Our upcoming season's theme - Indigestion

[DY_nasty]

Wow, you have insanely high expectations for the Pacers, Sixers, and even Bucks to an extent. No way the Pacers or Sixers are sniffing what you've just suggested next year.

Look at the Pacers roster too, PG or no PG who do they have besides Granger?

Sixers - unless that draft pick comes up big the improvement will be slight.

Bucks - Maggette does not bring the same type of benefits as Salmons does. I have no doubt the Bucks will still compete for a playoff spot with or without Salmons but still.

As for Miami - they won't be able to become dominant with 2 max players so quickly. It'll take a few years IMO as they build a supporting case up and good chemistry.

We'll see, it'll be interesting to come back to this in say September and see where things are at.

The Pacers have been riddled with injuries over the last two seasons. All they need to do is stay moderately healthy and they're got a good chance to sneak in. Sixers finally rectified their mistake of pairing Elton Brand with Eddie Jordan, and in turn brought in a great coach for their young team in Doug Collins. If you look at how he's improved each team he's joined, the sixers are poised for a solid year. They easily have more talent than a lot of teams in the east (including us), its just a matter of putting together the correct system around it.

The Bucks were the best team in the league during the second half of the season. They get even a gimp Redd back to go along with Magette, CDR, and their new frontcourt help and they're in a position to pick up right where they left off.

Miami... man, I can't say enough about Wade. He played the Celtics better than anyone did in the playoffs (and he did it without the refs too). He made Jermaine O'Neal look serviceable and Beasley NOT look like a complete bust. Look at how the Lakers were in 2006, Kobe had no help at all despite MVP caliber seasons - once he got an all-star to play off of him, Rings in two years and on the verge of a 3-peat. Paul Pierce, not even as good as Wade with a better supporting cast, he gets two all-stars and poof - instant ring.

[Diop]

I dont like the Bucks moves this off season at all. What made Salmons a good fit there was that he was also a willing passer. When they had chuckers like Redd and Mo Williams playing Bogut wouldn't see the ball enough and their offence became a little stagnant. Maggette is all about scoring, I'm worried that if they can't bring Salmons back, their offence is going to lose ball movement.
Who knows maybe Skiles can scream Maggette into becoming a more rounded team player.

[DY_nasty]

I dont like the Bucks moves this off season at all. What made Salmons a good fit there was that he was also a willing passer. When they had chuckers like Redd and Mo Williams playing Bogut wouldn't see the ball enough and their offence became a little stagnant. Maggette is all about scoring, I'm worried that if they can't bring Salmons back, their offence is going to lose ball movement.
Who knows maybe Skiles can scream Maggette into becoming a more rounded team player.

Maggette hasn't been 'coached' in half a decade. A change of scenery is all he needed.

And the only reason Redd was chucking was because no one else in Milwaukee could score. Its been that way for the past two seasons. Bogut was hurt most of that time, and his play didn't elevate until recently.

[ball teacher]

I think the Bucks loaded up in the positions they needed. They went the 2nd half of the season playing Mbah Amoute as a power forward and he surprisingly did ok considering he's really a SF. So they got a true big and they got some perimeter guys in Douglas Roberts and Maggette, I think they did well. So did OKC, they really needed some bigs since that's the main reason the Lakers beat them. The Bulls should be a good team in the east even if they only sign Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer which it looks like will be the Bulls consolation free agents. Boston is gonna have problems being a older team and they may not even be together next year. Orlando's small ball won't work next year, Atlanta could still be decent, Washington could be decent, Cleveland is in trouble unless Lebron returns which everyone doubts will happen. Charlotte getting a scoring big man would do wonders for this team. New Jersey just added Sam Mitchell to the coaching staff, they drafted Derrick Favors to play alongside Lopez, they have Harris running the show, Terrance Williams should get playing time with a real coach and they can still sign a max free agent (again I think they're serious contenders to landing Lebron James who would be the featured attraction in the new Brooklyn arena playing in the city of his close friend Jay-Z who used to be part owner of the Nets by the way). Miami should be good also. Charlotte also signed Kansas pg Sherron Collins to the summer league team, this guy should definitely make this team and I'm surprised he wasn't even drafted, Scottie Reynolds is also undrafted and there's a 6'5 point guard from Alabama named Mikhail Torrance who wasn't drafted, all of these guys should be looked at IMO, but the Bobcats need a scoring big man to compete next season, Al Jefferson is on the block, I'd try and do a Tyson Chandler trade to get him asap.