First S2 NBA GM Draft Peer Evaluation of Teams

<font size="3">The Pacific Division</font></p>

As we know, the NBA is a league of stars. So who are the biggest and brightest names in this division?</p>

Shaq and Ray Allen are a dangerous inside-out combo on the Clippers. J-Kidd is running the show in Sacramento for the Kings. A.I. is drawing in the fans in Phoenix with Carlos Boozer providing a post presence. TMac looks like he'll have to do it all alone for the Lakers, with Elton Brand out an extended period of time. And Golden State is very excited for the future with Greg Oden at center. </p>

Who are the up and coming stars talent within the division?</p>

Obviously, Greg Oden has pushed himself to the top of this list without ever playing a minute of NBA basketball. The Warriors (as GMed by your humble author) certainly have the most impressive collection of young talent, with Leandro Barbosa and Al Jefferson supporting Oden, although there are very serious questions about how they will play together. The rest of the division is relatively sparse for young talent - only Carlos Boozer in Phoenix and Mo Williams in L.A. (Clips) could be considered stars that are just entering their prime. </p>

Josh Childress, Jameer Nelson (LAL both) and Paul Milsap (Kings) have shown early in their careers that they are good role players, but are all questionably suited for a starting role. Players of a similar talent level, Luke Walton (Phoenix) and Mikael Pietrus (LAC) will likely be able to play more effectively in niche roles off the bench. All of these players are quite young, and may grow into and beyond the roles required of them.</p>

Stars can't win games alone. You don't need a shoe company to tell you that it takes 5. Who are the key role players on each team?</p>

The Kings seem to be made up of nothing but successful role players. Stephen Jackson, Raja Bell, and Marcus Camby have all shown they can be integral parts of teams making a run to the Finals. Considering Jason Kidd's reputation for taking good players and making them look great, this may turn out to be a winning combination. The most serious concern would seem to be that none of these players are good enough to create opportunities, so that scoring against a set half court offense may come very difficultly. Still, this would appear to be a very strong defensive team (especially with Desmond Mason coming off the bench), and considering the overall team speed here, that should lead to a very strong transition game. This team should play very similarly to Kidd's old Martin-Jefferson Nets team - strong, clutch defense, a relentless transition game and a maddening inability to score in the half-court.</p>

Phoenix has it's work cut out for them, trying to do the impossible: namely, find players who are a good match for Allen Iverson. Rip Hamilton has played at an All-Star level in Detroit, but will almost certainly not reach that level here as the third option on offense. Still, his catch and shoot skills are deadly in a structured offense that works to get him open shots. Similarly, Bruce Bowen and Eric Dampier are defensive specialists that can be offensive liabilities if they are forced to improvise on offense. If AI can get himself under control, and run a structured offense based around Boozer posting up and Iverson's elite drive and kick capabilities, this could be a scarily efficient offensive machine. Walton coming off the bench would seem to be better suited to Iverson's improvisation.</p>

The Lakers are going to have a lot of trouble, as Jameer Nelson, Mikki Moore and Josh Childress are, quite frankly, barely NBA caliber starters. Without Elton Brand, it's going to be Tracy McGrady vs. the world. Most nights, the world should win. The Clippers have one of the best role players in the league in Tayshaun Prince, who can do nearly anything you ask him to, from defending anyone from point guards to power forwards, scoring clutch baskets or pulling down rebounds. He is a winner, through and through, and the type of player that has consistently helped Shaq led teams make the jump from good to great. Chris Webber is quite the opposite, a guy who early in his career was a key player on many good-but-not-great teams, and lately is a dangerous offensive threat who, because of his knee problems, has literally no chance at guarding the explosive stars at power forward that seem to be the lynchpins of great teams. Mo Williams is a shoot first point guard who's ability to break down the defense will likely be key in initiating the offense. Pietrus off the bench will be relied on as a defensive stopper - outside Prince, the rest of the team is quite weak defensively. </p>

The Golden State Warriors have Bobby Simmons and Shane Battier, who are both talented defensive players who make a high percentage of their three point shots. With Barbosa, who is also an excellent shooter, they will do their best to make teams pay for doubling Al Jefferson in the post. </p>

What style of play should we expect to see out of these teams?</p>

Golden State is a contrast of styles. Barbosa would excell at pushing the break, but the rest of the team can't match his speed. It will be an interesting team from a "second break" perspective, with Battier and Simmons setting up for open threes as teams close in on Barbosa. Likely, they will be most effective in the half-court. Jefferson, Battier and Barbosa are all good at moving the ball, and should be able to exploit double teams. The team will only become more dangerous as Oden learns how to play both off the ball, and at posting up, where he eventually should also demand a double team. Defensively, Jefferson and Barbosa are the weak links, but should be dececnt enough that their mistakes can be covered by their teammates. Overall, a team that will have trouble carving out an identity early on. </p>

The Clippers are going to be a very efficient, if slow, half court team. Defensively, they are going to have a lot of trouble handling strong, athletic frontcourts (e.g. Utah, Philly, Washington and Dallas). Similarly, small, quick guards should be able to penetrate and pass out. There aren't many teams in the league that play slow efficient offense and bad defense, but the ones that do don't tend to make the playoffs.</p>

The Lakers should play like the Real Life Lakers, with Tracy McGrady doing an impression of a poor man's Kobe Bryant. 40 shots a game wouldn't surprise me. </p>

Phoenix may end up being a very rewarding or very frustrating team to watch. Iverson is the key. If he can buy into a system and play disciplined basketball, the offense will run efficiently and the defense will be very good, if not great. If instead, Iverson continues to play as he has his entire career, many a well designed offensive set may just turn into Iverson launching up wild shots. This is a team that, if Iverson had been replaced with Steven Nash, could have been a title contender. As is, the Suns still look like a very good team.</p>

The Kings are going to play fast, because they will have trouble scoring in the half court. Luckily, fast break opportunities should be plentiful with the suffocating defense this team tends to play, and the endless motor of Jason Kidd. If they find a player who can penetrate and draw help defenders, they could be a title contender. </p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay)</div><div class='quotemain'>

To me, the elite teams seem to be the Rockets, Pistons, Utah, Wizards (despite having Brad Miller), Golden State, in that general order. </p></div>

Hooray! Far as I can tell, this is the first time someone's put Golden State in their top tier. Thanks! </p>

 

I think it's still too early to evaluate teams properly, but here are some of the ones with the least and most work to do.</p>

Jazz - The most dominant player paired with an elite scorer. So far the team is well constructed, and there are plenty of players left to plug the remaining holes. A lock contender.</p>

Warriors - Very solid group who might be able to take Greg Oden to the playoffs in his rookie season. Injuries and experience are big concerns and it will be tough to get quality depth to compensate.</p>

Grizzlies - An odd team constructed outside the box. I don't think they will have as much trouble scoring as it looks on the surface. A nightmare to gameplan against. A playoff team that can survive an injury or two. Coaching will be very important, but the talent is there. Fun team drafted with conviction. </p>

Wizards - Durability and injury concerns derail a prominsing start. This team is more likely to miss the playoffs than win a title. Brad Miller looks shot. Ford is brittle. Grant Hill is a shell of himself. Impossible to get enough depth from this point forward. Will need a great team pastor and a lot of luck.</p>

Rockets - This team has five really good players and no chance to win because they have absolutely no inside presence. </p>

Bucks - Great team. Well constructed - the players fit together, lots of key depth. Plenty of diverse tools for the coach to use. This team can play multiple styles. The only flaw is a lack of great defenders, but there are good ones. Darko is still very unproven - he's a bit of a risk. Winners with terrific attitudes everywhere you look. Will be a pleasure to root for and coach.</p>

Pistons - Very dangerous team with some weaknesses in the backcourt. Still work to do in the draft, but the players needed should be there. This team will be a handful. A definite playoff team and possibly more.</p>

Spurs - Very strange, almost randomly constructed team. Wade and Bogut is a decent foundation. Lots of defensive liabilities. This team should make some trades. </p>

Heat - Fun team to watch in the upcoming years. Risky strategy that may never pay off. Probably wouldn't win more than 15 games this season. Josh Smith is a poor veteran leader.</p>

Clippers - Frontcourt durablility could make this team a terrible disappointment. Not sure Mo is the right guy to run this kind of show. Still players available who could help, but nothing will help if there's no Shaq. This team has little to no future. Very risky strategy.</p>

Magic - Nowhere near enough talent to overcome doughnut status. Paul Pierce is demanding a trade to the Pistons to play with KG.</p>

Pacers - This team will be excellent and very well constructed as soon as they trade Zach Randolph. He couldn't be a worse fit for this team. It's the biggest "sore thumb" I see in the entire league.</p>

My eyes are all buggy so I'll continue later. %) </p>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti)</div><div class='quotemain'>Magic - Nowhere near enough talent to overcome doughnut status. Paul Pierce is demanding a trade to the Pistons to play with KG.</div></p>

So who should play the 2, Lewis or Pierce?</p>

 

I really like JCB's team.

 

I like JfizzleRaider's team.

 

<div align="center">Central Division</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">Chicago Bulls:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I get a kick out of this team every time I look at the roster, but unfortunately for Giantsfan1, 2001 was six years ago. Steve Francis is a terrible NBA player incapable of helping any team win. To start a walking shot clock violation like him is never a good idea. Vince Carter is a frustrating player to watch. The Bulls lack size, toughness, defensive ability, and will be a nightmare offensively watching Steve Francis try and play point with scorers such as Vince. Peja, and Abdur-Rahim. This team has absolutely no leadership and is comprised of mentally weak has beens and players in decline. Yikes.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Cleveland Cavaliers:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">It has been said that Kenyon Martin has the worst contract in the league, but if he makes a full recovery, he is a player of 2nd or early 3rd round value that was selected in the 6th round and is a tremendous asset to have off the bench. A 100% Kenyon Martin is an exceptional finisher around the rim and an incredible defender capable of guarding any position on the floor. I remember a game against Charlotte in his rookie year where not only did he guard Baron Davis for a significant portion of the game, he pretty much shut him down. His low rebounding totals in his first few years can be attributed to him being asked to guard wing and perimeter players. He is a player that can help any team when healthy and as a sixth man he could thrive. I can go on with the Kenyon nostalgia forever though, so enough with that..Even if Martin doesn't recover, it was a risk worth taking considering that Howard is extremely young and more than capable of logging big minutes. Howard's physical gifts are stunning and he is the best young big man in the NBA. He still has problems establishing position and isn't equipped to be a good #1 option quite yet, though he's getting there. Jason Richardson complements him well and can easily shoulder some of the scoring load. Brewer and Jack are young and good defenders and Pachulia is serviceable, but this team still needs a little bit more offense. A lot of Cleveland's success hinges on Martin's health, which isn't a good thing.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Detroit Pistons:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The backcourt is weak, but the frontcourt is great. Ben Wallace is overpaid and in decline and Rashard Lewis's contract is terrible. KG's contract is enormous too and Dunleavy's is quite large for a player of his abilities. Problems will arise when Felton needs an extension. A lot of money is being spent for a short title window, but over the next 2-4 years, this will be one of the teams to beat, which is really all that matters. Lewis can shoot and score and will be a fine complement to Big Ben and KG. With KG and Wallace, this should be an excellent rebounding and defensive team. Peterson provides shooting as well as some perimeter defense. Felton is young and doesn't really fit with the veteran core, but he should adapt just fine. Dunleavy is fine in a bench role. The Pistons should have no problem winning the division and will contend for the title.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Indiana Pacers:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Pairing Steve Nash with a plodder and selfish thug like Zach Randolph is easily the most ludicrous decision in the draft so far. Wilcox will feed off Nash and Odom will be a solid contributor, but this team is abysmal defensively. The Pacers team would be better if it traded (or even waived) Randolph. The talent is there, but the chemistry and different play styles will cause this team to fight for one of the last spots or miss the playoffs entirely.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Milwaukee Bucks:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">An all around good team with two strong bench players so far. David West and Caron Butler will score and Monta Ellis has tremendous upside. Darko is still a question mark, as the last two seasons he's shown flashes but has never expanded upon them. Daniels is an excellent backup point and should split time with Calderon, and even play with him on some occasions. Foster is a superb rebounder and hustle player. Very good pick. The team is comprised of character guys and will be a solid playoff team, though as of now they are not strong enough to take the conference. If Ellis can take his game to the next level in a couple years and Darko improves, this team will be scary.</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Z&AElig</div><div class='quotemain'>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti)</div><div class='quotemain'>Magic - Nowhere near enough talent to overcome doughnut status. Paul Pierce is demanding a trade to the Pistons to play with KG.</div></p>

So who should play the 2, Lewis or Pierce? </p>

</div></p>

Well, Lewis can't do it, so that just leaves Pierce.</p>

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While I agree with Ghoti that it's still alittle early, I'm really enjoying reading y'all's assessments.</p>

What's the plural you possessive? </p>

 

ZAE's team is horribly overrated.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real)</div><div class='quotemain'>ZAE's team is horribly overrated. </div>

</p> Don't worry about my team, do philosophy hw.

 

<div align="center">Southeast Division</div><div align="center"></div><div align="left">Atlanta Hawks:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The Hawks are a poorly constructed team featuring players that don't defend and need the ball in their hands to be effective. Ben Gordon isn't a very good point. Hopefully Durant turns into a franchise player someday. This team is way too young and its players don't complement one another at all. The Hawks are a lock for the lottery.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Charlotte Bobcats:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">This team can run and is solid defensively. Halfcourt offense will be an adventure. McDyess isn't good for more than 25 minutes and it remains to be seen whether Scola will be an effective NBA player. Parker is a terrific player who can shoot and defend and Paul is a superb talent. The backcourt is strong with excellent leadership and perimeter defense. This team blends old and young but doesn't have a player that can take over a game offensively. With a strong defense and running game, the Bobcats should fight for one of the last playoff spots.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Miami Heat:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">This team is comprised of all young guys. Obviously it has no chance to win anything right now other than the lottery and is a 20 win team tops. Some veteran leadership is needed so this team doesn't fail completely. All of the young players have bright futures. If kept together, this team can be very good in the future. </div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Orlando Magic:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The Magic are another of the division's poorly constructed teams and will struggle on both ends of the floor. With the exception of Rodriguez, the team is all shoot first players with little defensive ability and no size. Unless Marvin Williams suddenly plays like he should've been drafted ahead of Paul and Williams, and that is highly doubtful, this is a lottery team with no future.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Washington Wizards:</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">This team will win the division by default even though it is unspectacular. Brad Miller is coming off a horrendous season and Grant Hill is on his last legs. Neither should play big minutes. TJ Ford is an erratic, turnover prone player who can't shoot, finish, or defend and is best utilized in an up tempo system. He's not a very good fit here. Obviously Ginobili and Duncan are fantastic and will keep this team in the playoffs and atop the division, but much more help is needed if the Wiz are to seriously contend.</div>

 

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I think we can beat out the Magic.</p>

Tim Duncan is still the best player in the NBA, but that team is asking him to do way too much. He's not young and the Spurs always are careful to limit his minutes and responsibility so he can be 100% when it really counts. The Magic can't do that and still make the playoffs.</p>

It's tough to build a contender without a top 10 pick, but I think Paul, Biedrins and Granger have a very bright future together and make a tough team right now. </p>

Also, don't underestimate Scola in the halfcourt. He isn't as strong as advertised and he's somewhat undersized, but he's very cagey and experienced and is effective operating in the post.</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay)</div><div class='quotemain'>

To me, the elite teams seem to be the Rockets, Pistons, Utah, Wizards (despite having Brad Miller), Golden State, in that general order. I don't consider injury-prone-ness, but do consider injuries. Real has some work to do to back up Miller and Hill. </p>

I don't have the same love everyone else does for Philly- I think they're great, but Belinelli was almost as bad a pick as Shelden, and I have concerns over Bosh's current injured status. Obviously it depends on how the bench fills out. Milwaukee's also up there, as are the Clippers and Bobcats (thanks to Scola being able to spell the 89 year old McDyess). I'd put these 4 in the next tier for now.
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Cleveland's got a weird mix, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the bench develops. </p>

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wooooo i'm an elite team! </p>

and i still haven't gotten a strong inside presence (other than haslem)</p>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (peg182)</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay)</div><div class='quotemain'>

To me, the elite teams seem to be the Rockets, Pistons, Utah, Wizards (despite having Brad Miller), Golden State, in that general order. I don't consider injury-prone-ness, but do consider injuries. Real has some work to do to back up Miller and Hill. </p>

I don't have the same love everyone else does for Philly- I think they're great, but Belinelli was almost as bad a pick as Shelden, and I have concerns over Bosh's current injured status. Obviously it depends on how the bench fills out. Milwaukee's also up there, as are the Clippers and Bobcats (thanks to Scola being able to spell the 89 year old McDyess). I'd put these 4 in the next tier for now.
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Cleveland's got a weird mix, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the bench develops. </p>

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wooooo i'm an elite team! </p>

and i still haven't gotten a strong inside presence (other than haslem) </p>

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You have a collection of really good players, but you constructed a team that can't win.</p>

It's very unlikely you would make the playoffs. Your team is very easy to gameplan against. </p>

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Luis Scola was a great pick to pair with McDyess.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ghoti)</div><div class='quotemain'>

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I think we can beat out the Magic.</p>

Tim Duncan is still the best player in the NBA, but that team is asking him to do way too much. He's not young and the Spurs always are careful to limit his minutes and responsibility so he can be 100% when it really counts. The Magic can't do that and still make the playoffs.</p>

It's tough to build a contender without a top 10 pick, but I think Paul, Biedrins and Granger have a very bright future together and make a tough team right now. </p>

Also, don't underestimate Scola in the halfcourt. He isn't as strong as advertised and he's somewhat undersized, but he's very cagey and experienced and is effective operating in the post.</p>

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That's an interesting assessment, even though Tim Duncan doesn't play for the Magic.</p>

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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Z&AElig</div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Real)</div><div class='quotemain'>ZAE's team is horribly overrated. </div>

</p>Don't worry about my team, do philosophy hw.</div>

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At least I do my HW..</p>