25. Indiana Pacers
Intrigue: AT - Learning to Play Without Lance and PG - Initially I thought to myself that this team could still have a chance to fight for a final spot in the playoffs until I realized they have absolutely zero guys who can put the ball on the floor and score except for Rodney Stuckey. This team already struggled to score last season and without their top 2 playmakers from the year before, it's going to be even more difficult this year. They still might have one of the best defenses in the league, but they still have to put the ball in the bucket to win games. I'm not sure if Roy Hibbert has what it takes to be an alpha dog. Look for this team to put up plenty of 80-spots throughout the year.
JL (+ Personal Take) - The Case of the Pacers and Roy Wonder -
What's intriguing to me about the Pacers this year is purely
based on my opinion and how I think the season's going to go for the Pacers.
So, I'm just going combine the PT with the Intrigue section. Hope you guys
don't mind! To me, these Pacers have a chance to actually be more entertaining
to watch than last year's team! Uhh… hello, no Paul George and no Lance
Stephenson? It makes no sense, right? Well, let me clarify. I'll start by
saying that just because they're more fun to watch doesn't mean that they'll be
a better team than last year because that's definitely not the case. Indiana is
a team that's all about defense! Last season, Indiana played some of the most
boring basketball I've ever seen. They
ranked 27th in points per game, 29th in field goals made, and 28th in field
goals attempted. So all in all, their
offense was awful. This year, we get to see what a team without Paul George and
Lance Stephenson look like. As we all know, PG and Lance were the motors to
this team's offense. Without those two,
how are they going to get all their points? Well, that's the fun part. We get
to see how Roy Hibbert handles the offensive load. If he can amount to any sort
of productive player this season, it'll be a great confidence booster for him
after becoming the NBA's laughing stock and punching bag during the second half
of the season. Either way, the offense
is going to look very different than last year's team. The Pacers are going to
rely on a more team-oriented offense, and that's very exciting to me! Frank
Vogel is a very good coach for all the same reasons that Scott Brooks is a good
coach. They're both great defensive minds who rely on their stars to carry the
offensive load. This could honestly be a blessing that Indiana lost their two
most productive players. It gives Frank Vogel a chance to create a more fluid
offense that could pay off next season.
I don't think the Pacers are going to win very many games this season,
but stay patient Indiana fans!
Personal Take: AT - Building for Next Season - As much as I want to say this team should/can rebuild by gaining more assets through trading Roy Hibbert, David West, and George Hill this season, their plan should not actually be for the distant future, but for next season. They should tank this season (the veterans know losing this year would be a fluke anyways) to hopefully add a top 5 pick and retain the core of this roster. Barring any potential setbacks with Paul George and a return to form, this team can be competing for an Eastern Conference title next year. Imagine a pissed off D-West playing in his last season trying to win a title, Roy Hibbert with a regained confidence from a larger workload this season, George Hill still being the glue, Stanley Johnson as the new sidekick, and a bench unit of CJ Miles and Watson, Stuckey, Copeland, etc. to compliment the return of PG? Nothing is guaranteed but if all goes according to this plan, 2016 should be the year the Pacers are playing for.
Player to Watch: AT - Solomon Hill - This is straight out of the I don't know who to pick category, but find someone who might have potential upside. He was a first round pick last year and he's fighting with CJ Miles, Chris Copeland, and Damjan Rudez for playing time so there is definitely a chance he can get PT and make an impression. Man it sucks that PG is hurt.
JL - Rodney Stuckey - The Pacers didn't make too many moves this summer. They lost Lance Stephenson to free agency and they added CJ Miles and Rodney Stuckey. There aren't really a lot of players on this roster you can rely on for offense. Rodney Stuckey's been stuck in a less-than-ideal position for pretty much his whole career. After his first two seasons, the Pistons had no direction as a team, and Stuckey was stuck in a rotation for a team with too many combo guards. Stuckey, like Hibbert, has a lot to prove this season. Will he ever be any more than just that NBA player that looks like 50 Cent or can he become a solid starter for a playoff contender?
Where Will They Be Come June: AT - See "Personal Take" section right above and hope everything mentioned actually happens moving forward.
JL - The Pacers won't be in the playoffs, Paul George will have had suited up for at least one game, and the Pacers will not have David West on their roster. This is the one chance the Pacers have to add a really good piece (via the '15 NBA Draft) for a really good price (rookie contract), and I expect them to seize this opportunity.
24. Minnesota T-Wolves
Intrigue: JL - Young Guns -
As you all know, the T'Wolves went under a major overhaul of their
roster during the summer. They lost Kevin Love, but gained a boatload
of young talent. I'm still not sure why they traded for Thaddeus Young,
but Flip Saunders still made the right choices for the most part with
the Love situation. Anytime you can acquire a #1 pick in a deep draft,
you should do it. Andrew Wiggins has ridiculous potential. He's not
going to win ROY but he's going to be a star in this league someday.
Couple that along with Ricky Rubio, Anthony Bennett, Zach Lavine and
Gorgui Dieng, and it's not hard to see that the T'Wolves have a bright
future ahead of them.AT - Pushing the Tempo - Josh knows this pretty well that I'm a huge nerd when it comes to playing NBA 2K. One of my favorite things to do is create a franchise and run all 30 teams. I don't trade guys everywhere so each team won't look like a fantasy team. I try to be reasonable and keep integrity by making moves I think will benefit everybody involved as well as moves that are juicy storylines that may actually play out in the actual regular season.
One of my favorite teams to build was the T-Wolves (moves were made in 2K13 so I had to simulate through two seasons). I hired Mike D'Antoni as the coach, traded Kevin Love (he went to the Warriors...more on that eventually) for picks, Ryan Anderson, Mozgov, and Danny Green (he wasn't that great in 2K13), and kept a scorer like Kevin Martin with a jack-of-all-trades 6th man in Anthony Randolph (2 years ago he was in the league and still had potential, solid rating in 2K as well). I put Rubio through shooting camp in the offseason, and revved up D'Antoni's coaching style even more on fast breaks and three point shooting and the results after simulating the year were: 3-Seed in the West, the team led the league in PPG, D'Antoni won coach of the year, and Rubio bcame Nash-lite. He led the league in assists and earned all-NBA 3rd team honors. Even Anthony Randolph finished 2nd in 6th man of the year voting! Ryan Anderson, Kevin Martin, and Danny Green were the top 3 scorers on the team with Anderson leading the way at 18 ppg. That team was so fun to play with and it was always inbound/rebound and outlet to Ricky, locate the open wing and shoot the 3 or run a plethora of pick and rolls/pops until Ricky creates and finds someone open or gets open for a mid-range jimmy or drives in for a lay-up a la Steve Nash. Only a bit of defense was enough.
So how is this all relevant to the current T'Wolves team this year? It really isn't except for the fact that they want to play very uptempo this year. Other than that the key piece of making it all work, Rubio, is actually a terrible finisher and he is a pretty poor shooter (hopefully he improved). Also they possess way more athleticism than shooting and they're a very young team which means a lot of losing is on the way. However they're not too far away from becoming an even better version of the team I created in a couple years. They have a potential superstar in Wiggins, a potential jack-of-all trades 6th man in Anthony Bennett, one wing shooter in K-Mart, and LaVine for big dunks.The most important piece is the coach (D'Antoni; go back to the front office Flip) to fine-tune the engine that runs the team (Rubio, who would become the protege and learn the ways of Nash). Put it all together and there may be a new version of the 2005 Phoenix Suns in Minnesota soon. Unfortunately, D'Antoni is not their coach, Rubio may not even be a T'Wolf next season and life isn't a video game...
Player to Watch: JL - Anthony Bennett - He had the worst season of any first overall pick ever. A lot of people understandably have their doubts, but I truly believe Bennett can become a solid starter for this team. He's slimmed down, and looked really good in summer league. I'm predicting stat lines of 14, 6 and 3 for him, which isn't bad compared to last year. It's not just the physical element of the game, but I think the confidence he has will pay big dividends for him and the T'Wolves this season. He might even take home some hardware (Most Improved) this season!
AT - Since I provided a long summary of senseless what-ifs that won't happen I'll keep this one short: The Bounce Brothers - I'm really excited about the team's youth, especially these two.
Personal Take: JL - I don't know if the T'Wolves are going to be any good this season, but they'll definitely be an exciting team to watch. Keep in mind that exciting doesn't necessarily mean winning a lot of ball games. If Ricky Rubio can step up and show that he's worth that max contract he's seeking out, the Timberwolves will be out of the cellar sooner rather than later. This team has a lot of potential, but it's their first year together and I just don't see them doing too well this season. There's going to be a lot of growing pains for this team, but they have a lot to look forward to.
AT - I'm just going to continue to build my dream T'Wolves squad...Trade to Consider:
(Wolves) : Ryan Anderson, Jonas Jerebko
(Hornets) : Andrea Bargnani, Travis Outlaw, Shane Larkin, Lance Thomas, OKC 2nd '15
(Pistons) : Eric Gordon, Pablo Prigioni, Andre Roberson
(Knicks) : Pekovic, Chase Budinger, Brandon Jennings
(Thunder) : Iman Shumpert
Logic: Wolves get a stretch 4 aka Kevin Love-lite which helps their need for a shooter and underrated rebounder. They also clear space for Gourgi Dieng to become the starting center who may be a better fit for their tempo...The Hornets get a bootleg Anderson replacement in Bargnani, and all contracts expire at the end of the year. Most importantly Eric Gordon's contract is off their books...which means the Pistons deal with it. Picking the lesser of two evils who would they rather have Brandon Jennings or Eric Gordon? That's a tough one, I'd say Eric Gordon. At least they get a veteran-savvy point guard in Prigioni as well...The Knicks get a good starting center instead of an old Sam Dalembert, Budinger is ok, and imagine a backcourt pairing of JR Smith and Brandon Jennings playing meaningful minutes. Holy shit...but ESPN trade machine says the trade increases their wins by 7 games so why not...and lastly The Thunder add an undervalued Shumpert for a bargain who could hopefully become a younger upgraded version of Thabo Sefolosha.
Where Will They Be Come June: JL - At the end of the season, we'll be able to really see just how bright this team's future is. They're going to be in the lottery again this season, but that's only going to help them going forward. Flip Saunders did a great job handling Kevin Love, and I think T'Wolves fans should be excited for this season and the ones to come.
AT - Hopefully planning everything I mentioned. D'ANTONI for COACH 2016!! RE-SIGN RICKY. I'm beginning the campaign.
23. Sacramento Kings
Intrigue: AT - Trying to Succeed with Unfit Pieces - The Kings on paper look ok and I think with a little tinkering here and there, they could be a pretty good team. Playoff-worthy in the West though? Absolutely not. They should be decent on defense, but I really think offensive continuity is going to be a big problem for them. There's just too many inefficient players that play better only with the ball in their hands in isolated situations. I don't think Darren Collison (best role in this league for him: role with the Clippers last year) is a good enough point guard to make an offense flow, and you can't throw the ball into the paint to Boogie every time and just let him go to work (Or can you?...). We all know their owner wants to land a star on the team and he wants to win now so hopefully they can land someone like Rajon Rondo. Not only is he a big name that will sell extra tickets, but he'll definitely help with this teams' deficiencies. They have the pieces to acquire him, but we'll just have to wait and see if a deal will ever happen.
JL - King's Ransom - The Sacramento Kings have a decent roster for the first time in about a decade. Despite having two all-star level talents, the Kings still need a lot of pieces in order to even make the playoffs in a stacked Western Conference. The good thing is that they have an owner who's willing to do anything to make that happen. Vivek Ranadive is a guy who's willing to pay whatever luxury tax he needs to or make whatever crazy trade to bring the Kings back to a competitive level. The Kings are going to be making moves until they reach that level. It's going to be fun watching what moves the Kings make and what they do to improve this roster.
Player to Watch: AT - Boogie Cousins - After his great summer of energetic play for Team USA and receiving accolades from the likes of Jerry Colangelo and Coach K, I don't really need to say much about the man. Everyone is already singing his praises and expecting that experience to lead to a MONSTER year. I agree. I'm on board the Boogie train. Anoint him the third splash brother. Give the man leadership responsibilities. Give him the damn ball and get out of his way!!
JL - Ben McLemore - McLemore was drafted by the Kings to be their next star. They could've gotten guys like MCW, Giannis or even Tim Hardaway Jr, who all in my opinion had better rookie seasons than McLemore did. There's added pressure now for McLemore because the Kings (incorrectly) drafted Nik Stauskas. Vivek Ranadive loves McLemore, but who doesn't love a new toy right? If McLemore doesn't take that next step and make improvements for this upcoming season, he could be in a different jersey by the end of it.
Personal Take: AT - I'm going to combine a trade with the team ahead of them to make the pieces fit a little better. Read along please...
JL - There's really not too much to say about this Kings team. They do have a few pieces here and there, but they're just not good enough yet. Good news though, Kings fans! The Kings are going to have their first All-Star since 2004 in Boogie Cousins! So there's that! Boogie's gonna have a great season so look forward to that.
Where Will They Be Come June: AT - The same place they were last season unless some moves are made. Yes Boogie is going to be phenomenal, Ben McLemore should get better, I like Stauskas a lot, and they have a good coach in Mike Malone, but the makeup of this roster is not good enough to even sniff the playoffs in a loaded west. Boogie needs help and J-Smoove or Rondo or both would not only be flashy transactions, but also significant moves in helping the team reach the playoffs.
JL - The Kings aren't going to make the playoffs this year, but they will make a crazy trade at some point during the season. They have no chance of making it in a very tough Western Conference, which means they're going to be in the lottery once again, but it's okay. Things are slowly getting better, Kings fans.
22. Detroit Pistons
Intrigue: JL- Trading Chips The Pistons have all the pieces to rearrange their roster. Over the course of the summer, the Pistons signed Stan Van Gundy to take over the team and lead them back to the promised land. SVG definitely knows what he's doing and he's going to make some noise this season. By the end of the year, either Josh Smith or Greg Monroe will be gone, and it's going to be fun to see just where they are. Brandon Jennings is good, but he might even be gone too. The Pistons are in for a better season than last year.
AT- See "Intrigue" for Kings above and apply. Remove ambitious new owner trying to make splashy moves instead with new coach/president of basketball operations trying to make moves that will result in wins, and change point guard unable to create offense with point guard unable to play smart.
Player to Watch: JL- Andre Drummond - Anson believes this guy is on the verge of a monster season. I'm going to be watching closely because honestly, I haven't watched him play more than a few times. I know he played for the US this summer, but he really didn't play enough to leave an impression on me. I'm going to be keeping a tab on him, and I'm excited to watch for just what everyone's making noise about. It's not that I don't think he's good, it's just that I haven't seen him enough to make any observations about him. Also, anytime you hear about a guy who shoots around 25% at the line, you would think they don't know how to play at all, right?
AT - Andre Drummond - In his rookie season he averaged 7 and 7, 37% from the line with a mediocre Lawrence Frank as his coach. In his sophomore season he averaged 13 and 13, 41% from the line really without a coach (Cheeks 50 games, interim coach for 32). This season...20 and 15, 55% from the line?? It is very possible when you consider not only is this year 3 where he should make the significant leap in skill and production, but he also has a GREAT coach now. The same guy that coached D-12 to MVP-worthy seasons and led the Magic to an NBA Finals behind that-said dominant center. Drummond was already on his way to being dominant and now he has the coach that can refine his raw talent and take him to another level. Oh boy is he going to be scary good this year and moving forward.
I can't believe Josh isn't sold on him. If we redid the 2012 draft he's going 2nd only behind The Brow. Boo Josh. BOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Personal Take: JL - I actually love the hiring of Stan Van Gundy. I originally wanted the Warriors to sign him to coach, but he went to Detroit instead. Detroit offered him presidential power in their organization and I'm excited to see what he does with the team. While we wait for all these things to happen, I want to share my all-time favorite SVG moment with you:
Also, the dude can ball better than you would think.
AT - Trade to Consider:
(Pistons): Nik Stauskas, Derrick Williams, Jason Thompson
(Kings): Josh Smith, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Pistons 2nd '15
Logic: The Pistons get the sweet shooting stroke of Stasukas they need, and SVG loves, to help with spacing when Drummond and Monroe clog the paint. He'd be a huge weapon in the offense and would play a role similar to Rashard Lewis and Turkoglu's in Orlando which would mean plenty of open threes and great success. Williams provides the athleticism lost from Smoove, and Thompson is a solid backup big for either Monroe or Drummond...The Kings get the "big name" player owner, Vivek Ranadive, wants in Josh Smith to compliment Cousins and Gay in the front court. I can also see J-Smoove being a huge contributor and having the role best fit for him as a jack-of-all-trades (except for shooting) 3rd option of the team. Caldwell-Pope's youth and potential makes up a bit for losing Stauskas.
Where Will They Be Come June: JL - The Pistons are going to just miss the playoffs this season, but it's okay. Their roster's still under some construction, and I'm confident they'll make it to the playoffs next season.
AT - Just missing the playoffs, SVG has cured Brandon Jennings of his ball-hogging/inefficient ways into a solid middle-tier point guard. Andre Drummond posts monster numbers, and with a lottery pick on its way, and Josh Smith or Greg Monroe gone (meaning some type of assets acquired), the Pistons are on their way to landing a playoff spot next season.
21. Milwaukee Bucks
Intrigue: AT - The Darkest Horse in the East - For many inexplicable reasons I am riding very high on this Bucks team. Josh had to talk me out of placing them in the top 20. What is there not to like about this team? Rookie of the year that may average 20 ppg (Jabari)? Check. Potential superstar that has raw skill, can play all five positions, and is abnormally long (Giannis)? Check. Interior bully that is a wildcard and might be crazy (Sanders)? Check. Depth at all positions (Bayless, Mayo, Dudley, Henson, Pachulia, Marshall etc.)? Check. X-Factor leader of the team (Knight)? Check. Lastly young coach that will do whatever it takes to win? Check. This team is very young and inexperienced but they remind me so much of that young Thunder team back in 2008-2009, the year they drafted Westbrook. Maybe I'm a year off with these guys breaking out because the Thunder didn't make it to the playoffs (lost 59 games that year) until the following season, and Giannis is nowhere close to refined as KD was in year two, but I think they have the potential pieces to be very good, maybe not this season, but definitely next season. I will nurture and care for this team, the same way I did with that OKC squad (the moment I fell in love), and when they blow up don't say I didn't warn you. I'm driving the
JL - GIANNIS! GIANNIS! - Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only reason you'll ever need to watch the Bucks. Even when the Bucks sucked and had an awful season last season, I watched a bunch of games just to catch glimpses of the Greek Freak. I like to think that he's a young KD mixed with Lance Stephenson playmaking mixed with some Anthony Davis defense. Plus, on top of that, he's still growing! Anson and I are on this Giannis bandwagon early, and we highly suggest you join us.
Player to Watch: AT - Brandon Knight - He was on my fantasy team last year and my only legitimate point guard (so sad) so I followed his progress all year. He started off slow, picked up a bit in November, and he started to ball out by mid-December. Like I said before, he's the x-factor of this team. I think he can be really good and he'll have one of the greatest point guards to ever play coaching him now. How much better he has gotten will determine how far this team can go.
JL -
Personal Take: AT - Although I just spoke about Knight's potential. The NBA is a business and in harvesting my baby Bucks we need to make a splash. We're not trying to make the playoffs next year. We're trying to make it NOW. So...Trade to Consider (RONDO TRADE ALERT!!) :
(Bucks) : Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, Luis Scola
(Celtics) : Brandon Knight, John Henson, Khris Middleton, Kendrick Perkins, Bucks 1st '15, Thunder 2nd '15
(Thunder) : OJ Mayo, Chris Copeland
(Pacers) : Ersan Ilyasova
Logic: Sometimes you have to take the bad with the great meaning Rondo running the show, but Gerald Wallace rotting your bench/potential rotation. It's worth it. Add Scola for some more depth and this team can be underdogging their way to an upset against a top seed in the playoffs. It's worth the risk for the half year rental of Rondo, and if they move to Seattle who says he might not stay?...The C's get young pieces, old man Perk back, and draft picks...The Thunder may get a wildcard 6th man in Mayo or just a dude with a last name that describes what's in a lot of the foods he eats. Copeland can stretch the floor, which is something they need...The Pacers get their new starting power forward to replace D. West when he retires and he'll be a solid bench player for his current role at a decent contract.
JL - Fun Facts About Giannis - Giannis once tried running from his apartment to a Bucks game because he sent all the money he had on him back home to his family. Giannis grew two inches during his first season in the NBA. Most fans can't pronounce Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis Antetokounmpo has hands that'll make the basketball look like it's the size of a small cantaloupe. Giannis sweeps floors at movie theaters and makes pizzas. He is the most interesting man in the NBA, and he's going to win the MIP or at least… I hope he does.
Where Will They Be Come June: AT - Giving the Bulls a run for their money as an 8-seed in the playoffs (6 games all tough like OKC did in 2010 against the Lakers). They'll be back next season ready to make a bigger leap. The Milwaukee Bucks, Anson Toy's "Approved Darkhorse" of the Eastern Conference. Book it!...If not, this result happens next year. Book that!
JL - Like I said earlier, Anson and I are on this Bucks/Giannis bandwagon. Only, it's not a bandwagon yet. We think the Bucks are going to make the playoffs, and it's going to be great!
Happy Opening Night's Eve! Enjoy the slate of games coming up tomorrow and the rest of the week. Basketball is back! Stay tuned for part 3 coming soon. Thanks for reading.
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