"Top 5 Teams in Purgatory"

(February 7th 2016) By: Ira Barasch

Its neither heaven nor hell. You're not great, you're not terrible.... you're in purgatory. Yes, it exists even in basketball. So how do we define purgatory for the sake of this article? Simple, any team that has legitimate hopes for the playoffs and more on their mind coming into the 2015-16 season, yet the teams constructed (at least today) does not have the firepower to get to the title game. Rebuilding teams, such as the Knicks, Wolves, Jazz and Magic will not be included due to the fact they are in the earlier stages of their rebuilding phases and have no legitimate deep playoff run hopes.


5: Atlanta Hawks
What has happened in Atlanta? Yes Dennis Schroder and Kent Bazemore are looking good, but between losing DeMarre Carrol, Kyle Korver's enormous drop off, and Jeff Teague just not being the same player as last year, this team just doesn't have the presence such as teams like the Raptors and the Cavs do. This was built top to bottom defensively last year, yet their OPPG has actually risen by over 2 points this year. Hope is not lost, with good consistent play from Milsap and Horford the Hawks are still in good position to make a run, but they must make a trade of some sort to have any hope of beating the East's top teams.

4: Memphis Grizzlies
I'm going to probably get some flack for this, but hear me out. As currently constructed the Grizzlies have a solid team, so why are they in this spot? Solely because of the conference they are in. When you know you're going to be dealing with teams such as the Warriors, Spurs, and even the Clippers you must up your arsenal. Yet the grizzlies didn't have much turnover from last year only losing notable players in Tayshaun Prince and Kosta Koufos (at the trade deadline, yet his presence is still missed). The players brought in to replace the production in Mario Chalmers and Vince Carter are good role players but don't quite put fear into an opponent. Yet Memphis has a scarier problem. Gasol, Randolph, Lee, Allen and Green have all been scoring less by an average of about a point or more this year compared to last. If this team can somehow pull off a big trade at the deadline they still have a shot at being the dark horse for the title, but barring that scenario, this team will maybe make it out of the first round but never further. With Gasol and Randolph aging and Conely potentially leaving come free agency,it might be time to blow it up and start from scratch.

3: Houston Rockets
Disappointment is an understatement. Firing Kevin McHale was a bit of a head scratcher at the beginning of the season. Combined with the decline of James Harden's MVP caliber play of last season and Dwight Howard's usual trade drama, this team just seems like a mess. They have holes everywhere, and while they could still make some trades and hope to salvage their season, there is no way they are making it past the top three teams in the west. This is the prime example of trying to band-aid a situation too many times and being stuck with the results. The rockets must retool somehow while Harden is still under contract and in his prime. Otherwise this team is destined for a small playoff run and then ousted by one of the more well put together teams in the West, not even considering the up and coming teams in the conference such as New Orleans and eventually Minnesota. Houston, we have a problem

2: Washington Wizards
John Wall is a great player, they have great role players in Otto Porter Jr and Bradley Beal. Yet this team is just built all wrong. With mostly just role players they have no Robin to Wall's Batman like last year when having Paul Pierce. Wall is only 25, so they have some time to retool, yet with consistent mediocrity from most positions they aren't built to win long term. There is no fall back option if Wall has a bad game, or in the future decides to leave. The frustration on the team is palpable, actually falling out of the playoffs recently (in the 10th spot as of this today). A second scoring option is a must if this team ever hopes of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals or further. With young teams making great strides in rebuilding as of late. The future is now for the wizard's, they just have to capitalize.

Honorable mentions:

Milwaukee Bucks:

Most of their deals from the past year since last deadline have not panned out. They were never looked at as any sort of favorite to make a deep playoff push or to win a title so that keeps them off this list.

Miami Heat:

Aging veterans and a stronger conference hasn't boded well for this team, yet Riley's continued savvy for finding solid players through the draft and undrafted players keep them off the main list.

Detroit Pistons:

Losing Monroe has been tough, yet Drummond is looking good. With only a few pieces away from a legitimate contender and a young core, this team has plenty of reason for optimism

New Orleans Pelicans: Anthony Davis needs a sidekick, and this team must get a bit younger to compete in this stacked conference. Failure to do so will lead them to being on this list next year

1: Chicago Bulls
The drop-off from this team has been a sobering experience for Bull's fans. Currently falling to the 6th spot in the East, they have been a complete mess. Some point to Joakim Noah's injury but this would have happened even if he was playing. The East just isn't the pushover it has been for the past few years, with teams like Indiana bouncing back, the Raptors capitalizing on their young and explosive team, and even young teams like the Celtics, Knicks, and Magic building their teams up to make a run in the future. We haven't even mentioned the Cavs still being the titan everyone is trying to topple standing in the way of the Bulls continuous tries to make it to the top of the mountain. Pau Gasol's age is starting to become apparent, Rose has flashes of his former brilliance but for the most part is a shell of what he used to be.

This team is a nightmare from which everyone involved or invested wants to wake up from. The sole bright spot has been Jimmy Butler proving this is now his team, on the flip side of that it's when Chicago's window is pretty much closed. A total breakdown and rebuilding around Butler is needed and asap. Sell high on whatever you can get rid of at the deadline to teams looking to make a push, this season is lost. How the mighty have fallen.

"Suitors for Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans"

(January, 28th 2016) By: Efraim Graber

Eric Godon has a fractured finger and is still going to be sitting at home for 4-6 more weeks. However, that is not stopping Dell Demps, the GM of the Pelicans from shopping him to contenders. Well lets be honest, they're not getting rid of him in an off season move because of his enormous contract. 

The Pelicans are just hoping they can get a decent return on a player that scores 15 ppg and is a good tough defender despite his size for a 2 guard. He's also frequented injuries throughout his career, which always seem toi be in the wrist/hand/finger range. 

Tyreke Evans is an athletic player, there is no doubt about that. For the Pelicans its just about getting a change of scenery for Anthony Davis. They need to start winning games and winning a lot of them. The playoffs are still in sight in a beaten up Western Conference. 

As a PG, Evans is a monster, at 6'5" and with the scoring ability he has, he is scary. As a two guard it comes naturally, especially since he improved his perimeter shooting these past few years. He sometimes can even play the 3, and whats surprising, is that he can defend it well. He has a contract of a little more than 10 Million for next season so they should be getting more offers on him than on Gordon. 

Here are the teams that will be interested in Eric Gordon: 

Detroit Pistons: 

They might just be willing to do a Brandon Jennings/Eric Gordon swap. The Pelicans should take this deal, especially since they have shown their willing to play smaller players in the 2 hole. 

Miami Heat: 
They need a scorer off of the bench to compliment Bosh and Wade. Eric can provide that spark. In terms of what they would send back can be a package of Gerald Green and maybe Beno Udrih. Not so enticing for the Pels. 

Here are the teams the would be interested in Tyreke Evans:

Brooklyn Nets:
The Nets would welcome his size to bolster their already gigantic lineup of Lopez and Young and having Evans as a PG would be a dream come true for them in the mismatch department. In terms of return, the Pelicans might be willing to take on Joe Johnson but then they would have to include something else from their end to match the salaries. 

Sacramento Kings:
They at one time wanted Ryan Andersen for a Rudy Gay deal but they might be willing to do it for Tyreke Evans. It would be a perfect fit for both teams. Evans would be happy to be back in Sac Towna nd Gay would be a perfect fit for a team that needs a slasher and 3 point threat. 

"Is Jennings Available??"

(January 25th 2016) By: Efraim Graber

That should be the question of every GM in the NBA. The Pistons phone line should be off the hook and Jeff Baur, the one time New Orleans GM/Interim Coach, no Pistons GM should be jumping for joy. Brandon Jennings in a household name, even with all of the antics and craziness over his years in Milwaukee.

His meager 7.2 PPG and 3.5 APG is not indicative of the player he is. First of all he is only playing 17 and a half minutes a game so far. With more minutes come more responsibility (Uncle Ben: Spiderman). He is also in a  crowded back court with Reggie Jackson, Stanley Johnson, and Steve Blake. It's worth is for any team on the cusp to take a chance on him on the chance that a change of scenery and an uptick in minutes will bring him back to the player he used to be.

A few buyers that can really benefit from his presence are as follows:

Brooklyn Nets:
I know they're not on the brink of a playoff spot but he would fit perfectly in their system. He can pass in the pick and roll with Lopez and he can get to the basket and create his own shot. He would compliment Joe Johnson's shooting by drawing defenders off of him.

Oklahoma City Thunder:
They can definitely use him as a spark plug off the bench. If you think having Westbrook fly at your players at 90 MPH wasn't enough, when he goes to the bench Jennings will replace him and be just as pesky. He can also play his ideal position as a 1 off the bench and have waiters in with him as another ball handler.

Miami Heat:
It wouldn't be his ideal situation but he can also come off the bench for Goran Dragic as a Six-Man. He can come in and fire on all cylinders in Miamis Mid-range jump-shooting party. He can also play off of Wades double teams and have wide open looks.

It's buying season people!

“The Cleveland Outcasts”

(January 23rd 2016) By: Ira Barasch

Minnesota hasn't been every sports player's ideal landing spot for a while now. The cold and dreary weather seemed to mimic the way their sports team would lose year after year. Recently though there has been an awakening in the land of 10,000 lakes. The Vikings have been on the upswing lately, the Twin's have legitimate young talent, and even the Wild have had some bite to them, yet the Wolves have the most interesting situation. The sheer amount of talent on the team is incredible from, Andrew Wiggins slowly realizing his potential, Karl Anthony-Towns having a fantastic start to his rookie year, Ricky Rubio staying healthy and playing like the superstar point guard he was hoped to be, Zach Levine, Shabbaz Muhammad and more. The presence of their greatest hero, Kevin Garnett is felt with the intensity that is brought nightly. Yet since the unfortunate death of Flip Saunders, they have struggled to find the right coach in Sam Mitchell. This kind of talent needs more of a push then what is being given. So why not get some fresh blood? And in the coincidence of the day there just happens to be a new head coach on the market. This very head coach has an unusual connection to the Wolves, specifically that of Andrew Wiggins.

David Blatt has had a couple of hard days, he was ousted by his job, after starting 30 – 11 this season (and 83 0f 40 overall), by his star player and his own assistant head coach. Blatt was brought in and  told he would have a young team to coach up in his style of play which has young championships overseas. Although once LeBron decided to come back, Blatt's world crumbled. Andrew Wiggins, his prized draft pick at #1 was off too Minnesota with former #1 pick Anthony Bennet and in came Kevin Love. Love is an incredible player but didn't mesh well with his new teammates, Blatt found himself in the title hunt and a public feud with his newly returned icon in LeBron and on top of it all, his point guard and newly acquired power forward, Kevin Love, was injured. His tenure in Cleveland has been uncomfortable to watch to say the least, and it has thankfully ended right when a young inexperienced team could use an experienced coach.

The reunion for Blatt and Wiggins could potentially be explosive.

Blatt's many years coaching overseas could be a great stepping stone, but more so could the now newly formed chip on his shoulder, an identical problem as that of the other Cleveland outcast Wiggins. They were both brought in at the same time to the same team in desperate need of a new start, and both forced out by the same player. It was originally the plan for these 2 to be player and coach, to combine the untapped potential of Wiggins with the knowledge of Blatt. This feels too much like destiny to let it pass.

“Managing a rebuild: The Philadelphia 76ers story”

(December 1st 2015) By: Ira Barasch



The years have not been kind to the Philadelphia 76ers. This once great franchise has fallen so deep into a chaotic spiral that it seems it just has given up trying to break out of it. Claiming to continually be in a rebuilding phase, the team constantly and consistently loses to try and build up draft picks, yet for four years since their last playoff berth, has nothing to show for it. Since the 2011 – 12 season they have continually regressed in wins (34, 19, 18 respectively) and as of today they have one one game against a Laker team with a beaten down Kobe. The did not have a win this season and had lost 28 straight games dating back to last season.

What is wrong with this team? Shouldn't the draft have helped? It seems to have all started after taking part in a trade that helped Dwight Howard to the Lakers, while trading away Andre Iguodala to the Nuggets, and their acquisition of Andrew Bynum. Bynum was coming off an incredible year for the Lakers and the move was looked at in a positive light, that is until Bynum didn't play a single minute for the Sixers. He injured himself in almost comical ways (bowling....really) the team hasn't made the playoffs since. The next few years came with the same initial hope only to collapse as the season dragged on. In the 2013 – 14 season they traded Jrue Holiday, a budding star for the rights to Nerlens Noel and drafted Michael Carter–Williams themselves. Noel was coming off a tremendous year in college but tore his ACL at the end of his college career and didn't play for the Sixers the entire season after. Carter – Williams fared much better actually winning Rookie of the Year but the team still struggled. The following season they drafted yet another big man in Joel Embiid, also coming off an injury and still has yet to see an NBA court. To add to the frustration halfway through the season they traded Carter – Williams to the Bucks. This past offseason they drafted their third PF/C in a row with Jahlil Okafor who, despite playing well, has started to have numerous off the court problems. 

The rebuilding process has merit, just look to this year's Minnesota Timberwolves. The team who had been constantly bad since the departure of Kevin Garnett actually brought him back to the fold by the trade deadline last season for a strong veteran presence to mentor their young and talented group. The team is slowly building up momentum and with Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ricky Rubio and others. This team seems to be on the right track and should be a Western Conference powerhouse in the years to come.

Want more proof? Take a look at the Undefeated Golden State Warriors. Those of you who are old enough know that the Warriors weren't always this good, they actually struggled for more than a few seasons. Yet with the right management, draft choices, and key moves during offseason and trade deadlines, the team has built a juggernaut that plays small and quick basketball. The formula continually works and has worked throughout history (I.e the Thunder and Spurs) So what exactly has gone wrong for the Sixers? Could it be the management? The lack of a veteran presence on the team? Both? Or could it all be just a string of bad luck? Bad luck seems highly unlikely at this point. Hopefully this team will improve though, as seeing such bad basketball being played by a once great franchise in a huge city is not only embarrassing to the fans, the team, and the NBA in general, but just embarrassing to the game itself.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: The NBA Off-Season

(July 26th 2015) By: Ira Barasch


Ahhh the NBA off-season, the most hectic two weeks in the summer, where everyone briefly cares about basketball until October. There are three different kinds of outcomes that can happen during the off-season. Which teams were good, which were bad, and which were just plain old, ugly

The Good:

The San Antonio Spurs: 

As good a place to start as any. The Spurs started by re-signing Kawhi Leonard to a five year $95 million dollar deal, and Danny Green to a four year $45 million deal. They followed that up by shipping Tiago Splitter to the Hawks and signed LaMarcus Aldridge to a 4 year $84.1 million deal, but wait! There's more! They the sign David West to the veteran's minimum when he turned down $12 million to return to the pacers. The spurs excel at not only signing the perfect players to fit their system, but also at great prices. A fantastic free agency through and through.

Los Angeles Clippers: 

We're going to ignore the elephant in the room for most of this conversation (*ehem* Deandre) and focus on the signings they made (don't worry I'll get to the drama a little later). Signing Paul Pierce was a nice addition to an already impressive squad, as was Josh Smith. Making a move for Lance Stephenson was an underrated move for them that in all likelihood will work out. And of course re-signing Deandre Jordan was crucial to their off-season. While they had some bumps along the way, a very solid free agency.

Honorable Mention: Indiana Pacers, signing Monte Ellis, Lavoy Allen, Jordan Hill and of course getting rid of Hibbert.

Bad

Los Angeles Lakers: 

Hollywood is where it's all happening, everyone wants to go there. Just not to the Lakers. With all the cap space and the absolute privilege of playing alongside the greatest teammate in history, Kobe Bryant, the Lakers completely whiffed on the free agent market. They got a reclamation project in Roy Hibbert via trade, and drafted D'angelo Russell which keeps them out of the ugly. Not signing a single even mid-level free agent? That's just bad

Portland Trailblazers:

It's mostly out of pity that I'm keeping this team out of the ugly column, because wow that was a rough few weeks. When four players of your starting lineup sign elsewhere in free agency and you bring in mostly unproven and role players, you know you hit a new low. While Damian Lillard took a few steps back last season, I still feel like he was worth the money. Portland fans buckle up, it's going to be a rough couple of years....

Honorable Mention: Phoenix Suns, Signing an aging Tyson Chandler and trading to make room for a max free agent, yet no LaMarcus

The Ugly

Dallas Mavericks: 

Remember I said I'd come back to the drama?! Well here it is in all it's glory! In one of the absolute nuttiest stories in free agent history, The Mavericks managed to sort of sign Deandre Jordan for about a week until he spurned them and went back to the clippers. Of course at that point there really wasn't anyone out there to sign anymore. No, Deron Williams does not count, he's a shell of his former self and it just a hope and a prayer that he somehow regains the form he had in Utah (hopefully Dallas has head coaches for him on speed dial, seeing as he goes through so many). After Deandre left (sort of) so did Richard Jefferson who chose to renege on his deal and signed with Cleveland. And whats with that contract to Wesley Matthews? Four years and $70 million for a player coming off an achilles injury? This was a summer for Mark Cuban to forget....

Sacramento Kings: 

Can someone PLEASE explain the logic behind the off-season here? This team looks more like a time bomb than a once prominent franchise. Between George Karl trying to move his best player DeMarcus Cousins (snake in the grass) or trading Nik Stuskas and signing Rajon Rondo (one year and $10 million?! Literally nobody else offered him anything close, if at all. Who were you bidding against?!) and signing Kosta Koufus (4 years, $33 million) this team looks primed for a meltdown of epic proportions. Get your popcorn ready for the show!

J.R Smith: 

While not a team, this had to be mentioned, as a great man once said “stupid is as stupid does”. Our good friend Mr. Smith obviously didn't get the memo that not only is he not the sixth man of the year anymore, but that the grass is always greener on the other side. To be fair it wasn't greener at all, seeing as after he opted out of his contract and hit the free agent market, no teams called him. None, at all. After realizing his folly, Mr. Smith than decided to call up Cleveland and ask for his old job back to which he got back a really emphatic “Maybe”. We're still waiting on the verdict. Can anyone say China?

Honorable Mention: Oklahoma City Thunder for signing Enes Kanter to a 4 year $70 million deal, because, reasons.

SIGN SETH CURRY

(July, 20th 2015) By: Efraim Graber

In the name of all that is holy on this earth, Dell Demps, the GM of the Pelicans had better sign Seth Curry. Reason one is because his name is Curry. Reason two is because he has averaged 26 points in summer league. Usually players  that can average 26 points in summer league, can average decent NBA numbers.

He's also not being one dimensional. Shooting, driving, and making threes. He's doing it in every way. So I beg you Pelicans, don't give him up and look like absolute fools.

- EVERY PELICANS FAN EVER