Team by Team Overviews- Northwest and Southeast Divisions

Northwest Division


Portland Trailblazers

Season Recap: The 06-07 campaign was another disappointing one for a Portland franchise that hasn’t had much to cheer about since the days of Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen, and Damon Stoudamire. The Blazers finished with a dismal 32-50 record but did have some bright spots. The team was coming off a horrid 21-61 record in the previous season, and through the 2006 Draft, brought in some talented young players. Brandon Roy won Rookie of the Year, averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 4 rebounds per contest. LaMarcus Aldridge, the 2nd overall pick last year, didn’t get much time in a crowded frontcourt early, but came on in March, averaging 14.7 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game during the month before a rapid heartbeat kept him out for all of April. Though Aldridge was apparently nervous for the end of the season, Zach Randolph clearly was not. Randolph lackadaisically averaged a career-high 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. There is no denying Randolph has talent, but he has run into problems with the law and Coach Nate McMillan during his stay in Portland.

Recent Drafts:
2006- LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Sergio Rodriguez, Joel Freeland
Grade- A-
As mentioned before, Roy and Aldridge each had successful rookie campaigns. Rodriquez is an exciting player who showed flashes of brilliance backing up PG Jarrett Jack. Freeland was a very nice pick in the late first round. He will stay in England (and off Portland’s payroll) for a few more years, but once he comes over he should be a solid contributor off the bench.

2005- Martell Webster, Jarrett Jack
Grade- B
Webster has shown a lot of potential in his first two years but still lacks consistency. He came into the NBA out of high school regarded as a long range shooter with an NBA-ready body. At 6’7’’ 230, he certainly has displayed the strength and athleticism to be a standout SF, but he shot just 36% from 3 last season. Even though Webster averaged only 7 points per game, he is only 20 years old and figures into the team’s future at SF. Jack emerged as a solid starting PG, averaging 12 points and 5.3 assists per game. He will remain as Portland’s floor general unless he is traded for a proven veteran such as Jason Kidd or Jason Terry.

This Offseason: The team will probably re-sign only one of it’s free agent small forwards (Travis Outlaw and Ime Udoka). More likely than not, Outlaw will not be wearing a Portland jersey next year because he will command a lot of money in the free agent market. Management also realized that a player named “Outlaw” doesn’t exactly help the Jail blazer’s reputation. C Jamaal Magloire is also a free agent, and there is no way Portland will even consider re-signing him. The team will strongly consider trading Randolph to make room for a certain center expected to be added to the roster on June 28. In return, they might go after a PG or SF who would serve as a major upgrade over Jack or Webster. (Kidd, Terry, Rashard Lewis, and Vince Carter/Richard Jefferson all figure to be on the block).

Draft Outlook: There shouldn’t be much debate over this pick. If any name other than Greg Oden is called, GM Kevin Pritchard should be fired on the spot. In Oden, Portland is getting the best center to come out since Tim Duncan. Though Durant is a special wing player, big men are a lot harder to get and as we’ve seen over the last decade, are instrumental to building a championship team. The team also has four second-round picks (#37, 42, 51, 52). Look for them to take at least one foreign player to keep overseas, a big man such as Alabama’s Jamareo Davidson, and a PG such as Florida’s Taurean Green or Arizona’s Mustafa Shakur. Don’t be surprised if Portland trades some of those picks to move up for another first-round pick or if they package them with Randolph to acquire a veteran. There have been rumors that Portland is interested in trading for a top ten pick so they can draft Greg Oden’s wingman, Mike Conley Jr. Though it may be just a rumor right now, Portland certainly has the players and draft picks to make it happen. A team like Chicago at #8 would be a possible trade partner. Whatever happens, it should be a busy draft day for the Blazers.



Seattle Sonics

Season Recap: Two years removed from a 52-30 record and a birth in the Western Conference Semifinals, the Sonics have plummeted over the last few seasons due to injuries and poor drafts. Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis were terrific when they were healthy (26.4 and 22.4 ppg respectively), but the duo missed a combined total of 49 games. Part of their 31-51 record can be attributed to that, but much of it is because the Sonics lack good role players around Allen and Lewis. Chris Wilcox continued his emergence as a force inside, averaging 13.5 points and 7.7 rebounds while not missing a game. Aside from Wilcox, Seattle has virtually no supporting cast. They lack any starting caliber players at the two most key positions in basketball- point guard and center.

Recent Drafts:
2006: Momahed Saer Sene, Denham Brown, Yotam Halperin
Grade: D-
Sene was a huge reach at #10 and only averaged 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds in 28 games last season. He is skinny and lacks any type of offensive game and is too much of a project to be considered the center of a team that could have enough weapons to be a contender after this year’s draft. Brown played in the NBDL and Halperin remained in Israel.

2005: Mickael Gelebale
Grade: D
Gelebale averaged 4.6 points in 70 games. Though he was the 48th pick of the draft, players like Boston’s Ryan Gomes and Washington’s Andray Blatche were still on the board. The Sonics also traded their other second rounder, Lawrence Roberts, to Memphis. Roberts has shown to be a solid big man off the bench in his first two seasons with the Grizzlies.

This Offseason: The big question will be what they do with Rashard Lewis. Lewis is an unrestricted free agent and it will take a lot of money to keep him in Seattle (or wherever the Sonics move to). The team will likely draft Kevin Durant 2nd overall, so it would make sense to deal Lewis for a big man or a point guard because Durant and Lewis both play the same position. Shipping Lewis to Portland in exchange for Zach Randolph is a very logical and possible trade. If Randolph were to be added to the roster, Wilcox would likely slide to center. Though that would give them a decent frontcourt, the ideal scenario for Seattle would be to deal Lewis for a PG and have one of their three young centers (Robert Swift, Johan Petro, and Sene) develop into starting material.
In order to clear some cap space, benchwarming PF Danny Fortson will not be re-signed.

Draft Outlook: Seattle recently hired the 30-year-old virgin, Sam Presti, to run the team. Regardless of his age and experience (in terms of running a basketball team and sexually), Presti is not dumb enough to pass on Durant. This is about as easy a pick as we’ve seen since, well…since 5 minutes earlier when Portland picked Greg Oden. In selecting Durant, Rashard Lewis becomes a candidate for a sign-and-trade that will most likely take place after draft day. The team also has two early second round picks (#31 and 35). They should be able to grab two talented players here. Expect one of the picks to be a PG, most likely either Florida’s Taurean Green or Oregon’s Aaron Brooks. The other pick will most likely be a SG to provide some depth behind Ray Allen. UCLA’s Arron Afflalo, Syracuse’s Demetris Nichols, and Rice’s Morris Almond are all possibilities.


Minnesota Timberwolves

Season Recap: The window has closed on Kevin Garnett’s time to win a championship in Minnesota. He turned in another All-Star season, averaging 22.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game, but had virtually no supporting cast as the T’Wolves stumbled to a 32-50 record. Rookie Randy Foye was up and down, averaging a respectable 10.1 points per contest. Ricky Davis put up decent numbers (17.1), but has always been a selfish player who lacked a winning mentality (in case you forgot, that was Davis who threw the ball against his own basket in hopes of getting a rebound that would give him a triple-double). Mark Blount was a nice surprise at center, contributing 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.

Recent Drafts:
2006- Randy Foye, Craig Smith
Grade- B+
Foye should be a big-time player within the next few years. If Garnett could sustain his play for five more years, they would be a very strong 1-2 punch. Smith was a pleasant surprise as the 36th overall pick. He provides some muscle inside and will be a good role player for the next decade or so.

2005- Rashad McCants, Bracey Wright
Grade- D
McCants has been a major disappointment for the 14th overall pick, averaging just 5 points per game while shooting 35% from the field last season. It appears he will never be the player he was thought to be coming out of college.

This Offseason: The T’Wolves only free agent is Bracey Wright, and quite frankly, it doesn’t matter if they re-sign him. The team will try to trade Garnett if they can get the right deal. Chicago is a major possibility, but the Wolves will probably want a combination of Tyrus Thomas, Ben Gordon, and Luol Deng. The Bulls probably won’t part with two out of those three players, let alone all three. The Mavericks also are a possibility…simply because Mark Cuban is desperate and will do anything to get his team over the hump. My money is on Garnett being in a Minnesota jersey again next year.

Draft Outlook: Minnesota holds the 7th overall pick and could go any direction with the selection. If Mike Conley Jr. is on the board, he would a likely choice. Pairing Conley with Foye in the backcourt would enable them to finally get rid of Ricky Davis and Mike James (if they find any takers for both of those hefty contracts). Other options include Florida SG Corey Brewer, Kansas F Julian Wright, and the pride of China, Yi Jianlian. In the unlikely situation that Brandan Wright is on the board, he would be tough to pass up.


Denver Nuggets

Season Overview: Denver rolled into the post-season, winning 10 of their last 11 regular season games before being bounced in the first round of the playoffs by San Antonio. Iverson and Carmelo Anthony gelled very well as the season went on, averaging a combined 55 points per game. As talented as that duo is, Denver was not a two-man show. Marcus Camby averaged 11.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.3 blocks per game, and 1.2 steals per game en route to being named Defensive Player of the Year. Nene proved to be a more than adequate power forward and J.R. Smith was one of the leagues best long range bombers. Steve Blake, acquired mid-season from Milwaukee in exchange for Earl Boykins, did a good job distributing the ball and hitting open shots. Despite losing in the first round, Denver has a lot to be excited about for the future.

Recent Drafts:
2006- No Picks
2005- Julius Hodge, Ricky Sanchez, Alex Hervelle
Grade: D-
Hodge is no longer with the team and had little impact during his short stint in Denver. Sanchez is playing in the NBDL and Hervelle is yet to be brought over from Belgium.

This Offseason: Free Agents Steve Blake and Eduardo Najera are likely to be re-signed, while Jamal Sampson and DeMarr Johnson will probably be cut. The team will closely monitor Kenyon Martin’s knee and determine whether they need to sign a big man to bolster the depth behind Camby and Nene. If Martin returns near 100% next year and the duo of Iverson and Anthony continue to gel, the Nuggets could contend for a championship within the next few years.

Draft Outlook: For the second consecutive year, Denver does not have a draft pick. They are a likely candidate to be involved in basketball’s most common trade- when a team with no interest in drafting 27th overall trades their selection for a future first round pick. If this happens, expect Denver to either draft a big man such as French PF Ali Traore.


Utah Jazz

Season Recap: The Jazz returned to their glory days of the late 90s as they reached the Western Conference Finals before being bounced by San Antonio. Carlos Boozer established himself as one of the premier power forwards in the league, averaging 20.9 points and 11.7 rebounds during the regular season and 23.5 and 12.2 rebounds in the playoffs. Deron Williams had a stellar regular season and took a huge step forward during the playoffs, turning in 19.2 points and 8.6 assists per game. Williams has quickly become one of the league’s best point guards. Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko, Matt Harpring and Gordan Giricek provided Utah with a racist, yet effective supporting cast.

Recent Drafts:
2006- Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap, Dee Brown
Grade: B+
Brewer, the 14th overall pick, didn’t get much playing time, but as soon as his skills catch up with his athleticism, he should be in the starting lineup. Millsap, drafted 46th overall, averaged 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while being named to the All-Rookie 2nd team. He filled in admirably for Boozer and Okur while they were injured.

2005- Deron Williams, CJ Miles
Grade- A-
Williams was not a popular pick when he was drafted 3rd overall ahead of Chris Paul, but after two years, Utah fans have come to love the former Illinois star. He and Boozer have drawn comparisons to Stockton and Malone.

This Offseason: The Jazz should have a relatively quit offseason. It’s only free agents are Rafael Araujo, Brown, and CJ Miles. The team will probably re-sign both Miles and Brown and release the Brazilian bust.

Draft Outlook: Utah holds the 25th and 55th picks in this year’s draft. They are likely to draft a shooting guard with their first pick because Gordan Giricek is struggling and Derek Fisher is old and out of position. Possibilities include Ohio State’s Daequan Cook, Syracuse’s Demetris Nichols, and foreigners Marco Belinelli and Rudy Fernandez. The Jazz will probably take the best player available with their second pick regardless of position.

Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks

Season Recap: No team picking third in the draft can say they had a successful season, but the Hawks certainly have some things to be happy about coming off of a 30-52 campaign. SG Joe Johnson missed 25 games, but has developed into a bonafide star. He averaged 25 points and a team-high 4.4 assists per game. SF Josh Smith is quickly becoming of the league’s best all-around players, averaging 16.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.3. assists, 2.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals per contest. PF Marvin Williams took a huge step forward after a disappointing rookie year and averaged 13.1 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. This core of young players should turnaround the fortune of Atlanta basketball in the coming years.

Recent Drafts:
2006- Shelden Williams, Solomon Jones
Grade- C
Williams struggled in his rookie year while he shared time with the surprisingly productive Zaza Pauchilla. The Landlord will be an impact defender and rebounder off the bench until he develops some go-to post moves.

2005- Salim Stoudamire, Cenk Akyol
Grade- D+
Stoudamire was drafted as a lights-out shooter and terrific perimeter defender with four years of college experience, but he is yet to show any of those traits in his first two seasons with the Hawks. At this point, it appears Stoudamire will be a career back-up. Atlanta may regret passing on Monta Ellis to draft this former Arizona standout.

This Offseason: The Hawks have no free agents of note (Royal Ivey, Stanislav Medevenko, Esteban Basiste). However, there was talk of trading Joe Johnson and one or both of their lottery picks to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant, but now that Bryant wants to be a Laker again, that scenario appears unlikely. Expect most of their offseason activity to be made on draft night.

What to Expect in the Draft: The bottom line is the Hawks need to come out of this draft with a PG because the current four-headed monster of Stoudamire, Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, and Speedy Claxton hasn’t done the job. With the #3 and #11 picks, Atlanta should have no trouble finding their floor general of the future. The question is, which pick do they use on a PG? Taking Mike Conley at #3 would be a reach, but there is a good chance that he won’t be available when their next pick comes around. Due to the small gap in talent between Conley and the next two PGs (Javaris Crittenton and Acie Law), it is becoming apparent that Atlanta’s best option would be to draft a big man at #3 and wait until #11 to pick their PG. The best player available with the third pick is Florida PF Al Horford. Horford is ready to step in and start today. Teaming him with Josh Smith and Marvin Williams in the starting lineup would allow Atlanta to bring Pauchilla and Shelden Williams off the bench in what could be one of the league’s best front lines. The team will consider taking Chinese F Yi Jianlian or UNC F Brandan Wright, but ultimately if this pick isn’t Horford, it’s a big mistake.
Atlanta will hope Conley falls to #11, but if he doesn’t, the choice will come down to Law or Crittenton. Law is the more NBA-ready of the two, but Crittenton has more upside than any guard in this draft. In my mind, Atlanta is still a very young team and can afford to wait the two years or so that Crittenton will take to realize his full potential. Aside from Crittenton, the Hawks have other young players (Josh Smith, Marvin Williams, Shelden Williams, and possibly Al Horford) that would still be developing. When all of these players reach their full capabilities, Atlanta could be one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.

Charlotte Bobcats

Season Recap: Charlotte had another rough season in 2006-2007, finishing 33-49. Gerald Wallace came on very strong and emerged as the team’s best player, averaging 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2 steals per game. Emeka Okafor is one of the leagues best young big men, as he contributed 14.4 points 11.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per contest. Ray Felton came a long way in his second season as he averaged 14 points and 7 assists a game. Matt Carroll emerged as one of the league’s best three-point shooters, connecting on 41.6% of his long-range attempts.

Recent Drafts:
2006- Adam Morrison
Grade: D
Morrison averaged a respectable 11.8 points per game, but shot poorly from the field and was a terrible defender. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Carroll and it seems as though he will be a career back-up, not something you look for with the 3rd overall pick when Brandon Roy, Randy Foye, Rudy Gay, and Tyrus Thomas were all on the board.

2005- Ray Felton, Sean May
Grade: B
Felton is developing into a very good PG, while May has put together some dominant games when healthy. If they can stay on the court, Felton will be a starter for a long time and May will serve as one of the NBA’s best reserve forwards.

This Offseason: The team has a ton of free agents, headed by Gerald Wallace, who will almost certainly be re-signed. Matt Carroll and Walter Hermann are likely to be re-signed also, but aside from them, Charlotte probably will cut ties with Derek Anderson, Jeff McInnis, and Jake Voshkul. If the team can retain young talents Ryan Hollins and Alan Anderson at a reasonable price, it would be advisable to do so. Charlotte has some cap space to work with, and the thing that is holding them back from making the playoffs is their lack of a true go-to player. They could make a run at Vince Carter or Rashard Lewis in the free-agent market.

Draft Outlook: So far, Michael Jordan is batting .000 making draft picks, but he’ll be in the position to change that this year as the Bobcats draft 8th overall. Jordan will take a long hard look at Florida’s Corey Brewer, a lanky swingman who has drawn comparisons to Jordan’s old buddy Scottie Pippen. The Bobcats desperately need a perimeter defender, so Brewer would make plenty of sense. They also need some height and scoring inside to compliment Emeka Okafor, and finesse center Spencer Hawes of Washington would be an intriguing choice. Kansas F Julian Wright is another versatile forward who will be considered. The Bobcats also hold the 22nd overall pick, which will be used to take a big man if they do indeed take Brewer with their first selection. Another option would be to package the two picks together to move into the Top 5 and draft Kwame Brown…I mean, Al Horford or Brandan Wright.

Orlando Magic

Season Recap: Orlando finished 8th in the East despite a horrible finish, but has a solid young core in Dwight Howard (17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds) and Jameer Nelson (13 points, 4.3 assists). Howard and Nelson should continue to improve under the leadership of fiery new Coach Billy Donovan. If the Magic can add a scorer on the wing to replace Grant Hill and his glass ankles, they may have a chance to finish in the upper half of the Eastern Conference in the coming years.

Recent Drafts:
2006- JJ Redick, James Augustine
Grade- C
Redick struggled mightily in his rookie season, averaging 6 points per game in just 15 minutes of action. Lucky for Redick, Billy Donovan is a master at utilizing spot-up shooters in his offense. Expect Redick to be moved into the starting lineup and play the role that Lee Humphrey played at Florida for Coach Donovan.

2005- Fran Vazquez, Travis Diener
Grade- D
Vazquez, the 11th overall pick, is under contract in Spain until 2009. Donovan has already contacted the young Spanish star and Vazquez said he was so impressed with Coach Donovan that he would attempt to personally pay his club team to release him so he can join the Magic as soon as possible.

This Offseason: The Magic has a sleuth of free agents to make decisions on. It will probably try to re-sign Keyon Dooling and Darko Milicic if neither player demands too much money. Grant Hill, Pat Garrity, and Bo Outlaw are all likely to be released. Orlando has a lot of cap space and will try to lure hometown hero Vince Carter away from the swamps of New Jersey. Carter is the go-to wing scorer that could propel the Magic to the next level. He has expressed interest in playing for Donovan, as has Sonics SF Rashard Lewis. The Magic could come away the big winners in the free agent market.

Draft Outlook: Orlando does not have a first round pick, but does hold two second round selections (44th and 54th overall). Donovan said he is thrilled with the opportunity to draft Taurean Green and Chris Richard. Though Green might not be on the board, expect Donovan to trade up to nab him. Green may not start at PG, but he will supplant Nelson and at times play alongside him in the backcourt.
The difference in the team next year clearly will be Billy Donovan. Thankfully for Orlando fans, Donovan was their man, not someone like say…Stan Van Gundy. That would suck, wouldn’t it?

Washington Wizards

Season Recap: The Wiz looked like the class of the East for a while, and then the injury bug hit. All-NBA PG Gilbert Arenas (28.4 ppg) and SF Caron Butler (19.1 ppg, 7.4 rebounds) both went down with season-ending injuries. Washington finished as the 7th seed in the conference and was severely undermanned in the first round against Cleveland. The Cavs easily took the series as some Washington reserves such as Andray Blatche and Roger Mason Jr. were forced to play major roles.

Recent Drafts:
2006- Oleksiy Pecherov, Vladimir Veremeenko
Grade- INC
Neither player has joined the Wizards or spelled their name correctly since being drafted.

2005- Andray Blatche
Grade- B
Blatche was a great value at 49th overall, and though he was raw coming out of high school, he has the potential to be the post presence that Washington has always lacked.

This Offseason: Essentially all of Washington’s role players are free agents this offseason. Blatche, Mason Jr., Jarvis Hayes, DeShawn Stevenson, Calvin Booth, Mike Hall, and Donnell Taylor all need to re-new their contracts this summer. The team most likely will re-sign Blatche, Mason Jr., and possibly Hayes if he is cheap enough. Stevenson will likely command the most money and will be expendable if the team is able to draft a shooting guard like Thaddeus Young or Nick Young to replace him.

Draft Outlook: Washington holds the 17th and 47th picks in the draft and will target either a SG or a big man who can score, such as Colorado State’s Jason Smith. As tough as Brendan Haywood, Etan Thomas, and Blatche have been inside, none of them is a legitamate offensive threat. Drafting a sweet-shooting big man like Smith would take a lot of pressure off of the perimeter scorers and give Washington a whole different dimension offensively.

Miami Heat

Season Recap: A year removed from hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy, Miami looked old and lethargic as they were swept out of the first round by the young, energetic Chicago Bulls. The Heat Shaq played in only 40 games and averaged just 17.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Antoine Walker averaged a career-low 8.5 points per game, James Posey was a huge disappointment (7 ppg), and Gary Payton’s play started spiraling downwards after he got too drunk at Alonzo Mourning’s 50th birthday bash. Miami has it’s centerpiece in Wade, but will need to make some serious changes in order to make another title run.

Recent Drafts:
2006- No Picks

2005- Wayne Simien
Grade- C
Simien has been buried on the depth chart, but with Mourning about to be relocated to a nursing home and Antoine Walker and Michael Doleac about to be relocated to the NBDL, Simien might get a chance to flex his muscle inside.

This Offseason: The only free agent worth re-signing is three-point marksman Jason Kapono. Doleac and Posey will most likely be released, and in the depressing situation that Mourning, Payton, and Eddie Jones decide to play another season, Miami will probably let them go to open up playing time and cap space for younger players. The Heat don’t necessarily need to sign a big-name free agent, they just need some talented young guys with energy to surround Wade and O’Neal.

Draft Outlook: Miami holds the 20th and 38th picks in the draft. They could use help at any position and will likely take NBA ready players with both picks because they don’t have much time to wait for rookies to develop. Expect them to go for a young guard and a young big man, both of whom will probably be college seniors. Possible first-round picks include Acie Law, Gabe Pruitt, and Jason Smith. In the second round, Purdue’s Carl Landry, Wisconsin’s Alando Tucker, or Boston College’s Sean Williams would be wise choices.