What a long strange trip this off-season has been (yeah I’m a hack I know. I embrace it.) Many teams are stuck in limbo as they try to avoid the luxury tax and shed contracts in hope of making a push next year during the summer of LeBron. This has led to more than a few teams simply throwing in the towel on the upcoming season, and hope that their fans are satiated with talk of Wade, Bosh or LeBron. However a few organizations have realized that the 2009-2010 season still counts and are making a push to build a championship contender.
So for the next couple of days, or until I get bored, I’m going to break down the off-season so-far for one team trying to win now, and one content to just tread water.
The Philadelphia 76ers
Off-Season Moves- In the last 3 years Philly fans have seen their team trade one the most popular players in franchise history (AI,) reemerge as a competitive team who runs the floor, hiccup when they signed Elton Brand, and then reestablish themselves on the fast break once Brand got injured. This off-season however the Sixers have been unable to sustain the momentum they built after Brand went down. Arguably the most important piece of the Sixers running attack was point guard Andre Miller. He was the guy who made everything go, and Philly’s brass decided he wasn’t worth more than a one-year deal.
This means that for better or worse the Louis Williams era is now. One of the last guys to slip into the draft before Stern enacted the age limit, Williams has shown flashes, and was at times spectacular off the bench last year. However his game is scoring, not facilitating. Same goes for his apparent backup in the rookie out of UCLA Jrue Holliday.
Projected Lineup
PG- Louis Williams
SG- Andre Igoudala
SF- Thaddeus Young
PF- Elton Brand
C- Sam Dalembert
Bench- Kapono, Holliday, Speights
What this means for the fans- If you put Miller back on this team, this is a squad that can compete in the East. It is asking a lot of Williams to go from a SG off the bench to running the show on a team trying to win an NBA championship. I mean that’s the goal right? I guess not in Philly. With under $60 million committed to the payroll this season, and other teams afraid to pull the trigger before the free agent bonanza of 2010, this could have been a big year for Philly. Instead the fans will be stuck watching a rudder-less ship as Elton Brand lumbers up and down the court.
Verdict- Their head is above water for now, but losing Miller hurts, and losses won’t increase ticket sales. I bet Philly has a whole team of interns manning ESPN’s trade machine trying to find a scenario in which they can rid themselves of Brand.
The Portland Trailblazers
Off-Season Moves- Yikes! This team has come such a long way from the jailblazers squad that terrorized the Pacific Northwest. Quick, guess how much the Blazers have committed against the cap this year . . . $55 freaking million. Quick, guess who is their highest paid player . . . Darius freaking Miles. That’s right Miles finally comes off the books after this year, as do most of the players on the payroll. Next year the Blazers have only committed to around $19 million in contracts, not including very team friendly options for Rudy Fernandez, Jerryd Bayless, and Nic Batum. Meaning that they are going to be able to resign Roy, plus Aldridge and still be HUGE players in the most exciting free agent pool of my life-time.
But all this flexibility in the future hasn’t come at the cost of winning now. The Blazer’s biggest move so far has been to lock up the aforementioned Andre Miller at $7 million for 2 years with a team option for a third year. You can’t tell me that teams out West aren’t shaking in their boots at the thought of Miller replacing Steve Blake. Yeah that’s right Steve Blake. Unless you were Steve Blake’s mom, or his agent I bet you didn’t realize that last year he was getting major minutes on a playoff team.
Projected Lineup
PG- Andre Miller
SG- Brandon Roy
SF- Martell Webster (Although Batum may push him)
PF- LaMarcus Aldridge
C- Greg Oden
Bench- Pryzbilla, Fernandez, Batum, Outlaw, Bayless.
What This Means For The Fans- Geez, that team is deep. They can bring in wave after wave of athletic wing players who can all shoot. The turn around this team has made is shocking, and even in a down economy they have handled the salary cap well enough that they were in a position to address their biggest need (a legitimate pg) while other teams were forced to stand pat or shed salary. Fans will be treated to an exciting team full of characters (in a good way for once,) that will be in a position to be contenders for years to come.
Verdict- Blazer’s owner Paul Allen is one of the richest men on the planet, but he hasn’t spent recklessly, and it should pay off as the Blazers are poised for a nice little run the next few years. For $7 million dollars Blazers fans will be treated to a player in Miller with a true pg skill set, hopefully he’ll throw in the hilariously bad corn rows for free. Cross your fingers.
-Jesse
Next Up: Dallas, and New Orleans
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