NBA Offseason: SCIC Roundtable – Part 2
Jul 18, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls new players Nikola Mirotic and Pau Gasol pose for photos after a press conference at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Outside of Cleveland, which Eastern Conference team had the best summer?
Michael Saenz: I think the obvious answer is Chicago. Anytime a team can add talents such as Nikola Mirotic, Pau Gasol, Doug McDermott and Derrick Rose all in one offseason, that chalks up to one pretty good offseason. Add that group of players with Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah, Jimmy Butler and the above-average Tom Thibodeau and you get a solid championship contender. If the Bulls can stay healthy, they just might be better than the Cleveland Cavaliers even with Kevin Love.
John Armstrong: I’ve already discussed why Chicago had a great summer so I want to discuss Charlotte. They drafted a stretch four they’re hoping can step right in and play at a high level in Noah Vonleh, and a big, strong three point specialist in P.J. Hairston. They went out and acquired Lance Stephenson who, when he’s at the top of his game, is a borderline All Star and a game changer on both ends of the floor. Charlotte has a solid, young core that can compete now and has potential to grow exponentially.
The best part is, they’ve got veterans in Al Jefferson (criminally underrated) and Kemba Walker (you could throw Lance in there too) who’ll shoulder the load so that the young players aren’t expected to put up All Star numbers. It’ll help ease them into the game rather than forcing them to overcompensate right out of the gate. Let’s also not forget the Hornets are back! (Don’t confuse my excitement for being a bandwagoner, but it’s great to see them back. I’m a sucker for nostalgia.)
Morten Jensen: The answer is Chicago for obvious reasons. Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic, Doug McDermott and Aaron Brooks? That’s a healthy group of additions right there. Charlotte is right behind them, however. While Lance Stephenson does have some moments in which he’s overrated, he’s admittedly the right type of guy for Charlotte moving forward. Adding him, Noah Vonleh, and P.J. Hairston to the mix (notice I made no mention of Marvin Williams) is quite the talent injection for a young team trying to break through.
George Middleton: The Eastern Conference team with the best summer other than Cleveland was the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets, who were already looking to build off of an impressive year, added two talented rookies in Noah Vonleh and PJ Hairston. The Hornets weren’t done, they also landed one of the biggest fish in the pond in Lance Stephenson, and Marvin Williams. The Bulls had an eventful summer as well by adding Nikola Mirotic and Pau Gasol, but they lost Carlos Boozer and D.J. Augustin.
Bryce Olin: I think Chicago is the right answer for a variety of reasons. Pau Gasol, Nikola Mirotic, and Doug McDermott are still question marks, but potentially, they could be a handful on offense. The biggest reason I think the Bulls had the best summer is because of Derrick Rose and how good he looks right now. If he gets back to where he was prior to the first knee injury, watch out Eastern Conference.
David Ramil: I’m tempted to go with Miami, who did a remarkable job of doing the impossible; trying to replace the best talent (LeBron James) in the game. But in reality, Cleveland’s biggest threat in the East – Chicago – gets the nod. The Bulls’ glaring weakness was on offense, and they added a quality shooter in rookie Doug McDermott not to mention All-Star Pau Gasol, still solid offensively at this point in his career.
Of course, Chicago’s best move is simply having access to Derrick Rose, who has been impressive as a member of the USA Men’s Basketball team. If the Bulls can continue to be one of the most feared defensive teams in the NBA, their improvements could have them advancing to the Finals.
Brandon Osborne: Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have been one of the best defensive teams, as well as one of the worst offensive teams, but that should start to change. Chicago drafted Doug McDermott to go with the signings of Pau Gasol, Aaron Brooks and 2011 draft pick Nikola Mirotic. The Bulls also welcome back a healthy Derrick Rose who has looked like the former MVP in Team USA practices. The Bulls should be one of the favorites in the East this year.