As part of NBA Australias look ahead to the 2014-15 season, our analysts break down the landscape for each of the leagues six divisions, continuing with a preview of the Western Conference, and the Pacific Division.Los Angeles Clippers Last Season : 57-25 (.695), 3rd in the Western Conference. Additions : Jared Cunningham (free agency), Glen Davis (re-signed), Chris Douglas-Roberts (free agency), Jordan Farmar (free agency), Joe Ingles (free agency), Spencer Hawes (free agency), Hedo Turkoglu (re-signed), Ekpe Udoh (free agency), C.J. Wilcox (draft). Subtractions : Darren Collison (free agency), Carlos Delfino (waived), Jared Dudley (trade), Danny Granger (free agency), Willie Green (waived), Ryan Hollins (free agency), Miroslav Raduljica (waived). Outlook : Having escaped a turbulent period in the franchises history, Doc Rivers reloaded his depth chart with free agents Spencer Hawes, and Angeleno Jordan Farmar. Last seasons backup point guard Darren Collison cashed in on a few flashes of solid play as Chris Pauls primary reliever, fleeing for one of L.A.s divisional rivals, while a paper thin frontcourt has long been an obstacle to the Clippers dreams of a deep postseason run. By snagging Hawes and Farmar on the open market, Rivers plugged a couple of gaping holes, but there is scope to question whether the acquisition of Hawes justified the resulting slash in future flexibility. None of the Clips reserve bigs breached the 500-minute mark for total floor time in 2013-14, with the now-departed Ryan Hollins occupying the role of third option on the frontline almost by default. Doc Rivers flirted with undersize units featuring Big Baby Davis and 34 year-old Hedo Turkoglu, even sampling smaller doses of Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens prior to Februarys trade deadline, but the Clippers were never able to remedy the lineup troubles that have plagued them for much of Blake Griffins career. Wary of the cap ramifications that came into play with doling out the full midlevel exception to Hawes, Rivers punted on 2013s offseason addition, Jared Dudley, sending the forward to Milwaukee after an underwhelming 12 months in Los Angeles. Dudley was never able to get into shape, frustrating team officials, and slippage on the defensive side of the ball only compounded his erratic shooting touch (34.1 percent on threes during the first two months of the season). But in order to execute the cost-cutting manoeuvre, the Clips had to attach a first round pick as a sweetener for the Bucks, whose outgoing players?Carlos Delfino and Miroslav Raduljica?were waived upon arrival in L.A. Rivers rounded out his offseason duties by adding Chris Douglas-Roberts and Ekpe Udoh, and tacking Australian Joe Ingles onto the training camp roster, with a non-guaranteed deal. With narrow wiggle room for future deals, the outlook for the Clips is anchored to Chris Pauls health, DeAndre Jordans growth, and whether Hawes and the bench mob can pinch-hit well enough to spare the starters during the regular season. Regardless, this group is a lock to produce a top tier offence; having finished in the top five in the league for offensive efficiency in every season since landing Chris Paul, and incremental improvements on the other end should generate a healthy win total. Projection : 1st in the Pacific, 2nd in the Western Conference. Golden State Warriors Last Season : 51-31 (.622), 6th in the Western Conference. Additions : Leandro Barbosa (free agency), Shaun Livingston (free agency), Brandon Rush (free agency). Subtractions : Hilton Armstrong (waived), Steve Blake (free agency). Outlook : The case can be made that the Warriors biggest decision of the offseason came in the form of a non-move. Golden State stood firm in trade talks around the draft, sewing the untouchable label to Klay Thompson at the first available opportunity. With David Lees hefty contract (two years remaining), any major movements in the Bay Area would seemingly had to have included Thompson as a crown jewel going to the other way. But the Warriors elected to take an alternate route and, for better or worse, will be judged accordingly in terms of the teams level of success. The Dubs are now affixed to their Splash Brothers identity?led by Steph Curry and Thompson in the backcourt?and, after bowing out in seven games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, earmarked Steve Kerr as the man to resuscitate to their painfully limited offence. Kerr will look to vault the teams attack back into a pole position, while preserving the cohesion on the opposite side of the ball that was groomed under Mark Jacksons watch. Between Curry, Thompson, Lee, Andre Iguodala and a cupboard of perimeter shooting options, there is no way that a healthy Golden State lineup should fall outside the top 10 for offensive efficiency. The Warriors were at their best (min. 100 minutes played together) in 2013-14 with a lineup of Curry, Thompson, Iguodala, Lee, and Draymond Green, churning out a jaw-dropping 123.4 points per 100 possessions. That number isnt sustainable much further beyond the 28 games than it took to produce, but its a friendly reminder of what the roster is capable of, offensively. Golden State were without a pick in Junes draft, though the signings of Shaun Livingston and Leandro Barbosa?both of whom enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in 2014?should ease the ball-handling burden on Steph Curry. Kerr takes the reigns in the Bay Area, armed with a five-year deal, yet responsible for righting a ship that has battled to meet the mushrooming expectations of ownership and the fan base in the past eighteen months. Projection : 2nd in the Pacific, 4th in the Western Conference. Phoenix Suns Last Season : 48-34 (.585), 9th in the Western Conference. Additions : Eric Bledsoe (re-signed), Bogdan Bogdanovic (draft), Zoran Dragic (free agency), Tyler Ennis (draft), Isaiah Thomas (free agency), Anthony Tolliver (free agency), P.J. Tucker (re-signed), T.J. Warren (draft). Subtractions : Leandro Barbosa (free agency), Dionte Christmas (waived), Channing Frye (free agency), Ish Smith (waived). Outlook : The Suns defied doom-and-gloom forecasts to quickly become the darlings of the NBA in 2014. Jeff Hornaceks chaotic offensive system, structured around relentless hurls into the paint by unconventional duo Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe, and flooded with athleticism and outside shooting, triggered a revitalising 48-win season in the desert. Though there were concerns that Phoenixs fun-filled performances were nothing more than a flash in the pan in December and January, the Suns are stocked with future assets, and an intriguing young core that was pivotal in last seasons unlikely resurgence. GM Ryan McDonough allowed Channing Frye to walk in the offseason, and Leandro Barbosa converted a romantic 20-game return to Phoenix into a free agent deal with the Warriors, but the most significant development was inking Eric Bledsoe to a fresh five-year contract. Despite a lengthy cooling period in negotiations, the two sides were able to frame a new agreement, linking Bledsoe with the famed Phoenix training staff for the foreseeable future. Securing Bledsoe long-term, snaring undersize Sacramento guard Isaiah Thomas as a restricted free agent, and taking Canadian Tyler Ennis with the 18th pick in the draft provides ample insurance for the front office, ahead of Goran Dragic hitting the open market in 2015. The Suns have shown no signs that they wish to deviate from their unusual course (in pairing Bledsoe and Dragic), but theyre at least presented with a table of options, should an unlikely splinter emerge over the next 12 months in the relationship between Dragic and the organisation. Dragic will now team with younger brother Zoran, who recently penned a two-year deal to leave his Spanish club behind and join Phoenix. Hornacek will miss the creativity, spacing, and lineup flexibility that Channing Frye delivered during his return season, though theres no doubt that theres still room left for chicanery, with the brothers Dragic (Goran and Zoran) and Morris (Marcus and Markieff) all on board for the coming season. A whopping 55.5 percent of Fryes flings at the basket in Hornaceks rookie season were three-pointers, a region where he persisted as a stringy, beanpole-like shooting threat. The Suns will have to replace that spot with shift work from new signing Anthony Tolliver, a homeless mans Frye, and a spike in floor time from the Morris twins. Phoenix has enough talent to be scrapping for one of the lower seeds in the harsh Western Conference bracket, and long-term health will be a determining factor in the Suns push to edge teams like Portland, Memphis, Denver, and New Orleans out of contention. Projection : 3rd in the Pacific, 9th in the Western Conference. Sacramento Kings Last Season : 28-54 (.341), 13th in the Western Conference. Additions : Omri Casspi (free agency), Darren Collison (free agency), Ryan Hollins (free agency), Eric Moreland (free agency), Ramon Sessions (free agency), Nik Stauskas (draft). Subtractions : Quincy Acy (trade), Jared Cunningham (free agency), Wayne Ellington (waived), Alonzo Gee (waived), Aaron Gray (free agency), Scotty Hopson (waived), Travis Outlaw (trade), Willie Reed (waived), Jason Terry (trade), Isaiah Thomas (free agency), Jeremy Tyler (waived). Outlook : Though its almost a given that the Kings will be active on the player movement front, it can be hard to gauge where the pieces fit within a long-term framework. Sacramento took a flier on two out-of-favour forwards (Derrick Williams and Rudy Gay) in the opening months of 2013-14, and opted not to match starting point guard Isaiah Thomas three-year offer sheet with the Suns. Instead, the Kings signed Darren Collison, a serviceable guard who has struggled in the past when handed increased responsibility. Collison is entering his sixth season in the league, has hovered at a tick above league average from the outside for the bulk of his career, and hasnt displayed of defensive nous to justify starters minutes. Collisons opponents scored 44.7 percent of the time when isolating last season, per Synergy Sports, a major factor in his subpar ranking (barely in the top 200) in that form of defensive situation. On top of handing point guard duties to Collison, the front office trimmed the fat on the roster with a few smaller trades, and nabbed Canadian sharpshooter Nik Stauskas with the eighth overall pick in the draft. Journeyman Ramon Sessions will serve as Collisons primary backup, landing in Northern California after splitting his time between Charlotte and Milwaukee this past year. The Kings would be encouraged by the involvement of Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins in Team USAs success at the FIBA World Cup, despite the relative ease with which the team progressed through the tournament. Ultimately, though, Sacramento has long laboured on the defensive end, finishing 2013-14 as the 23rd ranked defensive team and allowing opponents to shoot a hearty 65.1 in the restricted area, and little has been done to shore up the rosters biggest weaknesses. With the coaching staff continuing to nurture some of the Kings greener talents, its difficult to see a breakout year surfacing in Sacramento. Projection : 4th in the Pacific, 12th in the Western Conference. Los Angeles Lakers Last Season : 27-55 (.329), 14th in the Western Conference. Additions : Carlos Boozer (amnesty auction), Jordan Clarkson (draft), Ed Davis (free agency), Wayne Ellington (free agency), Xavier Henry (re-signed), Jordan Hill (re-signed), Wesley Johnson (re-signed), Ryan Kelly (re-signed), Jeremy Lin (trade), Ronnie Price (free agency), Jeremy Tyler (free agency), Nick Young (re-signed). Subtractions : Kent Bazemore (free agency), MarShon Brooks (free agency), Jordan Farmar (free agency), Pau Gasol (free agency), Chris Kaman (free agency), Kendall Marshall (waived), Jodie Meeks (free agency). Outlook : Mitch Kupchak overturned much of the roster responsible for the Lakers missing the postseason for just the second time in 20 years, beginning to assemble younger assets and prepare for the inevitable transition to life without Kobe Bryant. The Lakers extracted highly touted prospect Julius Randle with their first round pick, and wrapped up the draft by securing Jordan Clarkson in the mid-second round. That duo, in addition to bargain basement acquisition Ed Davis, and reclamation projects Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson, signals a stark contrast to the fanfare that besieged the organisation just two years ago. Mike DAntoni parted ways with the franchise after the season, eager to avoid entering 2014-15 with little more than lame duck status (with a single season remaining on his contract). Familiar face and well-travelled coaching figure Byron Scott will occupy what was formerly DAntonis seat, hoping to pull the team away from the malaise that dashed any semblance of playoff aspirations in 2014. But L.A.s body of work in the offseason window is neither here nor there, with the aforementioned youthful flavour watered down by the addition of 32 year-old Carlos Boozer and stopgap veterans Wayne Ellington, and Ronnie Price. Between a confusing undertone to the teams transactions and the impending return of a ravenous Kobe Bryant?desperate to stack further accolades onto his decorated rsum?the signs are ominous for what this particular roster might produce. DAntonis Lakers were a miserable defensive team, outdone by only Utah and Milwaukee for ineptitude on that side of the ball, and playing at pace (100.98 possessions per 48 minutes, 3rd in the NBA) didnt do much to disguise these flaws. Last seasons squad managed the remarkable feat of offering zero rim protection (opponents converted on 61.0 of attempts within five feet of the basket), while also failing to cover perimeter shooters (opp. averaged 36.9 percent between 25 and 29 feet, 29th in the league). Sadly, for Laker fans, this season is more likely to be a case of safeguarding the teams 2015 first round pick (owed to Phoenix, top-five protected), and utilising 82 games to see if any of the rosters lesser likes can stick long-term. Thats not going to sit too well with the alpha dog in the locker room, scripting what could be a recipe for an ugly season, on a number of fronts. Projection : 5th in the Pacific, 13th in the Western Conference.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 12:45:04 +0000
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