ATLANTA HAWKS: F
The Hawks arguably have the most ass-backwards braintrust in the NBA. Hard to believe that just three or four seasons ago, they were supposed to be the hot, up-and-coming young team in the East.
At the heart of the problem is the fact that Trae Young is not a franchise player, i.e. not being good enough to rationalize actually building a team around. That's not insult, since 99% of the players in the league aren't of such caliber. But in order to be a franchise cornerstone, you have to either be exceptional on both offense and defense or, if not much of a defensive player, then out of this world offensively. Trae has his moments on offense, but he doesn't have the consistency of a Steph, Luka or even a Dame. The NBA really promoted him around the time he first came into the league. But it's like the Hawks' braintrust still has yet to realize that he isn't 'the one'.
When they acquired Dejounte Murray a couple of offseasons ago, that was a masterful move. The compatibility of him and Young was always a question. But then it was like if you get rid of one or the other, at least you could flip that player for a compatible all-star or a couple of above-average players, with at least one indisputable starter.
What does Atlanta do instead? They trade Murray for a crop of role players, most notably Larry Nance Jr.. More importantly, I guess in the grand scheme of things, they got a couple of future first-rounders. And you know, I'm not dissing Larry, Cody or any of the other guys they just scored. But it's like here and now, role players aren't really the Hawks' problem. And since they basically lost as many rotation players (if not more) than they've gained over the past couple of years, it's not like the team has gotten any deeper.
The icing on the cake is them choosing Zaccharie Risacher with the no. 1 pick. I can't see the future and am not going to play myself by saying anything negative about Risacher as a player. But you know, if you're going to lose, lose big.
No one was expecting a lot of this draft, so if you still opt to keep the number one pick, at least try to choose someone who can make the immediate impact this team needs. You know what I'm saying? Pick an Anthony Bennett or some shit. Swing and miss instead of hoping that the pitcher walks you.
No one wants to hear that 'he may be a future role player' type shit. If that's the case, that Atlanta has decided to draft a future role player (with the number one pick!), then maybe they should just engage in an outright rebuild and finally let Trae go to an organization that has like a better sense of direction. And yes, I'm about to beat a dead horse - if they were going to prioritize keeping Young over everyone else, then they never should have traded John Collins, since he played alongside Trae just as good, if not better, than any other player on the roster.
Maybe in the future this will all make sense. But for now I wouldn't want to be a Hawks' fan, looking forward to another season of the team being led by Young - who will likely spend considerable time on the injured list - backed by an ever-rotating yet never-actually-improving cast of players. For instance, might as well move on from De'Andre Hunter already. Also, since he is a no. 1 pick, let Zaccharie start, even if he is a scrub or whatever. The Hawks may surprise the world and actually be a winning team. But if not, then at least try to be exciting and watch-worthy.
CHARLOTTE HORNETS: D
The problem I have with the Hornets is the same as it's been for the past two, three or maybe even four years already. They're banking on LaMelo Ball, even though he has proven unbankable.
I don't like speaking bad about players' health. There's few things as frustrating as witnessing a player or team unable to realize its potential due to injury issues. I would like nothing more than to see Ball + Bridges actually make it to the playoffs. But, it is what it is. I don't have a crystal ball saying 'LaMelo will spend significant time on the injury list this coming season'. But history has proven that's most likely the case.
The issue with these types of players aren't their on-court health per se. Logic would dictate that yes, it's better to have a player like Ball on your team than not to have him.
The bigger issue is that - oh shit - he's making $200+ mil. That's money that can be devoted to another superstar or two or even three other really good players who will be healthy enough to participate and make an impact over the long run.
That said, the roster of this team isn't half bad. Miles Bridges is just as good as any other PF in the East who isn't a reigning all-star. As for this dude KJ Thompson they just drafted, I didn't hear anything about him from the summer leagues. But considering that he is a PG, he's probably going to be given ample run. And that's what the Hornets need to do, have a sans-Ball contingency plan, i.e. being prepared to make the playoffs even if LaMelo potentially misses the entire season.
MIAMI HEAT: D+
The Heat tend to be one of the more-coveted free agent destinations. So it's kinda surprising that their biggest (and only) acquisition this past summer, outside of the draft, has been Alec Burks. It's also kinda painful to see Caleb Martin bounce, but he obviously already reached his Miami-based peak a couple of seasons ago.
As for their draft picks, the Heat's first-rounder, Kel'el Ware, represented in Summer League. That's not surprising, as by this point people actually expect Miami's braintrust to overachieve with whatever hand their dealt.
And for the most part, this remains an impressive roster. The Heat seem to be loaded at the G and wings while lacking depth upfront, but if Kel'el really does make an immediate impact, I may be wrong. Also, these kind of lineups with focus more on speed, versatility and shooting are sorta common these days, especially in the East. And if healthy, i.e. with Butler and Rozier, the Heat's roster is arguably just as impressive at the 1-3 as the Knicks, Sixers and Celtics.
So it's kinda hard to give them an offseason grade. There's this old saying that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Whether or not Miami is 'broken' is a matter of perspective. But given that they did have injury issues last postseason, you would at least think they would have gone wild and try to secure at least a borderline star, to mitigate the potential absence of Jimmy or whoever. But for all we know, if given playing time, Ware may be in the ROY hunt. Heat rookies are often given a chance, out of the gate, to prove themselves. So out of all the teams on this list, I wouldn't be surprised if I graded the Heat's offseason to low.
ORLANDO MAGIC: B
I pride myself on not allowing the mainstream media dictate how I feel about teams, but in this case I relented. That is to say, to be totally honest, I don't really see what the big deal is about Orlando acquiring KCP. And the reason I say that is because, based on what I seen during the playoffs, their shortcomings weren't in the areas of three-point shooting and perimeter defense, which are his specialties. Rather, what they seemed to lack was an interior presence, both offensively and defensively. So I guess the trend of underestimating the need for bigmen continues. But that said, I gave the Magic a B because the way everyone else is raving about the addition of KCP, then I have to assume that maybe there's something I'm missing.
One of the reasons I was tempted to give Orlando a lower grade is because I can't quite grasp how their braintrust concluded that Franz Wagner is a max player. It has been pointed out that the only other players of his draft class who scored max extensions, like himself, have been Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes. Those two may be overrated also, but at least they're unanimously considered to be franchise players, as their respective rosters currently stand. Meanwhile, Wagner isn't even the alpha on his team. But, you know, when you're dealing with money and those kinds of things, you know what I'm saying?
Meanwhile Markelle Fultz, who was a starter for the Magic last season - their best in years - remains in free agent limbo. I guess the idea, if Orlando doesn't re-sign him, is to have KCP more or less fill his role.
If no other team picks up Markelle, it'll be sorta like the merciful end to his confusing career, the conclusion which I guess he didn't have the wherewithal to bring about himself. But that said, I don't really see why the Magic wouldn't re-sign him, unless it's because of monetary issues, such as making up for overpaying Wagner. And personally, given this current roster, I'd be surprised if Orlando makes it any further next season than they did last.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS: B+
Since writing my last post, Tyus Jones decided to sign with the Suns, which can prove big for Phoenix, if they decide to play the right way. But that's a story for another day. Washington meanwhile took that loss. But they did sign Malcolm Brogdon, who could start in Jones's place and of course is one of the best shooters in the league.
Out of all garbage teams, the Wizards arguably have the most impressive roster. On the low, Jones aside, they had a pretty impressive offseason. Besides Brogdon they also scored Jonas Valanciunas, a starting-level European center, who are like the best types these days. They also picked up Saddiq Bey who, from what I gathered, seemed to be a pretty good fit in Atlanta. On top of that, they got Alex Sarr in the draft. He had a really rough Summer League. But at least, by the looks of things, if Sarr is a bust, the Wizards won't catch the type of flack that the Hawks will if Risacher proves the same.
Meanwhile, Washington still has Kyle Kuzma and, dare I say it, Jordan Poole. I'm looking forward to Jordan reclaiming his mojo and having a bounce-back season. Whether or not that's actually possible, without big brother Steph around, remains to be seen. But at least I take satisfaction in believing that the Warriors must now regret letting him go like that.
CONCLUSION
Of out of the five teams in the Southwest, the biggest addition this offseason is considered to have been the Magic acquiring Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, an above-average role player. Meanwhile, the Wizards scored two or maybe even three of such individuals. But those moves flew under the radar, since no one is really expecting them to win.
Then, even with the number one pick in the draft, the Hawks look not only as if they failed to improve but may have even gotten worse. So it's easy to conclude that, on the surface, this division has been the most underwhelming of the 2024 offseason. And whereas Orlando did make a little bit noise last postseason, Miami, if healthy, remains the team to beat. However, if Poole rediscovers his shot or the Wizards are somehow able to mesh otherwise, look out for Washington.