NBA Off Season Rankings: The Worst of the Worst!

It was an exciting off season, and almost the entire league made significant moves. These last ten teams just missed par for the course. Some, like the Nets and Suns, look to improve on last season despite losing a big name, and Portland should be better even if they didn't make the best of moves. And then there's our number 30 team, who have continually been abysmal. There was talk of some good moves, but instead they opted for the questionable and, I guess, cost cutting. Was there really ever any doubt?

21. New Jersey Nets: They lost Half-Man-Half-Amazing and gained a prospect in Courtney Lee. I don’t see Rafer Alston or Tony Battie staying with the team for long. Carter was playing a nice second fiddle to Devin Harris, and Brook Lopez looked solid. Let’s hope this team can continue to grow, and perhaps move to Brooklyn.

22. Phoenix Suns: Yes, the Suns got rid of the Big Contract, but they didn’t do much else. Matt Barnes gone. Grant Hill re-signed, and Steve Nash extended. Channing Frye is a nice pick up. But the hope here is really that a restoring of fleet footed, D’Antoni-like (dis)order will bring good things. And a healthy Ama’re.

and so it ends. 365:365!!, originally uploaded by sungazing.

23. Utah Jazz: The Jazz lost no players this off season, the only team to hold that distinction. However, it’s not the positive it would initially seem. Utah successfully retained Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur, Kyle Korver, and Paul Millsap, which is basically their core after Deron Williams. The problem is how much salary that translates to for a smaller market team. There are consequences for desperate acts like that, and they come in eight or nine digits. Furthermore, it leaves the roster bloated at PF. Boozer should be gone by the trade deadline or sooner, but what damage will he cause on his way out? And what room for growth does this pay load offer as the Jazz go forth?

24. Portland Trailblazers: The Blazers acquired a whole slew of draft picks, and then they went out and got Andre Miller. It doesn’t seem like the best of fits, but I guess the idea is for him to handle the ball when Brandon Roy needs a rest. The Blazers were set on getting a point guard, and they did. It’s just that the whole philosophy was questionable to begin with. This team looks as if it won’t get better except through internal growth.

25. Philadelphia 76ers: I firmly believe Andre Miller was making this work. He’s gone now, and Reggie Evans is too. Perhaps it’ll be an instance of letting the young guys play. Can they make something out of the Elton Brand debacle? With newbie Jrue Holiday running the show instead of Miller, I can’t confidently say the Sixers will make the playoffs again, although they had a good showing this past post-season.

Thunder, originally uploaded by chris tuite.

26. Golden State Warriors: Just a weird, bad off season. The Warriors went into the draft looking like they were going to be major players. Then they got Stephen Curry and that was that. I mean, they picked up a lot of players, but inexplicably. I mean, Mikki Moore, Acie Law, Speedy Claxton, and Devean George? At least the young Anthonys had strong summer league showings.

27. Chicago Bulls: The acquisition of Jannero Pargo is the only thing keeping the Bulls off the bottom of this list. I guess losing Tim Thomas is addition by subtraction, but losing Ben Gordon without compensation is pitiful. Looks like Derrick Rose is captain of a mostly condemned ship once again.

28. New York Knicks: The Big Apple scored Darko Milicic. They stand to lose Nate “Krypto-nate” Robinson and possibly even David Lee. Not a good summer, but with 50 days perhaps they can still make it a passable effort.

29. Miami Heat: The big story out of Miami this summer was it could be the stopping point for Mr. Quentin Richardson’s wild ride. And the regrettable stuff about Beasley, though taking care of his problems now is much better than something bad happening down the line. Y’know, something like Dwayne Wade leaving town.

z-bo-arbys, originally uploaded by luke.huckins.

30. Memphis Grizzlies: Hasheem Thabeet looks like he could be good, if people could just get over the rhythmic properties of that surname. Oh wait, they got Zach Randolph? Never mind.

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