2015-2016 Season End Grades
Posted: Wed Aug 09, 2017 10:56 pm
We all remember the last day of the school year- awaiting our report cards, anticipating summer's temptations at the peak of feckless youth. Here at the PBSL, things are no different. Before we put a bow on the season, let's take a look at how each team fared this year.
Atlanta Hawks (56-26)
Grade: B+
Nice job by Wig- 56 wins in a retooling year and getting under the tax is impressive. Even more admirable was acquiring James Harden midseason. Losing in the first round stings, but with a young core of Green, Randle, and Harden returning next season, the future is bright in the ATL.
Boston Celtics (26-56)
Grade: C
The Celtics were in a tight spot- big contracts on older players and nothing resembling depth. They'll have a pretty good pick in the draft, and Jared Dudley's giant contract is finally coming to an end. James Hill probably could have used a few more minutes but the future is still bright- there's loads of cap space here. The question is will they try and win now with John Wall?
Brooklyn Nets
Grade B-
Another team in the middle of the pack, but that's ok. The trade deadline boosted the Brooklyn's GPA this season. Getting paid to essentially take on Carmelo Anthony's salary and getting out of Danny Green's contract was a nice move- keep your eyes open for a potential sign and trade in the offseason. Landing a second round pick and points from the Magic was a great way to maximize cap space. There will be a nice draft pick and a fair amount of cap room to build around Buddy- it's all Buddy for Brooklyn now.
Charlotte Bobcats (7-75)
Grade: B
How bad was this team? Awful. But in this case, that's good- with the worst record, the Bobcats locked up the best odds at the first pick in the lottery. Damion McNary is still pretty raw, but got valuable minutes. With two first rounders and full use of the cap, the Bobcats are continuing on an upward trend.
Chicago Bulls (49-33)
Grade: B-
The world isn't fair- James Harden gets fat in the offseason and winds up getting traded to what some consider as the strip club Mecca of the US, while the Bulls have to take a step. It's ok, though- Victor Oladipo showed himself to be a future key player for the Bulls and still made the playoffs. A first round exit to the Jokic-less Knicks hurts, and the $75 million in cap space comes with just as many questions. By the start of next year
Cleveland Cavaliers (38 - 44)
Grade: D
Oh, boy. The Cavs missed the playoffs by 4 games, which can only be a failure with the aging pair of Al Jefferson and Chris Paul. No one outside of that duo stepped up, and it cost them a playoff berth. They won't have a first rounder in 2017, so dark days could be ahead. Let's end on a positive note- they have their own pick this year, and a modest amount of cap space. Some shrewd moves could get them in the playoffs next season, but they'll have to avoid digging a deeper hole.
Dallas Mavericks
Grade: D
The arrival of LaMarcus Aldridge was a win now move, and that they did- five games short of the playoffs. DeMar DeRozan took a step back this year, and he's still on the books for next season. To add insult to injury, the bill for the George Hill trade arrives- no first rounder this year. In fact, the Mavs only have one first rounder in the next 3 years. There are some bright spots- they were able to acquire Bradley Beal and have some cap space for the offseason. The prudent move would be to move the two older stars and give the keys to Beal. Tread wisely, fearthebrow.
Denver Nuggets (57 - 25)
Grade: B+
Can you say "good job!" and "condolences" at the same time? Hard to believe that trading away LaMarcus Aldridge and Rajon Rondo would lead to more wins, but that's exactly what happened. Elfrid Payton continues to look like a future stud and Klay Thompson had his best season yet. But the pall of last season's restricted free agency, trade deadline acrimony, and elimination by the Suns was a punch to the stomach in what was otherwise a bright season. The tax man cometh in the offseason, but there's no reason why this team won't be a contender again.
Detroit Pistons (32-50)
Grade: F
Expectations were not high going into this season, but good god, man. Not only am I beating a dead horse here, I'm beating it, shooting it, setting it on fire, and dissolving the remains in acid. Sadly, we'll never know what Xbhitterx's plan was when he was trading Bradley Beal, but I'm sure it wasn't any damn good. Compounding all this is $45 million in wasted cap space, paired with so many teams eager to get out of the tax. What a waste of Anthony Davis, resources, and time. The positives here- the computer got Odis Jackson over 30 mpg and the cupboard isn't barren for incoming GM Wombataholic. Good luck Wombat- hard to imagine you can do any worse.
(Seriously, what was the Beal plan?! Nate, you MUST find out)
Golden State Warriors (23-59)
Grade: A
Can you give the third worst team in the league an A? I say yes. GM BowToTheBill squeezed every drop out of his assets to rebuild and has compiled some impressive assets. King in the West Brian Stark put up impressive rookie numbers, and he'll have a future running mate in Phil Millburn (if he can shake the asthma). Coupled with this year's lottery pick and the trade yields of 3 first rounders and 3 second rounders, this is a hell of a start in building for the future. DeAndre Jordan's upcoming free agency leads many to wonder if he has a spot with this group going forward, but whatever the decision in, the future is bright in Oakland.
Houston Rockets (40-42)
Grade: D
From 1/11/16 to 2/24/16, the Rockets went 4-16. That's a good way to miss the playoffs and destroy my pick as Western finalist. Missing the playoffs had to have been a bitter disappointment and there's not a lot of flexibility going forward. Moving some parts around may help next season, and at least a decent pick is on the way.
Indiana Pacers (61-21)
Grade: A
I'm going to sound like a broken record here- I didn't see this coming, and if you did, you should probably move to Vegas. PaulyP took a chance on three value signings of players over 30 and retained Iman Shumpert on one of the best deals in the league, and was 24 minutes away from his first title. The game seven loss will be a painful memory, but PaulyP can be assuaged by the great season he had.
LA Clippers (52-30)
Grade: C
52 wins, a division crown, and a second round exit to the eventual champs with Kevin Durant stirs no feelings in me one way or the other. Delonte West was a borderline $20 million corpse this season, and Biyombo is a well paid work in progress. Maybe they could have packaged rookie Jay Adkins for some help- he's raw and won't help KD win anytime soon. The vultures are circling around Durant, but the super max should be enough to retain him.
LA Lakers (31-51)
Grade: C+
GM TrayWithAnA continues the dig out. He essentially turned Andrew Bynum, CJ Miles, and a couple of first rounders in Demarcus Cousins and cap space. Joe Mande's favorite player, Gustave Lecroix, got heavy minutes and Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to develop. The remaining three years on Boogie's contract will be vital- the Lakers went 16-15 after acquiring. If Tray can unlock the Boogie puzzle, he has one of the best starting fives in the league. If it's the same old Boogie, salary headaches are on the way.
Miami Heat (58-24)
Grade: B
The big three of LeBron, Dragic, and Ibaka took the Southeast Division. They looked primed for a return to the Finals until they were buzzsawed by the Pacers. Another ringless year for LeBron hurts, but all in all 58 wins and a deep playoff is good work. Most impressively, GM logpmess pulled the ultimate escape act, paying off his giant tax bill. Congratulations, you mad lad, you did it.
Edit: i just realized he can put together 3/4 of the banana boat. DO IT LOGAN
Milwaukee Bucks (54-28)
Grade: B-
The Quails made a six win improvement this year, but the trades they made were win now. Acquiring Rudy Gay and Ricky Rubio should have led to a deep playoff push, but they were defeated in the second round by the Pacers. They should again be contender next year, but some tweaking will need to happen, and the common reaper of the tax man looms in the distance.
Minnesota Timberwolves (51-31)
Grade: B
Along with Steph Curry came a 29 win leap and a return to the playoffs. Unfortunately, an ill timed injury to Curry resulted in a quick dismissal from the playoffs at the hands of the Suns. Regardless, a fifty win season is noteworthy. The talent is here, but the pressure will be on next season with another year in the tax.
New Orleans Pelicans (51-31)
Grade: A+
World Champs! My preseason pick to make the leap this lifted the trophy in June. A flurry of trades turned Tim Mozgov and Phil Milburn into Ron Artest, who was the vital cog in turning the Pelicans into a true threat. Going through Kevin Durant, Kevin Love, and Deron Williams is one hell of a hit list. Kudos, Nick.
New York Knicks (56-26)
Grade: B+
My other pick to make a leap this year had a sterling season as well- a 27 win improvement, a return to the playoffs, and the Atlantic Division crown. LIn, Matthews, and Jokic had great years, and Chet Dooley looked like a future star in limited minutes. Even with the unfortunate Jokic injury, the Knicks were able to advance to the second round before succumbing to the Heat. The future is bright for Logan, as long as Jokic stays healtthy.
Oklahoma City Thunder (39 - 43)
Grade: F
Yikes. The Thunder closed out with a 9-2 run, which made them look a lot more impressive than they were. Moreover, their midseason acquisition of Marcus Landry and Jonas Jerebko was a head scratcher. Trading a future first rounder for players who are not in your timetable? Seriously, if you can make sense of this, put it in the comments.
Orlando Magic (17-65)
Grade: C+
This is another case of good to be bad. The Magic locked in the second worst record and got heavy playing time for Harland Ellinger. The negative marks come from the trade deadline histrionics of getting under the tax, only to land back in the tax as a result of an injury to Dario Saric. The Andrew Bogut trade was a risky move as well, acquiring future pick but at the cost of being tied up in salary for two years. This grade could be a lot worse in a few years.
Philadelphia 76ers (25-57)
Grade: C-
Acquiring a heavy salary point guard to make the leap to relevance, only to wind up in the lottery? That's that Ish I don't like. Ish Smith was supposed to be the final piece to the puzzle, but instead the Sixers stumbled their way to the fourth worst record. The Boogie Cousins era finally came to a close, but at least there's some cap space going forward. i originally had this as a D, but with the lotto balls bouncing his way, GM BallSoHard's suffering was all worth it, landing the first pick. Congrats on the better, faster version of Boogie.
Phoenix Suns (49-33)
Grade: B-
The Suns took a step back in the regular season, winning nine fewer games. However, they still returned to the Western Conference Finals, losing to the eventual champs. Curiously, they sold their first round pick, but there's more to this story than meets the eye. There's plenty of cap space and a tax reset going forward. As long as Kevin Love's around, the Suns will be contenders.
I'M FINISHING THIS FRIDAY, I'M TIRED AS HELL.
Portland Trail Blazers (31-51)
Grade: D
What happens when T-Mac suddenly gets old? You find yourself starting Carlos Boozer at SF while enduring a season crushing 11 game losing streak. Father Time came and wrecked the Blazers' playoffs hopes, but at least Phil Hogg got playing time. They don't have their pick in the draft, but GM kucoach7 has let it be known he's letting Derrick Rose go- maybe he can snag some assets to begin the rebuilding process.
Sacramento Kings (49 - 33)
Grade: B-
What happens when you land one of the best centers in the game on a sweetheart deal? The Kings shocked the league by adding Spencer Hawes at a low price of $4 million. As a result of an unplugged fax machine, they failed to move him for an asset. Instead, they kept on brand with their winning culture, only to be quickly dismissed by the eventual champs. In a bold gambit, GM Tani also redshirted young talent Jeff Duren, deeming him unplayable in a win now mode. We'll forever wonder what could have been had that fax been plugged in, but the future is open to commit to a rebuild or win now mode.
San Antonio Spurs (45-37)
Grade: C+
The flip side of the unplugged fax machine- with a aging core, Spencer Hawes would have been a great addition. Sadly, they were stuck with the mediocre Nenad Krstic and still developing Julius Randle. Nick Young was not as helpful a contributor as hoped, and the Spurs found themselves eliminated in round 1. The window could be closing faster than expected, could it be time to move Randle and Jimmy Peacock for players who are ready now. Josh Smith and Russell Westbrook are yearning to add to their ring collection.
Toronto Raptors (44 - 38)
C-
My preaseason champ pick sputtered to the seventh seed before being eliminated by the Heat. Losing Andre Iguodala and Kevin Martin hurt more than expected, and Chris Bosh finally lost half a step. This group has probably gone as far as it can go, and GM Soundwave has signaled it's time to start over. Can Whiteside be the focal point?
Utah Jazz (42-40)
Grade: C-
Bold moves are impressive, but sometimes bold moves don't work out. Our friend Gary took a chance, exchanging Rubio and Ed Davis for Darren Collison and Ryan Anderson, then hitting the eject button on Andrew Bogut's contract at the expense of a first rounder. Despite elimination at the hands of the Nuggets, there a bright offseason ahead- $35 million in cap space. The pressure is on to get Paul George much needed help- free agency looms in two seasons.
Vancouver Grizzlies (38 - 44)
Grade: D
Oh, boy. There's a popular saying, go big or go home. The Grizzlies proved you can go big and still go home. They took home run swings, trading for Rondo, Biedrins, and Millsap. But a brutal training camp and injuries, this group didn't find their groove until it was too late. They closed the season with a 14-4 finish, but missed the playoffs by 4 games. They paid a hefty tax bill and look to be on the hook again next year. Maybe the TC gods will bless them in the offseason.
Washington Wizards (42-40)
Grade: C-
What a curious case. Beginning the season by going for it and acquiring Carmelo and sitting 8 games above .500 at the deadline was nice, but then fear set in. Facing a hefty repeater, J2 took an about face and dealt Carmelo off. By the end of everything, the Wizards barely made the playoffs and were swept away by the Pacers. At least the rebuild appears to be in place now and a future plan is in order, hopefully one involving four 7-footers on the floor.