NBA Offseason: SCIC Roundtable – Part 1
Mar 23, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Creighton Bluejays forward Doug McDermott (3) shoots against the Baylor Bears in the second half of a men
What team solved their weaknesses best over the summer?
Michael Saenz: I want to say the Chicago Bulls, but until I’m convinced that Derrick Rose is going to return to his old self (yes I saw what he did in the USA Blue/White Scrimmage), I don’t think they’re the answer to this question. If Rose isn’t going to return to form, do they have another guy that can create his own shot and offense? Even though the Bulls added Pau Gasol and Doug McDermott, they still may be too reliant on the offensive end on Rose.
The real answer to this question is the Cleveland Cavaliers. They’ve desperately needed LeBron James to return home. He did that. They went from the laughingstock of the league to potentially the best team in the NBA. I would say that’s called solving one’s weakness.
John Armstrong: Chicago. They got rid of the expensive, yet ineffective, Carlos Boozer and in turn, signed the offensively proficient Pau Gasol to replace him. The Bulls, and anybody that watches their games, desperately needed some offense. Now Pau isn’t the toughest defender, but they have a Thibodeau for that. Plus, they brought over Nikola Mirotic and drafted Doug McDermott to strengthen their paint and enhance their perimeter, respectively.
In addition to the fact that Derrick Rose hopes to return to form, the Bulls filled their voids nicely I’d like to believe. I’d say the Wizards picking up Paul Pierce for two seasons could claim Honorable Mention.
Morten Jensen: This category starts and ends with Chicago. They needed scoring, so they went out and got themselves the fifth leading college scorer of all-time, a big man with over 16,000 points to his name, an offensive minded stretch-four from overseas, and Aaron Brooks who we’ve all seen fill up a bucket more than once. If Derrick Rose returns to form fully healthy, these Bulls could be looking at a 100-point average this season, which is a long way from their oh-so-many nights when they land in the 80’s. The best part? Their defense will still be top-notch which is entertaining in its own right. For those people out there looking for a league pass team, Chicago now seems obvious.
George Middleton: While the Detroit Pistons have ways to go to be a contender, they have the chance to fight for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons do have talent with Brandon Jennings, Andre Drummond, Josh Smith, and potentially Greg Monroe (free-agent). The Pistons were the second worst three point shooting team in the league last season, as they shot 32%. In the offseason, they have signed D.J. Augustin, Caron Butler, and Jodie Meeks. All three players shoot the three at a high clip. Augustin and Meeks are career 38% three point shooters, and they both averaged about two makes per game last season, shooting 40% each.
Butler shot 39% making nearly two a game last season. All three made at least 1.8 threes per game.
Bryce Olin: Chicago, hands down. The Bulls needed offense, and they got it in Pau Gasol, Doug McDermott, and Nikola Mirotic. Who knows how it will all fit together, but with Derrick Rose returning, at least the Bulls have put the right pieces around him to make a run at a championship.
Brandon Osborne: Cleveland Cavaliers. I know its a easy answer but its true. The Cavaliers landed LeBron James while also drafting Andrew Wiggins. If the Cavs can make the Kevin Love trade happen then they easily become the favorites for the NBA title. Going from a 33 win team to NBA favorite is quite the turnaround.
David Ramil: I’ll say it’s Miami, who recovered as well as possible given the departure of James. You can’t replace everything a guy like LeBron does, but Heat president Pat Riley did the best he could and should be an early front-runner for Executive of the Year. Within hours of the heartbreaking decision by James, Riley came to an agreement with Chris Bosh, giving fans hope as they climbed back inside and off the ledge.
He kept the starting lineup stable by re-signing Dwyane Wade (who seems focused and committed) and Mario Chalmers, as well as bench players Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem. He added Josh McRoberts to give Miami’s offense a much-needed boost. And new additions Shabazz Napier and James Ennis could be a solid boost to a group of reserves that struggled last season. But, of course, Luol Deng – the two-time All-Star – has the biggest challenge of trying to fill in for James. If his health isn’t an issue (and it looks like it isn’t), then he can bring a defensive intensity and solid athleticism to Miami.
HoopDon: The Cleveland Cavaliers, because of course, they essentially traded Luol Deng for LeBron James.
Stefan Abramian: The Chicago Bulls.