NBA Training camps are set to open across the country and with it the start of the NBA season will be official. The NBA offseason can be a long one and once the free-agency period is over and the draft is concluded we are left to chew on NBA Summer League tidbits. The offseason saw a couple big free-agent signings and an NBA entry draft that was full of surprises despite the low expectations
We will be making stops at each division to recap the tumultuous offseason and to highlight the new faces on each team. With it we will provide a fantasy spin and impact of these new additions. How will these new players fit into their new spots? Will these players have as much of an impact as management had hoped or will they falter?
One of the busiest divisions in the Association was the Atlantic as the Brooklyn Nets and the Boston Celtics swung that massive offseason trade, Philadelphia traded away their franchise player and the New York Knicks continued to add pieces to complement their roster. For the most part the Toronto Raptors were quiet, but lets take a closer look at just who the new faces in new places are and what their fantasy impact will be.
Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets didn’t stop at just adding five new players they brought in a brand new coach to put it all together in hopes of wrestling the NBA title away from the Miami Heat. The single biggest acquisition for the Nets will be on the sidelines for the year (maybe) as Jason Kidd went from player one day to Head Coach the next. Kidd has great court-cred as a leader and competitor; however, his duties as a Head Coach will be all encompassing and the success of the Nets comes down to how well Kidd can steer the ship through the tumultuous waters that is an NBA season.
Making Kidd’s job in Brooklyn easier are the significant roster upgrades and colossal payroll commitment from billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov. As part of Prokhorov’s desire to win now, the Nets swung the offseason deal that brought them Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. Kidd has already come out and stated that Garnett is not going to play in back-to-back game situations and one can bet that Pierce will be given his nights off as well. I don’t like anyone in this trio to produce reliable fantasy points. Pierce is the more prolific producer of the bunch; however, his touches will be more limited this season and his playing time will be reduced.
As if this trio wasn’t enough, the Nets signed Andrei Kirilenko to fill out their bench. Kirilenko’s days of being a viable fantasy option are behind him and without regular minutes Kirilenko will be nothing more than a recognizable name on an already very deep bench. While on a whole the roster upgrades and additions are significant, they don’t relate well to fantasy success and you would be well-advised to resist the urge to draft any one of them.
New York Knicks
The other franchise in New York had a considerably quieter offseason as the Knicks did little in terms of adding talent to their roster. Their biggest acquisition was Andrea Bargnani whom they acquired from the Toronto Raptors. Having had the misfortune of matching Bargnani these past number of years...you can have him. Bargnani has been oft-injured throughout his career and for a big man he shies away from playing near the basket and prefers to settle for too many jumpers. New York really needed some toughness in the paint, not another 7’0” floater around the perimeter. I don’t like Bargnani’s fantasy upside; never have and never will.
In hopes of bolstering their defense the Knicks did bring in Metta World Peace who they signed via amnesty waivers from the Los Angeles Lakers. It remains to be seen if MWP can be the assertive player he was once, but his toughness and tenacity will be needed defensively. in the absence of J.R. Smith, MWP should see an increased role in the offense; however once Smith returns healthy that should come to a crashing halt.
Philadelphia 76ers
Plain and simple; the Philadelphia 76ers are going to be terrible. not just bad but awful. They are my preseason favorites to claim the top pick in the 2014 NBA Entry Draft, which to be honest is exactly what they are hoping for. The only addition worth mentioning here is the 76ers most recent draft pick, Michael Carter-Williams. MCW will be the opening day starting point guard and barring injury he will keep the job for the year.
The future of this franchise is being written right now as MCW and Nerlens Noel will team with a top lottery pick next season to form a solid trio. The expectations are low in Philly and even still the current squad just might trip over the bar as it lies on the ground. This franchise is at rock bottom, but good news is that things can only get better from here. They have a ton of salary cap space and will have draft picks to rebuild with.
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors added one key man this offseason, only thing is he will never suit up or play a single game for the franchise. New General Manager Masai Ujiri was lured away from the Denver Nuggets and was brought into Toronto to reshape the franchise. Ujiri proved his worth almost immediately as he moved Bargnani to New York for a package of players. Ujiri now has some payroll flexibility and could chase down a marquee player come next season.
Of the players that were added to the roster no one is poised for a breakout year. Steve Novak and Quentin Richardson are filler pieces at best and neither has any long-term fantasy value unless either one can procure a starting role. If either Novak or Richardson are in the starting lineup come opening day then things in Toronto are more dire than even I imagined.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics pulled the trigger and shipped the big three out of town in the the offseason. The pieces that they got in return were mostly fillers as none of the new players are game changers in their own right. Gerald Wallace has the most upside among the bunch as he is athletic and can score the ball. Problem is he won’t have much help until Rajon Rondo returns so expect defenses to key on Wallace.
Much like the Brooklyn Nets, the biggest acquisition the Celtics made was in acquiring a new head coach. Brad Stevens gets his first shot a professional basketball and he certainly has his work cut out for him. Rondo can be temperamental towards his coaches and the rest of the roster is lacking in skill. Not a great combination for success in Beantown; however, Stevens does have a nice new five-year contract so expect a lot of patience from the front-office.