Post by ohhaithur on Oct 17, 2010 14:21:10 GMT -5
Going to try something new here. Now that teams are getting locked into big deals it's time for a look at the future of the Midwest division, a division that produced the first three Western Conference champions but has recently weakened. I listed everyone under contract in the future for each year and took a look at their likely resignings this year (with potential salaries) and their owed picks.
Hope you enjoy.
2007: Chris Taft, Brian Grant, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Andre Emmett, Jason Terry, Jameer Nelson, Chris Duhon
2008: Abdur-Rahim and Terry
2009: Terry
2010: Terry
2011:
Resigning situation: Rafael Araujo (6 years/10m), Samuel Dalembert (5 years/7m)
Draft pick situation: Fair
Grade: C+
Mavericks will certainly look different next year with the highly productive Araujo the only sure-fire returnee. The Mavs will be active for frontcourt help. The Mavs should be under the soft cap coming into Free Agency with a number of spots to fill all without a first round pick. With a solid amount of role players, the Mavericks wil need to find an impact guy to pull it all together. Terry and Nelson will be the backcourt combination for years to come.
2007: Shaquille O'Neal, Al Jefferson, Jerry Stackhouse, JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, Jarrett Jack, Stephen Jackson
2008: O'Neal, Stackhouse, Redick, Jackson
2009: O'Neal, Stackhouse, Redick, Jackson
2010: O'Neal, Stackhouse, Jackson
2011: Jackson
Resigning situation: Tim Thomas (3 years/7m)
Draft pick situation: Very poor
Grade: D
The Nuggets are in what we call "cap hell". With very productive players in Shaq and Stackhouse, this team has been unable to put it all together yet. A team built for "win-now" that's not winning is dangerous. The contract of Stephen Jackson is near-unanimously considered the worst in the league and impossible to deal. The Nuggets will be over soft cap for the next 4 years, even if Shaq retires, and are without firsts in three of the next four years. It is unclear where they will be able to find talent to fill out the roster in the coming years outside of the MLE.
2007: Douglas Allen, Antonio McDyess, Kirk Haston, Channing Frye, Luke Jackson, Shawne Williams, Lior Eliyahu, Vince Carter, Raja Bell, Damon Stoudamire, Blake Stepp
2008: McDyess, Frye, Williams, Carter
2009: McDyess, Williams, Carter
2010: McDyess, Carter
2011: McDyess
Resigning situation: No expected resignings
Draft pick situation: Steady, with no picks owed or expected
Grade: B+
The Rockets are built around two star players, Vince Carter and Antonio McDyess. One of the most consistent franchises, the team looks in solid shape to continue success in the future. Dominant center play is an aspect of the Rockets that has eluded them throughout the years and possibly the hump they have been able to cross. Due to the Rockets infrequent trades, they hold all their picks in the future and are not receiving any from any other team. They should be playoff-bound so long as they have Carter and McDyess, but this keeps them over the soft cap and without any lotto picks. One might believe they are stuck in neutral and are bound for the middle of the playoffs for the foreseeable future without the juice to make a championship chase.
2007: Jordan Roberson, Ben Wallace, Salim Stoudamire
2008: Ben Wallace
2009:
2010:
2011:
Resigning situation: Nobody's coming back
Draft pick situation: Elite
Grade: I
The T-Wolves are in full-tank mode with no hope for this season. With Ben Wallace likely moving on and Roberson and Stoudamire not expected to contribute past this year, the Fighting Kahns will look to use their league-leading cap room and their five first rounders in 2007 to get back to top form. While their own pick will surely be top 5, how will the other picks be? The Jazz, Sonics and Bulls are all expected playoff teams and many of the top FAs are expected to be resigned. This strategy should lead to bold dividends, but there is a slight risk multiple years of failure if luck doesn't strike for the Wolves.
2007: Jason Maxiell, Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates, Ben Gordon, Delonte West, Chris Quinn
2008: Jason Maxiell
2009:
2010:
2011:
Resigning situation: Nothing of note
Draft pick situation: Steady, with no picks owed or expected
Grade: D
I can't tell what's going on here. They are one of the worst teams in the league, but are they tanking? Cassell and Jalen Rose will sneak this team a few wins but have no future with this team. Why are they there? It looks like the squad is stuck between full-tank and wanting to win a few games but with what direction? The saving grace for this team could be the massive amounts of cap room available after this season, but with a few teams in the same boat will there be enough FAs to go around? Building around a top-10 pick is a good start, but shipping Rose, Cassell and Gooden out are musts.
2007: Andrew Bogut, Joakim Noah, Melvin Ely, Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, Cuttino Mobley, Ricky Davis, Sebastian Telfair, Dee Brown
2008: Bogut, Noah, Ely, Nowitzki, Davis, Brown
2009: Noah, Ely, Nowitzki, Brown
2010: Nowitzki
2011:
Resigning situation: Glenn Robinson (1 year, 5m)
Draft pick situation: Great with six top-30 picks in the next two years
Grade: A
After numerous trades, this squad has found itself in its best shape since the creation season of 2001. With the core of the team intact and with strong potential abound, the Jazz should be one of the more formidable foes in the future. Sebastian Telfair will be the only player necessary to reisign in the next three years and the star will be worth the max deal. This squad will be over the soft cap for quite a few years, but should have the talent to compete regardless.
2007: Robert Swift, Troy Murphy, Tracy McGrady, Marvin Williams, Renaldo Balkman, Dejuan Wagner, Steve Nash
2008: McGrady, Williams, Wagner, Nash
2009: McGrady, Wagner, Nash
2010: McGrady, Nash
2011:
Resigning situation: Chris Kaman (5 years/8m)
Draft pick situation: Poor
Grade: C+
The Grizzlies are in decent shape moving forward and will be in constant contention as long as Tracy McGrady is around. Ironically, they should also be candidates for first round exits as long as McGrady doesn't get inside help. While Kaman is a nice player, the front lines of this squad are obviously the weakest. Outside of Kaman, there is no player on this squad who likes to rebound and this could be the death of the Grizzlies. McGrady on the wing has consistently been a force in the TMBSL and Steve Nash is one of the best PGs in the league, despite his under-performing his stats. Dejuan Wgner is a rising star due to his scoring, but how long can a C defender stick in the West?
Hope you enjoy.
2007: Chris Taft, Brian Grant, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Andre Emmett, Jason Terry, Jameer Nelson, Chris Duhon
2008: Abdur-Rahim and Terry
2009: Terry
2010: Terry
2011:
Resigning situation: Rafael Araujo (6 years/10m), Samuel Dalembert (5 years/7m)
Draft pick situation: Fair
Grade: C+
Mavericks will certainly look different next year with the highly productive Araujo the only sure-fire returnee. The Mavs will be active for frontcourt help. The Mavs should be under the soft cap coming into Free Agency with a number of spots to fill all without a first round pick. With a solid amount of role players, the Mavericks wil need to find an impact guy to pull it all together. Terry and Nelson will be the backcourt combination for years to come.
2007: Shaquille O'Neal, Al Jefferson, Jerry Stackhouse, JJ Redick, Jamal Crawford, Jarrett Jack, Stephen Jackson
2008: O'Neal, Stackhouse, Redick, Jackson
2009: O'Neal, Stackhouse, Redick, Jackson
2010: O'Neal, Stackhouse, Jackson
2011: Jackson
Resigning situation: Tim Thomas (3 years/7m)
Draft pick situation: Very poor
Grade: D
The Nuggets are in what we call "cap hell". With very productive players in Shaq and Stackhouse, this team has been unable to put it all together yet. A team built for "win-now" that's not winning is dangerous. The contract of Stephen Jackson is near-unanimously considered the worst in the league and impossible to deal. The Nuggets will be over soft cap for the next 4 years, even if Shaq retires, and are without firsts in three of the next four years. It is unclear where they will be able to find talent to fill out the roster in the coming years outside of the MLE.
2007: Douglas Allen, Antonio McDyess, Kirk Haston, Channing Frye, Luke Jackson, Shawne Williams, Lior Eliyahu, Vince Carter, Raja Bell, Damon Stoudamire, Blake Stepp
2008: McDyess, Frye, Williams, Carter
2009: McDyess, Williams, Carter
2010: McDyess, Carter
2011: McDyess
Resigning situation: No expected resignings
Draft pick situation: Steady, with no picks owed or expected
Grade: B+
The Rockets are built around two star players, Vince Carter and Antonio McDyess. One of the most consistent franchises, the team looks in solid shape to continue success in the future. Dominant center play is an aspect of the Rockets that has eluded them throughout the years and possibly the hump they have been able to cross. Due to the Rockets infrequent trades, they hold all their picks in the future and are not receiving any from any other team. They should be playoff-bound so long as they have Carter and McDyess, but this keeps them over the soft cap and without any lotto picks. One might believe they are stuck in neutral and are bound for the middle of the playoffs for the foreseeable future without the juice to make a championship chase.
2007: Jordan Roberson, Ben Wallace, Salim Stoudamire
2008: Ben Wallace
2009:
2010:
2011:
Resigning situation: Nobody's coming back
Draft pick situation: Elite
Grade: I
The T-Wolves are in full-tank mode with no hope for this season. With Ben Wallace likely moving on and Roberson and Stoudamire not expected to contribute past this year, the Fighting Kahns will look to use their league-leading cap room and their five first rounders in 2007 to get back to top form. While their own pick will surely be top 5, how will the other picks be? The Jazz, Sonics and Bulls are all expected playoff teams and many of the top FAs are expected to be resigned. This strategy should lead to bold dividends, but there is a slight risk multiple years of failure if luck doesn't strike for the Wolves.
2007: Jason Maxiell, Julius Peppers, Antonio Gates, Ben Gordon, Delonte West, Chris Quinn
2008: Jason Maxiell
2009:
2010:
2011:
Resigning situation: Nothing of note
Draft pick situation: Steady, with no picks owed or expected
Grade: D
I can't tell what's going on here. They are one of the worst teams in the league, but are they tanking? Cassell and Jalen Rose will sneak this team a few wins but have no future with this team. Why are they there? It looks like the squad is stuck between full-tank and wanting to win a few games but with what direction? The saving grace for this team could be the massive amounts of cap room available after this season, but with a few teams in the same boat will there be enough FAs to go around? Building around a top-10 pick is a good start, but shipping Rose, Cassell and Gooden out are musts.
2007: Andrew Bogut, Joakim Noah, Melvin Ely, Dirk Nowitzki, Zach Randolph, Cuttino Mobley, Ricky Davis, Sebastian Telfair, Dee Brown
2008: Bogut, Noah, Ely, Nowitzki, Davis, Brown
2009: Noah, Ely, Nowitzki, Brown
2010: Nowitzki
2011:
Resigning situation: Glenn Robinson (1 year, 5m)
Draft pick situation: Great with six top-30 picks in the next two years
Grade: A
After numerous trades, this squad has found itself in its best shape since the creation season of 2001. With the core of the team intact and with strong potential abound, the Jazz should be one of the more formidable foes in the future. Sebastian Telfair will be the only player necessary to reisign in the next three years and the star will be worth the max deal. This squad will be over the soft cap for quite a few years, but should have the talent to compete regardless.
2007: Robert Swift, Troy Murphy, Tracy McGrady, Marvin Williams, Renaldo Balkman, Dejuan Wagner, Steve Nash
2008: McGrady, Williams, Wagner, Nash
2009: McGrady, Wagner, Nash
2010: McGrady, Nash
2011:
Resigning situation: Chris Kaman (5 years/8m)
Draft pick situation: Poor
Grade: C+
The Grizzlies are in decent shape moving forward and will be in constant contention as long as Tracy McGrady is around. Ironically, they should also be candidates for first round exits as long as McGrady doesn't get inside help. While Kaman is a nice player, the front lines of this squad are obviously the weakest. Outside of Kaman, there is no player on this squad who likes to rebound and this could be the death of the Grizzlies. McGrady on the wing has consistently been a force in the TMBSL and Steve Nash is one of the best PGs in the league, despite his under-performing his stats. Dejuan Wgner is a rising star due to his scoring, but how long can a C defender stick in the West?
