2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Charlotte Bobcats

2008 Record: 32-50
Division Finish: 4th – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Larry Brown
Season: Going into first season with Charlotte
Record At Charlotte: First Season
Career Record: 1010-800

Offseason Acquisitions:
Andre Brown, F-C, 3.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg. – Signed from Memphis
Shannon Brown, G, 7.0 ppg, 1.2 rpg – Signded from Chicago

Offseason Losses:
Jeremaine O’Neal, F-C, 13.6 ppg., 6.7 rpg – Traded to Toronto Raptors
Earl Boykins, G, 5.1 ppg., 2.7 apg. – Signed with Italian League
Derek Anderson, G, 5.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg. – Free agent
Othello Harringon, F-C, 2.1 ppg., 1.9 rpg. – Free agent

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed center Emeka Okafor.
Exercised the contract option on forward Adam Morrison through 2009-10.
Re-signed center Ryan Hollins
Exercised the contract option on forward  Jared Dudley through 2009-10.
Exercised the contract option on forward Jermareo Davidson through 2008-09.

Rookies:
DJ Augustin, G, 5-11, 19.2 ppg., 5.8 apg., Texas
Alexis Ajinca, C, 7-1, France

The Skinny:
Like any new franchise, the Charlotte Bobcats have experienced growing pains during their infancy. With a stable of lottery picks the team has accumulated during the last five drafts the team is showing promise, but they are still a ways away from being a playoff contender, even in the weak Eastern Conference.

As to be expected, the first two years in Charlotte were sub-par, but the last two seasons there have been signs of improvement. Two years ago the team posted a 33-49 record and in 2007-08 they were only a game short of that.

Some credit has to be given to the Bobcats for how they’ve gone about putting their team together. While they have been trying to bring along their rookies and young players, Charlotte’s front office has brought in some solid free agents to help bring the team along.

Their biggest acquisition that the team made came last season when they brought in shooting guard Jason Richardson from Golden State. Last season he was the team’s leading scorer at 21.8 points per game. It was nearly six points better than his previous season and the second-highest scoring average of his career. He also averaged 5.4 rebounds per game.

During the expansion draft they grabbed Gerald Wallace from the Sacramento Kings.
Wallace was spinning his wheels during his first three seasons in Sacramento, but as soon as he came to Charlotte his career started to flourish. He has averaged at least 15 ppg. during his last three seasons, including a career-high 19.4 ppg. He also averaged 6.0 rpg. and 3.5 assists per game.

The third three agent the team brought in was center Nazr Mohammed. Mohammed is a 10-year journeyman who most recently spent time in Detroit. Charlotte is the sixth team that Mohammed has played for and it seems to fit him. He scored 9.3 ppg. last season, which was his highest average since 2004-05 and his third-best. His 6.9 rpg. is nearly triple his board production from his last season in Motown.

To compliment the three free agent starters, the Bobcats have a pair of their own in the starting five.  Forward Emeka Okafor was the team’s first draft choice four years ago. The NBA Rookie of the Year he has been pretty solid during his first three and a half seasons. An ankle injury his second season only allowed him to play about 30 percent of the seasons.

Since then he has rebounded nicely. Last season he averaged a double-double for the fourth season in a row with 13.8 ppg. – ranking him second on the team – and 10.7 rpg. The 2007-08 campaign was also the first time he played and started in all 82 games. If he can stay healthy he can be one of the top players in the league, but toiling in Charlotte could keep him from being a super star.

The year after the Bobcats drafted Okafor, their second draft pick was point guard Ray Felton from near by North Carolina. Felton was a good pick on two accounts. One, being a Tar Heal he helps bring in an already established fan base. Two, he gives them a young point guard that they can bring along to run the team.  Last season he averaged 14.4 ppg. and a career-high 7.4 apg.

During the last two drafts the team has been bringing in people to play behind the free agents they have so that soon they can get rid of the free agents and have their own people in place. Two years ago they brought in shooting guard Adam Morrison and during the second draft they also grabbed power forward Sean May.

Two years ago May and Morrison were a pair of solid reserves. May scored 11.9 ppg. and grabbed 6.7 rpg. while Morrison was averaging 11.8 ppg. Unfortunately, both players missed all of last season with knee injuries. May had micro fracture surgery on his right knee and Morrison had a torn ACL. With an already thin roster, having May and Morrison available would have bolstered their chances of making the playoffs.

Prediction:
While there is a decent nucleus in place in Charlotte, it is only decent and even for the Eastern Conference that is saying a lot. The team is still a few years away from being a solid playoff contender and they need to make some upgrades.

Charlotte also made another serious move when they brought in Larry Brown to be their head coach. Browns is at his ninth NBA job with the Bobcats and he has been successful everywhere he has been. One interesting thing is that Brown has done better when he has had more veteran players. At his age I am not sure why he took the job. This does not seem like his place. One would think that he would want to step into a team like the Bulls or Pheonix, not a young Charlotte team.

The biggest hole the team seems to have is in the center position. While Mohammed has been playing much better in Charlotte, he is not what the team needs to make a jump to the next level. He can hold the fort down, but only for so long.

In addition, they have not done much to bolster that spot. The center position is the one spot that they have not tried to bolster through the draft or free agency. They brought in 7-foot Ryan Hollins from UCLA and he has been less than stellar. They also drafted rookie Alexis Ajinca from France, but I am not a big fan of foreign centers. The game is so much different. Foreign guards in the NBA have proven to be able to play, but the jury is still out on the big men. Until they get a legitimate center are only going to go so far.

What Charlotte does have is some trade bait. This year they drafted point guard D.J. Augustin, who averaged 19.2 ppg. and 5.8 apg. at Texas. Typically you do not waste a first round draft pick on a player that you want as a back-up, especially when you have a need at another position. That is more of a second round pick up. Either Felton or Augustin could be used to bring in a big man in a trade or to move up in next year’s draft.

It will be interesting to see how Morrison and May come back this year. Knee injuries, particularly in the NBA, can be tough to come back from. With all the jumping and directional changes, it can be rough on a knee.

I can see Charlotte making some slight improvements, maybe getting close to .500, but that is about as high as they are going to go. If they were a better team in positions 1-to-4 then they could get away with Mohammed as a starter, but they are not that good yet. Maybe in a few years, but not this year. They will miss the playoffs, but get better.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Chicago Bulls
2008 Record: 33-49
Division Finish: 4th – Central
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs

Head Coach: Vinny Del Negro
Season: Going into first season
Record At Chicago: First season
Career Record: First season

Offseason Acquisitions:
Signed Roger Powell, F – Signed from Italy

Offseason Losses:
Chris Duhon, G, 5.8 ppg., 4.0 apg. – Signed with New York Knicks
Shannon Brown, G, 5.4 ppg., 0.8 apg – Signed with Charlotte Bobcats

Offseason Transactions:
Re-signed guard Ben Gordon
Re-signed forward Loul Deng
Tendered offer to forward Demetris Nicholas

Rookies:
Derrick Rose, G, 14.5 ppg., 4.7 apg, Memphis

The Skinny:
After a dark period in the franchise’s history following the end of the Michael Jordan era, it appeared that the Chicago Bulls had found their way back to prominence. The Bulls had made three-straight appearances in the playoffs and were building themselves into a pretty good team. Then the bottom fell out last season.

General manager John Paxton had put together a pretty good core of players. He had a lot of young guys from good college programs that knew how to win. They added Ben Wallace to the fray to give them someone to sure up the middle. Two years ago the Bulls swept the Miami Heat in the first round and gave the Pistons a run for their money.

It is hard o say what the Bulls’ problem was last year. There were swirling rumors during the summer of 2007 that may have contributed to the bad start. Young star Luol Deng and Ben Gordon were offered contracts, but both turned them down and did not go into detail as to why. However, they re-signed during this offseason. Conventional wisdom says they would sign after a successful one, not a bad one. On the other hand, maybe they can ask for more money knowing that the Bulls need them. Hard to tell.

There was also hints at the team was trying to bring in a big time free agent. Among the names swirling were Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and even Kobe Bryant. Garnett and Gasol did eventual get traded, but neither ended up in Chicago.
Whether it was all the uncertainty or just the fact that they were now one of the top teams in the league and people were gunning for them, Chicago got the 2007-08 season off to a bad start. They lost 10 of their first 12 and head coach Scott Skiles – who was so instrumental in their previous success – was given the boot.

Things never turned up for the Bulls during the 2007-08 season. Needing a change, they shipped three players, including Ben Wallace, off to Cleveland and Seattle. In exchange they got some good players in Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes. Gooden was the number three scorer on the team (14.0 points per game) and Hughes was fifth (12.0 ppg.)

Something that I think hurt the team was consistency. Between dumping the head coach and the big trade in February, there was a lot things that disrupted the team. If you are going to have a successful team they need to gel on the court and there was just too much turnover for that to happen.

A dozen players made the starting line up in almost 20 percent of the Bulls’ games last year. I’m no mathematician, but I can’t even begin to tell you how many different starting line-ups that could be. Only Kirk Hinrich (72 games) and Deng (59) played in over 50 percent of the contests. That is really no way to get a team to play together.

Not helping the Bulls consistency this year is that they have a new coach and when I say new I really mean new. Up until this season, Vinny Del Negro had coached as many NBA games as you or I. Chicago brought in some experienced people to assist Del Negro, but I am just not in favor of the hire.

I just do not get why they hired Del Negro. A guy like Mike D’Antoni, who had a lot of success in Phoenix, would have been a great choice. With the young talent Chicago has his run and gun system could have worked. Avery Johnson would have been another good choice.

I know professional coaches get recycled all the time, but if you did not want to go with a guy who had already been a head coach, get an up-and-coming assistant. The last time Del Negro was on the bench he was in uniform for the Suns. At least Skiles spent some time as an assistant before getting the Bulls’ job.

One of the benefits of being as bad as they were was that the Bulls got into the lottery and actually won the thing. With the number one selection they chose guard Derrick Rose from Memphis. He was a really good point guard that led the Tigers to the national championships game. Rose needs to give the Bulls’ offense a kick in the butt as they were only 18th in the league last year at 97.2 ppg., but again I attribute that to inconsistency.

Prediction:
Since very few teams play defense in the NBA, the Bulls really need to focus on their offense. They saw a significant drop across the board from their star players and that is something they need to address during the season. If the offense is clicking that could help them prevent a poor start like the one they had last year. With very little player movement this year they should have a chance to gel a little quicker and get the offense humming.

One thing that will be interesting this year is that someone is going to see their playing time get cut. With so many guys playing last year they will all want a piece of that starting role. The question is how does Del Negro balance that or is someone going to get shopped around.

In the backcourt you have four very good players in Rose, Hinrich, Hughes and Gordon. Then in the front court you have got Deng, Gooden and Tyrus Thomas plus Joakim Noah. That is eight layers and they all cannot obviously be on the court at the same time.

I think that Noah is the first odd-man out. I can see them going with Deng, Gooden and Thomas in the front court. I never been a fan of Noah, I think he is soft and a whiner, but beyond that he really has not produced in the pros. He was a good college player, who was surrounded by more good players.

The front court is going to be more of a mystery. Rose and Hinrick are going to be in a battle for the starting point guard spot. I can see Hinrick being the starter at the beginning of the year with Rose eventually taking over the duties. Right now Gordon has a big toe injury and is not at 100 percent. That will give Hughes more playing time for now, but when Gordon is healthy he should be the starter.

If for someone reason everyone is happy being in Chicago then the Bulls are going to have one of the deepest, however youngest, teams in the league. Hughes is the only player with double-digit experience and after that the oldest player is Gooden and he is only going into his six season.

However, this is era of free agency and most players are not willing to just sit around and be a reserve. To go along with that, there are plenty of teams that are low on talent that could use one of the Bulls’ reserves. If Rose is the future I see Hinrick asking to be traded even though he just signed a multi-year deal two years ago. Gordon could be gone as well. He only signed a one-year deal and he could probably command a lot on the open market.

The Bulls are a tough team to get a read on. They have a lot of young, stockpiled talent, but things are uncertain with a new head coach who has zero experience. I have concerns about their front court and that could be their undoing. I think they have the talent to make the playoffs, but I just don’t think it will happen this year with Del Negro on the bench. If this was a much more experienced team that could overcome coaching mistakes then I would be higher on them. On the other hand, I could see them knocking someone like Toronto out of the mix.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Indiana Pacers

2008 Record: 36-46
Division Finish: 3rd – Central
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Jim O’Brien
Season: Going into second season
Record At Indiana: 36-46
Career Record: 218-204

Offseason Acquisitions:
TJ Ford, G, 12.2 ppg, 6.1 apg. – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Radoslav Nesterovic, C, 7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg., – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Austin Croshere, F, 3.9 ppg., 2.4 rpg. – Signed from Golden State Warriors
Maceo Baston, F, 2.7 ppg., 1.7 rpg. – Traded from Toronto Raptors
Josh Davis, F, 2.5 ppg., 1.7 rpg. – Signed as free agent
Jarrett Jack, G, 9.9 ppg., 3.8 apg. – Traded from Portland Trail Blazers
Josh McRoberts, F, 1.5 ppg., 1.3 rpg. -  Traded from Portland Trail Blazers

Offseason Losses:
Jeremaine O’Neal, F-C, 13.6 ppg., 6.7 rpg – Traded to Toronto Raptors
Ronald “Flip” Murray, G, 11.0 ppg., 3.5 apg – Signed with Atlanta Hawks
Kareem Rush, G, 8.3 ppg, 2.4 ppg – Signed with Philadelphia 76ers
Shawne Williams, F, 6.7 ppg., 2.7 rpg. – Traded to Dallas Mavericks
David Harrison, C, 4.2 ppg., 2.1 rpg. – Signed with Minnesota Timberwolves
Andre Owens, G, 4.0 ppg., 1.5 rpg. – Sign with Serbian League
Ike Diogu, F, 5.6 ppg., 2.8 rpg. – Traded to Portland Trail Blazers

Offseason Transactions:
Signed Jeff Foster, C, to a contract extension.
Exercised the option on Stephen Graham,G, through 2008-09 season.

Rookies:
Roy Hibbert, C, 7-2, 13.4 ppg., 6.4 rpg., Georgetown
Brandon Rush, G, 6-7, 13.3 ppg, 5.1, rpg., Kansas

The Skinny:
Before the Detroit Pistons were the team to beat in the Eastern Conference it was the Indiana Pacers that everyone had to get through to make it to either the conference or NBA Finals. However, the last few years have not been kind to the Pacers, but they look like may have turned the corner and will be a playoff team in 2007-08.

Six years ago the Pacers won the Central Division with a 61-21 record, which is the franchise record for victories. With Reggie Miller only getting better with age like a fine wine and Jermaine O’Neal playing great basketball, the team was on the doorstep of the NBA Finals. They lost to eventual World Champion Detroit in the Eastern Finals.

There are certain moments in sports where you know where you were when something happened. I was in my living room casually watching the Pacers and Pistons in the fall of 2004 when the infamous brawl between the two teams broke out. That might have changed the relationship between the fans and players in all of professional sports It also started a downward spiral for the Pacers.

Indiana managed to get into the second round of the playoffs in 2004-05, but the next year they were bounced in the first round. Three years after playing for the Eastern Conference title, the Pacers were a dismal 35-47. Last season was not much better for the team as they posted a 36-46 record.

But things are not as bad as they may seem in Indiana. As bad as the East is, they still had an outside shot at the playoffs last season and made a great effort to get in. The Pacers won nearly a third of their games during the last month of the season, going 11-5 down the stretch and 7-3 in their last 10 games.

Unlike some teams – New Jersey I am looking in your direction – that purge their teams with a fire sale, Indiana has gradually made changes over the last two years. Last season they brought in Jim O’Brien as head coach, who had Boston in the conference finals in 2001-02 and his teams have made the playoffs in three of the five full seasons he has coached.

Two years ago they started trimming the fat and brought in Troy Muphy and Mike Dunleavy, Jr from Golden State. During this last offseason they traded the face of the franchise, O’Neal, to the Toronto Raptors. While those two trades completely changed the face of the organization, I think they were greatly needed. Between the fight with the Pistons and the retirement of Miller the team needed a new identity. I think they have made the right moves for a fresh start.

I will admit that I have never been a Dunleavy fan, dating back to his days at Duke, but I am also one to admit when I am wrong and this case I am wrong. I would have never guessed that he was averaging double figures the last six years and last season he posted a career-best 19.1 ppg,, an improvement of five points per game. That improvement got him in the running for the NBA Most Improved Player award.

A player who probably does not get enough credit is forward Danny Granger. He quietly led the team with 19.6 ppg. last season. Granger has made huge strides in his three years in the league. He upped his scoring averaged by six points from 2006-07 and by 12 since his rookie season.

While Indiana gave up O’Neal – who has been hampered by injuries of late – they did pick up a big piece of the puzzle in point guard T.J. Ford. The Pacers desperately needed an experienced point guard and Ford’s 6.1 assists per game and 12.2 ppg. will fill that role nicely.

The departure of O’Neal obviously leaves a whole in the front court. As part of the O’Neal trade the Pacers got center Radoslav Nesterovic. He was a spot starter for the Raptors, but was a key part to the San Antonio Spurs’ success, including their 2005 NBA Championships team. I could see him being the starter for the first portion of the season until rookie Roy Hibbert comes along. I am a big Hibbert fan and I like that Indiana has him instead of Australian Nathan Jawai that they originally drafted.

Troy Murphy is a solid power forward, but probably the weakest link in the Indiana starting five. Do not get me wrong, his 12.2 ppg. and 7.2 rpg. is solid, but I think that is the one area that still needs to be addressed. He averaged a double-double for two seasons with Golden State, but his production has slipped of late.

Prediction:
If Indiana stays healthy I think they are a playoff team. They made a good run at the endof the season and have made some good moves to make their team even better. Their biggest problem is their depth.

One through five they have a playoffs caliber team, but their reserves are shaky. Nesterovic and Hibbert are two solid players at the center and Ford has a very good back-up at the point guard position in Jarred Jack. He was a good back-up for the Trail Blazers and Indiana should not miss a beat with him in to spell Ford.

Another spot where they have a good back up is at the shooting guard position. I like players who know how to win and Brandon Rush led the Kansas Jayhawks to the national championship. He will make a good reserve behind Dunleavy and one day could be a great starter in the league. I like that Indiana swapped the draft rights of Jarryd Bayless for Rush.

That leaves the two forward positions as the susceptible ones. Behind the very talented Granger they only have Stephen Graham, who is below average. The Pacers have brought in a bunch of players to compete for the back-up spot to Murphy. The four players Indiana signed – Austin Crosher, Maceo Baston, Josh Davis and Josh McRoberts – did not averaged as many points combined as Murphy. Crosher is the choice for now. He played for Indiana during their heyday, but is starting to get old. Do not ask me why McRoberts left Duke early. He could have used an extra year there. Instead he has been mediocre, but most Duke pro players do not pan out.

With a strong starting five I think Indiana will get into the playoffs this year. I expect to see them a few games over .500 or right around there. That should put them in the sixth or seventh seed. I think their frontcourt is too weak to get them beyond the first round, but if they upgrade the power forward position they could make a run in 2009-10.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – New Jersey Nets

2008 Record: 34-48
Division Finish: 4th – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Lawrence Frank
Season: Going into sixth season
Record At New Jersey: 191-177
Career Record: Same

Offseason Acquisitions:
Yi Jianlian, F, 8.6 ppg., 5.2, rpg. – Traded from Milwaukee Bucks
Bobby Simmons, F, 7.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg.- Traded from Milwaukee Bucks
Kenyon Dooling, G, 8.1 ppg, 1.8, apg. – Traded from the Orlando Magic
Jarvis Hayes, G, 6-8, 6.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg. – Signed from Detroit Pistons
Eduardo Najera, F, 5.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg – Signed from Denver Nuggets
Julius Hodge, G, – Signed from Australia
Eddie Gill, G, – Signed as free agent.

Offseason Losses:
Richard Jefferson, F, 22.2 ppg.,4.2 rpg.  – Traded to Milwaukee Bucks
Marcus Williams, G, 5.9 ppg., 2.6 apg. – Traded to Golden State Warriors
DeSagna Diop, C, 2.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg. – Signed with the Dallas Mavericks
Bostjan Nachbar, F, 9.8 ppg., 3.5 rpg. – Signed with Russian league
Nenad Krstic, F-C, 6.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg. – Signed with Russian league.

Offseason Transactions:
None

Rookies:
Brook Lopez, C, 7-0, 19.3 ppg., 8.2 rpg., Stanford
Ryan Anderson, F, 6-10, 21.1 ppg., 9.9 rpg., Cal
Chris Douglas-Roberts, F, 6-7, 18.1 ppg, 4.1 rpg., Memphis
Brian Hamilton, G, 10.8 ppg, 5.6, Signed from Developmental League

The Skinny:
If you fell asleep and missed the entire 2007-08 NBA season you would probably have no idea who the New Jersey Nets are this year. Frankly even the most die-hard Nets fan may have a problem recognizing their own team.

For years guard Jason Kidd and forward Richard Jefferson were the faces of the franchise. But for the first time in seven seasons both of those players have a new address. Kidd was traded to the Dallas Mavericks about halfway through the season and Jefferson was moved to the Milwaukee Bucks during the offseason.

During the last couple season when the NBA trade deadline came around Kidd was always one of the players you heard mentioned. With the tread on the tires wearing thin and his scoring production starting to slip – not to mention all the off the court problems he brings – Kidd was shipped to Dallas, the team that originally drafted him.

Jefferson being sent to the Bucks was more of a surprising move. One reason may be his health over the last few years. Jefferson has only played two full seasons in the last four years. Seeing how it seems to be an every-other-year thing for Jefferson, maybe the team thought it was time to move him.

I would have thought the Nets could have gotten more for him than they did. He averaged a career-high 22.6 points per game last season – a product of Kidd being gone and New Jersey not having another scorer besides Vince Carter – and what they got in return was two players who combined don’t have Jefferson’s numbers. They picked up forwards Yi Jianlian, 8.6 ppg., and Bobby Simmons, 7.6 ppg. Not the best trade in the world.

The biggest problem I find with New Jersey is who in the world is going to score for them? Yes Carter will get his points, but his production actually slipped last year by four points per game. That was with Jefferson for the whole season and Kidd for the first part. What is he going to do now that he is the lone star on the team? He will need to score at least 30 a night, but that is not in him and he teams will really concentrate their defense on stopping him.

After Carter, the next best returning scorers on the team is point guard Devin Harris, who averaged 15.4 ppg. and 6.5 assists per game. If you think there is a significant drop off between Carter and Harris you should see the fall after Harris. New Jersey only has four of its top nine scorers back from last year’s team that ranked 25th in the league at 95.8 points per night. Yikes!

There are three players battling for the starting center position. Second-year man Josh Boone scored 8.2 ppg. and grabbed 7.3 rpg. as a reserve. The Nets picked up Yi Jianlian from Milwaukee and he comes in averaging 8.6 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. With mediocre talent in the middle, the starting job could easily go to the team’s first round draft pick, Brook Lopez from Stanford. He scored 19.3 ppg. and grabbed 8.2 rpg. for the Cardinal last season.

Another young player the team will be called upon to have more of a roll in the offense is power forward Sean Williams. In his rookie season he started 29 games, scoring 5.6 ppg. and grabbing 4.4 rpg. Just like center spot, this could be wide open because of the team’s youth. Rookie Ryan Anderson from Cal averaged 21.1 ppg. and 9.9 rpg. If Williams does not show vast improvement I could see the Nets going with Anderson or don’t be surprised if they play Lopez at the four and Jianlian/Boone at center.

Your guess is as good as mine as to who will be the Nets starting small forward when the season opens. By default the starting job goes to Bobby Simmons, but he was less than spectacular at 7.6 ppg. and 3.2 rpg. for the Bucks last season. Rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts may have a shot. He put up 18.1 ppg. and 4.1 rpg. in getting Memphis to the national championship game. Simmons has not panned out that well so why not give Douglas-Roberts a shot.

Prediction:
It is going to be another season without a playoff appearance for the Nets. I think that since they are so young that they will struggle to score points consistently. They were mediocre on offense with Jefferson and I do not see anyone filling his scoring role.

If nothing else the team may show signs of improvement down the road. With the exception of Carter and Harris, I think the other three positions on the floor are up for grabs. What you hope for in that case is for the competition to make everyone better. No one is going to be able to rest on their laurels so they are going to have to produce every night.

The entire frontcourt is going to be a battle. If Boone cannot get it done, then Lopez or Jianlian being ready to step in and take his place. The same goes for Williams in the power forward and Simmons at the small forward.

There are just too many holes on this team for them to really be a playoff team and that is saying a lot in the weak East. I think their backcourt is manageable – for now, Carter is not getting any younger – but something has to be done about the frontcourt. They really did not get much of anything for their two big trades. Who knows what general manager Rod Thorn was doing. I know you’re not going to get much for Kidd, but there should have been a market for Jefferson.

What the Nets’ biggest problem is that they lack any real talent. After Carter I am not sure that anyone of these players would be starting on 95 percent of the NBA rosters. This could be a decent team for a few years down the line, but for the immediate future they should be scouring the college and international ranks for a top big man because they are going to have a lottery pick in 2009.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Atlanta Hawks

2008 Record: 37-45
Division Finish: 3rd – Southeast
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-3, to Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference First Round

Head Coach: Mike Woodson
Season: Going into fifth season
Record At Atlanta: 106-222
Career Record: Same

Offseason Acquisitions:
Ronald “Flip” Murray, G, 11.0 ppg., 3.5 apg – Signed from Indiana Pacers
Maurice Williams, G-F, 9.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg. – Signed from Orlando Magic
Randolph Morris, F-C, 3.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg., – Signed from New York Knicks
Thomas Gardner, G, – Free Agent

Offseason Losses:
Josh Childress, G-F, 11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg – Signed in Greece
Salim Stoudamire, G, 5.7 ppg., 0.8 apg – Signe with San Antonio
Signed Jeremy Richardson, F, 1.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg, – Signed with Orlando Magic

Offseason Transactions:
Matched Memphis Grizzlies contract offer for Josh Smith
Picked up the option on Al Horford through 2009-10
Picked up the option on Acie Law through 2009-10.

Rookies:
Othello Hunter, F, 6-8, 9.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg., Ohio State

The Skinny:
If the Atlanta Hawks were in the Western Conference we would be talking about how they had a great chance to improve their team in the lottery. But since they play in the Eastern Conference were talking about how fortunate they are to be a playoff team. Of course since they did not have any draft picks anyway I guess it was best to make the playoffs. It gives them something to build on and sell tickets.

The Hawks have one of the youngest teams in the NBA. Point guard Mike Bibby, a nine-year veteran, threw off the curve when he joined the team last year. Joe Johnson and Speedy Claxton have six years of service then after that no one has more than four.

That is the good news because they have got a lot of youth and if they can keep this team together they have a shot of being good for a while. That young, cocky attitude was what they need to push the Boston Celtics to a seventh game in the first round of the playoffs.

The flip side of being young is that their inexperience often shows at the wrong time, like game seven against Boston when they lost by 34 points. I think in order to force a game seven they had to expend most of their energy in a tight 103-100 game six victory.

Rick Sund was named the Hawks’ general manager in May, but he didn’t have much to work with. When Atlanta acquired Joe Johnson from Phoenix in 2005 they had to give the Suns their 2008 first round pick. Then when the Hawks brought Bibby on board last season it cost them their second round pick.

Atlanta did get two quality free agents during the offseason. They signed Ronald “Flip” Murray from Indiana. He can play either the point or shooting guard spots. In addition, they picked up swingman Maurice Williams from the Orlando Magic. They signed undrafted rookie Othello Hunter from Ohio State. He was a spot starter during the Buckeyes’ run to the National Championship game and averaged 9.9 points per game and 6.2 rebounds per game as a start on the OSU’s NIT Championship squad.

The reason for the such a quiet offseason is that Atlanta has almost all of its pieces back from last year’s team. Conventional wisdom says that should make them a better team, but we will see. It is the East after all.

Johnson is back for his fourth season with the Hawks. Since being traded to Atlanta from Phoenix he has averaged at least 20 ppg., including last season when he tossed in 21.7 ppg. Johnson is one of the better all-around players in the league as he averaged 4.2 rpg. and assists per game last season.

Five of the Hawks’ top six scorers are back for the 2008-09 season. Atlanta matched an offer sheet from the Memphis Grizzlies to keep Josh Smith and his 17.2 ppg. and 8.2 rpg. around for a few more years. They had to do that. He is the face of the franchise and if they lost him they might have spun back into oblivion. Forward Marvin Williams continued his improvement as he poured in a career-high 14.8 ppg. and grabbed 5.7 rpg.

The lone top scorer not back is Josh Childress. He accepted a $20 million, three year deal to play in a team in Greece. I guess he is just chasing the money since he had a pretty decent season last year. The Haws will miss his 11.8 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. Atlanta still holds the rights to Childress for two more years if he decided to come back to the NBA. If they do not rescind their qualifying offer to him he will count for about $4.5 million against the cap.

The weakest portion of the Hawks last season was the point guard spot so that is why they went out and got Bibby. Speedy Claxton was hurt most of last season and Acie Law was just a rookie and was not ready to start in the NBA. That left most of the duties up to Johnson, which probably affected his scoring production. Just over halfway through the season the team brought in Bibby and he averaged 14.1 ppg. and 6.5 apg., but the team went just 15-18 with him running the show. Bringing in a point guard at midseason is like bringing in a quarterback. Yeah it might be an upgrade, but only over time. It takes a while to get all the timing down. I would imagine the team was Law to learn behind Bibby for a few years.

Prediction:
I am not exactly sold on Atlanta as a consistent playoff team. Last season was their first trip to the playoffs in eight years. And it is not like the Hawks have been just knocking on the doorstep of the playoffs every year only to just miss it by this much. They have been brutal.

The 37-45 record was their best record since 1998-99 when the last made the playoffs. If this team plays in the Western Conference it is excited about a lottery pick, not selling playoff tickets.

I could be wrong about the Hawks this year, but I do not think they are going to make the playoffs. As bad as the East is, it is very possible that I am wrong. Atlanta, Indiana and New Jersey are all very mediocre teams that will be fighting for that eighth spot. Who knows what the Miami Heat will do this year, but I think they will be better as well. Maybe someone like Toronto or Orlando slips up and two of the three aforementioned teams gets into the playoffs.

I have never really been a big Mike Bibby fan. I am just not. I think he has got some occasional good moves that give him some flash, but I do not think there is much substances there. Think back to all the talent he had around him in Sacramento during that four-year run from 2000-04 and they never got it done. I always thought he got out-played in crunch time.

As I said above bringing in a point guard in midseason is like bringing in a quarterback at midseason, but should he not have made them slightly better? At least they could have gone more than 15-18 during his time. He is an improvement over what they had, but not what they need to be a consistent playoff team.

Another problem for the Hawks is at the center position. Second-year man Al Horford will be the starting center, but I am not sure if he is an NBA center or not. Maybe in college, but I do not think he can do it in the Association. I think he would be a great power forward, but you already have Smith and Williams. Maybe I am wrong. He put up some solid numbers his first year – 10.1 ppg. and 9.7 rpg. – but less than a block per game. Zaza Pachulia from Georgia, the country not the school, is his back up and he is mediocre. Once Horford came in last year Pachulia was demoted to the bench and only scored 5.2 ppg and grabbed 4.0 rpg.

I also think losing Josh Childress is going to be a bigger problem than they think. He was a really good sixth-man and they did not bring in any of his caliber during the offseason. Flip Murray is okay, but I do not think he is at Childress’ level.

Bottom line, I see the eighth spot in the East going to someone like Indiana or New Jersey, not the Hawks. If this team stays together and improves they could build into a consistent playoff team, but they are a year or two away from that.