Team Needs: Post yours (And a look back at last year)

[SCourGe OF GoD]

Lakers need a backup SF that can shoot the 3...Ebanks is good but he's really a 1 dimensional defender. A guy like Pietrus would be perfect because he can strecth the floor and play average defense

[Blkbrd671]

Lakers need a backup SF that can shoot the 3...Ebanks is good but he's really a 1 dimensional defender. A guy like Pietrus would be perfect because he can strecth the floor and play average defense

Daye for Blake?

[RoyalWun]

Let's see:

PG: Damian Lillard / Nolan Smith / Ronnie Price

Lillard seems like the real deal. Smith not so much. Still needs a lot of development. Price is ok for what he is: a reserve backup PG. What we really need is a vet PG who can run a team so we wouldn't rely too much on Lillard and to challenge him for that starting spot so he won't get too comfortable.

SG: Wesley Matthews / Will Barton / (Elliot Williams)

Matthews and his contract are great to have. Williams is always hurt ad doubt his body can handle playing in the NBA on a nightly basis. Barton needs to gain weight and still has a lot of growing to do. We need either a legit number 1 option or a hella good sixth man.

SF: Nicolas Batum / Luke Babbitt / Victor Claver

No telling if Batum is worth the contract he was given just yet. He needs to show a lot to warrant it. Babbitt is hot garbage against actual NBA talent, he needs to go. No telling what Claver brings to the table just yet. What I wouldn't mind at this position is a tall and another defensive minded player.

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge / JJ Hickson / Jared Jeffries

LMA is a top 5 PF (can make an argument for number 2/3). Is fine with our rebuild/retool. He's not going anywhere anytime soon. Hickson, although starting at the moment, could make a great big we need off the bench. Jeffries is a solid vet reserve. The only thing I could think of is a stretch 4 that can hit and make 3's but otherwise wouldn't change anything.

C: Meyers Leonard / Joel Freeland

Meyers has a lot of growing but could very well be our starting C if all goes well with him. Freeland also as a lot to show and could be our "Nick Collison" type of player. What I would like to have at this position is a defensive anchor and rebounds well whether starting or off the bench.

[Devilanche]

OKC's as below

- get Ibaka more involved in the offense,Still need to give him more touches/shots,
- figure out if Aldrich can play,Backup C is his to lose now with Nazr gone. Thabeet is our backup C.
- accelerate Jackson's development,Did ok at summer league, with full preseason we'll see. If he develops, Maynor would be movable.With Harden gone, either Jackson ballhandling improve real fast of he'll see the bench.
- ask Perkins to play better instead of scowling & getting T'd up,Still need to play better and be healthier.
- pray Cook is making his 3s come playoff time & Now he needs to start figuring out how to make the lineup come playoff. With Maynor replacing Fisher minutes, his minutes should be continued to be squeezed.Moved to Houston so seemed like PJIII has beaten him for the 10th/11th man slot.
- cornrow Harden's beard.Somebody need to be more consistent.He could go hairless now. Won't matter anymore

Biggest Issue is resigning of Harden/Ibaka and trying to figure out what we'll do with our C salary moving forward. Still same concern.

Resigned Ibaka for slighly higher, Offered Harden a good deal and without an agreement in sight, Presti moved him for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and picks. Presti like Picks

Depth Chart
PG: Westbrook/Maynor/Jackson
SG: Thabo/Martin/Lamb
SF: Durant/PJIII/Deandre Liggins
PF: Ibaka/Collison
C: Perkins/Thabeet

Lamb will probably be seeing the Dleague for a bit so he could get to know our sets for abit. Would be interesting to see what happen in the regular season once Thabo/Martin is injured. Deandre Liggins will probably play in place of Thabo while Lamb should get the chance when Martin is out.

Brooks like smallball so we can see Westbrook at SG, Thabo/Martin at SF, Durant/PJII at PF , Ibaka/Collison at C and Perkins on the bench. Nothing to not like with that idea though not for the whole game.

Positional needs seems to be a 5th big to be in suit. Will probably look to sign whoever left in FA or those released before playoffs. Can only see Martin being moved at the deadline if a big Presti like is available and Lamb has shown he is ready. Jackson could be moved if Maynor show he is back.

[vege]

Detroit needs rebounding, perimeter defense, 3 point shooting and a go to score.

Funny thing is, Drummond has a 18.1 which is pretty solid but he's only playing 16 mpg.

English is a solid perimeter defender and an excellent 3 point shooter but he's only playing 13 mpg.

So what Detroit really need is a volume scorer and a new head coach. Again.

Depth Chart for the future:

Drummond / Monroe
Monroe / Jonas
/ Singler
English / Stuckey
Knight / Stuckey

[Mascot]

Toronto still needs a SF
Still needs to trade Calderon
Still needs to trade Bargnani


and this will probably never change while we still have Bryan Colangelo so we need him gone as well.

[zapatasblood]

Rockets needs a post scorer, 3 point shooters, and a back up PG or combo guard
Also To rid themselves of Douglas, and Deflino

[MilBucksBackOnTop06]

Bucks:

Addressed their needs better then almost any other team except the Clipper and Warriors.

Warriors depth is phenomenal. In the last year they have a perfect young roster imo. Too bad Rush and Bogut are hurt though.

They covered every need they had in the West and the Bucks and Nets in the East.

Bucks still need that SG/F with size that they could have had if they had sense enough to bring in Josh Howard of make a move for a guy like Marshon Brooks or Alec Burks.

But their young 'bigs' are coming around. Get a 6'6 SG with some length and Star potential and its a wrap...they can be back on the winning track soon.

[Drax]

Boston Celtics Depth Chart:

PG: Rajon Rondo
SG: Avery Bradley / Jason Terry / Courtney Lee / Leandro Barbosa
SF: Paul Pierce / Jeff Green
PF: Brandon Bass / Jared Sullinger
C: Kevin Garnett / Chris Wilcox / Jason Collins / (*Fab Melo)

*assigned to the Maine Red Claws

Needs:
- defensive minded back up PF/C
*optional:
- (veteran point guard)
- (depending on trades a back up/prospect SF)

non tradable: Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, (my personal opinion Avery Bradley)

[shrink]

I thought I should provide an update for MIN, since there has been some changes. Right now, MIN doesn't have as much financial incentive to get an expiring to have the money for 2013 to sign Pek and Buddinger, afford their 1st, and be able to offer a full MLE. Now we know that Roy will probably not be here, and they can get out of Steimsma and Cunningham's deals if they really need the cash. Since Adelman, Kahn, and Love really want to make the play-offs this year, I don't think you'll see a downgrade in talent for financial reasons.

MIN NEEDS:
1. Starting SG - desperately
2. Back-up C - somewhat

MIN CAN TRADE:
1. Barea
2. Ridnour
3. Derrick Williams
4. Roy's "expiring" .. may be partially covered by insurance
5. $3 mil cash .. Glen Taylor has always been willing to pay if he wants to win.
6. Better of 2013 MEM 1st or 2013 MIN 1st (lottery protected).
7. Salary Filler .. Lou Amundson (vet min), Josh Howard (vet min), Steimsma for a center - only available Dec 15th. Malcolm Lee in a deal for a SG.

Rubio/Ridnour/Barea
Lee/Shved/Howard/(Roy)/(Buddinger)
Kirilenko/Williams
Love/Cunningham/Amundson
Pekovic/Steimsma

EDIT: The tremendous progress of Shved has put Wolves fans in two camps over SG. Some think we should just start Shved, while others think we should bring him off the bench in a Manu-type role.

[Revived]

Suns need a young SG with potential.

Suns can offer Jared Dudley who is a SF and a good 3pt shooter when used as a SF. Also on a good contract.

[humblebum]

I am there with Drax's view on the Celtics. Small quibbles, I see Bradley as the starting SG and the primary backup PG. I'd also add in Jeff Green as an untradable, temporarily at least until he has a season under his belt to reestablish his trade value.

The potential moving parts IMO are Lee/Bass and future picks to acquire that defensive minded (or strong rebounder) PF-C.

[BlackIce]

TOR needs NBA talent.

[Bee-Fense]

Hornets do not need an extra big man. They are set at PF/C.

Starting SG is not a need for now either with Gordon back and playing well.

Starting PG needed. Vasquez will be good backup, but not starter quality. Need someone that is a solid defender, can spot up, and only has to be an okay ball handler. Whoever it is will share duties with Gordon as the primary ball handlers.

Biggest need is at both starting and back up SF. Someone that can defend in the halfcourt game and in transition and hit open 3's is preferable.

[Narf]

I have a rather contradictory opinion of the Wolves needs. Mostly we need to be healthy and grow as a team. If we were healthy, our needs would not be SG as we have 2 solid, young, improving SGs already. IMO our biggest team need is backup C and backup SF is a distant 2nd when healthy. Budinger, Love, and Rubio look to be healthy by the end of the year so I think our best bet is to upgrade Stiemsma and resign Bud and Pek if we can in the offseason.

PG- Rubio/Barea/Ridnour
SG- Shved/Budinger/M. Lee
SF- Kirilenko/Budinger (Williams/Cunningham can play SF but are better at PF)
PF- Love/Williams/Cunningham
C- Pekovic/Stiemsma/Amundson

The players in red are players who are ideal to upgrade. I'm not listing Roy, as I think he's done, but ideally he'd fill in the role of backup G/F along with Budinger off the bench. IMHO Shved and Budinger look awful nice as a SG combo. Since Shved is capable of playing the 3rd PG role, I would trade Ridnour if possible for a comparable backup SF or Ridnour/Stiemsma for an upgrade at C.

[nate33]

The Wizards are in bad shape. They need help almost everywhere, but PF is the worst:

PG: Wall/Price - They're set here assuming everyone gets healthy. They're not attached to Price though. An upgrade wouldn't be turned down.

SG: Beal/Crawford - Beal looks like a keeper. Opinions on Crawford are mixed. He is a low efficiency guy who is only comfortable with the ball in his hands, and he doesn't really have the type of game (or size) to settle into the role as a high percentage complementary player. He is getting better though and with a little more improvement in efficiency, might be able to carve out a role as a 3rd guard like a Jason Terry or Jamaal Crawford. He's certainly not untouchable and could be included in any trade, but I don't think it's the Wizards goal to actively try and replace him.

SF: Ariza/Webster/Singleton - Ariza isn't terrible, but he's not good either and he is overpaid. The Wizards would happily trade him for cap relief. Webster has been a nice find at $1.75M. He's a nice 3&D role player and a good leader in the locker room. He is a free agent this summer and the Wizards will probably try and keep him if the price is right. He's not starting material though - not for a good team. Singleton is a bust. He might hang around the league for a few more years as an 11th man, but he has no value.

PF: Booker/Vesely - Booker is a good guy and a decent 20 mpg bench player when healthy, but he is always hurt. Vesely sucks but management doesn't want to admit what a colossal mistake it was drafting him. Either could be traded. Neither have much trade value. The Wizards definitely need a serious upgrade at this position - particularly on offense.

C: Nene/Okafor/Seraphin - Nene is awesome when healthy but is nursing a foot injury. I think the Wizards intend to keep him unless they get a really good offer (young, starting-caliber talent). They won't dump him for cap room. Okafor has been rock solid lately, but at his salary, he will be shopped. It's wise for a young, rebuilding team to have one veteran big around, but you don't need two. Nene is the keeper, not Okafor. Seraphin has good potential but has been very frustrating lately. He has great touch around the basket and a very good midrange jumper, but he has a low basketball IQ leading to a lot of turnovers, and he won't take it strong and get to the free throw line. He also doesn't rebound well. The Wizards were very excited about him last year, but that excitement has waned of late. Like Crawford, he could be used in a trade, but the Wizards would be content to keep him around another year to see if he develops further.

Keepers:
Wall, Beal, Nene, Webster (if he can be resigned to a reasonable contract)

Don't mind keeping, but don't mind trading either:
Seraphin, Crawford

Shopping:
Okafor

Filler with no real value:
Ariza, Booker, Vesely, Singleton, Price, Martin, Temple

[Texas Chuck]

Dallas:

Needs literally everything. Dirk is the only player certain to have a roster spot next year tho I image we keep our draft picks since they make nothing and are worth nothing.

Most glaring needs: PG and Center. Right now we have a decent backup pg starting for us in Collison and a possible 3rd center in the rookie James whom our coach isnt playing at all with nothing to play for and no great options in front of him.

We have stopgap solutions at PF and SF in the aging but still quality Dirk and Marion.
We have stopgap solutions at SG in Mayo/Carter but I dont want Mayo back at the contract he is likely to get and I see him more as a 6th man than a starter anyway.

We have no tradable assets except expirings or veterans to rent for a playoff run. None of which would bring back any meaningful return.

Keeper: Dirk (NTC, face of the franchise)

Dont mind keeping: Crowder, James, Marion, Collison (as a reserve only)

Shopping: not really anyone but would listen to all offers for anyone but Dirk

Filler with no real value: our entire roster.

[vege]

I guess as the trade line approaches I'll update Detroit. I'll use RoyalWun/nate33 model because it looks good and is easy for people to see and understand.

PG: Brandon Knight / Rodney Stuckey / Will Bynum

Detroit has been suffering greatly from their PG play, all this guys are score first PGs, in fact Stuckey and Knight are combo guards and having a hard time playing PG. Bynum has been the best of the 3 this season, he is inconsistent and sometimes he goes way out of control but at least he can run the offense, find the open guys and is running the second unit very well.

Stuckey has been the first player of the bench, he had a disastrous start of season but is back to his usual form, inconsistent, inefficient but he can attack the basket and go to the free throw line at will and does not get a ton of TOs.

Knight is a complete disaster, he ranks #14 in TOs in the league, his assists numbers are horrible, he is incapable of run basic plays like throw a lob to Drummond or attack the basket and kick out for the open man. He is having a hard time learning the position. On defense, he has games where he shuts down opponents and nights where he watches the game.

Bynum is an expiring, Detroit FO likes Knight too much due to his work ethic so I can't see him being traded anytime soon and Detroit FO also like Stuckey, he wanted out after his rookie deal was over but Detroit FO refused to let him go. Knight could really use a veteran mentor here and is probably Detroit's biggest and more urgent need.

SG: Kyle Singler / Kim English

Detroit doesn't have a single SG on the roster, English had a few chances early in the season but he couldn't get it done. Singler was drafted as a 3/4 and is currently starting at SG for the last 31 games. Singler started extremely well but slowed down quite a lot. He is a solid glue guy who doesn't make mistakes and can hit his shots most of the time but he is quite invisible most of the time. He is extremely cheap so I can't see him being traded even for an upgrade. English has no value and might even be waived at the end of the season.

SF: Tayshaun Prince / Austin Daye / Khris Middleton / Corey Maggette

Prince is what he is, solid at everything not great at anything, he is a glue guy veteran who will do whatever is needed of him to help the team. Whenever the team is in trouble he is the guy who will get the ball and try to make the big plays. Detroit assured him he will not be traded.

Daye started the season out of the rotation, since inserted in the rotation he has been consistent with his shot and has been fighting for rebounds and on the defense. There were reports about Detroit shopping him a few weeks ago and his recent play surely increased his value around the league. I'd not be shocked to see him traded.

Middleton haven't played at all, he haven't done great in the DLeague either but he is a project locked on a cheap 4 years deal.

Maggette is washed up and can't do anything on the court to help a team anymore. His value is for his expiring contract and for his veteran presence on the locker room and that's about it.

PF: Jason Maxiell / Charlie Villanueva / Jonas Jerebko

Maxiell is having a career year, he has been solid on defense especially with his blocks, he is a terrible defensive rebounder and sometimes hurt the team because of it. He developed a very consisted pick and pop game and if left open will hit most of his mid range Js. He is more suited to come off the bench to a contender imo, I'd love to see Drummond starting but Maxiell and CV or Jerebko coming off the bench would be a complete disaster as they're all small and terrible rebounders.

Charlie Villanueva surprisingly is trying really hard this season, he probably realize this is one of his last chances to stay in the league and be paid for it after being kicked out of Dominicana's national team and not play much last season. He started out of the rotation and fought to get his minutes, since he got inserted into the rotation the team improved a lot, playing next to Drummond has been helping him a lot. His advanced stats are pretty good and I doubt Detroit will amnesty him next season if he continues to play at this level until the end of the season.

Jonas Jerebko was the biggest disappointment of the season. He was missused, Frank tried to turn him into a stretch 4 and destroyed his game. Last season Jonas was one of the most efficient players from mid range, he also hustle a lot so he gets a lot of offensive rebounds but playing away from the basket on offense really hurts his game. He is out of the rotation and has 9 millions left on his contract after this season. Too much for a 3rd stringer, he should be moved if they can't find a spot for him to play consistently and play up for his strengths.

C: Greg Monroe / Andre Drummond / Slava Kravtsov

Monroe is trying to develop a mid range game to transition to PF and his offensive rebounds as well his efficiency have been hurting from that. He did not take the leap most expected but he is still a very good offensive player, he has been worse on defense tho.

Drummond have surprised everyone, no one expected him to be this good and have the kind of impact he is having on the game. He is a monster on defense and one of the best rebounders in the league. He still has a hard time understanding box out concept but yet he is one of the best rebounders int he league, He likely won't be starting anytime soon because Detroit need a big defensive player on the second unit next to CV and Monroe is still trying to develop a mid range game so they're not the best fit together. Frank is increasing his minutes slowly tho.

Kravtsov is a big disappointment so far, he was signed as a ready to play athletic 7 footer who would provide the size Detroit needed. He hasn't been able to play so far and likely isn't NBA material. His contract is only 500k guaranteed next season and I wouldn't be surprised to see him cut.

In short Detroit need a starter caliber SG, a veteran mentor pass first backup PG, a starter caliber PF and they need to reduce the cost of their 3rd stringers (Maggette, Jonas, Kravtsov are paid 16 million to not play)

Using Texas Chuck model

Keeper: Drummond, Monroe, Knight, Prince

Don't mind keeping: Singler, Villanueva, Stuckey (Probably)

Shopping: Daye, Maxiell, Bynum, Maggette, Jerebko

Filler with no real value: English, Middleton, Kravtsov

[Trader_Joe]

Are you saying you want to keep Knight or simply realize the team will? If he is having as much trouble as you describe that will really cripple the team and the development/efficiency of your bigs.

[vege]

I have absolutely no doubt Detroit will keep him and will keep starting and giving him heavy minutes despite of him not deserving it. They're putting all their chips on him.

It is crippling the team, whoever watches Detroit play can see that, it's crystal clear. Monroe is having to do way too much because Knight is not capable of create anything. Monroe would be a lot more efficient with a better PG, a PG who can give him the ball in a good position and not one that throws a brick at him with 2 seconds on the clock.

Knight is not a PG and worse than that, he is not even close to become a PG. Stuckey is a much better PG than Knight at this point and we all know Stuckey is not a PG.

Knight is a very good scorer and if he develops a court vision and some sort of a PG game he will be one of the top players in the league, at this point doesn't look like he will tho, but he is too young for Detroit to give up on him.

Drummond has been playing the majority of his minutes with Bynum, whenever Drummond plays with Knight his numbers are not good. His +/- are huge with Bynum and are close to 0 with Knight.

Monroe play almost all his minutes with Knight so he doesn't have the benefit of play with a better PG, you add that to the fact that Monroe is trying to develop a mid range game and yeah his efficiency has been hurt this season.