State of the Union
The Charlotte Hornets are coming off a 23-42 COVID shortened season and a 9th place finish in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets ranked 28th in offensive rating and 25th in defensive rating, producing a 27th ranked net rating of -7. The team is devoid of top end star talent and an identity. They were led by a point guard duo in Devonte Graham, who had a breakout year, and Terry Rozier, whom they traded for and signed to a large deal last offseason. The lone bright spot for this team is the young, quality talent on the roster like Graham, Rozier, PJ Washington and Miles Bridges. However, this team has no star level talent that can help take it to the next level. They have been chasing an 8th seed in the eastern conference for what seems like forever, and are stuck in the land of mediocrity. The team has a chance to land a top talent in the draft this year with the third pick, however. The team is guaranteed to walk out with one of Lamelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman and Deni Advija, and could be the first step towards a real rebuild in Charlotte. With Nicolas Batum all but guaranteed to opt into his $27 million-dollar player option, Charlotte will not figure to be much of a player in free agency. The team should look to be a dumping ground for bad contracts in the coming years and acquire draft assets to retool through the draft. However, owner Michael Jordan has had a penchant to try and compete for a postseason berth, regardless of the middling results. Until Charlotte completes a total tear down and rebuild, they may be stuck in NBA purgatory.
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State of the Union
The Brooklyn Nets are coming off of a 35-37 season and a 7th place finish in the Eastern Conference. The Nets were 22nd in the league in Offensive Rating and 10h in Defensive Rating, good for a Net Rating of -0.2, 15th best in the league. It is safe to say that the 2020/2021 season will look a lot different than this past season, however. With the return of Kevin Durant and, presumably, a full bill of health for Kyrie Irving, as well as a new head coach in Steve Nash, there are some real lofty aspirations in Brooklyn. Surrounded by a supporting cast of Caris Levert, Jarett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie, Taurean Prince, Garrett Temple and Deandre Jordan, this team should contend for a top spot in the East. Some pivotal question marks this offseason include the unrestricted free agency of Joe Harris and the fit of Caris Levert with these two superstars. Additionally, this team figures to be deep in the luxury tax that could impact offseason decisions, as they only have the tax payer mid-level to bring in any non-bird rights free agents. On the court, the Nets have some questions as well. Will Jarrett Allen continue to start at center, or will they make the switch to Deandre Jordan? How will Steve Nash do in his first time ever coaching? Will Kevin Durant be back at 100% healthy, or will there be lingering effects from his devastating Achilles injury? State of the Union
The Boston Celtics are coming off a 48-24 season that was good for third in the Eastern Conference. The team had the 4th best Defensive Rating and 4th best Offensive Rating, with a net rating of 6.3 which was tied for 2nd best in the league. The Celtics have to be extremely pleased with their two talented young wings, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, as both have elevated their game to All-Star territory. Especially Tatum, who has played at an All-NBA level and looks to be a force in the league for many years to come. The talented around these two is also impressive, with Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart in the backcourt, Gordon Hayward on the wing, and an unselfish big in Daniel Theis who does the dirty work for this team. Brad Stevens has done well to get the most out of his unreliable bench as well. However, the lack of depth poses an issue, as well as having to rely on Daniel Theis as your starting center. The Celtics are also facing a potentially steep Luxury Tax bill in 2020/2021, depending on the Tax line set by the league, and that could hamper their ability to upgrade this roster and bring in some depth. The team looks to be capped out for the foreseeable future, with the impending Jayson Tatum max looming on the horizon. The only tool they have to utilize this offseason financially is the mid-level exception. However, Danny Ainge does have three first round picks in this draft, giving him some ammunition to make moves. State of the Union
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off of a 20-47 Covid shortened season which was good for 4th worst in the league. They were 28th in the league in Defensive Rating and 25th in Offensive Rating, with a net rating of -7.4, good for 28th in the league. The Hawks are led by franchise cornerstone Trae Young and newly acquired center Clint Capela, surrounded by some promising young talent that has yet to flourish. The team has a lack of veteran guards/wings that bring actual value on the court. The Hawks are a team without a defensive identity, common for teams with a lot of young rotation players, as they gave up the most points in the paint per game last season. The team should be better in this regard with the addition of Clint Capela into the starting lineup, and he should also provide value on the offensive side as he gives Trae Young a real rim running lob threat in the pick and roll. This offseason is critical for the Hawks, as they are one of the few teams with major cap space. If they want to be a real playoff contender next year, they should be looking to bringing in some veterans that can play both sides of the ball and can bring some depth. |
AuthorNick Thoreson is a young professional working in finance who is passionate about the NBA and especially all things salary cap related. |