As the free agency period winds down, the contenders in the Eastern Conference remain much the same from last year. There are a litter of teams in the East vying for the last playoff spots, but Cleveland, Orlando and Boston remain the favorites to come out of the East. Let’s take a closer look at the moves these teams made during this offseason:
Boston Celtics: 2nd in the East, 62-20 record, eliminated in Eastern Conference Semi-Finals by the Orlando Magic
The Returning Players: The Celtics entered the offseason needing to address their depth after suffering injuries to numerous players last year, including Kevin Garnett. The Celtics were able to survive a seven game thriller in the opening round against the Bulls and pushed the eventual Eastern Conference champions, Orlando Magic, to seven games in the conference semi-final.
Part of Boston’s ability to play tough in the playoffs came from Rajon Rondo’s emergence as a budding star point guard. Rondo gives Boston a player, who can push the ball in transition, has no fear of contact and can finish in the paint. Rondo’s speed and quickness puts constant pressure on the defense, he is an effective passer and a great rebounder for his size. Rondo gives the Celtics an explosive dynamic that they lack and he emerged last year to make the Big Three into a Big Four.
The Celtics need to worry about Pierce, Allen and Garnett as they continue to age. Pierce is 31, Allen, 34, and Garnett, 33. This could be the beginning of the decline for the Celtics with aging veterans who started to show their age. Allen was lights out in the first round series against the Bulls after his Game 1 debacle, but against Orlando Allen looked shot. 34 year-old jump shooters tend to break down and the Celtics would be smart to look for a solid backup that could reduce Allen’s minutes and step-in for a few games if Allen were to get hurt.
Pierce carried the Celtics through the regular season after Garnett was ruled out for the season. Come playoff time however and it was a mixed bag of results for Pierce who looked fatigued and worn out at times. He had his moments hitting a number of big baskets at the end of games, but he did not look like the player that was the 2008 Finals MVP. If the Celtics can stay healthy, a big if, and Pierce doesn’t have to shoulder any extra load, he should be fresh come playoff time. Out of their three aging superstars, Pierce certainly has the most game left.
Garnett’s recurring knee problems are the sign many big men face as their careers begin to decline. Garnett should still be a very effective player, but the Celtics will need to reduce his minutes to keep him injury free and available for the playoffs. In this vein I found some of the Celtics’ moves in addressing frontcourt depth, which was thin last year after Garnett and Leon Powe went down with injuries.
Offseason Moves: With an aging group of superstars, GM Danny Ainge needed to inject youth into the roster to provide relief and depth to guard against injuries. The Celtics big move this offseason was to sign Rasheed Wallace to a two year deal for the full mid-level exception. Wallace should be motivated more than he was in Detroit and gives the Celtics another veteran with playoff experience. Wallace can hit shots from the perimeter as well as post up and is an excellent low post defender, for a team that already has Garnett and Kendrick Perkins guarding the rim.
Wallace will see time at both frontcourt positions, but after him there is very little the Celtics have up front. The Celtics have extended the qualifying offer from Glen Davis, but rumors have Davis going elsewhere. The Celtics may look to sign and trade him in order to get something back, but Davis was solid for the Celtics in the postseason and will be a loss for them.
In addition the Celtics let go of Leon Powe and Mikki Moore. Powe is certainly a loss for the Celtics, but they chose not to re-sign him after he suffered an ACL injury that could keep him out for the majority of this season. With free agency winding down, the Celtics still need to adress a need for a big combo guard that can guard 2’s, that can come in with Eddie House off the bench.
Other than that the Celtics will be looking for someone like J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker or Gabe Pruitt to emerge and begin contributing. Ainge also is expected to sign Robert Swift, who he has had his eye since he entered the league.
X-Factors: J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker – They are bothe xtremely athletic wing players that could help the Celtics by providing a spark off the bench. If these two can put in the work this offseason they both have NBA ability and skills to help the Celtics.
Outlook: With the addition of Wallace, a full recovery from Garnett, rest for Pierce and Allen and the continued development of Rondo, the Celtics will certainly challenge for the NBA title next year. Their weakness continues to remain their depth, which Ainge will have to address through the remaining free agents on the market or via trade.
Expected Record: 61-21, 2nd in the East, eliminated in Eastern Conference Semi-Final by the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic: 3rd in the East, 59-23 record, eliminated in the NBA Finals by the Los Angeles Lakers
The Returning Players: After making it to the NBA Finals with Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and an array of long range bombers the Magic revamped their roster and will be throwing out more conventional lineups next year.
Dwight Howard remains the centerpiece of the team. Howard has evolved into the most dominant big man in the game, muscling his way to the hoop. Howard is athletic enough to run and finish in the open floor and is a dominant force in the middle for Orlando. If Howard wants to become one of the great centers he needs to continue to refine his post game and add more post moves. He also needs to do a better job of shielding the ball and become better at going right up with the ball when he receives it rolling to the hoop.
Rashard Lewis also returns serving as one of the shooters who stretches the floor for the Magic. Lewis disappeared in the Finals and if the Magic want to make a repeat performance, they will need Lewis to be more consistent throughout the playoffs. Though undersized, Lewis played defense well enough against opposing power forwards throughout the regular season and playoffs.
Jameer Nelson also returns back from a torn shoulder and he should be back to full health when the season starts. Nelson was an All-Star last year before he was injured and the Magic will be looking for him to get back to that level. Nelson is a much better passer than departed point guard Rafer Alston and also a more consistent shooter as well.
Michael Pietrus will also be back in his role off the bench for the Magic, where he excelled in the playoffs, particularly against Cleveland. Pietrus is a good on the ball defender who has the ability to harass elite wing players like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant effectively.
The Magic will also have Marcin Gortat back after matching Dallas’ offer sheet for him. Gortat was one of the best backup centers in the league last year and his presence would have been missed by the Magic. His defensive play is very good, with his ability to block shots and he is also solid at finishing around the hoop when he gets the ball on offense. If nothing else Orlando will be able to use Gortat as a valuable trade chip for teams looking for big men to protect the hoop.
Offseason Moves: The Magic simply could have re-signed Hedo Turkoglu and Gortat and their offseason would have been considered a success. However, GM Otis Smith was not content with a roster that made it to the NBA Finals last year and went about retooling it.
On draft day, Orlando sent Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie to the New Jersey Nets for Vince Carter and Ryan Andersen. I am on record with my doubts about this trade, but the Magic certainly win on talent alone. Carter gives them a player that can create his shot as well as for others and can take over end of game shooting duties from the departed Turkoglu. If Carter can play within the flow of the offense instead of excercising his penchant for holding the ball, he will provide a boost for the Magic offensively.
Andersen is a nice young player, who should find some minutes for himself in Orlando’s frontcourt rotation. Andersen can stretch the floor for the Magic with his ability to hit from the perimeter, something very critical in the Magic’s offensive game plan.
The other big acquisition the Magic made was to sign forward Brandon Bass to a deal. Bass is a rugged, athletic forward, who has a decent post game and a solid mid-range jumper. He will certainly help the Magic on the glass where they needed help. After struggling to match-up in the Finals with the Lakers’ frontcourt, the Magic needed to add depth and versatility which did in signing Bass.
Matt Barnes was also signed and gives Orlando another versatile player, who can play on the wing, or in a small ball lineup, can play power forward. Barnes is long and athletic and can hit a decent clip from long-range. Barnes is a decent ball handler and is a willing defender. Barnes was another solid addition to the roster and gives the Magic a lot of depth.
X-Factor: Mickael Pietrus – Pietrus’ emergence in the Eastern Conference Finals, gave the Magic the added punch off the bench they needed to advance past the Cavaliers. If Pietrus can stay helthy and again be the spark plug for Orlando, the Magic will have a good shot at advancing to the Finals again.
Outlook: The Magic added a lot of bench depth and versatility to the roster. Carter gives them another bonafide scorer and creator, while Howard’s continued development will also help the team. If Stan Van Gundy can mix and match all the new parts this team will be as dangerous as any team.
I do worry about the Magic becoming a more conventional halfcourt team and not being able to spread the floor as effectively. This could limit Howard’s effectiveness and make it easier to send double teams his way. Look for the Magic to get off to a slow a start with a number of new players finding their roles and then flourishing midway through the season.
Expected Record: 58-24, 3rd in the East, eliminated in Eastern Conference Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers: 1st in the East, 66-16 record, eliminated in Eastern Conference Finals by the Orlando Mgic
The Returning Players: The Cavaliers did a good job of keeping their core together this offseason. They were able to re-sign Anderson Varejao to a 6-year, $50 million deal. Varejao is effective at moving off the ball and is also a willign defender. If he can make his jumper more consistent that can help the Cavs.
Lebron James is clearly the key to this team. Without him the Cavaliers would become one of the worst teams in the league immediately. James needs to improve his shot from outside, but more importantly needs to refine his post-up game. With his size, strength and speed, if James can develop a drop step and a fadeaway, he will truly become unstoppable in the post. Expect to see Lebron get more minutes at power forward this season as well, as the Cavaliers should experiment more with small ball.
Other than that the Cavaliers have a solid supporting cast, with Mo Williams, Delonte West and Zydrunas Ilgauskas all capable of taking advantage of the opportunities that James provides them on offense. West is a very strong on the ball defender and constantly harasses opponents. Mo Williams will need to step up in the playoffs after he capped it off with an awful performance in their series against the Magic. Ilgauskas is aging, but he is still effective on the pick and pop with James.
Offseason Moves: After being exposed by the Magic for their overall lack of athleticism and inability to defend Dwight Howard, the Cavaliers went into the offseason ready to make moves. They started off with a big one, trading Sasha Pavlovic, Ben Wallace and a second round pick to Phoenix for Shaquille O’Neal. You can’t question the move too much as the Cavaliers traded away little to get a player of Shaq’s caliber, but at his age it’ll be interesting to see how much he can help.
Shaq certainly gives the Cavs a presence inside, but the Magic were able to abuse the Cavaliers by utilizing the high pick and roll with Howard. Shaq has struggled his entire career to defend that very same play and at 37 years old it’s unlikely he’ll be getting better at it. Shaq however does give them a primary option when James is sitting, which they have lacked in the past.
The only problem is that a Shaq pairing with either Varejao or Ilgauskas is doomed to failure, so look for him to be sharing time in the frontcourt with Lebron James, J.J. Hickson and the Cavs’ other free agent signing, Jemario Moon.
Moon is a hyper-athletic player, who can give them minutes at both forward positions. Moon is a great finisher on the fast break and should benefit from playing alongside James. Moon is also a decent three point shooter, hitting 35% for his career from downtown.
The Cavs also added free agent guard Anthony Parker. Parker is an excellent defensive player on the wing and will be able to switch onto the opposing team’s best perimeter player, which should help both Mo Williams and Lebron. Parker also is not a player that demands the ball, but he is proficient from deep and shoots %41.5 from downtown for his career. Parker gives Cleveland more depth in the backcourt and he also has the ability to play small forwars as well.
X-Factor: Shaquille O’Neal – If he can be comfortable with playing limited minutes and not be the focal point of the offense Shaq can help this team. Even in last years in the league, Shaq is still a force in the paint and his ability to check Dwight Howard may well determine this team’s fate.
Outlook: The Cavaliers certainly added a number of new pieces, much like the Magic. However both Parker and Moon should have no problem stepping right into the rotation and fitting in. If coach Mike Brown can solidify a frontcourt rotation between Shaq, Ilgauskas, Varejao and Hickson then the Cavaliers will be in good shape.
The Cavaliers had more than their fair share of opportunities against the Magic, but their role players need to step up and make shots when they need too. Shaq should help instill a winning mindset with this team and if Lebron can take another step in his game, the Cavaliers have enough to compete against any team in the league.
Expected Record: 63-19, 1st in the East, Eastern Conference Champions