NBA Northwest Team Fixes
What Teams Must Do to Prepare Their Rosters for Next Season
Many experts were disappointed when Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, the top two players of the 2007 NBA Draft, were selected by teams in the northwest. They had wanted those players to go to larger markets, like New York or Boston. Aside from that, there has been much activity in this division this summer, with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen heading to the East. Here is a snapshot of what teams in the Northwest Division have done and what they need to do during the remainder of the summer to improve their rosters.
Utah Jazz
After reaching the NBA Western Conference finals, the Jazz are looking more like the Jazz of old. Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams are emerging as team leaders, while Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko and others are filling in the gaps nicely. The Jazz still need a reliable shooting guard, and drafting Morris Almond in the first round was a good step. He's a great fit for the Jazz system. He's a solid shooter who plays good defense, and he has a high basketball IQ. Ronnie Brewer has a lot of potential and Gordon Giricek can help fill minutes, too. There isn't much the Jazz can do this off season other than fill in some smaller gaps. It would have been nice for them to be able to hold onto Derek Fisher. Acquiring a shot blocker could also help them out.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have some serious things to consider. With several large contracts, Denver is having cap issues. They were rumored to be shopping Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Camby, to other teams, but doing so would create a huge hole in the middle. Kenyon Martin's big contract has been killing them. They needed to replaced Steve Blake with a reliable point guard and they did a nice job in signing veteran Chucky Atkins. They still need to add more depth. Otherwise, their biggest need is for Carmelo Anthony to continue to mature and be able to co-exist and gel with Allen Iverson.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Wolves made a great trade in sending Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics for Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, Theo Ratliff and two first round picks. Suddenly, the Wolves get much deeper. With prospects such as Randy Foye, Craig Smith and Corey Brewer already on the roster, the Wolves are looking good for the future. They could still make a push for a legitimate young center, perhaps enticing teams with Ricky Davis or one of the players they received in the Celtics trade. They might also consider trying to move Marko Jaric's contract.
Portland Trail Blazers
Drafting Greg Oden will really help them up front. Despite his struggles in summer league play, he's going to be a monster in the NBA. However, the Blazers have made some suspect moves since the Draft. It doesn't make much sense why they traded Zach Randolph as quickly as they did, especially when there were better offers on the table. Also, it makes little sense why they spent so much money to buy-out Steve Francis' contract so soon without even bringing him to training camp. Signing Steve Blake was a good move. Without a big name point guard available for the Blazers to sign, they'll have to rely on the point guard by committee approach, with Blake, Jarrett Jack, Sergio Rodriguez and Taurean Green. Portland still needs a small forward, as well.
Seattle Supersonics
Immediately after drafting Kevin Durant with the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Sonics dealt Ray Allen to the Boston Celtics for Wally Szczerbiak (whose large contract expires in two seasons), the number five pick of the NBA Draft (used to select forward Jeff Green) and Delonte West. Soon after that, the Sonics let Rashard Lewis sign with the Orlando Magic. It's becoming increasinging clear that the Sonics new ownership and management is looking at rebuilding. Whether that play is in anticipation of a move to Oklahoma or Vegas is unclear. What is clear is that the Sonics are probably going to be really bad next season and possibly for a few seasons after that. However, they still have some chips to play. Point guard Luke Ridnour or Earl Watson could be dealt after disappointing and inconsistent seasons. Nick Collison could also be moved. Center Robert Swift has been cleared to play, and is said to have gained 20 lbs of muscle.
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