Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2014 18:27:35 GMT
Brooklyn Nets -- GM: Redrum
Demar wonders every day what he did to deserve this.
How Did They Get In This Mess
2018 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 39-43 (PO)
2019 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 37-45
2020 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 32-50
2021 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 41-41
2022 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 38-44
2019 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 37-45
2020 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 32-50
2021 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 41-41
2022 Brooklyn Nets (Redrum) 38-44
Team Synopsis
In his 20 seasons as general manager, Redrum has led his Nets team to a record above .500 five times and has never won more than 47 games. Prior to his current four year stretch of missing the playoffs, he has gone a three year stretch without making the playoffs twice before. It's safe to say the Nets have been a struggling team for quite some time now and them being in this position is not exactly surprising. The were unlucky going 41-41 a season ago but they also were lucky to make the playoffs with only 39 wins in 2018.
Recent Transactions
The only move of significance the Nets seem to have made this off-season is drafting Mark Eaton. Eaton is a very good shot blocker and does fill a huge hole at center for the team. With 41 and 38 wins the past two seasons they may feel like that they just needed an enforcer in the middle to get a few extra wins which is why they may have been quiet otherwise so far, but that is a dangerous game to play.
Biggest Mistakes
If one mistake sticks out above the rest it is not dealing Demar Derozan in 2019. After resetting contract year just barely it seems like a rebuild should have been an obvious choice to make. Instead they sat on Derozan until his value evaporated and missed the playoffs each year while not adding any star youth. When you miss the playoffs four years you expect to add at least one very good draft pick but the Nets seem to have added none. Why they did not just move Derozan and tank properly will likely be the reason they miss the playoffs again if they do indeed do so.
Roster Breakdown
Overall, the roster is a mess. Derozan is the only player who can be counted on to score every game and last year they started the very sub-par Derrick Williams at power forward. That looks to be their plan as of now for next season as well, and with Eaton's C+ rebounding they likely will not have a fun time when it comes to rebounding. James Blackmon and Josh Selby are bad players who really should not even be getting minutes let alone being a starter and sixth man respectively. Johnny Davis is a solid point guard but he's not good enough to be the second option player they seem to rely on him to be. With very little left in FA it's likely they will have almost nonexistent depth as well to their below average starting line-up which means any injury to Davis, Derozan or Eaton could stick a fork in them.
The savior of the Brooklyn Nets?
Chances of Survival
Seeing as they are in the tougher Eastern Conference and they have basically the same core of players they've had for a few seasons now, their hopes of survival seem slim at best. Other teams in the East either improved, didn't fall off enough to be a lesser team than the Nets, or stayed pat which spells doom for the Nets. They need to make multiple moves as soon as possible otherwise there will likely be a job opening in Brooklyn. If Derozan misses any significant amount of games they have no chance.
How Do We Fix This Miss
First off, they need to use the expirings of Josh Selby, Jayson Tatum, Derrick Williams and Quentin Snider to package with a first round pick to get an upgrade at SG or PF. While they desperately need another scorer at SG, they only have one big man who should see the court at all this season in Eaton. They need to find whatever big they can get no matter the contract for that package. Almost anybody will be an upgrade over what they have now. If after that they can add an upgrade at SG, that is great but they need to give Eaton some help first.
From there, they need to go bargain bin shopping and add any cheap depth they possibly can at any position. Deal cash, deal seconds, take on bad contracts, anything to give this team some useful players off the bench. It's unlikely Derozan, Davis or Eaton have major injuries but being as prepared as possible is never a bad thing.
When it comes to depth chart strategy, they need to grind games out which means playing at a slow pace most likely. They do not have the scoring and likely won't be able to add a high scoring player to his group so they need to be that underdog team that just does enough to not shoot themselves in the foot. With Eaton likely being a top shot blocker that makes this even easier as their defense should be solid if they can add a decent power forward who can block at least a shot a game and rebound decently as well.
Washington Wizards -- GM: PistolPete
Love is just cashing them checks these days.
How Did They Get In This Mess
2018 Washington Wizards (celticfan/pistolpete) 30-52
2019 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 34-48
2020 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 23-59
2021 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 36-46
2022 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 41-41
2019 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 34-48
2020 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 23-59
2021 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 36-46
2022 Washington Wizards (pistolpete) 41-41
Team Synopsis
Much like the Nets, the Wizards have been a struggling franchise for quite some time. The general manager PistolPete replaced in celtic fan had four winning seasons in his 15 and change seasons in charge and missed the playoffs his last seven and change seasons. PistolPete kept that streak going as the Wizards have now missed the playoffs a very impressive twelve straight seasons. Many would argue it's easier to make the playoffs once than to miss them twelve straight seasons, so both deserve kudos for this impressive achievement.
Recent Transactions
While the Wizards were active with making trades and signings this past season, they have been quiet this off-season and have really done nothing. They were unlucky finishing 41-41 but at the same time after their dismal start they may have been lucky to even have a shot at the playoffs at the end of the season. There really is not much they can do besides signing a MLE and LLE player in free agency so I guess you can't fault them too much for staying pat as of now.
Biggest Mistakes
The biggest mistake was obviously dealing Joel Embiid for Elgin Baylor. Baylor is a decent player but he is nothing special at all. Embiid is just one of the best centers in the league, so you can see how that trade did not work out for Washington. Dealing a couple firsts for Kevin Love after dealing Embiid is honestly one of the most head-scratching things I have ever seen a GM do. He massively downgraded, got older, and only added a mediocre small forward in doing so. This is why teams end up in a contract year.
Roster Breakdown
The Wizards roster is not horrible by any means, but it is very poorly built. Stephen Curry thrives in an outside offense but with George Mikan and Baylor not being made for an outside offense, they are stuck being forced to go balanced really. Kevin Love is a solid scorer and rebounder, but his nearly four turnovers and average shot blocking ruins him. You can't even make him an option because of those turnovers, and with Curry falling to 11 ppg and Kendrick and Baylor being nothing special, you can see the problem. The worst part is Love is 34, Curry is 35 and their sixth man Greg Oden is 36 so TC may not treat them too kindly. They do not have a first option caliber player on the roster and that is likely their downfall.
Stephen pondering why exactly he signed with the Wizards.
Chances of Survival
While they have a much better chance of survival than the Nets, there is not much to be excited about here. Three of their top six players are 34 or older so they will likely regress if anything in TC and the other three likely will not improve much. At the same time, they did go 41-41 last year and finished relatively strong to even get to .500 so they may be able to just get by. It really comes down to how kindly TC treats their vets. As long as they do not die, they can likely stand pat and either sneak into the playoffs or at least win an extra game, but with their limited death an injury could kill them as well.
How Do We Fix This Mess
The first move that should be made is dealing Kevin Love. While his rebounding is nice and he can give you some scoring, his turnovers are just horrible. They would be better off with a defensive minded player at PF who just does his job and then just use Love's expiring to try to make a deal for a scoring wing, likely one on a bad contract if they can find one to deal for.
While not exactly vital, dealing Stephen Curry for a point guard who fits a balanced, or even inside offense, would be a wise move. It seems obvious that he does not fit their current roster so if they choose to not move Love they should move Curry. I guess it comes down to which they prefer to keep. Do you go with Love do a slow inside or balanced offense with him, Baylor or Kendrick and Mikan as options. Or do you go with Curry and find a decent outside wing and try to run outside with Curry, that wing and Kendrick while having Mikan add some scoring as well. Either way they would likely be better off than they are now, but for both options they need to find someone who actually wants Love or Curry which may be a challenge.
Depth chart wise with this current roster, they need to go balanced offense with Kendrick, Mikan and Baylor or Curry as options. Unless Love fixes his handles he just can't be used as an option player. It should be a slow pace or normal pace seeing as they do not have that first option scorer but instead have a by committee scoring line-up. Much like the Nets they need to grind out opponents but they have a better roster to do so with.
