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Summer is over and so is the illusion that comes with it -- the belief that almost every team in the league can be a winner with a little offseason luck.
You know the feeling: If my team can just make a big trade or a huge free-agent acquisition or hit a home run in the lottery, maybe next season will be different.
With training camp nearly upon us, fans are settling into either the exciting or harsh realties of what their team did this summer.
We have seen, perhaps, the most active summer in NBA history, with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Al Jefferson, David Lee, Kirk Hinrich, Hedo Turkoglu, Trevor Ariza, Corey Maggette, Shaquille O'Neal and Troy Murphy all changing addresses.
A solid NBA draft, led by John Wall, also has played a role in reshaping rosters. So has a myriad of coaching changes, several big front-office shakeups and major ownership changes in Washington, Golden State and Charlotte.
Now that the preseason is a few weeks away, it's time to grade each team on what it did this offseason.
I'm a college professor in my day job and understand that this exercise really is the equivalent of giving a student a final grade after the first day of class. There's just so much we don't know about how these changes will pan out. In other words, these grades are totally subjective and completely unfair. In truth, you cannot really grade an offseason until you get to the postseason.
The grades below take into account how each team in the league has performed so far in remaking its squad, considering both the opportunities it had and the moves it made. The grades are not a ranking of which are the best teams in the league; just a device to track which teams have improved and which teams haven't.
We'll start today with the Eastern Conference. On Wednesday, we'll rank the West.
1. Miami Heat
Key additions: LeBron James (trade), Dwyane Wade (re-signed), Chris Bosh (trade), Udonis Haslem (re-signed), Mike Miller (FA), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (FA), James Jones (re-signed), Juwan Howard (FA)
Key subtractions: Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook, Jermaine O'Neal, Quentin Richardson
You may not like them, but it's hard to deny that the Miami Heat may have had the greatest summer in the history of the NBA. With just one player under contract, Pat Riley was able to do the unthinkable -- sign all three of the top free agents in the class of 2010, dramatically changing the balance of power in the league.
With LeBron, Wade and Bosh in the fold, the Heat have the best trio of players in the NBA. But that's not all. Through clever cap management, the team was also able to bring back Haslem, Jones and Joel Anthony, sign sharpshooter Miller, and bring in veterans Ilgauskas and Howard on the cheap. The Heat are not only good, they're deep.
But can the three stars share the basketball? Does the team fall apart if there's an injury? Can Erik Spoelstra really coach this team? Does LeBron lack confidence in his ability to lead a team to a title? All fair questions. But are you really going to pick against them to win it all? My money's on the Heat.
Grade: A+
2. Washington Wizards
Key additions: John Wall (draft), Kirk Hinrich (trade), Josh Howard (re-signed), Yi Jianlian (trade), Kevin Seraphin (draft), Trevor Booker (draft), Ted Leonsis (owner)
Key subtractions: Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Shaun Livingston
While the Cavs, Bobcats and Raptors had the most painful summers, no one had a tougher regular season than the Wizards did last year. The Gilbert Arenas suspension, the death of longtime owner Abe Pollin and the dismantling of a team that many thought would be a contender all happened in the span of a few months.
But the Wizards are on the rebound, making significant strides over the summer to improve the team. Wall, the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft, has a chance to be a superstar. He's one of the quickest players with the ball I've ever seen. Meanwhile, Yi showed promise at the FIBA World Championship. If he goes inside more, like he did in the worlds, he could be a steal.
The Hinrich trade was a steal. Not only should he provide some veteran leadership in the backcourt, but the Wizards picked up an intriguing first-round talent in Kevin Seraphin as a result of the trade. And don't forget about the return of Arenas. He's healthy, humbled and vowing to take it out on opponents.
But the biggest strides may be taking place in the boardroom. Leonsis has a rep as an innovative owner who knows how to rebuild. If he can take the lesson he learned with the Capitals and apply it to the Wizards, they could finally be contenders again in a few years.
Grade: A
3. Indiana Pacers
Key additions: Darren Collison (trade), James Posey (trade), Paul George (draft), Lance Stephenson (draft)
Key subtractions: Troy Murphy
Larry Bird and David Morway may have pulled off the trade of the summer in August. Desperately in need of a point guard and some fresh blood, they were able to grab Collison in a four-way trade that cost them just Murphy.
Collison is the point guard the Pacers have been longing for … forever. As a rookie starter for the Hornets during the second half of last season after Chris Paul went down with an injury, Collison averaged an impressive 18.8 ppg and 9 apg, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range. Those are rookie of the year numbers. Pair him with Danny Granger and an emerging Roy Hibbert and the Pacers finally have a young core to build around.
The Pacers also made some noise in the draft. George has Tracy McGrady-type talent. Whether he ever lives up to his abilities is still up for debate -- but at the 10th pick in the draft, he was worth the gamble.
The real steal, however, could be Stephenson. The second-round pick wowed scouts in the Orlando summer league with his play and drew a few comparisons to last season's rookie of the year, Tyreke Evans. A domestic assault charge for Stephenson and a five-game drug suspension for Brandon Rush put a bit of a damper on the summer but shouldn't set the team back too much.
The Pacers now look as if they have a legit shot at making the playoffs this season and should be $20 million under the cap next summer. After a long dark spell, things are finally looking up in Indy.
Grade: A-
4. Chicago Bulls
Key additions: Carlos Boozer (FA), Kyle Korver (FA), Ronnie Brewer (FA), Tom Thibodeau (coach)
Key subtractions: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, Hakim Warrick, Vinny Del Negro
The Bulls did not hit the home run they had been praying for. For a moment this summer it looked like they had a serious shot at landing two of the coveted trinity of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It's unclear to what extent the Bulls botched their chances with James and Wade during the interview process.
Some sources suggest that both Wade and LeBron were open to Chicago, but were put off by the Bulls' handling of the negotiations. Others suggest that LeBron, Wade and Bosh were in Pat Riley's bag for a while and that interviews with the Bulls and other teams were essentially meaningless.
Either way, the Bulls didn't get what they wanted but came out pretty good with Plan B. Boozer is the type of low-post scorer the team has been searching for since it traded away Elton Brand nearly a decade ago.
Korver gives them a long-range sniper, and Brewer can be a lockdown defender in the backcourt. If Boozer stays healthy, the combination of Derrick Rose, Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng makes them a serious threat. So does the addition of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Yes, Vinny Del Negro was unfairly vilified in Chicago, but Thibodeau, on paper, looks like the real deal. If he can get the Bulls to come together defensively, they are the sleeper team in the East.
Grade: B+
5. New York Knicks
Key additions: Amare Stoudemire (trade), Anthony Randolph (trade), Raymond Felton (FA), Ronny Turiaf (trade)
Key subtractions: David Lee, Al Harrington, Chris Duhon, Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez
GM Donnie Walsh spent the past two years trying to undo the madness of the Isiah Thomas era in an attempt to get his hands on LeBron James. Not only did the Knicks fail to lure LeBron, but owner James Dolan almost rehired Isiah later in the summer. Talk about a double punch to the gut for Knicks fans.
But that's the glass-half-empty version. Here's the good news, Knicks fans: A healthy Stoudemire is being reunited with head coach Mike D'Antoni. Amare's joined by a guy -- Randolph -- with massive upside. And the Knicks finally have a point guard in Felton who can push the ball a bit. Amare, Randolph and Felton may not be LeBron, Bosh and Wade -- but they're all major upgrades for the Knicks and should allow New York to make a playoff push this season.
Most importantly, the league stepped in to protect Dolan from himself and Isiah withdrew from the position the Knicks offered him. I think you're going to see a lot more changes in New York this season. The team will try to trade Eddy Curry's expiring contract, and there's talk that Walsh may hand over the reins to another GM soon. But as far as summers go … the Knicks' summer wasn't nearly as bad as you might think.
Grade: B
6. Boston Celtics
Key additions: Paul Pierce (re-signed), Ray Allen (re-signed), Shaquille O'Neal (FA), Jermaine O'Neal (FA), Nate Robinson (re-signed), Avery Bradley (draft)
Key subtractions: Rasheed Wallace, Tony Allen, Tom Thibodeau
After an injury-plagued, so-so regular season, the Celtics got healthy and caught fire in the playoffs -- making their second NBA Finals appearance in the past three seasons. Had Kendrick Perkins not gone down with a season-ending injury, the Celtics may have won the title. The question now: How much gas does this team have left in the tank?
Danny Ainge wrestled with that question. Was it time to blow up the team and rebuild, or should he bring the principals back for another two-year window? Ainge chose the latter. He got Doc Rivers to re-up, and re-signed veterans Pierce (four years, $50 million) and Ray Allen (two years, $20 million) to big deals.
He also brought in two veteran bigs to fill in for Perkins and a retiring Rasheed Wallace. Both Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal's best days are behind them, but Ainge is hoping that together they can help hold down the paint for the next two years.
Did Ainge do the right thing? If the Celtics can make another deep run or two, he probably chose wisely. But if we saw the last gasp of the Celtics this past spring or if the Heat just steamroll everyone this season, then Ainge and the Celtics missed a critical chance to rebuild while they had the cap space to do it.
Grade: B-
7. Milwaukee Bucks
Key additions: John Salmons (re-signed), Corey Maggette (trade), Drew Gooden (FA), Larry Sanders (draft)
Key subtractions: Luke Ridnour, Dan Gadzuric, Charlie Bell, Kurt Thomas
The Bucks were the surprise team in the East last season, winning 10 more games than anyone really thought possible. GM John Hammond had one of the steals of the draft in Brandon Jennings and made a great midseason trade for Salmons to help push the Bucks past the finish line.
This summer Hammond went about making sure the Bucks held ground. None of the players he added bring much of a "wow" factor, and you can argue that he slightly overpaid Salmons and really overpaid Gooden. But pair them with a healthy Andrew Bogut, a more mature Jennings and Maggette -- who remains one of the better pure scorers in the game -- and the Bucks should be tough.
Grade: B-
8. New Jersey Nets
Key additions: Troy Murphy (trade), Travis Outlaw (FA), Jordan Farmar (FA), Derrick Favors (draft), Damion James (draft), Avery Johnson (coach), Billy King (GM)
Key subtractions: Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, Rod Thorn, Kiki Vandeweghe
I don't think Favors and Outlaw are what new owner Mikhail Prokhorov had in mind when he promised to turn the Nets around. Not only did New Jersey, with all of its millions in cap space, lose out on the likes of LeBron and Bosh -- everyone from Amare Stoudemire to Carlos Boozer also spurned them. The mantra now? Wait until next summer when the team has another $20 million in cap space.
The best player the Nets acquired this summer was the No. 3 draft pick, Favors. He's far away from being an NBA stud, but he has major upside. The Murphy trade gives the Nets a year to take it slow with Favors, but given the composition of the team, they may be better off letting Favors take his lumps now.
The rest of the team's free-agent acquisitions won't wow you. Outlaw is a capable scorer, Farmar has shown promise in LA and James was one of the most NBA-ready rookies in the draft.
The Nets' other major addition, coach Avery Johnson, inspires lots of contradictory feelings. On one hand, Johnson won big in Dallas. On the other hand, the Little General has the reputation of acting like the Little Dictator at times. Whether he'll have the patience with a team like this is a serious concern.
Grade: C+
9. Philadelphia 76ers
Key additions: Evan Turner (draft), Andres Nocioni (trade), Spencer Hawes (trade), Doug Collins (coach), Rod Thorn (president)
Key subtractions: Samuel Dalembert, Eddie Jordan
The Sixers are an enigma. They have talent. The problem, as Sixers fans are well aware, is that GM Ed Stefanski's plan for the team is still a mystery. In recent years Philadelphia has signed Elton Brand to a huge contract, let Andre Miller walk to save money, brought in another expensive veteran in Nocioni, traded away Dalembert, hired and fired coach Eddie Jordan, hired a new coach in Doug Collins and made other moves that demonstrate no particular direction.
So while the Sixers have an interesting young core of Turner, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, the team is also bogged down by players with bad contracts like Brand, Nocioni and Andre Iguodala, overloaded with overlapping talents and lacking shooting and an inside defensive presence.
Philly also has no real ability to spend until the summer of 2013 and will be just good enough to pick in the late lottery (or lower) each year, significantly hindering its chances of becoming any better in the short term. Maybe that's why they brought in Rod Thorn. Stefanski and Thorn worked well together in New Jersey, and perhaps the Sixers feel like the team needs some big-picture thinking.
So while you could argue that adding Turner, Nocioni, Hawes and Collins might be an upgrade over Dalembert and Jordan, it's not clear that it will have much of an effect on the standings.
Grade: C+
10. Atlanta Hawks
Key additions: Joe Johnson (re-signed), Jordan Crawford (draft), Larry Drew (coach)
Key subtractions: Josh Childress, Mike Woodson
The Hawks surprised just about everyone this summer by giving Johnson a max contract. The conventional wisdom had the Bulls, Knicks or some other team with major cap room sneaking in and stealing him away. In the short term, it was a great move by the Hawks. In the long term? The franchise may really regret it.
A six-year, $123 million contract is huge for a 29-year-old guard who absolutely fell apart in the playoffs versus Orlando in May. The deal could also have some long-term effects on the Hawks' ability to pay free agents going forward. Al Horford will be looking for a big extension this fall. Can the Hawks really afford three max players?
The team's other move was more Hawks-like. They let head coach Mike Woodson go and replaced him with the cheapest possible alternative, assistant Larry Drew, who is an unknown at this point. But hiring a head coach with no experience is a strange move for a team that is trying to take the next step in the playoffs.
Grade: C
11. Detroit Pistons
Key additions: Tracy McGrady (FA), Ben Wallace (re-signed), Greg Monroe (draft)
Key subtractions: Kwame Brown
The Pistons were pretty quiet this summer. After winning just 27 games last season and having virtually no front line to speak of, some were expecting GM Joe Dumars to do a major overhaul in Detroit. But with the team up for sale, the Pistons didn't move the needle much.
Instead, Dumars is counting on the team to bounce back from the most injury-filled season the Pistons have faced in a decade --Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon missed 88 games combined. The team never really got a chance to click and the result was the worst team Pistons fans have seen in a decade.
Dumars isn't just counting on good health. He drafted big man Greg Monroe as the Pistons' potential center of the future. Monroe won't impress out of the gate, but he has a high basketball IQ and he's super skilled.
The Pistons are also hoping that McGrady has some magic left in his game. Combine that with a pretty good trade chip -- Prince's expiring contract -- and the Pistons have a chance to win 10 to 15 more games than they did last season. But after a decade of being spoiled with championship-caliber teams, this year's version of the Pistons, even if they improve, could be a letdown.
Grade: C
12. Orlando Magic
Key additions: J.J. Redick (re-signed), Chris Duhon (FA), Quentin Richardson (FA), Jason Williams (re-signed), Daniel Orton (draft)
Key subtractions: Matt Barnes
The Magic are loaded. They have deep talent at virtually every position and, as in the past two seasons, look poised to make another deep run into the playoffs. But as far as summers go, they didn't have a great one.
While teams like the Heat, Celtics and Bulls upgraded or reloaded, the Magic basically stood pat. Considering they failed to make the Finals this year, that's a bit surprising. Magic fans are hoping that Redick continues to improve, that Duhon adds some stability at the point and that Orton could end up being a late first-round steal.
But the truth is that while much of the East got better, the Magic stood still.
Grade: C-
13. Toronto Raptors
Key additions: Leandro Barbosa (trade), Linas Kleiza (FA), Amir Johnson (re-signed), Ed Davis (draft)
Key subtractions: Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu, Marco Belinelli, Antoine Wright
We've focused on the pain Cavs fans have felt all summer. But what about Raptors fans? Three years ago, when GM Bryan Colangelo arrived, it appeared that the Raptors were finally on the right path. Now? They may be in worse shape than the Cavs.
Losing Bosh was a huge blow, but it wasn't the only one Raptors fans endured this summer. The team also essentially admitted that it made a big mistake in signing Turkoglu last summer and traded him to Phoenix for Barbosa. In a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to losing Bosh, the Raptors also overpaid Amir Johnson to take his place.
Top it off with a botched trade that would have landed them Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw for Jose Calderon (blame MJ for that one) and it's been a pretty crappy summer.
On the bright side, however, the Raptors did get their hands on a pretty good prospect in the draft: Ed Davis. He was projected as a top-three pick before last season, but slid a bit because of injuries and a so-so sophomore year. But the talent, as Raptors fans saw in the summer league, is there.
The team also has to be pleased with the way Kleiza played in the FIBA World Championship. He should add a level of toughness to the team. And Barbosa may not be a star, but I think he fits Colangelo's vision in the backcourt more than other guards he's had in the past. It's all small consolation, sure … but at least it's something.
Grade: D+
14. Charlotte Bobcats
Key additions: Tyrus Thomas (re-signed), Kwame Brown (FA), Shaun Livingston (FA), Erick Dampier (trade), Michael Jordan (owner)
Key subtractions: Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler, Robert Johnson
In our Future Power Rankings , John Hollinger and I ranked the Bobcats dead last. Put the emphasis on "dead." We felt that the Bobcats had almost twice as dismal a future as the 29th-ranked Timberwolves. Why? Summers like these.
Bob Johnson sold the team to Michael Jordan. That's fine. But Jordan doesn't have the cash to maintain a high-payroll team, which put the Bobcats in cap-slashing mode all summer. The team let their starting point guard (Felton) bolt to the Knicks and traded away Chandler for Dampier's non-guaranteed contract. The Bobcats saved a lot of money, but are they getting any better? They replaced Felton and Chandler with Shaun Livingston and Kwame Brown.
The Bobcats hope Larry Brown can get young players like Thomas and D.J. Augustin to live up to their potential while motivating veterans like Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw to continue to perform. I'm pretty skeptical.
Grade: D
15. Cleveland Cavaliers
Key additions: Ramon Sessions (trade), Ryan Hollins (trade), Byron Scott (coach), Chris Grant (promoted to GM)
Key subtractions: LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, Mike Brown, Danny Ferry, Lance Blanks
Blame LeBron. Blame LeBron's teammates. Blame Dan Gilbert. Blame Danny Ferry or Mike Brown. Blame the media. Wherever you want to point the finger, this summer was the Le-pocalypse for Cavs fans. Not only was LeBron's departure a death blow to the team, but the way he callously announced it on TV pushed the knife in a little deeper. In a moment of shock and rage, Gilbert responded with a diatribe, promising that the Cavs would win a championship before LeBron did. I love Gilbert's "never say die" spirit, but then reality checked in.
The Cavs' biggest moves all summer were landing Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins in a trade and hiring Byron Scott. I don't think those deals are going to save the Cavs this season. Next summer they have some cap space to play with, but not enough to radically alter the roster. In 2012, they'll have more wiggle room, but I'd be shocked if LeBron doesn't have a ring by then.
For Cavs fans, the hope now is that in LeBron's absence guys like Mo Williams, J.J. Hickson and Daniel Gibson explode, or that the team gets a chance to replace LeBron next summer with Harrison Barnes, the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
Grade: F
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You know the feeling: If my team can just make a big trade or a huge free-agent acquisition or hit a home run in the lottery, maybe next season will be different.
With training camp nearly upon us, fans are settling into either the exciting or harsh realties of what their team did this summer.
We have seen, perhaps, the most active summer in NBA history, with LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer, Al Jefferson, David Lee, Kirk Hinrich, Hedo Turkoglu, Trevor Ariza, Corey Maggette, Shaquille O'Neal and Troy Murphy all changing addresses.
A solid NBA draft, led by John Wall, also has played a role in reshaping rosters. So has a myriad of coaching changes, several big front-office shakeups and major ownership changes in Washington, Golden State and Charlotte.
Now that the preseason is a few weeks away, it's time to grade each team on what it did this offseason.
I'm a college professor in my day job and understand that this exercise really is the equivalent of giving a student a final grade after the first day of class. There's just so much we don't know about how these changes will pan out. In other words, these grades are totally subjective and completely unfair. In truth, you cannot really grade an offseason until you get to the postseason.
The grades below take into account how each team in the league has performed so far in remaking its squad, considering both the opportunities it had and the moves it made. The grades are not a ranking of which are the best teams in the league; just a device to track which teams have improved and which teams haven't.
We'll start today with the Eastern Conference. On Wednesday, we'll rank the West.
1. Miami Heat
Key additions: LeBron James (trade), Dwyane Wade (re-signed), Chris Bosh (trade), Udonis Haslem (re-signed), Mike Miller (FA), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (FA), James Jones (re-signed), Juwan Howard (FA)
Key subtractions: Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook, Jermaine O'Neal, Quentin Richardson
You may not like them, but it's hard to deny that the Miami Heat may have had the greatest summer in the history of the NBA. With just one player under contract, Pat Riley was able to do the unthinkable -- sign all three of the top free agents in the class of 2010, dramatically changing the balance of power in the league.
With LeBron, Wade and Bosh in the fold, the Heat have the best trio of players in the NBA. But that's not all. Through clever cap management, the team was also able to bring back Haslem, Jones and Joel Anthony, sign sharpshooter Miller, and bring in veterans Ilgauskas and Howard on the cheap. The Heat are not only good, they're deep.
But can the three stars share the basketball? Does the team fall apart if there's an injury? Can Erik Spoelstra really coach this team? Does LeBron lack confidence in his ability to lead a team to a title? All fair questions. But are you really going to pick against them to win it all? My money's on the Heat.
Grade: A+
2. Washington Wizards
Key additions: John Wall (draft), Kirk Hinrich (trade), Josh Howard (re-signed), Yi Jianlian (trade), Kevin Seraphin (draft), Trevor Booker (draft), Ted Leonsis (owner)
Key subtractions: Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Shaun Livingston
While the Cavs, Bobcats and Raptors had the most painful summers, no one had a tougher regular season than the Wizards did last year. The Gilbert Arenas suspension, the death of longtime owner Abe Pollin and the dismantling of a team that many thought would be a contender all happened in the span of a few months.
But the Wizards are on the rebound, making significant strides over the summer to improve the team. Wall, the first pick in the 2010 NBA draft, has a chance to be a superstar. He's one of the quickest players with the ball I've ever seen. Meanwhile, Yi showed promise at the FIBA World Championship. If he goes inside more, like he did in the worlds, he could be a steal.
The Hinrich trade was a steal. Not only should he provide some veteran leadership in the backcourt, but the Wizards picked up an intriguing first-round talent in Kevin Seraphin as a result of the trade. And don't forget about the return of Arenas. He's healthy, humbled and vowing to take it out on opponents.
But the biggest strides may be taking place in the boardroom. Leonsis has a rep as an innovative owner who knows how to rebuild. If he can take the lesson he learned with the Capitals and apply it to the Wizards, they could finally be contenders again in a few years.
Grade: A
3. Indiana Pacers
Key additions: Darren Collison (trade), James Posey (trade), Paul George (draft), Lance Stephenson (draft)
Key subtractions: Troy Murphy
Larry Bird and David Morway may have pulled off the trade of the summer in August. Desperately in need of a point guard and some fresh blood, they were able to grab Collison in a four-way trade that cost them just Murphy.
Collison is the point guard the Pacers have been longing for … forever. As a rookie starter for the Hornets during the second half of last season after Chris Paul went down with an injury, Collison averaged an impressive 18.8 ppg and 9 apg, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range. Those are rookie of the year numbers. Pair him with Danny Granger and an emerging Roy Hibbert and the Pacers finally have a young core to build around.
The Pacers also made some noise in the draft. George has Tracy McGrady-type talent. Whether he ever lives up to his abilities is still up for debate -- but at the 10th pick in the draft, he was worth the gamble.
The real steal, however, could be Stephenson. The second-round pick wowed scouts in the Orlando summer league with his play and drew a few comparisons to last season's rookie of the year, Tyreke Evans. A domestic assault charge for Stephenson and a five-game drug suspension for Brandon Rush put a bit of a damper on the summer but shouldn't set the team back too much.
The Pacers now look as if they have a legit shot at making the playoffs this season and should be $20 million under the cap next summer. After a long dark spell, things are finally looking up in Indy.
Grade: A-
4. Chicago Bulls
Key additions: Carlos Boozer (FA), Kyle Korver (FA), Ronnie Brewer (FA), Tom Thibodeau (coach)
Key subtractions: Kirk Hinrich, Brad Miller, Hakim Warrick, Vinny Del Negro
The Bulls did not hit the home run they had been praying for. For a moment this summer it looked like they had a serious shot at landing two of the coveted trinity of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. It's unclear to what extent the Bulls botched their chances with James and Wade during the interview process.
Some sources suggest that both Wade and LeBron were open to Chicago, but were put off by the Bulls' handling of the negotiations. Others suggest that LeBron, Wade and Bosh were in Pat Riley's bag for a while and that interviews with the Bulls and other teams were essentially meaningless.
Either way, the Bulls didn't get what they wanted but came out pretty good with Plan B. Boozer is the type of low-post scorer the team has been searching for since it traded away Elton Brand nearly a decade ago.
Korver gives them a long-range sniper, and Brewer can be a lockdown defender in the backcourt. If Boozer stays healthy, the combination of Derrick Rose, Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng makes them a serious threat. So does the addition of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Yes, Vinny Del Negro was unfairly vilified in Chicago, but Thibodeau, on paper, looks like the real deal. If he can get the Bulls to come together defensively, they are the sleeper team in the East.
Grade: B+
5. New York Knicks
Key additions: Amare Stoudemire (trade), Anthony Randolph (trade), Raymond Felton (FA), Ronny Turiaf (trade)
Key subtractions: David Lee, Al Harrington, Chris Duhon, Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez
GM Donnie Walsh spent the past two years trying to undo the madness of the Isiah Thomas era in an attempt to get his hands on LeBron James. Not only did the Knicks fail to lure LeBron, but owner James Dolan almost rehired Isiah later in the summer. Talk about a double punch to the gut for Knicks fans.
But that's the glass-half-empty version. Here's the good news, Knicks fans: A healthy Stoudemire is being reunited with head coach Mike D'Antoni. Amare's joined by a guy -- Randolph -- with massive upside. And the Knicks finally have a point guard in Felton who can push the ball a bit. Amare, Randolph and Felton may not be LeBron, Bosh and Wade -- but they're all major upgrades for the Knicks and should allow New York to make a playoff push this season.
Most importantly, the league stepped in to protect Dolan from himself and Isiah withdrew from the position the Knicks offered him. I think you're going to see a lot more changes in New York this season. The team will try to trade Eddy Curry's expiring contract, and there's talk that Walsh may hand over the reins to another GM soon. But as far as summers go … the Knicks' summer wasn't nearly as bad as you might think.
Grade: B
6. Boston Celtics
Key additions: Paul Pierce (re-signed), Ray Allen (re-signed), Shaquille O'Neal (FA), Jermaine O'Neal (FA), Nate Robinson (re-signed), Avery Bradley (draft)
Key subtractions: Rasheed Wallace, Tony Allen, Tom Thibodeau
After an injury-plagued, so-so regular season, the Celtics got healthy and caught fire in the playoffs -- making their second NBA Finals appearance in the past three seasons. Had Kendrick Perkins not gone down with a season-ending injury, the Celtics may have won the title. The question now: How much gas does this team have left in the tank?
Danny Ainge wrestled with that question. Was it time to blow up the team and rebuild, or should he bring the principals back for another two-year window? Ainge chose the latter. He got Doc Rivers to re-up, and re-signed veterans Pierce (four years, $50 million) and Ray Allen (two years, $20 million) to big deals.
He also brought in two veteran bigs to fill in for Perkins and a retiring Rasheed Wallace. Both Shaquille O'Neal and Jermaine O'Neal's best days are behind them, but Ainge is hoping that together they can help hold down the paint for the next two years.
Did Ainge do the right thing? If the Celtics can make another deep run or two, he probably chose wisely. But if we saw the last gasp of the Celtics this past spring or if the Heat just steamroll everyone this season, then Ainge and the Celtics missed a critical chance to rebuild while they had the cap space to do it.
Grade: B-
7. Milwaukee Bucks
Key additions: John Salmons (re-signed), Corey Maggette (trade), Drew Gooden (FA), Larry Sanders (draft)
Key subtractions: Luke Ridnour, Dan Gadzuric, Charlie Bell, Kurt Thomas
The Bucks were the surprise team in the East last season, winning 10 more games than anyone really thought possible. GM John Hammond had one of the steals of the draft in Brandon Jennings and made a great midseason trade for Salmons to help push the Bucks past the finish line.
This summer Hammond went about making sure the Bucks held ground. None of the players he added bring much of a "wow" factor, and you can argue that he slightly overpaid Salmons and really overpaid Gooden. But pair them with a healthy Andrew Bogut, a more mature Jennings and Maggette -- who remains one of the better pure scorers in the game -- and the Bucks should be tough.
Grade: B-
8. New Jersey Nets
Key additions: Troy Murphy (trade), Travis Outlaw (FA), Jordan Farmar (FA), Derrick Favors (draft), Damion James (draft), Avery Johnson (coach), Billy King (GM)
Key subtractions: Yi Jianlian, Courtney Lee, Rod Thorn, Kiki Vandeweghe
I don't think Favors and Outlaw are what new owner Mikhail Prokhorov had in mind when he promised to turn the Nets around. Not only did New Jersey, with all of its millions in cap space, lose out on the likes of LeBron and Bosh -- everyone from Amare Stoudemire to Carlos Boozer also spurned them. The mantra now? Wait until next summer when the team has another $20 million in cap space.
The best player the Nets acquired this summer was the No. 3 draft pick, Favors. He's far away from being an NBA stud, but he has major upside. The Murphy trade gives the Nets a year to take it slow with Favors, but given the composition of the team, they may be better off letting Favors take his lumps now.
The rest of the team's free-agent acquisitions won't wow you. Outlaw is a capable scorer, Farmar has shown promise in LA and James was one of the most NBA-ready rookies in the draft.
The Nets' other major addition, coach Avery Johnson, inspires lots of contradictory feelings. On one hand, Johnson won big in Dallas. On the other hand, the Little General has the reputation of acting like the Little Dictator at times. Whether he'll have the patience with a team like this is a serious concern.
Grade: C+
9. Philadelphia 76ers
Key additions: Evan Turner (draft), Andres Nocioni (trade), Spencer Hawes (trade), Doug Collins (coach), Rod Thorn (president)
Key subtractions: Samuel Dalembert, Eddie Jordan
The Sixers are an enigma. They have talent. The problem, as Sixers fans are well aware, is that GM Ed Stefanski's plan for the team is still a mystery. In recent years Philadelphia has signed Elton Brand to a huge contract, let Andre Miller walk to save money, brought in another expensive veteran in Nocioni, traded away Dalembert, hired and fired coach Eddie Jordan, hired a new coach in Doug Collins and made other moves that demonstrate no particular direction.
So while the Sixers have an interesting young core of Turner, Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young, the team is also bogged down by players with bad contracts like Brand, Nocioni and Andre Iguodala, overloaded with overlapping talents and lacking shooting and an inside defensive presence.
Philly also has no real ability to spend until the summer of 2013 and will be just good enough to pick in the late lottery (or lower) each year, significantly hindering its chances of becoming any better in the short term. Maybe that's why they brought in Rod Thorn. Stefanski and Thorn worked well together in New Jersey, and perhaps the Sixers feel like the team needs some big-picture thinking.
So while you could argue that adding Turner, Nocioni, Hawes and Collins might be an upgrade over Dalembert and Jordan, it's not clear that it will have much of an effect on the standings.
Grade: C+
10. Atlanta Hawks
Key additions: Joe Johnson (re-signed), Jordan Crawford (draft), Larry Drew (coach)
Key subtractions: Josh Childress, Mike Woodson
The Hawks surprised just about everyone this summer by giving Johnson a max contract. The conventional wisdom had the Bulls, Knicks or some other team with major cap room sneaking in and stealing him away. In the short term, it was a great move by the Hawks. In the long term? The franchise may really regret it.
A six-year, $123 million contract is huge for a 29-year-old guard who absolutely fell apart in the playoffs versus Orlando in May. The deal could also have some long-term effects on the Hawks' ability to pay free agents going forward. Al Horford will be looking for a big extension this fall. Can the Hawks really afford three max players?
The team's other move was more Hawks-like. They let head coach Mike Woodson go and replaced him with the cheapest possible alternative, assistant Larry Drew, who is an unknown at this point. But hiring a head coach with no experience is a strange move for a team that is trying to take the next step in the playoffs.
Grade: C
11. Detroit Pistons
Key additions: Tracy McGrady (FA), Ben Wallace (re-signed), Greg Monroe (draft)
Key subtractions: Kwame Brown
The Pistons were pretty quiet this summer. After winning just 27 games last season and having virtually no front line to speak of, some were expecting GM Joe Dumars to do a major overhaul in Detroit. But with the team up for sale, the Pistons didn't move the needle much.
Instead, Dumars is counting on the team to bounce back from the most injury-filled season the Pistons have faced in a decade --Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon missed 88 games combined. The team never really got a chance to click and the result was the worst team Pistons fans have seen in a decade.
Dumars isn't just counting on good health. He drafted big man Greg Monroe as the Pistons' potential center of the future. Monroe won't impress out of the gate, but he has a high basketball IQ and he's super skilled.
The Pistons are also hoping that McGrady has some magic left in his game. Combine that with a pretty good trade chip -- Prince's expiring contract -- and the Pistons have a chance to win 10 to 15 more games than they did last season. But after a decade of being spoiled with championship-caliber teams, this year's version of the Pistons, even if they improve, could be a letdown.
Grade: C
12. Orlando Magic
Key additions: J.J. Redick (re-signed), Chris Duhon (FA), Quentin Richardson (FA), Jason Williams (re-signed), Daniel Orton (draft)
Key subtractions: Matt Barnes
The Magic are loaded. They have deep talent at virtually every position and, as in the past two seasons, look poised to make another deep run into the playoffs. But as far as summers go, they didn't have a great one.
While teams like the Heat, Celtics and Bulls upgraded or reloaded, the Magic basically stood pat. Considering they failed to make the Finals this year, that's a bit surprising. Magic fans are hoping that Redick continues to improve, that Duhon adds some stability at the point and that Orton could end up being a late first-round steal.
But the truth is that while much of the East got better, the Magic stood still.
Grade: C-
13. Toronto Raptors
Key additions: Leandro Barbosa (trade), Linas Kleiza (FA), Amir Johnson (re-signed), Ed Davis (draft)
Key subtractions: Chris Bosh, Hedo Turkoglu, Marco Belinelli, Antoine Wright
We've focused on the pain Cavs fans have felt all summer. But what about Raptors fans? Three years ago, when GM Bryan Colangelo arrived, it appeared that the Raptors were finally on the right path. Now? They may be in worse shape than the Cavs.
Losing Bosh was a huge blow, but it wasn't the only one Raptors fans endured this summer. The team also essentially admitted that it made a big mistake in signing Turkoglu last summer and traded him to Phoenix for Barbosa. In a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to losing Bosh, the Raptors also overpaid Amir Johnson to take his place.
Top it off with a botched trade that would have landed them Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw for Jose Calderon (blame MJ for that one) and it's been a pretty crappy summer.
On the bright side, however, the Raptors did get their hands on a pretty good prospect in the draft: Ed Davis. He was projected as a top-three pick before last season, but slid a bit because of injuries and a so-so sophomore year. But the talent, as Raptors fans saw in the summer league, is there.
The team also has to be pleased with the way Kleiza played in the FIBA World Championship. He should add a level of toughness to the team. And Barbosa may not be a star, but I think he fits Colangelo's vision in the backcourt more than other guards he's had in the past. It's all small consolation, sure … but at least it's something.
Grade: D+
14. Charlotte Bobcats
Key additions: Tyrus Thomas (re-signed), Kwame Brown (FA), Shaun Livingston (FA), Erick Dampier (trade), Michael Jordan (owner)
Key subtractions: Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler, Robert Johnson
In our Future Power Rankings , John Hollinger and I ranked the Bobcats dead last. Put the emphasis on "dead." We felt that the Bobcats had almost twice as dismal a future as the 29th-ranked Timberwolves. Why? Summers like these.
Bob Johnson sold the team to Michael Jordan. That's fine. But Jordan doesn't have the cash to maintain a high-payroll team, which put the Bobcats in cap-slashing mode all summer. The team let their starting point guard (Felton) bolt to the Knicks and traded away Chandler for Dampier's non-guaranteed contract. The Bobcats saved a lot of money, but are they getting any better? They replaced Felton and Chandler with Shaun Livingston and Kwame Brown.
The Bobcats hope Larry Brown can get young players like Thomas and D.J. Augustin to live up to their potential while motivating veterans like Gerald Wallace, Stephen Jackson and Boris Diaw to continue to perform. I'm pretty skeptical.
Grade: D
15. Cleveland Cavaliers
Key additions: Ramon Sessions (trade), Ryan Hollins (trade), Byron Scott (coach), Chris Grant (promoted to GM)
Key subtractions: LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Delonte West, Mike Brown, Danny Ferry, Lance Blanks
Blame LeBron. Blame LeBron's teammates. Blame Dan Gilbert. Blame Danny Ferry or Mike Brown. Blame the media. Wherever you want to point the finger, this summer was the Le-pocalypse for Cavs fans. Not only was LeBron's departure a death blow to the team, but the way he callously announced it on TV pushed the knife in a little deeper. In a moment of shock and rage, Gilbert responded with a diatribe, promising that the Cavs would win a championship before LeBron did. I love Gilbert's "never say die" spirit, but then reality checked in.
The Cavs' biggest moves all summer were landing Ramon Sessions and Ryan Hollins in a trade and hiring Byron Scott. I don't think those deals are going to save the Cavs this season. Next summer they have some cap space to play with, but not enough to radically alter the roster. In 2012, they'll have more wiggle room, but I'd be shocked if LeBron doesn't have a ring by then.
For Cavs fans, the hope now is that in LeBron's absence guys like Mo Williams, J.J. Hickson and Daniel Gibson explode, or that the team gets a chance to replace LeBron next summer with Harrison Barnes, the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
Grade: F
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