- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Yielding three playoff teams, the Southeast Division is a clear story of the haves and have-nots.
Miami have the talent to compete for an NBA championship, Orlando and Atlanta are just under them, with Charlotte and Washington in rebuilding mode.
However, all teams have to make changes to be where they need to be next season.
ATLANTA
Free agents: Hilton Armstrong, Jason Collins, Jamal Crawford, Josh Powell, Etan Thomas, Damien Wilkins (all unrestricted).
Atlanta are the perennial six-seed in the Eastern Conference, and have the same problem as Orlando – for the last five years, they’ve only been playing one decent big man, and that big man was drafted as a power forward.
Al Horford had a great year in 2010-11, but he was playing out of position the whole time. His five-year $60 million extension kicks in next year, and with Joe Johnson’s six year, $120 million contract signed last year, Atlanta doesn’t have the cap flexibility it would need to improve its roster. The only answer is to trade arguably its best player, Josh Smith, an undersized power forward who can’t shoot, but can defend four positions.
Deal they should make: Chris Kaman and Al-Farouq Aminu for Josh Smith and $2.5 million trade exception. This trade frees up Al Horford to play (and dominate) at power forward, gives the Hawks a proven centre that can crash the boards and score, and a future starting small forward in Aminu who can rebound and defend. The new starting line-up of Kaman-Horford-Williams-Johnson-Teague, with a bench of Pachulia-Aminu-Hinrich (and hopefully, Jamal Crawford) will be more competitive and imposing.
CHARLOTTE
Free agents: Kwame Brown, Dominic McGuire, Nazr Mohammed, Joel Przybilla (unrestricted), Dante Cunningham and Garrett Temple (restricted).
Charlotte already made a big move on draft night, shipping out Captain Jack, Stephen Jackson, to move up in the draft to pick seven and get back slasher Corey Maggette. The draft also allowed them to score some major young talent in defensive-minded power forward Bismack Biyombo, and scoring point guard Kemba Walker. The only problem with those picks? The Bobcats already have a scoring point guard in DJ Augustin. This makes their next move pretty clear.
Deal they should make: DJ Augustin and DJ White to Sacramento for Omri Casspi and Jason Thompson. This is a good deal for both clubs, as Thompson was stuck in a logjam in a front court loaded with DeMarcus Cousins and Sam Dalembert, and with Hassan Whiteside and rookie Tyler Honeycutt, the Kings are loaded with young frontcourt options.
Augustin gives them a viable third guard and results in new draftee Jimmer Ferdette playing a more natural bench role, relieving Augustin or Tyreke Evans. Casspi gives the Bobcats a quality sixth man who can relieve Gerald Henderson or Maggette off the bench.
MIAMI
Free agents: Mike Bibby, Erick Dampier, Juwan Howard, Jamaal Magloire (unrestricted), Eddie House (player option), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (player option), James Jones (player option).
So close, yet so far away. Miami came within two games of an NBA Championship, but unfortunately (for them) fell to a superior rotation, proving that you need more than three and a half players to win a title in the NBA.
Deal they should make: Chris Bosh and Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry and Hasheem Thabeet. Houston would gain an All Star, someone who they can combine with Kevin Martin, Patrick Patterson, Ilgauskas, Chase Budinger and Jonny Flynn to form a potential playoff team in the West. Miami don’t lose much in the Bosh-to-Scola downgrade, gain a starting PG in Lowry, and the swap between Ilgauskas and Thabeet shouldn’t cause much of a difference.
ORLANDO
Free agents: Malik Allen, Earl Clark, Jason Richardson (unrestricted).
Orlando is the lucky winner of the “will he or won’t he” stakes this year, through the impending free agency of one Dwight Howard. Howard is obviously unhappy with the personnel moves made by Otis Smith in recent years, including the ridiculous Rashard Lewis contract, and stubborn “one big man” stance they have taken since Howard became an All Star. The real issue here is Orlando’s lack of front line help for Howard, as Orlando has proven that the one big man line-up cannot win a championship.
Deal they should make: Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Matt Barnes for Dwight Howard and Gilbert Arenas. Everybody wins, except Miami. Orlando then has a starting line-up of Gasol-Odom-Turkoglu-Q-Rich-Nelson, and bench of Barnes, Bass, Anderson and Duhon. It’s a playoff team. The Lakers have Bynum and Howard, plus Artest, Kobe and Arenas, who might be rejuvenated by the Los Angeles experience, or might go insane and retire.
WASHINGTON
Free agents: Othyus Jeffers, Larry Owens, Hamady Ndiaye, Nick Young (restricted), Maurice Evans, Josh Howard, Mustafa Shakur, Yi Jianlian (unrestricted).
Washington had arguably the best draft night of all 30 teams, securing the services of athletic forwards Jan Vesely and Chris Singleton. With Small Forward and Point Guard (John Wall) all set, the ‘Zards need to ensure they are happy with the other three spots on the floor.
Deal they should make: Andray Blatche to New Jersey with Kevin Seraphin for Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro. Morrow has two years $8 million left on his deal, which is less than the Wizards would have to pay Nick Young if they signed him to a new contract.
The deal is mostly about moving Blatche, an offensive black hole for the Wizards last season. Sometimes a change of scenery is all a player needs, and with an older, more assertive point guard in Deron Williams, plus a hard coach in Avery Johnson, New Jersey might be the right environment for Blatche to flourish.
In the mean time though, the Wizards shed his terrible contract, and get ready for Rashard Lewis’ expiring deal to give them trade options in 2012-13.
Build your own ultimate team! Pick your key players and take a shot at big cash prizes every day with Draftstars. For great odds on NBA games every day head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.