Who Needs a Boost? A Quick Look at as Many Teams as I Can Before TC (Alpha Done!)

[Xist2Inspire]

Of course I come up with an article idea an hour or so before it will no longer be relevant. As we reach the final minutes of TC, I want to share my opinion on which players would each team benefit the most from a TC bump...

Atlanta Hawks - Albert Hotchkiss
GM Loco has been in and out of the league ever since his return, and his latest "out" period has resulted in some truly terrible seasons in the ATL. It's pretty clear that excitement is lacking, so a big TC from recent lotto pick Albert Hotchkiss would work wonders for the Hawks and their fans. There's no better cure for lethargy than the threat of losing a generational talent for nothing in four years. The chances of Hotchkiss turning into that kind of talent right away are pretty much zero, but some sign that it could be in the cards would be very nice.

Dallas Mavericks - Jack Ortega
Perhaps Thighstop should contact Letsplayhorse about how to get their name back, because the Mavericks have done nothing but collect talented wings for the past three or so seasons. This hasn't translated into wins though, mostly because their frontcourt has been nearly nonexistent the entire time. As a former top pick, Ortega has been markedly complicit in this failure, and in a contract year, really needs to show serious improvement in order for Dallas to be a real threat.

Houston Rockets - Caleb Coffin
The Rockets, fittingly, are a team teetering on the edge of destruction after a failure to correctly launch. Every key player on this team is primed for a TC crash, and so it's vital that the 24-year-old Coffin shows some signs of being a player worth building the future around, otherwise the dreaded "start from scratch" rebuild will be an inevitability for 78.

Milwaukee Bucks - Gerry Folse
For a former #2 overall pick, Folse has had a very rough time overall, being traded 5 times and averaging a pitiful 15 MPG over 3 years of play. It just feels like nobody believes in this guy, but potential always pays up in this league (paying off is another matter entirely), and GM Quailman has made the ultimate investment in Folse by matching a max offer. The Bucks are in a bit of a weird transitional holding pattern at the moment, so immediate improvement and production from Folse would go a long way to both short-term success and long-term direction.

Phoenix Suns - Aaron Nesmith
Lost in the laughter over Avdija's long-lasting struggles as a player in this league is the fact that Nesmith was even worse last season. Though he doesn't cost all that much, 10 PPG in 27 MPG on inefficient shooting isn't good. With the recent addition of Gabauer and growing emergence of Asher, this is not a bad team, even considering Avdija's struggles. However, another disappointing season from Nesmith could very well keep them that way.

Sacramento Kings - Johnathan Lewis
It feels crazy to say this, but Lewis is very close to being dead weight on this roster. Hayes is awesome, and Addington is unlikely to regress, but if Lewis takes one more big hit in TC, it won't matter. Not only will he not have enough to help get the King's back into the playoff picture, but his trade value will take a fairly large dip, keeping the Kings from moving forward without him. Sacramento needs Lewis to hold off Father Time just a little bit longer, period.

San Antonio Spurs - Genaro Montoya
While Montoya has shown flashes of being an all-time talent, his stats clearly show he's not there yet. Given that he now commands a sizeable part of the cap though, it's time for him to start delivering on that potential. Quite frankly, it's going to make the difference between being a title contender and being a title favorite for the Spurs.

Chicago Bulls - Delmar Lopez
While it should be very clear that GMan has no issue with making another run with aging talent, for that not to be the only viable option, Finals MVP Lopez needs to remain close to that form. Somebody's going to take that risk during the season, but the quality of the return hinges on how good Delmar looks. A drop-off in looks means a drop-off in return, and a drop-off in return means that GMan will likely look at his track record and go get what he needs to keep this team going through the remaining years on Lopez's deal.

Denver Nuggets - Kraig Cornett
Once again Syndicate's built another quality team without even trying. They'll make the playoffs and surprise a team or two, but they can easily do a hell of a lot more if Cornett continues growing and fills the massive hole that Campbell left behind in the post. That's their only big weakness. If that weakness is addressed immediately via TC, look out.

Miami Heat - He Hor
I don't think the heat (heh) would be on Hor if it weren't for Dort's continued emergence as a top player. Given that Hor's drawn many comparisons to Dort based off of pure potential, it has to be disappointing for Heat fans to see Hor still in the streets while Dort's a housewife in Portland. When you have generational talent like this, fulfilling it is pretty much the only thing that matters. Nothing would make LogP happier than seeing Hor take another leap towards greatness.

Minnesota Timberwolves - Dong Bone
Mitchell Robinson's still 27. There's still plenty of time for the T-Wolves to get it together and make another run with Mitchell as the captain, as last year's record showed. However, Dong will have to expand his game in order for that to happen. When looking at Bone's stats, he's still a raw dog. However, he is currently the player with the best chance of becoming the #2 that Mitchell needs to help get this team back in it. Hayashi and Williams improving would be great for depth and future purposes, but that will still put the Wolves in the Hall of Good Enough. A big TC from Bone means the playoffs are a real possiblity. The Wolves are closer than you (and probably JNR as well) think.

New York Knicks - Michael Evan
I admire Kavarga's commitment to his squad. It's a talent that I've long coveted, yet struggled to emulate. Yet through those struggles, I've learned something that would probably help Kavarga...color don't matter, but points and production do. You can have the most balanced roster possible, with every player filling the exact role you want to perfection, and it still won't matter, because a team with a superstar will still come along and wreck your $hit in the playoffs (Wizards/Raptors, go look it up). You need a legit top option to win, and Evan has the best chance right now at becoming one. If he can squeeze out one last TC boost as he enters his prime, the Knicks could be a force to be reckoned with, even if he stays green. But if not, chemistry will help them get to the dance for the second time in a row, but it won't keep them from leaving the party early.

Orlando Magic - John Blakemore
Given that neither Reynolds nor Harrison has evolved into the kind of player False9 wants running the point, trading for Blakemore makes perfect sense. However, that also means that the Magic's immediate future lies in the body of a 30-year-old as TC comes upon us. If Blakemore takes a big hit, that's almost a wrap for the season, straight up. Losing a very solid contributor at PF for just a serviceable PG is not the kind of move that inspires confidence as a true title contender. Blakemore could very well still be productive with a hit, but the fact remains that the smaller it is, the better the Magic will do.

Brooklyn Nets - Lyle Galloway
While Shuo will definitely keep this team in the hunt, the Nets look eerily similar to the Mavs, as there's a clear concentration of talent in just a few positions. Given that Olney's been on and off the trade block for the past few seasons and has a sweet trade-friendly new deal, it stands to reason that he'll likely be the one used to fill those empty spaces. Improvement from Galloway would make the decision to move on from him far easier.

LA Lakers - Burt Gibson
Gotta say, I'm a bit confused as to what's going on with the Lakers right now. Getting Campbell and Heard's great, but Hector? Umm...The Lakers are now an interesting blend of old and new, right as Caruso's set to arrive as the the newest contender for top wing in the league. However, trading for the 32-year-old Gibson is a statement of intent, one that the Lakers might struggle to follow up on if Gibson can't keep up in TC. While they certainly won't be a bad team without at least 85% of the Gibson of old, they probably won't be quite as strong as Greeple hoped when making the deal.

New Orleans Pelicans - Len Bias
While I don't think Nick's all too concerned about winning, he's definitely not intending to lose judging by the roster he's put together. So going off of that, Len Bias getting hit would be a massive blow to the Pelicans' ability to keep pace in the both the Randolph Division and the Omega Conference as a whole. While Assad's a solid option at the point, he's in no way a starting PG for a serious playoff squad. Of course TC could change that, but I'm sure Nick would rather not have come to that. Even if Assad did get a boost, Nick would still prefer Bias to be spared from the slaughter.

[MexicanMamba]

1,636 words : +6 points

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