NBA Offseason: SCIC Roundtable – Part 1

May 4, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) gets fouled while shooting against San Antonio Spurs guard

(4) in game seven of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center. The Spurs won 119-96. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

Which Western Conference team had the best summer?

Michael Saenz: The Dallas Mavericks, and it’s not even close. Dallas added Tyson Chandler, a rejuvenated Raymond Felton, Chandler Parsons and an underrated Jameer Nelson. They’re adding all that to a team that took the San Antonio Spurs to Game 7 in round one of the playoffs, and to a team that finished the regular season (in the grind that is the Western Conference) 16 games over .500. I know the NBA is all about matchups, and the Mavs matched up awfully well with the Spurs this past season, but the eight-seeded Mavs easily climbed into the top-5 of the Western Conference in a matter of a month.

John Armstrong: The easy answer is San Antonio because they resigned their championship unit and drafted a very ‘Spursy’ player in Kyle Anderson, but my answer is Dallas. While the hottest small forwards on the market in free agency were LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, for obvious reasons, Chandler Parsons somewhat flew under the radar and was signed by the Mavericks when Houston refused to match his offer sheet. The Mavs now have a young stud who can step right in and offer effective scoring and underrated defense. Plus, Parsons can fill right in for Dirk Nowitzki when he ultimately retires and become Dallas’ centrepiece.

But for now, Dirk isn’t going anywhere and can be an invaluable mentor to young Parsons who is already a borderline All Star; With added responsibility and more opportunity to display leadership, he could take that next step. At the very least, I see him becoming a better version of his Houston self.

Morten Jensen: When Dante Exum fell into their laps at #5, I had a feeling Utah would make some additional strides over the course of summer. As it turns out, they only had to wait another 18 picks for their second impact player, when they got Rodney Hood at #23 who’s a guy no one should sleep on. They overpaid for Gordon Hayward in free agency, but that beat not retaining him at all, and they even got their hands on Trevor Booker who is exactly the type of hard-nosed power forward who will push Derrick Favors in training camp.

Add in the fact that Tyrone Corbin is gone, which at this point had become a necessity, and we’re looking at a rejuvenated Utah team with plenty of youth and potential. If they were to make serious playoff noise in three years, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

George Middleton: It’s tough to determine who had the best summer from the Western Conference, but I believe it was the Dallas Mavericks who added Chandler Parsons via free agency and Tyson Chandler through trade. Chandler will add a defensive presence that the Mavericks were missing last year and they added a terrific third scoring option in Parsons. They might’ve lost Vince Carter and Jose Calderon but the Mavericks certainly made up for the losses with their acquisitions. Dallas also added Jameer Nelson, Raymond Felton, and Al-Farouq Aminu. The Trail Blazers are also a team to be considered as they kept everyone significant, and added two veterans in Steve Blake and Chris Kaman.

Bryce Olin: San Antonio probably had the best summer while celebrating their title, but I think it’s pretty obvious Dallas had the best summer, in terms of the moves they made. Adding Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler puts them right at the top of the second tier in the West with Portland, Golden State, Memphis, and, I guess, Houston. Losing Vince Carter and Jose Calderon hurts a little. Parsons, Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, and Chandler make a good “Big 4” and Dallas has a few good role players, like Devin Harris, Jameer Nelson, and Brendan Wright, to add some depth.

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Brandon Osborne: The Dallas Mavericks were able to trade for Tyson Chandler while also signing Chandler Parsons. It would not surprise me if the Mavericks were a top 4 team in the West this upcoming season.

David Ramil: I think the clear favorite is Dallas, who tremendously upgraded a solid roster that arguably gave the San Antonio Spurs their greatest playoff challenge. They acquired Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler by trading Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert to New York. Chandler is a familiar name that won a title in 2011 with Dallas and Felton could be a solid player. Then they signed a young, up-and-coming star in Chandler Parsons. They’ve bolstered their bench, most notably by signing Jameer Nelson and Shawn Marion (who remains unsigned) is still an option.

They seem to be a legitimate contender. But you can’t overlook the Spurs, last season’s best team. Their biggest move was simply keeping everything the same and adding a potential sleeper (Kyle Anderson of UCLA) in the draft.

HoopDon: The San Antonio Spurs. No contender in the West has made any significant improvements, while some (Houston) may have taken a step back. Meanwhile, the Spurs have retained their championship roster, as they watched the only elite team in the Eastern Conference (Miami) crumble away. Life is good in San Antonio.

Stefan Abramian: I have to say the Dallas Mavericks by far. They added back Tyson Chandler alongside with Chandler Parsons. Look out for them in the West, they might be a sleeper team