Top Five NBA Teams “Rigging for Wiggins”
Rigging for Wiggins: Top Five teams in the hunt
The NBA summer is upon us and most fans gleefully await a new year. They are online constantly trying to see if their teams added that final championship piece.
Plenty of teams made significant moves to improve. The Houston Rockets in adding Dwight Howard got a defensive stalwart to go alongside Omer Asik and signified that they were a team in the West to be respected. The Golden State Warriors added a great glue piece in Andre Iguodala and the Detroit Pistons, tired of dwelling in the Central Division basement made significant progress by acquiring Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith. The Brooklyn Nets made the splash of the offseason by acquiring two Hall of Famers from the Celtics in return for Draft picks and spare parts.
Other teams like the Los Angeles Clippers who brought in Doc Rivers to replace the always overmatched Vinny Del Negro and the Memphis Grizzlies who acquired cheap shooting in the form of Mike Miller have done small things to cement their status as Western Conference Powers.
Other teams understand that the worst thing you can do in the NBA is be mediocre. That means you barely make the playoffs or miss out on them every year just to draft another role player in the middle of the draft who can’t carry you to the next level.
A list of teams have abandoned truly competing, whether it was from complete incompetence or just put all their cards into reportedly the greatest draft since LeBron James went number one overall in 2003. They are counting on teen stars such as consensus Gatorade High School player of the year Andrew Wiggins to lead their teams out of the doldrums of their recent history.
So let’s bring you those teams.
Phoenix Suns
Major losses – Luis Scola, Jared Dudley, Wesley Johnson
Major pickups – Eric Bledsoe, Alex Len, Gerald Green, Archie Goodwin
Any team that can say with a straight face, “We are counting on Michael Beasley to mature,” has already punched multiple tickets to the lottery and are just waiting to collect their winnings. If you add they complicated the point guard situation where their best player, Goran Dragic resides by adding Eric Bledsoe and traded away all their professionalism this summer you have a beautiful recipe for disaster. I would say this is a brilliant plan but Robert Sarver is involved.
Charlotte Bobcats
Major Losses- Tyrus Thomas
Major pickups – Al Jefferson, Gerald Henderson (re-signed), Cody Zeller
If you noticed there is a theme of terrible owners in this string of tanking. Always the ultimate competitor, Michael Jordan could not live in an offseason where another owner dared to out due him in bonehead moves. Jordan drafting of Cody Zeller almost guarantees he will be a bust. I have to commend him on the signing of Al Jefferson. Any time you can double the talent on your roster you have to, which Jordan did in signing Jefferson. He brought the grand total of NBA players on his roster to two.
Boston Celtics
Major Losses – Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, Terrence Williams
Major Pickups – Gerald Wallace, Marshon Brooks, Kelly Olynyk, Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans
The Boston Celtics who always do a great job of rebuilding on the fly recognized that they had seen the best out of the Garnett, Rondo Pierce trio and decided that it was time to rebuild. They shipped the elderly veterans out acquiring nine draft picks over the next 5 years and a $10.3 in salary cap exemption. The Boston Celtics will be down this year but not for long.
Milwaukee Bucks
Major Losses – Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis, J.J. Redick
Major Pickups – OJ Mayo, Nate Wolters, Gary Neal
No longer will serial chuckers Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings compete against their coaches' urges for who can take the worst shot as the Milwaukee Bucks have decimated their roster in their search for their chosen one. OJ Mayo and Gary Neal will bring in competent guard play but the Bucks will be close to the cellar in anticipation of the lottery falling their way.
Philadelphia 76ers
Major Losses – Jrue Holiday,
Major Pickups- Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel
Yes, Philadelphia has waived the proverbial white flag for the 2014 season. They traded away their one all-star in Jrue Holiday for a player who won’t be available until February. They entrusted their offense in Michael Carter-Williams, a player whose upside is probably Sean Livingston with good knees. They continue to trumpet the development of Evan Turner up until they find a suitor (sucker) to take him on. Good luck in your tankapalooza.
Kyle Bostic is a writer for Rantsports. You can follow him or Twitter or like him on Facebook. You can also add him to your groups on Google.
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