PHOENIX SUNS (0-4)
Whether or not the Suns' season was a success is a matter of debate. They fielded what many considered to be a mediocre roster yet were arguable, throughout most of the season at least, the NBA's most surprisingly-good team. But then, during the postseason, they proved to be more or less a scrimmage team for the defending champions to warm up against.
I think Phoenix plays too much iso. Their offense doesn't look like it has any type of discernible strategy. Some other teams are able to get away with that style of play, but the Suns aren't that all-around talented.
The bigger issue - like I don't now what happened to Mark Williams, but they need more of an interior presence obviously, especially on defense.
I would imagine that, given their current roster, the Suns have some money to spend. So it'll be interesting to see what they do during the offseason And besides a big, this team could really benefit from like a Jrue Holiday, i.e. a PG that actually knows how to run a team.
PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (1-4)
I'm not going to say that Scoot Henderson is a bust, but it's obvious, at least to me, that he isn't a starter. Still waiting for a highly-touted rookie to breakout after three seasons doesn't sound like a wise bet.
So basically, the Blazers traded Scoot for Dame, reacquired that latter, and it's very much possible that next season, Lillard will be starting over Henderson That doesn't sound like efficient braintrusting, but then again, neither does hiring a coach who rigs poker games. And Portland should've known that, unless you're drafting Iverson or some shit, you don't just throw young PGs in the fire like that.
Avidja is a tough, drive-oriented(?) allstar but someone who can benefit from having a teammate more formidable than Robert Williams III or Donovan Clingan downlow. I'm not dissing either one of them, but you know what I mean. The Blazers are a wing-oriented team, but their Gs and Fs aren't talented and deep enough to really shake anyone.
Also, how about a round of applause for Holiday? Dude is old AF in NBA years yet was Portland's best player for at least a couple of games. He's the consummate professional who, despite his pedigree, doesn't demand to be a contender and competes, even on a lowly squad like the Blazers.
On one hand, I'm hoping that next season he ends up on a team that can better use his services. Time isn't really on his side type shit. But on the other, I'm looking forward to seeing the level-headed, defensive specialist Jrue playing alongside the more sporadic and offensively-talented Dame. Few backcourts would have balance like that.
ATLANTA HAWKS (2-4)
Even if Atlanta had won the First Round, which for a second their I thought they might, that wouldn't have negated the fact that the Knicks are a much better team. NYK - as I have said numerous times before - has the most talented starting five in the league, even moreso than the Thunder.
The Hawks traded away Clint Capela - who isn't what he used to be - earlier this season, but now you see the folly in just discarding bigs like that. They could have at least used a bigger body to throw at the likes of Kat, Robinson and even Anunoby. Currently, it looks like the biggest guy on this squad is Jonathan Kuminga. That isn't going to cut it, now that the NBA is trending semi-interior again.
And speaking of busts, what's up with Risacher? Apparently he isn't injured, yet I didn't even hear his name mentioned this offseason.
Granted, the 2024 Draft has yet to produce any truly exceptional player (besides maybe Stephon Castle), but the Hawks dropped the ball on that one. They could've at least tried to like trade the pick or something. And I'm not dissing Zaccharie or anything, but he was amazingly ineffective for a number one pick.
That said, I can imagine Trae Young got quick a kick out of seeing his former team get their asses bust like that. That Game 6 loss is going to linger all the way into next season, even though the Hawks were no match for an inspired Knicks' team. So it'll be interesting to see how the braintrust adjusts and tries to boost morale during the offseason. It should probably start with shipping Risacher out who, if nothing else, would arguably benefit from a change of scenery (perhaps even back to Europe).
DENVER NUGGETS (2-4)
All things considered, the Nuggets losing to the Timberwolves isn't overly surprising. What is is the fact that lost even though Minnesota didn't have Edwards (and DiVincenzo). So it's almost like Denver's starter got outclassed by the Wolves' second team.
I don't know what's up with Aaron Gordon. Apparently he wasn't injured, i.e. unable to play but still proved to be a nonfactor. Jokic + Murray, imo, are like the best inside-out combination of the 2020s, but Gordon is the x-factor. When's he unable to play or whatever, it's like Denver loses its grit.
Nikola does get into his fair share of fights, perhaps more than any other player in the league, but he isn't known as a shit-talker media wise. So the fact that he's been so vocal after Denver was eliminated says a lot, that now, finally a rebuild of sorts is inevitable. I love Aaron, but he isn't consistent enough these days. So Giannis, anyone? I can also sorta picture Kawhi in the equation.
The Nuggets have one of the better braintrusts, so it's unlikely they make a nonprogressive move two offseasons in a row. Trading Porter Jr. for Cam Thomas, in hindsight, was a mistake. This isn't a knock against Cam, even though Michael has since proven himself the better all-around player. It's a knock against the coaching staff for (under)utilizing him the same way they did Porter, i.e. having one of the tallest guys on the court constantly perched behind the 3-point line. Jokic and the gang have slowly come to realize that they're not going to win again using the same strategy (and players) from 2023. And speaking of coaches, I bet Mike Malone is getting a kick out of this also.
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