Everyone in the East Got Better But Us.. Really??

[bLACKpANTHER]

Cleveland - ADDED MIke Dunleavy -- LOST Dellavedova, Mosgov = V slightly

Toronto -  KEPT DeRozen -- LOST Biyombo = V 

Miami - KEPT Whiteside -- LOST Luol Deng, Joe Johnson, D.Wade = V

Atlanta - ADDED Dwight Howard -- KEPT Bazemore -- LOST Al Horford, Teague = +/-

Boston - ADDED Al Horford -- LOST Evan Turner = ʌ

Charlotte - ADDED Sessions, Hibbert -- KEPT Batum, Williams -- LOST Lin, Lee, Al Jefferson = +/-

Indiana - ADDED Al Jefferson, Jeff Teague, Thad Young --  LOST Ian Mahinmi, Solomon Hill, George Hill = ʌ

Detroit - KEPT Drummond -- LOST Jodie Meeks = +/-

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chicago - ADDED Rondo, Wade -- LOST Rose, Gasol, Noah, E'Twaun Moore, Mike Dunleavy, Jose Caulderon = +/-

Washington - ADDED Ian Mahinmi -- KEPT Beal -- LOST Nene, Dudley, Temple, Sessions = +/-

Orlando - ADDED Biyombo, Ibaka, Jeff Green, DJ Augustine -- KEET Fournier -- LOST Oladipo, Illyasova, Jennings, Andrew Nicholson = ʌ

Milwaukee - ADDED Dellavedova -- LOST OJ Mayo, Bayless = V

NY Knicks - ADDED Rose, Noah, Courtney Lee, Jennings -- LOST Robin Lopez, Caulderon, Jerian Grant = ʌ majorly

Brooklyn - ADDED Jeremy Lin, Trevor Booker = ʌ slightly

Philly - ADDED Gerald Henderson

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So next year, I think that NY Knicks and Washington are pretty good locks to make the playoffs
Possibly Orlando and Milwaukee can make a push for the playoffs
Detroit, Miami and Atlanta could all tumble down a bit, especially now with Wade leaving Miami

Still some decent players out there to fill out rosters, but these are the key moves so far.. if i missed any, let me know and I will update OP

EDIT: July 7 @ noon

[nctarheel0619]

Miami is probably losing Wade as well.  That will put them out of the Top 8.  

I'm putting the Knicks, and Orlando in the Top 8.  Taking out Miami, and Atlanta.  

[Manos]

I don't get the Knicks hype. There is no guarantee Noah or Rose can stay healthy for an entire year and if they are hurt that team will be terrible yet again. Plus Melo has never won anything in the NBA or shown he can drag truly bad teams into the playoffs so I don't see him starting now. Maybe just maybe Rose turns back into MVP Rose and the threaten for a title but that has to be a one in a million shot given his recent history with injuries.

[bleedsgreenandgold]

1 hour ago, Manos said:

I don't get the Knicks hype. There is no guarantee Noah or Rose can stay healthy for an entire year and if they are hurt that team will be terrible yet again. Plus Melo has never won anything in the NBA or shown he can drag truly bad teams into the playoffs so I don't see him starting now. Maybe just maybe Rose turns back into MVP Rose and the threaten for a title but that has to be a one in a million shot given his recent history with injuries.

Same here, people underestimate negative effect the lack of continuity can have on a team. I don't think the Hornets necessarily got any better than last year but they kept Batum and didn't overpay anyone. They put themselves in position to be a bigger player in FA next year.

[bLACKpANTHER]

for that same reason, I don't see Orlando being that much better.. Biz and Ibaka are gunna be tough to score on but Jeff Green aint gunna be a 35 pt scorer every night..

NY Knicks are different because Rose and Noah both coming over from Chicago are very familiar with each other.. besides, Noah's game helps everyone on defense - there really isnt a lot of adjusting to do when he makes everything easier. Courtney Lee is a 3 and D player and fits in pretty anywhere (look no further than the Hornets last year). Rose will just have to learn to play alongside Melo - which I don't think he will have a problem deferring to. Rose had a problem deferring to Butler because Chicago was HIS team that Butler kinda moved into while Rose was hurt.. it was just a mess and it looks like NY will be much improved.. not a true contender for the Cavs to be worried about, but rise up from the cellar to a legit threat for the 4-8 seeds in the East.. just watch

[RoaringRiot]

Good post. This is the same thing I've been saying. Not sure why our expectation is to be back in the lottery. 

[bLACKpANTHER]

8 minutes ago, El Dandy said:

Charlotte did not get better, you'd have to be delusional to think that. 

you'd have to be delusional to think I said they got better based on my OP

[RoaringRiot]

With a healthy MKG the Hornets will definitely be better. 

[chknwing]

am I the only one that thinks MKG isnt that good.  Personally I think he should be traded to the highest bidder.  Hes an erratic player who is made of glass.

[Eazy-E]

Although a small sample size, MKG looked really good last season. He is young and on a nice contract based on what has happened this FA. Getting him back from injury makes this team better than last season. It is like getting KB back from injury on the Panthers. 

[pantherphan96]

Only locks for the playoffs are Cavs and Toronto. I would say Atlanta and Boston are both near-locks. Then Miami (if they keep Wade), Indiana, Charlotte, Detroit and Knicks will fight for the 5-8 spots.

[nctarheel0619]

50 minutes ago, pantherphan96 said:

Only locks for the playoffs are Cavs and Toronto. I would say Atlanta and Boston are both near-locks. Then Miami (if they keep Wade), Indiana, Charlotte, Detroit and Knicks will fight for the 5-8 spots.

Atlanta?  Meh, I dunno how I feel about Schroader being a starter.  

[Zaximus]

1 hour ago, Eazy-E said:

Although a small sample size, MKG looked really good last season. He is young and on a nice contract based on what has happened this FA. Getting him back from injury makes this team better than last season. It is like getting KB back from injury on the Panthers. 

I hope I am wrong, but I doubt MKG makes it past 20 games.

[MichaelNewtonII]

Same here, people underestimate negative effect the lack of continuity can have on a team. I don't think the Hornets necessarily got any better than last year but they kept Batum and didn't overpay anyone. They put themselves in position to be a bigger player in FA next year.

The Salary cap is expected to explode in 2017-18 they put themselves in good position to be a major player that offseason by not overpaying anyone