Five Teams At A Crossroads
As the NBA heads towards the 2011 All-Star Break, the trade deadline, and the final stretch towards the playoffs with all that entails, there are teams who sit at a crossroads. Perhaps this is because they are considering a drastic change, or maybe a drastic change has already happened and now they must react to it.
Here are five teams sitting at a crossroads. What they do next could not only make or break their 2010-11 season, but could also have an impact in seasons to come.
Utah Jazz
Gee, now why would the Jazz make a list like this? I wonder…
With Tyrone Corbin replacing Jerry Sloan after the legend resigned, there will be an adjustment period. Yes, Corbin was already on the staff and it’s likely much of the offense and defense won’t change, at least first, but simply by being a different personality there will be growing pains.
Situations like this don’t come along very often, with a rookie head coach replacing one of the most successful ever, but teams usually react in one of two ways: they crumble, or they band together and get better. Utah sits at 31-24 after Friday’s loss at home to the Suns and having lost 13 of their last 18, so it’s not like things are running smoothly.
Corbin has all the tools to be a successful head coach in this league, but he’s not walking into an ideal situation.
Denver Nuggets
Denver’s inclusion in this list is 75% about Carmelo Anthony. Will they trade him or not? Will they call his bluff and be willing to gamble he will sign the extension after the trade deadline if he’s not moved? Or will they decide to move him for assets while they still can?
The situation Denver faces has two sides. If they trade Anthony that means they are rebuilding their team. If so, then does Chauncey Billups have a place on this team? No trade of Anthony is going to improve the team this year, so keeping a point guard costing $14.1 million next season (not fully guaranteed) when there is one waiting in the wings to take over (Ty Lawson) doesn’t make sense. Besides, Billups could also draw significant interest in trade and return some combination of young talent and cap relief as well.
But what if Denver elects to keep Anthony? Then what? As currently built the Nuggets have managed a 31-23 record, not even good enough for home court advantage in the Western Conference. They are a playoff team, but few believe they are a contender. That means the Nuggets could really do nothing and end up out of the playoffs in the second round at the latest, or they could go the other way and try to make a move to improve the team – with Anthony and Billups – for this year.
The decision of whether or not to trade Melo is just the tip of the iceberg for the Nuggets.
Detroit Pistons
For a while now there has been talk about how the Pistons can’t make any kind of major trades – unless it was a significant salary dump – because the team was for sale. At the same time veteran shooting guard Rip Hamilton – he of the $25.3 million for the two seasons beyond this one – has been marginalized so much the atmosphere is toxic.
{AUTHOR_BOX}Now Pistons’ owner Karen Davidson is reportedly close to deal to sell the team to California billionaire Tom Gores. If a sale can be completed there is a real chance changes could be made to this team before the deadline.
However, it’s very, very, very unlikely that could happen. Not only would the deal have to be agreed upon, but it would also have to be approved and finalized for Gores to really be in charge of anything. That means changes to the roster likely won’t come until later, perhaps around the NBA Draft or after a new collective bargaining agreement is agreed upon.
Meanwhile, Hamilton still sits. Either the Pistons can come together, clear the air, and move on, or this could get even uglier than it already has.
Charlotte Bobcats
It says something when the most positive news to happen to a team in recent memory is their 48-year-old owner practicing with the team and impressing the current roster. Sure, in Charlotte’s case that owner is the great Michael Jordan, but still – it has not been a banner season for the Bobcats.
After a playoff appearance last spring the team sounded like they wanted to build on that. Then they let point guard Raymond Felton walk to the New York Knicks for nothing and traded starting center Tyson Chandler to Dallas for Erick Dampier’s fully non-guaranteed contract, which they waived. Boom, two starters gone with nothing in return.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised Jordan’s practice seems to be the only recent highlight.
At 22-31 the Cats are still within shouting distance of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but the rumor mill has them targeted as sellers. Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace both constantly find their names in rumors and none of them are moves to make the Cats a stronger team this year.
Still, they could attempt to go that route (emphasis on attempt). If they trade their key veterans, Jordan’s practice may end up being the most positive story all season long.
Phoenix Suns
At 26-25 on the season after Friday’s win in Utah the Suns are not a horrible team. In the West that means tenth place, but it’s better than many. However, it’s not their record that’s the issue here, it’s the roster composition.
Trading Hedo Turkoglu and Earl Clark for Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus (yes, the deal also included Jason Richardson and Vince Carter swapping starting jobs) went a long ways towards providing some balance on this team, but the Suns still have way too many wing players.
Last summer the Suns spent $34 million over five years on Josh Childress; he’s playing 17.0 minutes a game. Pietrus, making $5.7 million this season and owed $6.2 million next season, plays 18.9 minutes. Hakim Warrick, a forward they signed for four years and $18.0 million last summer, is playing 18.3 minutes. All of these players have to share time with Grant Hill, Jared Dudley, Carter, and Channing Frye.
Simply put, this team was poorly built. They need more rebounding and size.
They also have to consider what to do with stud point guard Steve Nash. They won’t trade him unless he asks for a trade, but it’s unlikely Nash will do so. At 37 years of age Nash still puts up double-doubles every night and is one of the top point guards in the game. He could help many a contender, but should they move him, their one big positive? Nash sells tickets, which is important for a team outside of the playoff picture. But because of his age, their best trade chip will get less valuable as time passes, even if he does keep playing at a high level.
It’s clear some things need to change in Phoenix, but with so many issues to address where do they begin?
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