Also see: NBA Offseason Review: West (Pt. 1) | (Pt. 2)
As we prepare to embark upon a new season of NBA competition, several teams have made great strides during the offseason to improve upon there level of talent. But while some have gotten stronger, others are going nowhere fast. Some once great teams are now beginning to fall victim to the natural sports cycle of "talent turnover," which all teams of all sports must inevitably accept as their shared fate. Older players decline, younger ones improve, and departed talent is replaced for better or worse.
It is this cycle that gives us hope for each new season; a chance for us to overtake our rivals and send them plunging perilously towards rebuilding mode; it's the sheer possibility of finally seeing your team turn the proverbial corner (unless, of course, you're a fan of the Hawks, Clippers, or Grizzlies). Find out which teams have dug their own grave this season, who we need to be looking out for, and who is simply treading water. In this three-part series covering the Western Conference, you'll notice that the balance of power is definitely shifting, but you might not like how it's turning out.
WESTERN CONFERENCE PART 3: "THE DECLINING SUPREMACY"
Dallas Mavericks
Quick, right now, would you rather have a 35-year-old Jason Kidd, or Devin Harris coming into his prime and two first round picks? Yeah, me, too.
The Dallas Mavericks have been a great basketball team over the last several years. But last season's acquisition of the once dominant point guard has set them back a notch. The desperate attempt to mold the Mavericks into a new kind of monster didn't pan out well last season. But what's done is done. It's a new year with a couple of fresh faces for this proud franchise, and they seem more focused than ever to get back to the Finals appearance which they left behind only three seasons ago.
Off-court drama involving star forward Josh Howard spiked up again this summer, and along with it came speculation that he might be shipped out of town. Despite his character flaws, the Mavs would have had no trouble finding a taker for Howard. The 28-year-old averaged 20 points and 7 rebounds per game, while trying to adjust to a new point guard last season. In the end, the Mavs did the smart thing, and held on to Howard. Not only is he their second leading scorer, he is their best wing defender, and one of the few Maverick players who are able to run an occasional fastbreak with Jason Kidd.
Being financially hampered, the Mavs weren't able to make any splashy moves during the offseason, but they were able to add a couple of pieces that may end up being key to their success later in the season.
The first order of business was bringing back center DeSagana Diop. Diop got shipped to New Jersey as part of the Kidd trade, and although the Mavs didn't want to lose him, they had to in order to make the numbers work. And after seeing what life was like with Eric Dampier as their only viable option at center, the Mavs quickly offered Diop a five-year, $32 million dollar deal. Now don't get me wrong, the Mavericks need Diop's defense and length in the frontcourt, but that offer seems a tad high for 2 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block per game. Oh well, the Mavs are used to overpaying their big men, just ask Dampier.
The only other significant addition to the Mavericks was young journeyman Gerald Green, who has been extremely impressive so far this preseason for the team. In fact, Green may be playing his way right into a regular rotation spot at this point. His freakish athleticism and knack for scoring has been a much needed compliment to the roster. His play, along with the continued emergence of power forward Brandon Bass, will be crucial to the team's title hopes this year.
The Dallas Mavericks will no doubt be in the playoffs, and if they play their cards just right, and come together as a team with new chemistry, they may be battling it out with someone in the Western Conference Finals this year. But frankly, I think it may be a little too much to ask out of this group under new coach Rick Carlisle. Things may look brighter next season when Kidd and Jerry Stackhouse's contract (a combined $28 million dollars) comes of the books, allowing them to be resigned for cheaper and possibly allowing for another piece to be added to their puzzle. But as for this season, the Mavs are only going to go as far as Jason Kidd's 35-year-old legs can take them. Scary, isn't it?
Phoenix Suns
Like the Mavericks, the Suns also made a desperation move last season, and traded for the one and only Shaquille O'Neal. While I by no means was a fan of the Shaq trade, I understood it more than the Kidd trade for the Mavericks. The Mavericks had a great group of core players that were still in their prime and trying to get over the hump. That ship sailed for the Suns a couple years ago.
New GM Steve Kerr knew that the team's window was closing fast, and it was apparent after several exciting seasons that the nucleus as it was wasn't going to be able to win a championship. So he did what he felt he had to do and brought in "The Big Cactus." In hindsight, the Suns actually made out great in this deal. Not only did they swap Shaq for a declining Shawn Marion, but they dumped Marcus Banks and his horrible contract, as well. And although Shaq's play is steadily declining also, his contract is up after next season, after which he will retire. Marion, on the other hand, doesn't seem to realize that he's not quite as good as he used to be, and he wants a max contract at the end of this season.
While Shaq is only a shadow of what he once was, he's nonetheless a huge presence on the court, and still demands attention when healthy. Most notably, his game has helped Amare Stoudemire's game take off from what it was before, which is really saying something.
With the current roster the Suns have put together, I actually think they have enough to be a real threat in the West this year. Steve Kerr has done a nice job this offseason considering what room he had to work with. Going into this summer, everyone knew the three biggest weak points on the Suns roster: depth in the front court, depth at point guard, and a solid wing defender. Well, that's no longer the case anymore after Kerr set out to fill all three of those key needs.
Initially, the Suns acquired their needs by making two smart draft night choices. They first snagged big man Robin Lopez with the 15th overall selection. Lopez doesn't have the offensive repertoire that his brother, Brook, does, but he has a tough defensive mindset and a willingness to rebound that his brother doesn't quite have. His ability to contribute meaningful minutes when Shaq is out of the lineup will be important this year and the next.
In the second round, the Suns were able to acquire point guard Goran Dragic from Slovenia (through San Antonio). Dragic scared some teams off prior to the draft due to his contractual obligations in Europe, but after long negotiations this summer, the Suns were able to secure Dragic with a three-year deal. Dragic is known for being a big, tough point guard who plays good defense and excels in penetrating to the basket. A nice compliment to Steve Nash, you might say. He still needs to work on his shooting ability, but the Suns may have just found their eventual replacement for Nash.
The Suns didn't make many free agent additions this offseason, but they did make one under the radar signing that looks like it is going to be paying off big time. Matt Barnes had a break out year in Golden State two seasons ago, but injuries and a lack of team chemistry hampered his play the next year, and before he knew it, he was a free agent without a team. Looking to redeem himself this season, the Suns were able to sign Barnes for a price that he's already proven this preseason is below his value. A lengthy small forward, Barnes is known for his good defense, energy, and solid all-around game.
The Phoenix Suns will definitely make things interesting this season, and have legitimate title hopes once again. They may not be the same "run-and-gun" Suns that you're used to, but they're still talented, and some would say built more toward postseason success, rather than the regular season highlight reel. Health, as always, will be key in determining just how far they go. If they can keep the two cornerstones of the team, Shaq and Nash, fresh and productive for the duration, they're going to be one tough rival.
San Antonio Spurs
It's an odd year for the San Antonio Spurs, and if history means anything, they'll be right back there in the finals at season's end. Of course one could also say if history means anything, the Spurs will have trouble keeping their main parts fresh for the duration of the season. Let's face it, these Spurs aren't spring chickens anymore. With the bulk of the Spurs rotation in their early- to late-30s, the game no doubt has begun to take its toll on their bodies. However, with age comes experience, and experience is perhaps the best attribute a basketball team can have, although there are definitely a few younger, more athletic teams on the rise this year who would argue that you don't need experience to be successful (just look at Barack Obama).
Nonetheless, it's the Spurs' experience and team chemistry that make them so great every year, so they rightly decided to keep a couple of their parts in tact by resigning Kurt Thomas and Michael Finley this offseason. Both veteran players are closing out their careers and were able to be brought back for a fair price tag. Neither of them are flashy at all at this point in their careers, but they're dependable, solid players. They both know their roles on the team, and they perform their roles well.
After initially trying and failing to sign Corey Maggette, the Spurs settled on free agent combo guard Roger Mason, Jr., recently with the Washington Wizards, as their main offseason newcomer. Mason does provide some fresh legs and a consistent outside shot to the Spurs' arsenal this season, both of which are needs, but he doesn't have the ability to create shots for himself and others, which is what the team really wanted to bring in this summer.
The Spurs pulled off a surprise pick in the draft with their first round selection of George Hill out of Summit League powerhouse IUPUI. Hill is a bit of a combo guard, as well, who put up big numbers at IUPUI. The Spurs are hoping he can be molded into a solid point guard and eventually be a nice compliment to Tony Parker.
2007 first round pick Tiago Splitter would have been an outstanding addition to the roster this season, but with the Spurs being bound to the rookie pay scale, Splitter opted for the bigger bucks overseas. Now the one year of waiting for their young energetic big man has turned into several, as he is locked into his contract for the next few years.
All in all, the Spurs weren't exactly wheeling and dealing this offseason, but they got what they could, and in typical Spurs fashion, added a few solid role players who will fit in nicely around Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Parker. However, their inability to pick up another impact player who's able to take some of the stress and minutes away from these three has to be worrisome for Spurs fans (especially with Ginobili already expected to be out the first month of the season due to injury). If they don't start finding ways to add significant players to the mix soon, they may find themselves in full scale rebuilding mode a couple years down the road. But for now, they're still one of the elite teams to beat, and if they can continue being clutch on offense to go along with their great defensive effort, they may be able to bring one more title to San Antonio.
The Rest
Everyone else in the Western Conference I regard as being in rebuilding mode with no real hope of postseason success. Sports are cyclical, however, and don't be surprised to see the Western Conference landscape change dramatically over the next few years. The weak become strong, the lousy become great, and the inexperienced become President. See, anything's possible. I do want to give a quick shout-out to a few teams who are heading in the right direction, however. The Kings, Timberwolves, and Thunder are three fun teams to keep an eye on at this point, and in a couple of years, we could all be watching them in the playoffs.
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