Blazers around and into the contender they have become was unceremoniously fired on draft night, where he has had his biggest successes, but also his biggest mistake. Passing over Kevin Durant for Greg Oden was only a mistake in hindsight, but it was a big one. Apparently, however, his biggest problem was his personality, not his resume. With so much turnover in the Blazers front office, it remains to be seen how bright their future will be.

- Drafted Elliot Williams and Armon Johnson

Both players were probably drafted a little higher than projected and probably passed over better players to select them.

- Traded Martell Webster for Luke Babbitt and Ryan Gomes

Gomes would eventually be waived, but with Webster never fulfilling expectations, they basically get a do-over by trading him for Babbitt. I’m not a huge fan of Babbitt, as I’m not convinced he’s athletic enough to play the SF position, but he’s highly regarded and dropped after being projected as a possible lottery pick.

- Signed Wesley Matthews

A huge surprise last season after going undrafted, Utah will probably regret giving Matthews up, where he’ll back up Brandon Roy and probably play alongside him a lot of the time. I question why Matthews would give up almost a guaranteed starting position and lots of playing time with Utah to go to Portland where he’ll be a reserve. Still, it’s nice for Portland.

- Hired Rich Cho as GM

With Oklahoma City now the model for many NBA teams, it was inevitable that we’d see Thunder brass being the new flavour of the month (which had formerly been the Spurs).

- Didn’t trade Rudy Fernandez

With the addition of Matthews, it’s obviously Fernandez is not part of the Blazers future, but, despite lots of talk, he’s currently still on the roster. Their biggest mistake of the summer is not cutting ties with Fernandez and sending him elsewhere. I don’t think they’ll get what they are asking, and getting this mess behind them as soon as possible is in their best interests.

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WASHINGTON: Exceeds Expectations

- Traded pretty much nothing for Kirk Hinrich and the 17th pick

It’s nice to have cap space. And when you suck enough that no free agent will sign with you, this is the next best way to obtain talent. Hinrich is a great veteran guard to show John Wall the ropes.

- Drafted John Wall, Kevin Seraphin, Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica

John Wall is a superstar talent who puts Washington on the NBA map again. Of course, since he was the number one pick, it was pretty much a no brainer. I think Seraphin is going to be a sleeper in this draft and getting him for basically nothing is a perfect way for an under the cap team to obtain young talent. Hayward and Bjelica were traded to Minnesota.

- Traded Lazar Hayward and Nemanja Bjelica for Trevor Booker and Hamady N’Diaye

I really have no opinion about this trade at this time.

- Traded Quiton Ross for Yi Jianlian

A bit of a gamble, since Yi has shown virtually nothing yet in the NBA. He’s a horrible defender, not a good rebounder and his vaunted offense has been lacklustre at best. Still, if it doesn’t work, they can cut him loose after this season.

- Re-signed Josh Howard

Howard’s got talent and if he gets healthy, he can be a very good players still, but I’m not sure he’s the type of guy you want be a role model for Wall.

Summary

Washington hit the jackpot by drafting Wall, but that in itself was what put this team over the top this summer. Using their cap space to grab Kirk Hinrich AND Kevin Seraphin was big. And if Yi plays well, they’ve given up virtually nothing for him. Still, not trading Arenas and re-signing Howard was probably not the best decision for a team that should be ultra sensitive about it’s image and keeping good solid veterans around the young players.

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SACRAMENTO: Exceeds Expectations

- Traded Andres Nocioni and Spencer Hawes for Samuel Dalembert

Good financially AND from a basketball standpoint. They escape Nocioni’s contract and get a veteran shotblocking and rebounding center. At worst he’s an expiring contract they can trade before the deadline. At best, he’ll anchor their front line.

- Drafted DeMarcus Cousins and Hassan Whiteside

Both players have the talent to become two of the best big men in the draft. Cousins i the most polished and talented big man to come into the league, possibly, since Tim Duncan. He’s got the ability to average 20-10 in his rookie season. So why wasn’t he drafted higher? Because he could also be the next Derrick Coleman. And if Cousins’ maturity is in question, Whiteside’s is in full debate. Whiteside’s got lots of talent, too, and at one point was touted as a possible lottery pick, but apparently didn’t even put much effort into the workouts. Still, the Kings might have hit a home run with both these picks.

- Signed Antoine Wright and Pooh Jeter

Wright will add defense.  Jeter will add Pooh.

Summary

Sacramento, which was one of the worst defensive teams in the league, if nothing else, should improve quite a bit in that category with their acquisitions. They even have a chance to have back-to-back rookies of the year. And they’ll have loads of cap room next summer.

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MILWAUKEE: Exceeds Expectations

- Traded Charlie Bell and Dan Gadzuric for Corey Maggette and the 44th pick

Maggette came into the league with loads of potential, but a career spent with the Clippers and Warriors have turned him into a stat hungry scorer that never learned how to do the little things to help his team win.  This will be his first chance to play for a playoff team and for a coach that will expect more out of him than simply buckets. I, for one, will be watching closely.

- Traded a future 2nd round pick for Chris Douglas-Roberts

Douglas-Roberts certainly has some talent, but was somewhat outspoken about his role last year on the lowly Nets, which made his future in New Jersey limited.

- Drafted Larry Sanders, Darington Hobson and Tiny Gallon

Although I still can’t get past him sharing the name with the Garry Shandling character, Sanders, while somewhat raw, Sanders is physically gifted. He’ll probably need a year or two, but the Bucks may have found their power forward of the future.

Hobson will miss the entire season after having hip surgery during training camp and the hilariously, and poorly, named Tiny Gallon was cut during the preseason.

- Re-signed John Salmons

After acquiring Maggette and Douglas-Roberts, I figured Salmons was gone, but getting him back gives the Bucks a lot of depth at the wing.

- Acquired Jon Brockman

Brockman was a sign-and-trade. If you know who the hell he is, you’re one up on me.

- Signed Keyon Dooling

He was waived by the worst team in the league last season. What does that tell you?

- Luke Ridnour signed with Minnesota

With Jennings inconsistent, being able to go to Ridnour was important. Jennings is a year older and will hopefully be more consistent, so there would probably be less time for Ridnour.

- Signed Earl Boykins

A nice replacement for Ridnour, although he’s more of a small SG than a PG. He’ll give the Bucks some productive backup minutes.

- Brandon Jennings blames his shoes for not making Team USA

No, it’s not a transaction, but it’s certainly an indication that Jennings has a long way to go in the maturity department.

- Signed Brian Skinner

A good veteran signing who will probably play a lot early as Bogut recovers from his late season injury.

Summary

The Bucks moves all came with some risk, but could end up paying off. With Redd out until possibly February, the Bucks stocked up on scoring with Maggette. How he’ll defend and play with the team is up to him and Skiles. Sanders might end up being a bust, but has potential. Just don’t expect to see much of it this season, which is okay since the Bucks are still a young team.

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SAN ANTONIO: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted James Anderson and Ryan Richards

If there is one thing I have learned, it’s to never second guess San Antonio’s draft pick. Anderson will probably be a second team All-Rookie selection and Richards will probably end up making the roster.

- Richard Jefferson opted out of his contract

What seemed like a perfect fit, Jefferson really struggled trying to find his place with the Spurs. He came around by the end of the season, but overall, had a poor season. That’s why it was such a surprise that he was giving up $15.2 million when even he knew he’d be lucky to get half that on the open market.

- Signed Tiago Splitter

The 2007 draft pick by the Spurs has become one of the best big men outside of the NBA. He’s a good rebounder, defender and scorer and should make the Spurs front line even better. He’ll most likely start at center, beside Tim Duncan, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him make the All-Rookie team.

- Re-signed Richard Jefferson

Not only did they keep Jefferson, they got him for less money than he would have made next season. Another season with the Spurs should help Jefferson feel more comfortable and save Ginobili for the playoffs.

- Signed Gary Neal

Signing a  25 year old shooting guard who I’ve never heard of of and has never played in the NBA to a three year deal might sound suspiciously like a risky move, but again, we’re talking about the Spurs here.

- Re-hired Danny Ferry for the front office

Let’s hope it turns out better than his term in Cleveland did.

Summary

The Spurs found themselves another starting center, grabbed a couple of probable good rookies and was able to reduce their payroll at the same time. The question is, will it be enough to return them to prominence.

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INDIANA: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted Paul George and Lance Stephenson

There were two players on the top of my list I wanted the Raptors to draft. The first was Ed Davis, who they got, and the other was Paul George. George can be an All-Star, but with Indiana already stocked with wing players, he may not find a lot of playing time, at first. Stephenson’s future is clouded after apparently throwing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs. Not exactly something you look for in a player.

- Traded Troy Murphy for Darren Collison and James Posey

After putting up great stats while Chris Paul was out, Collison had become one of the most sought after players on the trade market. Indiana have been desperate for a real starting calibre PG probably since Mark Jackson left town, going through Jamaal Tinsley, Anthony Johnson, Jarrett Jack and TJ Ford in that time. Posey is probably still fat, making it difficult to put the Championship rings he won with Miami and Boston on.

Summary

Indiana wasn’t busy, but what they lacked in quantity, they made up for in quality. They’re probably still a move or two away from really setting their roster, but Indiana has become a team to watch.

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LAKERS: Exceeds Expectations

- Drafted Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter

With only two second round picks in the draft, the Lakers found a sleeper in Ebanks, who impressed everyone during the summer league and is now expected to make the rotation. If Andrew Bynum struggles with injuries again, he’ll be very important. Caracter was expected to go higher and may also contribute.

- Phil Jackson doesn’t retire

There’s a good reason the guy has 11, yes 11, Championship rings. I think he’ll probably stay as long as Kobe is at the top of his game, which might be only another year or two.

- Signed Steve Blake

The Lakers weakest link was their PG position. Derek Fisher is close to retirement and Jordan Farmar has never fulfilled the promise he showed. Blake is the perfect PG for the Lakers. He isn’t great at anything, but is an above average shooter, passer and defender and can play on or off the ball.

- Re-signed Derek Fisher

He’s old, but as he showed in the playoffs, he can still help the team win.

- Signed Theo Ratliff

Don’t expect him to play much, but having a veteran center like Ratliff is perfect insurance.

- Signed Matt Barnes

Opposing wing players had to groan with the addition of yet another lock down defender added to the Lakers roster. The combination of Artest and Barnes make the Lakers even better defensively.

- Re-signed Shannon Brown

He’s not a big piece, and his minutes may even be reduced, but buddy Kobe is probably pleased he’ll be back.

Summary

In a case of the rich getting richer, the Champions actually got better in the offseason. With all the talk about Miami, the Lakers have to start the season as the favourites.

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MIAMI: Your Kid’s a F**king Genius!

- Traded Daequan Cook and their first round pick for a future second round pick

Ah, the beauty of having cap room. Oklahoma City basically gets a free first round pick for helping Miami clear more cap room.

- Drafted Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Varnado and DaSean Butler

With Miami angling to gut their roster and sign three max players, Miami may have to fill out the rest of their roster with low priced scrubs. Grabbing three 2nd round picks is a good start.

- Waived James Jones

A cost cutting measure meant to help get the Heat under that cap by that magic number.

- Traded Michael Beasley for two second round picks

In what has to be the quickest devaluation of a 2nd pick, Beasley is given away for cap space. Considering that Beasley’s first two seasons in Miami were far superior, statistically, to Andrea Bargnani, either Beasley is underappreciated, or Bargnani was overvalued. This trade actually happened AFTER Wade, Bosh and LeBron agreed to sign, but due to the signing moratorium, it technically happened before they signed.

- Re-signed Dwayne Wade

If Wade didn’t re-sign, it would disastrous for the Heat, since it would have been unlikely any other big name would have signed without Wade. And if they didn’t sign any big name free agents, it’s very likely they would have the worst team in the entire league, possibly in history. Obviously Heat fans breathed a sigh of relief.

- Signed Chris Bosh in sign and trade for two 1st round picks

The next domino to fall and an All-Star big man for Wade to play with, again. Despite claiming he wanted to be the main man, Bosh decided teaming up with someone was easier.

- Signed LeBron James in sign and trade for two 1st round picks

The final big piece, giving Miami the biggest free agent coup in NBA history.

- Signed Mike Miller

I was incredibly suspicious when I heard they had signed Miller because, after signing the big three, they would have had no money left. It became apparent that the big three did not end up signing maximum deals, but took less money to be able to sign other players. Mike Miller was a very good choice.

- Re-signed Udonis Haslem

The first Heat player, outside of Wade, to re-sign. A good sign for the Heat, since they desperately needed some depth.

- Signed Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Although he’s definitely past his prime, the Heat need size so Bosh doesn’t have to play center.

- Re-signed Joel Anthony,  Jamaal Magloire, Carlos Arroyo, Shavlick Randolph, Kenny Hasbrouck and James Jones

A collective groan echoes around the league as most of the Heat roster returns to support the big three. At one point, it looked like the Heat were going to have to field a team of some guys from the local YMCA to surround the big three.

- Signed Juwan Howard

He may only play 10 mpg, but they’ll be good minutes.

- Signed Eddie House

The groan around the NBA turned to wretching. Not only did the Heat sign the three best players on the market AND keep most of their roster intact, they’ve been able to actually add more talent to the roster.

- Fired 30 staff members

No, it wasn’t a transaction, but this cost cutting measure after a summer of big spending is pretty horrible and shows a lack of class in an organization that should really count it’s blessings.

Summary

I don’t think anyone, even Pat Riley could have imagined how well the Heat would have done over the summer. The best case scenario seemed to come true when the big three decided to play together, but things got even better for them as their roster started to fill back up with no only the same players that helped the Heat make the 5th seed in the playoffs, but also add a few veterans who will play important roles. Miller and House, especially, will no doubt have a field day at the three point line playing off of Miami’s franchise players.

Joe Johnson was one of the players I thought had the least chance of going back to his home team. Now he’s re-signed with the Hawks, continuing them on their course to high level mediocrity. If anything was apparent during the playoffs, it’s that the Hawks are a team built to compete, not win. The smart thing for them to do would be to make some deals and change the structure of their team. The smart thing is not the likely thing, however. My money is on them thinking a new coach is going to be ails this team.

Memphis, who is apparently hemorrhaging money and didn’t even make the playoffs this past season, gave away the first ridiculous contract of the offseason, signing Rudy Gay to the maximum. Anyone who isn’t sure if Bosh is worth the maximum should agree that Memphis drastically overpaid a guy who has never even made the All-Star team before. Shouldn’t that pretty much be a prerequisite to making the maximum? Sure, I like Gay, but since he was a restricted free agent, couldn’t Memphis simply have waited and seen what he was being offered instead of throwing him everything on the first day of free agency? That probably would have been the smart move. Of course, when has anyone used “smart” and “Chris Wallace” in the same sentence?

Minnesota was also another surprise newsmaker, bidding against no one to offer Darko Milicic a 4 year $20 million contract. Now Darko did a fine job in Minnesota, and they should probably jump on any free agent that actually WANTS to go there, but I would have thought it would have been prudent to wait until after they deal Jefferson to sign Darko. Now it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion the T-Wolves have to make a deal. Not a good position to be in.

Milwaukee re-signed John Salmons, who I figured was on his way out after the acquisitions of Corey Maggette and Chris Douglas-Roberts, and added another jersey to the already full closet of Drew Gooden. Gooden is on his eighth team in 8 years and hasn’t played defense or passed the ball at any of his stops. Is he really worth the full MLE? No wonder Gooden jumped on it. Now I have liked what John Hammonds has been doing in Milwaukee, but neither Maggette nor Gooden have played defense since college, and the Bucks got to where they are on their defense. Adding talent is always nice, but I don’t know if I like where this team is headed.

This brings us back to Amir Johnson. I felt re-signing Amir was very important for the future of the franchise. Before the offseason started, I felt that a 3 year, $15 million contract offer to Amir might be enough to bring him back. Unfortunately, $5 million per season is what the inferior Darko Milicic signed for. Then Milwaukee signed Gooden for nearly $6.5 per season. Now, Gooden certainly is talented, but I think it’s ironic that he signed with the Bucks on the same day Amir re-signed with the Raptors. To me, Amir is exactly the type of player the Bucks need and the type of player that would thrive in their system. Instead, they traded him away and signed Drew Gooden. Personally, I’d much rather have Amir.

So, because of Gooden getting $32 million over 5 years, it was evident that Amir would have to get more than that. Apparently he had interest from Phoenix, Golden State and one other team, so Colangelo had to bid against others. I don’t know if Colangelo had to outbid, or simply match the other teams’ bids, but a 5 year, $34 million contract, while seemingly high for a player who only scores 12.7 ppg in 36 mpg, is probably not bad value. I read one comment that bothered me a little, and that’s that Amir is overpaid because his skills are so easily replaceable. Pat Riley has said that hustle is a skill, and in the NBA, it’s not a common skill. And that’s not even close to all Amir brings. He’s a 23 year old, highly athletic big man who rebounds, defends, hustles and is extremely efficient on the offensive end, despite not being much of a scorer. Basically everything Bargnani is not. Personally, I’d rather pay Amir $34 over 5 years than Bargnani $50 million over 5. While Bargnani is going to get you points, Amir is going to do the little things that actually help a team win.

In other Raptor news, Bosh met with Toronto, but there is apparently little hope among Raptor brass he will re-sign. I’d love to have been in on that meeting. You know what keeps going through my head? The show Entourage. In the middle of season 3 when Vincent Chase has fired his agent, Ari Gold, because of a couple of big screwups. Much like Bosh and the other free agents, Vince goes from agency to agency as they pitch him why he should sign with them. All the pitches end up being the same, including Ari’s, which Vince walks out of. It turns out all Vince wanted Ari to do was apologize. If only that was the case with Bosh. I don’t think a simple apology will be good enough in Colangelo’s.

So with one of the pieces for the summer in place, there are some questions about what it is that Colangelo is trying to do. One of the more disturbing bits of news I heard was that the Raptors had interest in Amare Stoudemire. Excuse me while I gag. The argument seems to be that Amare would be able to replace Bosh, although I’m at a loss of why you’d want to do that. With Bosh, the team missed the playoffs, were a disaster on the defensive end and proved that you need more than just scoring to win.

And now you want to replace Bosh with Amare, apparently believing that will improve the team.

This is the guy who the Laker big men basically humiliated, highlighting just how bad Amare’s defense is. And I won’t even mention how every single Phoenix player has mysteriously regressed upon leaving Steve Nash’s domain.

Chris Bosh leaving is a disappointment, but as the late Phil Hartman once said on the very funny show, NewsRadio, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then toss it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you asked for in the first place?”

Colangelo needs to realize that retooling is not going to be the way to go. Sure, it will help reassure some of the ticketholders that only see one season ahead, and aren’t worried about the difference between competing and contending. Bringing in Amare, or some other move like it, will certainly make the Raptors more competitive, but it’s not going to make them contenders. They need to rebuild, not retool. One of the reasons I liked the drafting of Ed Davis was because he can be the symbol of the type of team the Raptors need to turn themselves into. He’s a smart, defensive player who does all the little things that you need to do to win. He’s San Antonio, not Phoenix. I don’t know about you, but I want San Antonio. San Antonio won three Championships and was one of the most dominant teams in the last ten years. Phoenix entertained and did well in the regular season, but never made it to the Finals.

Colangelo needs to rid the team of the lazy, underachieving players and focus on getting young, talented and hard working players that don’t mind doing the dirty work.

Speaking of which, I’ve decided to share what I hope are the types of deals I hope go down this summer. They’re certainly best case, but if all the stars align, these are the types of deals I’d like to see happen…

1. Bosh is sign-and-traded to the Nets for Derrick Favors and a $12 million trade exception.

2. Bargnani is traded to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio and Corey Brewer and a trade exception.

3. The Knicks, after striking out on the free agent front, agrees to trade for Turkoglu in exchange for Eddy Curry and his expiring contract. Eddy Curry is then bought out.

4. Trade Corey Brewer and part of the trade exception to Houston for the expiring contracts of Shane Battier and Jared Jeffries.

The Raptors go into the season with…

Jose Calderon (Jarret Jack, Marcus Banks)
DeMar DeRozan (Sonny Weems, Marco Belinelli)
Shane Battier (Jared Jeffries)
Derrick Favors (Ed Davis, Reggie Evans)
Amir Johnson (Solomon Alabi)

The team is most likely not a playoff team, but have the right type of players on the team, a few good, smart veterans, a very young core, the likelihood of a high lottery pick next season and a franchise point guard, in Rubio, on his way. If the team looks even remotely like that next year, I’ll be happy with how the offseason transpired.