We Know What You Did This Summer:
Midwest Division
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Updated: August 28
8:56 AM ET
If the Western Conference is the best conference in the NBA, then the Midwest Division is now arguably the top division in the league.
With a new and improved World Champion Spurs, Dallas' Big 3 and Minnesota's newly acquired Big 5, you can argue that three of the best five teams in the NBA all reside in the Midwest.
Throw in the Rockets and two teams on the upswing -- Denver and Memphis, and things are going to be tougher than ever out in the country's heartland this year.
The only team in the Midwest that really didn't improve this summer was Utah. The Jazz lost two Hall of Famers and replaced them with Keon Clark and rookie Alexsandar Pavlovic, putting Utah's incredible playoff streak into serious jeopardy.
Today, Insider grades the Midwest Division. On Friday, we'll wrap things up in the Pacific.
Also see: Atlantic Grades | Central Grades
Minnesota Timberwolves
Key Additions: Latrell Sprewell, Michael Olowokandi, Sam Cassell, Ndudi Ebi
Key Subtractions: Radoslav Nesterovic, Joe Smith, Marc Jackson, Terrell Brandon
Roster breakdown: T-Wolves Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Wolves V.P. Kevin McHale knew he had to make drastic moves this summer to keep Kevin Garnett around. What McHale was able to accomplish in a little over two months was astonishing. He landed Olowokandi for cheaper than anyone thought possible, stole Sprewell from New York and got Cassell in return for the overpaid Smith. Add in a draft pick, Ebi, that would've been a high lottery pick had he stayed in school for a few more years and the Wolves appear poised to break into the second round of the playoffs for the first time ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: A
San Antonio Spurs
Key Additions: Radoslav Nesterovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Robert Horry, Ron Mercer
Key Subtractions: David Robinson, Speedy Claxton, Stephen Jackson
Roster breakdown: Spurs Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
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The Skinny: How much can you improve a team coming off a championship? The team flirted with Jason Kidd and Jermaine O'Neal this summer. In retrospect both were long shots. Instead of adding another superstar, the Spurs went for depth. Adding Nesterovic, Turkoglu, Horry and Mercer gives the Wolves more depth and more scoring punch than they had last season. While they'll miss Robinson's experience, this edition of the Spurs is much more lethal offensively. They kept their core in tact defensively and they've retained the flexibility to made more moves next summer if necessary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: A-
Dallas Mavericks
Key Additions: Antawn Jamison, Danny Fortson, Jiri Welsch, Josh Howard
Key Subtractions: Nick Van Exel, Adrian Griffin, Evan Eschmeyer
Roster breakdown: Mavs Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: The Mavs needed some toughness in the paint in the worst way. However, Don Nelson wasn't willing to give up Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley or Steve Nash to get it done. So Nelson did the next best thing; he addressed his other weakness at small forward and added Jamison, a 20-plus a night scorer, to the roster. Losing Van Exel will be tough, but they got bigger and younger by swapping him for Jamison. Most of the time that's the right formula for trade success in the NBA. Forston should provide some of that low-post toughness they lack, though he's a bit undersized to be the complete answer to their woes down low. Throw in draft pick Josh Howard, second-year guard Jiri Welsch and the Mavs are also building for the future.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets
Key Additions: Carmelo Anthony, Andre Miller, Earl Boykins, Jon Barry
Key Subtractions: Juwan Howard
Roster breakdown: Nuggets Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: The Nuggets' big coup was in the draft, where they landed a potential superstar in Anthony. They also upgraded at point guard dramatically, going from Lorenzen Harrington to Andre Miller and Earl Boykins. Still, some consider the summer a disappointment. The Nuggets still have a lot of cash left and no one to spend it on. They would've liked to have added a hot young shooting guard or another center, but weren't willing to meet the asking prices of Corey Maggette and Michael Olowokandi. That means that the Nuggets will show some improvement, but it won't be as dramatic as we originally thought. Still, the Nuggets are off to good start. If Nene, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Rodney White continue to develop, they'll be tough next season. With any luck, Kiki Vandeweghe will find a taker for the rest of his money next season.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: B
Houston Rockets
Key Additions: Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin, Malick Badiane
Key Subtractions: James Posey
Roster breakdown: Rockets Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Houston's biggest move this summer was hiring Jeff Van Gundy to coach the Rockets. But will it really make a difference? Rudy Tomjanovich was not the problem in Houston last season. The problem was lack of experience. Once Yao gets integrated into the offense, the Rockets should be better. Adding Piatkowski to the team will also be a plus, but it's basically evened out by the loss of Posey.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: C
Memphis Grizzlies
Key Additions: James Posey, Troy Bell, Dahntay Jones
Key Subtractions: None
Roster breakdown: Grizzlies Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Jerry West has been working the phones trying to get a legit big man for Hubie Brown. He came close to deals for Michael Olowokandi and Erick Dampier, but both of them fell through. So all we're left to judge him on is his controversial draft selections (he could've gotten both Bell and Jones in round two with any luck) and the signing of Posey. I think Posey is a nice pick-up for the Grizzlies, but I'm not sure it was the team's biggest need. If West finds a way to get a legit center this summer, their grade goes up. But right now a bad draft and one decent signing isn't enough to warrant more than a C-.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: C-
Utah Jazz
Key Additions: Keon Clark, Alexsandar Pavlovic
Key Subtractions: Karl Malone, John Stockton, Calbert Cheaney
Roster breakdown: Jazz Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Again, Utah's grade comes with a caveat. The Jazz burned up the phone lines and the expense account winning and dining top free agents. At one point, the team was fairly confident that it was going to land Elton Brand and Andre Miller. When both fell through, and then the Clippers matched the offer to Corey Maggette, the Jazz were left with nothing. You can't really point the finger at GM Kevin O'Conner. He managed the cap perfectly and did everything possible to improve his team. But if guys don't want to come, they don't want to come. They did salvage Keon Clark in a deal for a second-round pick, but he won't be enough to keep the Jazz from having the worst record in the league next season.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: D
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Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, August 28
Updated: August 28
8:54 AM ET
Odom
Miami Heat: Pat Riley knows Magic Johnson. Riley coached Magic Johnson. And now that Riley has another 6-foot-10 player who can dribble, pass and shoot, he isn't about to call him the next Magic Johnson. "I'm not saying that (Odom) is that because he's going to have to prove that," Riley said of Lamar Odom, who joined the Heat on Wednesday after being signed away from the Clippers as a restricted free agent. "I don't think anybody can ever be that way. But from a standpoint of the talent, he has those kinds of skills and we hope we can try to find those here for him to be able to show that." But if there is anyone who can bring that out in Odom, the player will be the first to tell you that that person is coach Riley. "I've been very flattered by a lot of his comments, but if he's looking for me to do it for him it's not going to happen," Riley continued in the Palm Beach Post. "I'll coach him on the court and if there's anything off the court I need to talk to him about, I'll do that. But he's basically a grown man who's got a family and he's on his own and I think he's ready to move on to that next step."
Golden State Warriors: The Warriors are happy to have Calbert Cheaney on their team because of his experience and winning attitude. "We feel fortunate to add another player who was a starter for a playoff team last season," Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean told the Contra Costa Times. "Calbert adds more depth to our squad and is another player who can play two positions, shooting guard and small forward. In the overall scheme of things, we've not only improved our team's long-term flexibility in recent weeks, but we've acquired four players -- (point guard) Speedy Claxton, (Nick) Van Exel, (Cliff) Robinson and Cheaney -- who played significant roles on playoff teams last season." But we have no word, yet, on how Cheaney or Van Exel feel about being with the Warriors.
Midwest Division
By Chad Ford
NBA Insider
Updated: August 28
8:56 AM ET
If the Western Conference is the best conference in the NBA, then the Midwest Division is now arguably the top division in the league.
With a new and improved World Champion Spurs, Dallas' Big 3 and Minnesota's newly acquired Big 5, you can argue that three of the best five teams in the NBA all reside in the Midwest.
Throw in the Rockets and two teams on the upswing -- Denver and Memphis, and things are going to be tougher than ever out in the country's heartland this year.
The only team in the Midwest that really didn't improve this summer was Utah. The Jazz lost two Hall of Famers and replaced them with Keon Clark and rookie Alexsandar Pavlovic, putting Utah's incredible playoff streak into serious jeopardy.
Today, Insider grades the Midwest Division. On Friday, we'll wrap things up in the Pacific.
Also see: Atlantic Grades | Central Grades
Minnesota Timberwolves
Key Additions: Latrell Sprewell, Michael Olowokandi, Sam Cassell, Ndudi Ebi
Key Subtractions: Radoslav Nesterovic, Joe Smith, Marc Jackson, Terrell Brandon
Roster breakdown: T-Wolves Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Wolves V.P. Kevin McHale knew he had to make drastic moves this summer to keep Kevin Garnett around. What McHale was able to accomplish in a little over two months was astonishing. He landed Olowokandi for cheaper than anyone thought possible, stole Sprewell from New York and got Cassell in return for the overpaid Smith. Add in a draft pick, Ebi, that would've been a high lottery pick had he stayed in school for a few more years and the Wolves appear poised to break into the second round of the playoffs for the first time ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: A
San Antonio Spurs
Key Additions: Radoslav Nesterovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Robert Horry, Ron Mercer
Key Subtractions: David Robinson, Speedy Claxton, Stephen Jackson
Roster breakdown: Spurs Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: How much can you improve a team coming off a championship? The team flirted with Jason Kidd and Jermaine O'Neal this summer. In retrospect both were long shots. Instead of adding another superstar, the Spurs went for depth. Adding Nesterovic, Turkoglu, Horry and Mercer gives the Wolves more depth and more scoring punch than they had last season. While they'll miss Robinson's experience, this edition of the Spurs is much more lethal offensively. They kept their core in tact defensively and they've retained the flexibility to made more moves next summer if necessary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: A-
Dallas Mavericks
Key Additions: Antawn Jamison, Danny Fortson, Jiri Welsch, Josh Howard
Key Subtractions: Nick Van Exel, Adrian Griffin, Evan Eschmeyer
Roster breakdown: Mavs Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: The Mavs needed some toughness in the paint in the worst way. However, Don Nelson wasn't willing to give up Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley or Steve Nash to get it done. So Nelson did the next best thing; he addressed his other weakness at small forward and added Jamison, a 20-plus a night scorer, to the roster. Losing Van Exel will be tough, but they got bigger and younger by swapping him for Jamison. Most of the time that's the right formula for trade success in the NBA. Forston should provide some of that low-post toughness they lack, though he's a bit undersized to be the complete answer to their woes down low. Throw in draft pick Josh Howard, second-year guard Jiri Welsch and the Mavs are also building for the future.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: B+
Denver Nuggets
Key Additions: Carmelo Anthony, Andre Miller, Earl Boykins, Jon Barry
Key Subtractions: Juwan Howard
Roster breakdown: Nuggets Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: The Nuggets' big coup was in the draft, where they landed a potential superstar in Anthony. They also upgraded at point guard dramatically, going from Lorenzen Harrington to Andre Miller and Earl Boykins. Still, some consider the summer a disappointment. The Nuggets still have a lot of cash left and no one to spend it on. They would've liked to have added a hot young shooting guard or another center, but weren't willing to meet the asking prices of Corey Maggette and Michael Olowokandi. That means that the Nuggets will show some improvement, but it won't be as dramatic as we originally thought. Still, the Nuggets are off to good start. If Nene, Nikoloz Tskitishvili and Rodney White continue to develop, they'll be tough next season. With any luck, Kiki Vandeweghe will find a taker for the rest of his money next season.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: B
Houston Rockets
Key Additions: Eric Piatkowski, Adrian Griffin, Malick Badiane
Key Subtractions: James Posey
Roster breakdown: Rockets Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Houston's biggest move this summer was hiring Jeff Van Gundy to coach the Rockets. But will it really make a difference? Rudy Tomjanovich was not the problem in Houston last season. The problem was lack of experience. Once Yao gets integrated into the offense, the Rockets should be better. Adding Piatkowski to the team will also be a plus, but it's basically evened out by the loss of Posey.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: C
Memphis Grizzlies
Key Additions: James Posey, Troy Bell, Dahntay Jones
Key Subtractions: None
Roster breakdown: Grizzlies Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Jerry West has been working the phones trying to get a legit big man for Hubie Brown. He came close to deals for Michael Olowokandi and Erick Dampier, but both of them fell through. So all we're left to judge him on is his controversial draft selections (he could've gotten both Bell and Jones in round two with any luck) and the signing of Posey. I think Posey is a nice pick-up for the Grizzlies, but I'm not sure it was the team's biggest need. If West finds a way to get a legit center this summer, their grade goes up. But right now a bad draft and one decent signing isn't enough to warrant more than a C-.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: C-
Utah Jazz
Key Additions: Keon Clark, Alexsandar Pavlovic
Key Subtractions: Karl Malone, John Stockton, Calbert Cheaney
Roster breakdown: Jazz Depth Chart | Free Agent Watch
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Skinny: Again, Utah's grade comes with a caveat. The Jazz burned up the phone lines and the expense account winning and dining top free agents. At one point, the team was fairly confident that it was going to land Elton Brand and Andre Miller. When both fell through, and then the Clippers matched the offer to Corey Maggette, the Jazz were left with nothing. You can't really point the finger at GM Kevin O'Conner. He managed the cap perfectly and did everything possible to improve his team. But if guys don't want to come, they don't want to come. They did salvage Keon Clark in a deal for a second-round pick, but he won't be enough to keep the Jazz from having the worst record in the league next season.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grade: D
-----------------------------------------------------
Peep Show
By Terry Brown
NBA Insider
Thursday, August 28
Updated: August 28
8:54 AM ET
Odom
Miami Heat: Pat Riley knows Magic Johnson. Riley coached Magic Johnson. And now that Riley has another 6-foot-10 player who can dribble, pass and shoot, he isn't about to call him the next Magic Johnson. "I'm not saying that (Odom) is that because he's going to have to prove that," Riley said of Lamar Odom, who joined the Heat on Wednesday after being signed away from the Clippers as a restricted free agent. "I don't think anybody can ever be that way. But from a standpoint of the talent, he has those kinds of skills and we hope we can try to find those here for him to be able to show that." But if there is anyone who can bring that out in Odom, the player will be the first to tell you that that person is coach Riley. "I've been very flattered by a lot of his comments, but if he's looking for me to do it for him it's not going to happen," Riley continued in the Palm Beach Post. "I'll coach him on the court and if there's anything off the court I need to talk to him about, I'll do that. But he's basically a grown man who's got a family and he's on his own and I think he's ready to move on to that next step."
Golden State Warriors: The Warriors are happy to have Calbert Cheaney on their team because of his experience and winning attitude. "We feel fortunate to add another player who was a starter for a playoff team last season," Warriors general manager Garry St. Jean told the Contra Costa Times. "Calbert adds more depth to our squad and is another player who can play two positions, shooting guard and small forward. In the overall scheme of things, we've not only improved our team's long-term flexibility in recent weeks, but we've acquired four players -- (point guard) Speedy Claxton, (Nick) Van Exel, (Cliff) Robinson and Cheaney -- who played significant roles on playoff teams last season." But we have no word, yet, on how Cheaney or Van Exel feel about being with the Warriors.
