What they need to do this summer: Milwaukee Bucks

Having started this process late, I didn't get to Milwaukee until their summer makeover was mostly complete. It's now the beginning of August and the Bucks have already traded away their best player from last year (Richard Jefferson), let their best young talent go without anything in return (Charlie Villanueva), and are on the verge of letting their best value player (Ramon Sessions) leave without any return. As a small market team, many of the Bucks' moves have been financially based. They couldn't afford to keep Jefferson, Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut, then pay young players like Villanueva and Sessions their market value. And with the Bucks' record, it wouldn't have made much sense anyway. But realizing what you're doing isn't working isn't enough. Milwaukee now needs to come up with a plan that actually will work and make them competitive.

Small market teams can't afford to make the same mistakes that other teams do. Teams like Milwaukee cannot attract the types of free agents who can alter a franchise's identity without severely overpaying. They can't make wrong decisions on players who don't fit their style of play because it is too costly to get rid of them. Milwaukee has committed to a certain philosophy with Scott Skiles, but doesn't have the players to fit that style. Here's a couple of suggestions of how to make that happen and get the Bucks closer to competing for the playoffs consistently:

1) Trade Charlie Bell and Kurt Thomas.

Based on his playing and coaching history, Skiles likes to play a lot of small ball and have multiple players who can create off the pick and roll create havoc. Skiles is not afraid to give up all sorts of physical advantages if he can play a smart, gritty team. It's the same as he was when he played.

Milwaukee's major problem with this philosophy is that they don't really have players who fit that mold. With the amount Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd are making this season and next, it makes more sense to get the right types of players around them and increase their respective values rather than trading them now. Bell and Thomas actually aren't bad fits, but as solid veterans on expiring contracts, they represent the Bucks' best chances to upgrade their roster.

A number of teams have committed to making a run this year and may be willing to give up on some young talent for veteran help. Washington is a good example of a team who might be willing to part with somewhat duplicative young talent (Andray Blatche) for a veteran big man like Thomas. Charlie Bell is versatile enough to make a big difference off the bench at both guard spots for playoff contenders like the Lakers (in a package deal for Jordan Farmar), the Jazz (for CJ Miles if he's not going to be in the rotation), the Rockets (for Brian Cook and a draft pick). Whoever and whatever picks Milwaukee can trade for the two is likely to be better than what the Bucks could get for $7.6 million of cap space next summer. Francisco Elson and Malik Allen also fit into this category, but would probably bring back much less. But if they can be traded for some young potential, the Bucks should pull the trigger.

2) Move Michael Redd to the 3 and Joe Alexander to the 4.

I know that Redd is not a 3 and Alexander is not a 4. But without the talent to compete, Milwaukee has to create chaos by playing small and awkward. This is a Skiles specialty. When he coached the Bulls, Skiles often played Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon together for large chunks of time in the 4th quarter with either Luol Deng or Andres Nocioni at the 4. They spaced the floor, passed well and rotated faster on defense than most teams. They couldn't rebound, but at least this gave the Bulls a shot. And these unconventional lineups took a mediocre team much deeper in the playoffs than they should have gone on talent alone.

If the Bucks get some more help at the 1, they could cause some of the same matchup difficulties. Alexander is quick athletic enough to be a pain in the ass for most 4's, and it masks his basketball IQ issues by moving him further from ballhandling duties. Redd isn't all that creative off the dribble for a 2, but he's probably above average at the 3 and a pain in the ass for most 3s to chase around. Neither will be able to defend their positions very well, but it's not like they were great defenders last year either. And Skiles is pretty good at hiding below average defenders. He was able to do it with Ben Gordon for years.

At a minimum, playing Redd at the 3 and Alexander at the 4 should increase each player's offensive output (and as a consequence their trade value). It is unlikely that either fits into Skiles' ultimate plans or can get the team over the hump. So while Milwaukee tries to find players who can get them to the playoffs, they need to maximize the value of their current assets. This would do that better than just rolling the ball out and letting these two play.

3) Run the offense through Andrew Bogut at the high post.

Right now, the Bucks don't have enough ball handlers to play the way Skiles' teams have in the past. Luke Ridnour and Charlie Bell probably fit the bill, and it's hard to name anyone else. Brandon Jennings probably isn't ready and will probably benefit from the teaching on the bench more than playing through his mistakes right now. As quick as he is, Jennings would probably be able to compensate for his mistakes and have more success than he should based on where he is in his development. But for the Bucks to turn the corner, Jennings has to be good and not just lucky. He needs to learn the game first.

So how do the Bucks get the most out of who they currently have? Bogut has to become a great passer. In the same way that Redd and Alexander have the ability to cause matchup problems, Bogut has the ability to draw defenders away from the basket to open up attacking lanes. With everyone except for Redd, you can go under screens and clog the lane against Milwaukee. The guards aren't really threats to shoot long jumpers off the dribble and the bigs aren't really huge threats to pop. The only real threat is the roll. Getting the ball to Bogut at the high post alleviates that problem somewhat by placing everyone in a position where they are a threat to score. The guards can spot up more where they are more apt to catch and shoot, and the bigs start their plays closer to their scoring range.

To take full advantage of their coaching choice, Milwaukee needs to become a few things. They need to become tougher, they need to become smarter as a team, and they need to become better shooters. The Bucks don't have the salary cap space to get it done and Milwaukee isn't really attractive to free agents anyway. Until they can get rid of some of their bloated contracts and get players who can fit their philosophy, the Bucks should play small to get the most out of the talent they already have. Milwaukee also has to feature its center and play to his finesse strengths, because at $10 million per year for the next five years, he's going to be their centerpiece for a long time.

Most importantly though, Milwaukee has to pick a plan and stay the course. If they keep changing the plan, they will never get to a point where any plan can work.

What they need to do this summer: Indiana Pacers

An unusually high number of teams in the League have maneuvered themselves so most of their contracts expire in after this year. Unfortunately for the Pacers, their contracts don't expire until 2011. As a lottery team without expiring contracts, Indiana is in a tough position. In Danny Granger, they have just enough talent to avoid the bottom of the standings. But you don't get better getting late lottery picks.

The Pacers have been rebuilding for what seems like a lot of years now. It feels like the process is taking longer than it should because the team is afraid of some of the personality issues that have plagued the team in years past. Larry Bird seems a little gun shy and would rather get decent guys who might make the playoffs instead of more volatile guys who might compete for a title. Other than Danny Granger, there isn't much in Indiana that can be called a building block for a championship. Pacers fans don't want nice pieces though, they want difference-makers. Here's how Indiana can get back in the thick of things quickly:

1) Trade Jeff Foster. Contending teams would love to have a veteran big man like Jeff Foster. He's smart and defends the post pretty well, which is critical in the playoffs. When he can't defend, he uses his fouls early and in a way that he doesn't give up many and-one's. Well, the Pacers aren't really close to making the playoffs or winning a series even if they do sneak in. So the smart move would be to trade Jeff Foster for some young developing talent who might be able to help Indiana improve its talent. A team like Washington has committed to its current core and could use Foster to anchor its defense. With two young bigs like Andray Blatche and Javale McGee not ready to contribute consistently, the Wizards might be willing to trade Blatche and DeShawn Stevenson for Foster, who would help them a lot immediately. Golden State is another team who could use some veteran help on its frontline, and may be willing to part with some promising younger players like Brandan Wright and Kelenna Azubuike. The point is that Indiana should see what it can get for Foster now while teams are trying to top one another in the summer and before Foster's play declines.

2) Package some of the younger players for a more talented, riskier talent. Indiana is pretty much stuck in the middle of the pack because they can't get enough talent to change their fortunes. While the Pacers got lucky with Granger, the odds of duplicating that type of pickup with late lottery draft picks and no money under the salary cap are not good. Indiana just signed Dahntay Jones, who should fit in nicely next to Danny Granger and as a compliment to Mike Dunleavy if and when he comes back. That should also make Brandon Rush expendable. Rush should be expendable either way because even at his ceiling he's not talented enough to really change Indiana's standing in the League. With a modest salary and sweet shooting stroke, Rush should have some value and could return a player with more upside if the Pacers are willing to give up the known for something more risky. Bill Walker and JR Giddens come to mind, for example. The same things could be said about Roy Hibbert.

I am not sure if there is a market for players like TJ Ford or Troy Murphy, but they aren't going to turn Indiana into anything more than a first-round loser in the playoffs at best. If one could be packaged, Indiana needs to go for it.

3) Play Granger at point forward.There aren't many suggestions for Indiana because they are stuck with big salaries for guys who won't make that big of a difference. Ford, Tinsley, Murphy and Dunleavy all could help some teams around the League. But none of them can carry the load, and all are under contract until 2011. In the meantime while they wait to put the right pieces around Granger, the Pacers should try to develop him into an elite player at the 3. Granger can obviously score the ball, but he can't lead a team yet. He isn't the best at creating for others. While they are stuck in this limbo for another year, Indiana should see if they can't groom Granger to be more versatile so they can increase the number of players who would fit well around him. If he's healthy, the Pacers need to try to do the same thing with Mike Dunleavy. Other than Granger Indiana doesn't have the talent to create mismatches, so they have to try to move players to new positions to create the same effect. A 6'10" point guard would cause teams to match up to you, and not have you always matching up with other teams. Usually, the team who creates the most matchup problems wins.

Unfortunately for Pacers fans, there aren't a lot of answers on the short term horizon. Indiana does not have the talent to make a big leap or the contract situation to improve their talent. Until 2011 when they do, the Pacers need to work on the one building block they have in Granger and take more risks. You can't live afraid of getting another Ron Artest or Jermaine O'Neal forever.

Is Shawn Marion Still Worth This Much?

Getting straight to the point, I have no idea what the hell Dallas is doing in this sign-and-trade for Shawn Marion. I don't think Marion has five productive years left, and if he does I think they are more than likely at the 4. That's Dirk Nowitzki's position, in case the Mavs forgot. I also thought Jerry Stackhouse's contract was much more valuable than overpaying Marion. Not to mention Dallas threw in Antoine Wright? I absolutely hate this trade for the Mavericks. In more detail, here is exactly why:

Dallas is built around Nowitzki, Josh Howard and Jason Terry, whether Terry starts or not. While Kidd is an important piece to their puzzle, those are the three players who make the Mavs run. Dirk eats up most of the minutes at the 4, Howard at the 3, and Terry at the 2. Dirk is Dallas' primary option because he's such a difficult matchup. He's 7 feet tall, which makes him big even for the 4 position. But he's also a threat all the way out to the three-point line and off the dribble, which means he has the ability to take most 4's far away from their comfort zones on the defensive end. He can post, he can spot up, he can beat slower defenders with his handle. He is a matchup nightmare for most teams. Dallas usually goes to Howard early and often in the first and third quarters, and then he fades and tends to float as the game progresses. When Howard disappears, Terry often steps up and takes his place as one of the Mavs' primary options next to Dirk.

How does Marion help any of Dallas' strengths or take away from its weaknesses? I have no clue. He doesn't really help Terry or Dirk much. He could help Howard some by moving him to the 2, but there's not much about the way Howard plays that would be all that much more effective at the 2 than it is at the 3. Howard attacks for five minutes at a time, then disappears. That's not going to change by getting someone else to play off the ball, it will only change by adding someone else who can play on the ball and distribute the ball to keep Howard engaged. Not exactly what you get Shawn Marion for.

Marion's best position in his career has been the 4 because he rebounds extremely well and has huge athletic advantages over most 4's. The advantages Marion had over most 3's were much greater than the size advantages he gave up. But where is Marion going to play for Dallas? After signing Marcin Gortat to play the 5, most of Marion's minutes will have to come at the 3 where I don't think Marion holds much of an advantage anymore. He's never been all that proficient off the dribble, and at 6'8" isn't really all that imposing anyway. So you have a player in Marion whose career success has been predicated on his incredible athleticism. You trade for him to play a position where he doesn't have the same athletic advantages, and you sign him for 5 years when his athleticism seems to be waning? Doesn't make sense.

The only way playing Marion at the 3 makes the Mavs any better is if you pay Howard more minutes at the 2. Howard can probably give you spot minutes in the backcourt, but isn't exactly scary there and means that either Kidd or Terry has to sit a little more. Howard is not aggressive or consistent enough for that move to make a lot of sense.

A lineup with Howard and Marion on the wings does allow for Dallas to match up better against the changes made by the Lakers and Spurs. The Mavs are right in that Howard and Wright would not have fared well against Manu Ginobli and Richard Jefferson, or Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest. But Dallas overpaid by a lot for an aging player whose best position isn't where he's now going to be playing. The Mavs gave up an extremely valuable piece in Jerry Stackhouse's contract just for the right to sign a player who will not be effective for five years to a five-year deal. In a League where everyone seems to be trying to cut costs, Stackhouse had one of the more attractive contracts available. And the value of Stackhouse's contract is that he was attractive to every team looking to cut payroll for next year or to balance out their roster. Teams like Charlotte (Gerald Wallace or Raja Bell), Chicago (John Salmons), New Orleans (James Posey), and Washington (DeShawn Stevenson and Andray Blatche combo) all become viable.

While Marion is still an above-average player, that's at the 4 and not the 3. At the 3, he's pretty much middle of the pack. I don't think this makes Dallas all that much better in the short term. It doesn't seem to add up.

What they need to do this summer: Detroit Pistons

Less than a week into free agency, the Pistons have already done a lot this summer. They added Austin Daye in the draft, then agreed to terms with Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva on the first day free agents were allowed to talk to teams. A lot of people are confused about what exactly Joe Dumars and Detroit are trying to do. The Pistons now have Gordon, Daye, Rodney Stuckey, Rip Hamilton, Will Bynum, and Tayshaun Prince under contract for their perimeter positions, but only Villanueva, Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown to fill minutes as their bigs. Whether you can see Dumars' vision yet or not, what is clear is that the Pistons are changing their image and style of play.

Most former players who become GM's try to build a team in their own image. Of course that makes sense. People draw on their own experiences and characteristics that helped them become successful to map out what should make a successful team. John Paxson and Larry Bird tried to build teams around heady, high IQ players and put less emphasis on physical talent. Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Troy Murphy, Jeff Foster, Travis Diener, and even Jamal Tinsley to a certain extent are all examples of this. Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan tried to build teams around physical talent with the hopes that they could teach those players how to play. This is why Thomas brought in Zach Randolph when he had Eddy Curry in New York, and why Jordan traded Rip Hamilton for Jerry Stackhouse.

Like most former players, Dumars is trying to build the Pistons around his strengths as a player. By signing Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, it seems that Detroit will be built on its versatility. While neither are primary ball handlers, both can handle the ball well enough to cause matchup problems and can score off the dribble. Just like Dumars and Thomas and Mark Aguirre. The question the Pistons have to answer has less to do with how their new players fit in and everything to do with how its two remaining starters from the 2004 championship team mesh with the current plans. So here is what Detroit can do to make their vision clearer and return to contender status as quickly as possible:

1) Trade Tayshaun Prince. There have been some rumors about Detroit shopping Rip Hamilton, but it seems like Prince is a worse fit for the Pistons' new core. Stuckey can play the point and the 2. Gordon can play the 2 and give very limited minutes as a backup 1. When Stuckey and Gordon are in the backcourt, Hamilton can swing over to the 3. Villanueva can play spot minutes at the 3 in addition to his minutes at the 4. Prince is the only key perimeter player Detroit has who is sort of stuck playing one position. And the Pistons will have to capitalize on their versatility to keep up with more talented players like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. The NBA is about creating matchup advantages, then having players who can take advantage of the opportunities from those mismatches. Without an elite superstar talent, Detroit has to have players who can play multiple positions to create and capitalize on their opponents' weaknesses, much like Orlando did against Cleveland by playing two perimeter forwards at the same time.

Detroit should see what they can get for Prince now before they run into a situation like last year where there aren't enough minutes to go around for their perimeter players. A couple of trades that work and may make sense include Prince to the Clippers for Chris Kaman or Marcus Camby, to Portland for some combination of its young talent like Channing Frye and Nicolas Batum, or to Utah for Carlos Boozer. Another interesting trade option for Prince would be to the Suns for Ben Wallace. Giving up Prince for a player who is thinking about retirement would be tough for Detroit fans to swallow, but it would make the Pistons players in next year's free agent market again and drastically speed up the rebuilding process.

2) Trade Aaron Afflalo. Under normal circumstances, Afflalo wouldn't have the same value that he does now. But with the salary cap decreasing and teams more reluctant than ever to go over the luxury tax threshold, players on their rookie contract who can contribute to the rotation are more valuable than ever. With the Pistons' backcourt depth and frontcourt holes, Afflalo is a luxury Detroit cannot afford. Teams like Toronto, Denver and New Orleans all have obvious financial needs that may cause them to give up players or future assets that they wouldn't otherwise part with. If they can get back a big man, the Pistons may also be able to trade Kwame Brown way above his normal market value due to his expiring contract.

3) Target Amar'e Stoudemire. It's no secret that Stoudemire is going to be one of the big-name targets for a lot of teams next year. What's also not a secret is that Stoudemire wants to be the franchise player wherever he goes. That's where a team like Detroit fits in. Most other teams with cap space next summer will not have the backcourt pieces in place the Pistons have. The other teams also will likely be vying for other free agents, which will not feed into Stoudemire's ego the way that Detroit can. And Stoudemire would be a better fit in Detroit than almost any other team he could go to. The Knicks still need a playmaker to make Mike D'Antoni's offense go, Chicago will likely alienate Stoudemire to some extent by rumors of concerns about his character. Miami should have enough cap space to go after Stoudemire, but has Michael Beasley at the 4 as well, and Stoudemire will likely not want to think he is a 5. If Detroit can get under the cap, they may be the best option for Amar'e. Assuming the Pistons are able to trade Prince for expiring contracts, their 2010-2011 lineup could look something like:

• Rodney Stuckey
• Ben Gordon
• Rip Hamilton
• Charlie Villanueva
  
• Amar'e Stoudemire

Detroit would still have players like Jason Maxiell and Austin Daye to round out its bench. That's a young, exciting and versatile lineup that fits Stoudemire's style of play and would make him the focus that he craves. Every night, someone should have a matchup advantage to make the team competitive against just about everyone.

Joe Dumars has a decent vision for the Pistons' future. He doesn't have a star playmaker, so he is creating a lineup based on creating more mismatches than anyone else. But Dumars cannot stop there. He has to be bold and creative in order to keep the Pistons moving in the right direction. If he can take a temporary hit this year and clear some salary cap space, Detroit just might get Amar'e and be in a position to make another long run at the top of the Eastern Conference.

What they need to do this summer: Cleveland Cavaliers

There is only one other time I can remember this much panic surrounding a 60-win team: when Dallas was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs a few years ago by Golden State. Even that felt different. Maybe it’s Cleveland’s long-standing history with sports failures, or maybe it’s just nerves from LeBron James’ impending free agency. Whatever the reason, this much panic pretty much guaranteed that the Cavs would not stand pat and try it again next year with the same cast. That’s why it’s no surprise that Cleveland went for the biggest name available in Shaquille O’Neal. I’ve already discussed what I think of that deal, so I won't spend much time or energy going over it again here. Besides, this is about what the Cavs can do now that the trade for Shaq has been made.

For the Cavs, everything is about winning the title this year. Sure, in the draft they picked the guy from the Congo whose name I won't bother looking up. But next year's plan is simple: re-sign James and then figure everything else out. Ultimately LeBron's decision is out of the Cavs' hands, so all they can and should worry about it winning it all this year. They still have some work to do this summer to make that more likely:

1) Trade Anderson Varejao. The media consensus after the Cavs lost to Orlando seemed to be that Cleveland needed a more mobile, perimeter oriented 4 to match up with players like Rashard Lewis. While there is some truth to that, upgrading the 4 position should not be the Cavs' priority anymore. First, part of the reason that Cleveland's 4s had such a hard time guarding Lewis was because their centers were getting killed by Dwight Howard. While Shaq is getting up there in age, he's still about as strong as they come. The Cavs shouldn't have to help so much down low this season, which should ultimately help their perimeter defense as well. Second, there is a little known flaw in this roster that Danny Ferry built: Cleveland does not have a single player between 6'2" and 6'8" (or 6'9", whatever LeBron really is). Delonte West is currently their "big" guard, and LeBron their only option at the 3 other than Jawad Williams. Whatever deficiencies JJ Hickson and Darnell Jackson may have at the 4, the Cavs are in much better position shoring up their wings than they would be adding another power forward to the mix.

For Cleveland to get something good, they will likely have to give something good, and Varejao is their best asset they can part with. Teams who might be interested in a sign-and-trade, depending on what Varejao is seeking, include Charlotte (for Raja Bell and filler), Oklahoma City (for either Desmond Mason or Damien Wilkins and filler), and Washington (with Andray Blatche or Nick Young paired with DeShawn Stevenson, if Stevenson and LeBron can get past their previous issues).

2) Play LeBron off the ball and at the 4 more. It sounds sort of funny with the minutes LeBron plays, but finding him a good backup might be the most important addition the Cavs can make this offseason. That's because finding someone else who can play the 3 is the key to Cleveland taking advantage of James' versatility. At somewhere over 6'8" and north of 260 pounds, LeBron can easily play either forward position. He also has the skills to play either guard position as well. From an athletic standpoint, James causes more matchup problems when he plays the 4 than he does at any other position. As strong as he is, Lebron does not really play in the post, which negates some of his physical advantages over guards. Plus, with Shaq in the lineup there isn't much room to post up anyway. Every 4 in the League would have a hard time keeping up with James' speed and likely would not have much of a size advantage if any, which is why the Cavs should find a way for LeBron to play some minutes at the 4 position. The problem is that you can't move LeBron to the 4 unless you have someone else who can play the 3 in his place.

Whether at the 3 or the 4, the other thing the Cavs need to do is play LeBron away from the ball more. In the playoffs when things got desperate, Mike Brown put Lebron at the top of the key in an isolation and told him to find a way to get it done. It worked for about 15 minutes of one game, but it's too much to ask any player to create everything for a team like that. What made Cleveland so dangerous and good in the regular season is that James was as much of a threat on the baseline as he was in the isolations at the top of the key. You were as likely to see LeBron cutting backdoor as you were to see him take someone off the dribble. The more you move LeBron around and play him away from the ball, the further out of position a defense has to stretch in order to double team him. The unpredictability of when and where he gets the ball makes James more difficult to cover, and the increased ball handling responsibilities should make players like Mo Williams and Delonte West more dangerous. One of the problems that both Cavs' guards ran into during the playoffs was that they were used inconsistently on the ball. There were times when Williams and West didn't touch the ball for four or five possessions at a time, and when they did their job was to get the ball to James. It is difficult enough to score in the NBA, much less when your primary responsibilities do not involve playing aggressively to try and score.

Having Shaq also helps a lot in this regard. The Cavs can now throw the ball down into the low block and turn James into more of a slasher. If Cleveland can find a 3 who can shoot and they play James at the 4, how do you double Shaq? You can't come off Williams and West because they shoot too well. It would be suicide to double off of Lebron. So it's important that whoever Cleveland plays at the 3 can shoot.

No matter how bad they looked in the playofffs against Orlando, Cleveland has a shot to win it all next year. Any team with LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and a bunch of shooter will always have a shot. But Cleveland needs to get some wings into the lineup to balance its roster and take advantage of LeBron's unique size. Otherwise, that hole between 6'2" and 6'8", where some of the prolific scorers in the League are, will be too much to overcome.

What they need to do this summer: Chicago Bulls

My hometown Bulls. Chicago has been on a crazy roller coaster the last two years. Chicago went from young and talented team, to trendy dark horse pick to win the Eastern Conference, to Kobe Bryant's probable next home, to Lottery team, back to young and talented team. Somehow they managed to pull all of this off with only one major player change: adding Derrick Rose.

Unlike two years ago, when the Bulls seen as up and coming because of the sum of their young parts, this time it's all about Rose. In one short year (and a memorable seven game playoff series), Rose quickly established himself as one of the most exciting players in the League and huge part of the future of the point guard position alongside Chris Paul and Deron Williams. With Rose as the clear centerpiece, Chicago now has to figure out who fits around their young point and who might stunt his development. Look no further, Bulls. I am happy to give you the answer:

1) Trade Kirk Hinrich. The Bulls decided not to trade Hinrich last year because they wanted someone around to help Rose's transition and show him the ropes. After the playoffs last year, does anyone think that's still necessary? By all accounts, Rose is a very shy, humble kid who goes to painstaking levels to try to defer and fit in. Does Chicago really want Rose deferring to Hinrich, or anyone else for that matter? One of the things Rose needs to do to make the jump from good player to great point guard is become more aggressive. Rose has to learn when and how to demand the ball when Chicago needs a basket. Too many times last year, Bulls players forced up bad shots instead of getting the ball to Rose, which led to too much inconsistency. The best way to get a point guard to understand this is to take away the people he would otherwise defer to. That starts with Hinrich.

Even though he didn't start a lot of the season last year, Hinrich still has a lot of value around the League. There aren't many point guards with his size and ability to defend 2s. Hinrich's versatility would make him a great addition to a team like Miami to pair with Dwyane Wade. Portland has also been rumored to have interest in putting Hinrich next to Brandon Roy, and a trade for Martell Webster and Joel Przybilla would give the Bulls a long, sweet shooting 2 to pair with Rose, along with a big defensive-minded 5 to anchor their defense. Another trade partner for Hinrich that makes some sense is Phoenix. The Suns are without a clear identity at the moment, seemingly trying to build around Amar'e Stoudemire and Steve Nash, but with both players eligible for free agency in a year. The Suns are also abandoning their short-lived attempts to change into more of a halfcourt team and looking to get back to their Seven Seconds or Less philosophy. If the Suns are looking to trade Stoudemire, a package of Hinrich and Tyrus Thomas seems like a better deal for Phoenix than Andris Biedrins (who is better than Robin Lopez but still too similar), Brandan Wright and Marco Belinelli. Hinrich would serve as Nash's replacement and could also be paired with him to push the pace.

Hinrich is too good to keep off the floor completely, or to keep the ball out of his hands. Unless his presence is keeping the ball out of Rose's hands more.

2) Trade John Salmons. Salmons was a great pick-up for the Bulls last year, playing well beyond almost everyone's expectations. Sounds like a perfect time to trade him: buy low, sell high. Iknow this sounds crazy and that most Bulls fans would rather find a new home for Luol Deng after last year than Salmons. But the truth of the matter is that Deng's particular skill set is a better fit to play alongside the player Chicago hopes Derrick Rose will be. Deng is more of a catch-and-shoot slasher, where Salmons is better at creating his own shot. Plus, Deng is bigger and younger. It's easy to forget, but Deng just turned 24, while Salmons turns 30 this December.

After his playoff run, the Bulls should be able to get some real talent back for Salmons. But the trade that interests me the most would be straight-up for Jerry Stackhouse. Only $2 million of Stackhouse's $7.2 million for 2009-2010 is guaranteed, which would give Chicago a lot more flexibility to deal with Ben Gordon. Whether they try to re-sign Gordon or , Chicago would have $4-5 million less salary to push them up into the luxury tax.

By the way, I'm a late convert to letting Gordon go. It hurts me to say that as he was one of my favorite college players and has been by favorite Bull, but I don't think you can win big with a Rose-Gordon backcourt. Gordon could be traded by himself for a player (unlikely) or an expiring contract (more likely), or even packaged Tim Thomas and/or Jerome James in an early play for a big name 2010 free agent like Stoudemire or Chris Bosh. I think the Bulls have targeted and have a decent shot at Bosh, particularly if they can fill in some of the pieces around the 4 where Bosh would be. If they were able to trade Hinrich to Portland and Salmons to Dallas, Chicago would have a starting lineup that looked something like this:

• Derrick Rose
• Martell Webster
• Luol Deng
• Chris Bosh
• Joel Przybilla

Assuming they also picked up the option on Joakim Noah as a backup big man and kept the two rookies drafted this year, Chicago would have less than $35 million in salaries committed to everyone but Bosh. Even if Bosh signs for $18 million as a starting salary, that still leaves the Bulls anywhere from $5-$8 million under the salary cap to fill out a roster that looks more balanced and talented than what Toronto has to offer. With a Rose-Deng-Bosh core locked in, the Bulls could quickly build a contender in Chicago.

3) Teach Luol Deng to play like a 4. For that Rose-Deng-Bosh core to be attractive to Bosh and as effective as it could be, Deng has to make some changes to the way he plays. To optimize the benefits he should have playing with Rose, Deng needs to play more like a pick-and-pop 4. As quick as Rose is, it is suicide as a defense to tell your point guard to fight through the screen in pick and roll situations without series help. Whenever someone sets a screen for Rose with the ball, the defense's attention has to turn to keeping him out of the lane or he's impossible to corral. Deng would constantly find himself open for a 17-footer after the screen, or would have a smaller guard sticking him if the defense was forced to switch. If he can learn how to play as the screener, Deng could easily average 20 points a game this year.

The problem is that Deng hasn't really played that role though, at least not since college when he had to play the 4 for Duke. He needs to spend the summer working on how to set screens, where to roll to find his shots after the screen, and posting up when he gets a smaller man switched on him. Sounds easy enough, right?

Well first, Vinny Del Negro has to realize that Rose and Deng are his best pick and roll option. A lot of times last year, Del Negro put Ben Gordon in bad situations by running pick and roll plays with big men who couldn't score. Knowing that the screener wasn't a threat (and that Gordon doesn't always make the best decisions with the ball), defenses often ignored the roll guy and doubled Gordon, forcing him to throw the ball over guys much taller than him and causing a lot of turnovers. Second, Deng has to embrace this role and understand how much it can benefit him. Deng complained early on last year that he didn't understand where his shots were coming from, which he says affected his shooting. The sooner he understands that playing off Rose is the key to his success in Chicago, the more likely Deng is to play like he's worth the contract the Bulls gave him. If he doesn't get it, Deng isn't talented enough from an athletic standpoint to develop much more. And if he does get his shots from elsewhere, he'll be hurting the Bulls by taking the ball out of Rose's hands. How good Deng is as a sidekick is totally up to Luol Deng.

The Bulls lucked out when they hit the Lottery and got a new direction with Derrick Rose. To get from the team they were before Rose came to Chicago to the team they need to be in order to win championships with him, the Bulls cannot be blinded by short-term gains. Despite the exciting playoff appearance last year, Chicago needs a makeover. Just because you have young and talented players does not mean they will bring out the best in Derrick Rose, or that Derrick Rose can bring out the best in them. The Bulls have hitched their wagon to Rose and need to put him with players who maximize his potential. How quickly the Bulls give Rose the keys the car will determine long it will take the team to build a real title contender.

What they need to do this summer: Washington Wizards

I hate to admit it, but I kind of like the Wizards. They take bad shots, don't play a lot of defense, and have chemistry issues to the point where teammates are throwing punches at each other. I still like them for some reason. I think it's because they haven't run away from their flaws and personality quirks. If every team played the exact same way, you'd have a really boring league. The less talented teams wouldn't stand a chance because they would allow a more talented team to play exactly how they want to. The thing that all successful teams have beyond talent, though, is the ability to combine playing their style with making the other team less comfortable with the style of play. During the Seven Seconds or Less era, Phoenix did this by forcing teams to keep up with their scoring, which put a lot of players in situations where they had to shoot more than they were comfortable with. Under Larry Brown, the 76ers made teams uncomfortable by limiting the number of possessions in the game, so players felt more pressure to force shots up instead of waiting for a good one. Cleveland was also successful with this strategy under Mike Fratello for a few years. For all of their flaws, Washington never forgets who they are, which I have to admire.

There are other parts of the Wizards' game that I don't really admire all that much. One of the drawbacks from playing with so much "personality" is that it sets a bad example for some of Washington's younger players. Nick Young, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee are all very talented. They are also not near where they need to be, and it seems like at least one of the reasons is that they've taken the wrong aspects from Gilbert Arenas' example. They see Arenas being silly, but don't see him coming back into the gym at all hours of the night to get up his shots. That's the danger of a strong personality like Arenas.

The Wizards definitely tried to right the ship a little bit this week by trading away the fifth pick in the draft, Etan Thomas, Oleksiy Pecherov and Darius Songaila for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. With Foye and Miller, you don't have to worry about them being too impressionable to play with Arenas. On the downside, there this pretty much eliminates any minutes to develop any of younger perimeter players, effectively putting Nick Young, Javaris Crittenton, Mike James and probably DeShawn Stevenson on the market.

When healthy, the Wizards are a playoff team but not necessarily a contender. They just made a trade to signal that they are going for broke. Here are some things Washington should look into this summer to make the jump into the pool of contenders in the East:

1) Trade Mike James for Jared Jeffries. This is a quintessential, something for nothing (except an expiring contract) trade. James is unlikely to get minutes for either the Wizards or the Knicks, but Jeffries could help Washington out a lot with his length. Jeffries played well enough for the Wizards the first time around to get the contract he's now playing under. They already know what he can do and what he brings, which is good passing, defense and versatility from a 6'11" 4. Even though he would likely be in their rotation, I can't see New York turning down a chance to shed another $6 million before next summer.

2) Turn Randy Foye into a point. Foye actually had a decent season last year, and started to show some of the reasons Minnesota traded him for Brandon Roy. But he's already the Wizards' fourth option on offense and is a little undersized as a 2. Foye has to figure out a way to make himself invaluable to this team, and that's probably going to be as a more of a point. Most 2s won't be able to stay in front of him, and Foye handling more of a distributor's role frees Gilbert Arenas up to attack more. Plus, the Wizards need to be more prepared in case Arenas doesn't fully recover from his knee surgeries, and the best way to do that is to groom Foye to play the same role. The truth of the matter is that no matter what you say, as long as he is healthy Arenas will still handle the ball more than anyone else and serve as the team's point guard. With their shot selection and control problems, Washington will be at its best if they can run the offense through Foye more when Arenas isn't making the right decisions.

3) Auction off the remaining excess guards for a rebounding 4. Javaris Crittenton and Nick Young are on expiring contracts and have shown flashes of talent that might intrigue someone. DeShawn Stevenson is on a relatively cheap contract at $3.8 million this year and $4.1 million next. Granted, I have no idea where you get a decent backup 4 for that cheap and scoured the choices on ESPN trade checker to no avail, but the Wizards need to figure out a way to turn this excess into something they can use this year. If the Wizards and Knicks make the trade I discussed above, their rotation for next year would look something like this:

• Arenas at the point, with Foye swinging over as his primary backup
• Foye at the 2, backed up by Miller and/or Stevenson
  
• Caron Butler at the 3, with Miller probably backing him and Foye up
• Jamison at the 4, with Jeffries as his primary backup
  
• Haywood at the 5, with Blatche or McGee as the primary backup

That lineup can score and can adjust to most matchups. Either Arenas or Foye would have a matchup they should be able to take advantage of and get into the lane, depending on how the defenses try to cover the two of them. Jamison should thrive playing off of two playmakers, as he is one of the best 4s off the ball in the entire League. Miller should be a big asset off the bench for the same reasons. Butler is among the best in the world at the 3. But outside of Haywood, they aren't that tough. Washington would need a third point guard if they trade Crittenton, but those are easier to come by than tough and serviceable big men, who have seemingly eluded the Wizards for years.

I don't think the Wizards have the assets to make more drastic changes than that without trading Jamison or Butler and blowing up the project. Since they don't seem willing to do that this year, I didn't go into those scenarios. Personally, I would have looked to trade Jamison after Orlando's run to the Finals last season. Like all professional sports leagues, NBA franchises tend to try and duplicate what other franchises do successfully. The value of a 4 who can stretch the floor is probably at an all-time high, and Washington won't get more for Jamison than they could have this summer.

The Wizards are better than people realize, but at some point that doesn't mean anything when you keep losing in the first round or two of the playoffs. Washington seems to realize that and improved the depth and versatility of its backcourt. If their young bigs can improve, and they should get at least a little better just from playing with a more talented backcourt, the Wizards might make a little noise. It's probably not likely, but not unthinkable considering Shaq's age in Cleveland, Kevin Garnett's knee problems and Orlando's loss of Hedo Turkoglu.

In reality though, all of these suggestions are just small maneuvers to help with Washington two biggest problems: injuries and maturity. If this team doesn't have the light click on upstairs, and also stay out of the training room more than they have recently, these small changes will just affect how much of a chance the Wizards have at winning next year's lottery.

What they need to do this summer: Orlando Magic

Orlando surprised a lot of people this year (myself included) by knocking off Cleveland and making the NBA Finals. They capitalized on a quirky lineup starting two 6'10" small forwards and causing matchup problems that scrambled defenses and made the Magic extremely dangerous from 3. Last year's Magic team won't have the chance to build on their success though, since Orlando traded its rookie 2-guard Courtney Lee, mid-season point guard pickup Rafer Alston and Tony Battie to New Jersey for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. Now, Hedo Turkoglu has opted out of his contract and seems unlikely to return.

As I've already written, I'm not a big fan of the Carter trade for Orlando. What made the Magic special and a matchup nightmare last year was that they were as unconventional as any team in the NBA. They started four guys who could shoot the 3, two of whom were 6'10", and a dominant athlete in Dwight Howard at the 5. As talented as Vince Carter is (and I think a lot of people forget sometimes), I've always thought it was more important for Orlando to be different than it was for them to be talented. But the trade has been made and can't be taken back now. So here's what Orlando needs to do to stay among the NBA elite:

1) Trade Mickael Pietrus for a bigger 3. The thing Orlando will miss most with Turkoglu gone is the fact that he initiated a lot of their offense. As a 6'10" 3, he could see over most people guarding him. Turkoglu's ability to handle the ball at his sized caused defenses to help off of shooters more than I think Orlando realized. The reason this is important is because if you start Carter and Pietrus, neither will have a huge size advantage. Carter would have an advantage over most 2s, but because he and Pietrus are essentially the same size, defenses could cross their 3s onto Carter if he proved to be too big for their 2s, negating Orlando's mismatch. A trade of Pietrus to Portland for Travis Outlaw and Nicolas Batum would make a lot of sense for both teams. It would give Portland the lockdown defender Nate McMillan covets, and it would give Orlando a big 3 to recreate some of the matchup problems the Magic thrive on. A trade for Tayshaun Prince, who is rumored to be available, would work similar reasons.

2) Develop Dwight Howard's lower body. Most people who see him would readily agree that Dwight Howard is a beast. As soon as they see his shoulders, people realize how massive he is. Shoulders don't help you get position on the block in the NBA though, your base does. As big and strong as Dwight Howard is up top, where he one of the League's strongest, his legs are not as elite. Shaq, Yao Ming, Kendrick Perkins, and even Andrew Bynum to a certain extent possess comparable leg strength and the ability to push Howard from his comfort zone on the block. That sucks for Magic fans, as these are the teams Orlando will probably have to get through to win a title. All through the playoffs, everyone talked about how Howard needed to develop a go-to move to become the best center in the game. Well that's only true if Howard can't overpower everyone else first. If I were the Magic, I would prefer that Howard spent the summer working on where he catches the ball instead of what he does with it once he has it. As the series with Boston showed, Howard is a lot less effective if you can make him catch the ball just two or three feet further out than he originally wanted.

3) Use Gortat in a sign-and-trade for a real 4. This sounds really strange and contradictory coming from me considering how much I think Orlando needs to keep its unorthodox lineups, but I promise there's some logic behind this. First, with so much money and cap space tied up in starters Jameer Nelson ($6-8 million per season), Vince Carter ($16-18 million per), Rashard Lewis ($18-23 million per) and Dwight Howard ($15-18 million per), the Magic cannot afford to pay market value for a backup 5. That money would be much better spent on someone who can play the 4 and the 5, which increases Orlando's versatility. Despite having Howard, the Magic are not a particularly good rebounding team. Adding someone who can back up Howard and also swing down to play the 4 also gives Orlando the option of moving Rashard Lewis down to the 3, which will also create mismatches. Gortat played pretty well in the playoffs and will probably have a lot of suitors. Big men usually do. Maybe a team like Miami, who needs to make space for Michael Beasley to become a bigger factor, would be willing to trade Udonis Haslem for a center and balance out its roster more. Oklahoma City might also be a good fit and could offer Nick Collison.

It took Orlando nearly 15 years to get back to the Finals after Shaq and Penny led the team there in 1995. The Magic had a tall ballhandler who created a lot of mismatches and chaos, and a dominant young big man down low. Last time the big man left, this time its the ballhandler. Unless the Magic can figure out another way to create mismatches, like the ideas above, I would expect them to come back to the pack in the East.

What they need to do this summer: Miami Heat

It seems like a long time since Miami won the NBA title. Maybe it's just me, but I always feel like Dwyane Wade is much closer to 30 than his actual age: 27. Teams with stars on Wade's level don't usually fall apart and only win 15 games unless that star is on a serious decline. But the Heat did, which put them in the Lottery where they picked up Michael Beasley. Despite the fact that Miami rebounded last year and made the playoffs, it doesn't seem like Beasley has really fit into what Miami wants to do. One of Miami's favorite veterans, Udonis Haslem, plays the 4. Beasley wasn't ready or willing to defend at the 3. And Beasley's laid back personality doesn't seem a good fit on a team built by Pat Riley. Maybe it's not his fault though; apparently he wasn't asked to play any defense during his AAU years.

Don't get me wrong, it's not like Miami's situation is doom and gloom. First, Wade and Beasley are two of the most talented players in the entire League. Second, the Heat have NOBODY under guaranteed contract in 2010-2011, so they can easily blow up whatever isn't working and will be a major player in the free agent market after next season or in trades this season for teams looking to drop payroll commitments. Miami also picked up a nice piece in the second round of last year's draft in Mario Chalmers. But convince Wade to stay and to build this team into a contender, Miami has its work cut out. Here are some good initial steps:

1) Trade Beasley for a big man. For all the reasons above, I don't think Beasley and Wade will ever fit together as the building blocks for the Heat. As much as I love Beasley's talent, I don't think he has the tempermant or drive to adjust to being a secondary star. And as long as Wade is in Miami, that's what Beasley will be. It's not like other teams have forgotten how talented Beasley is though, so Miami should be able to get a lot for him. Emeka Okafor is one example of a player I think would work well with Wade and can probably be had for Beasley and filler. I don't know if either Miami or Charlotte could turn a deal built around those two players down. It would give the Bobcats a legitimate star talent to build around, and it would give the a defender and shot blocker to replace what Alonzo Mourning provided for years.

2) Trade Haslem for a versatile guard. Wade has said in years past that he doesn't want to play the point. But as young as the Heat were last year, Wade had to take on a lot of point guard responsibilities. Instead of just worrying about his job, he had to get people into the right place, figure out who should have the ball and who shouldn't, and generally manage the team from the floor. It's too draining to be a top-flight scorer and manage everyone else's expectations also. By asking Wade to be both its scorer and de-facto point, Wade's two roles often conflicted with one another. What does this have to do with Haslem? Well, Haslem is the Heat's other valuable trade chip. Not only does he have an expiring contract, but he's also a solid leader and 4 who can step out and make a shot. As we saw with Orlando this past postseason (and have heard ad nauseum since), having a big man who can space the floor is essential against defenses in the playoffs. You need your big men to be threats so your stars have enough room to drive. For Miami at this point though, it is more important that they let Wade loose and allow him to attack on every time offense instead of worrying about getting everyone else involved. Would Chicago bite on Haslem and Dorell Wright for Kirk Hinrich, or something similar? (And if the Heat think they can get that point from somewhere else, they could also try to get a young talent to put with Wade like Wilson Chandler from the Knicks by taking on Jared Jeffries' contract. That 2-for-1 works on the ESPN trade checker.)

3) Don't do anything else to screw up cap space for next year. Even with the trades above, Miami is in position to be a huge player in 2010 free agency. For the sake of argument, let's say that the Heat re-signed Jamario Moon for $3 million a year, traded Beasley and James Jones for Okafor, then traded Haslem and Dorell Wright for Hinrich. Going into 2010-2011, they would have Hinrich at the 1 ($9 million), Wade at the 2 (around $20 million), Moon at the 3 ($3 million), and Okafor at the 5 ($11.5 million). I think Chris Bosh would be seriously interested. That's only $43 million and a much more attractive lineup than Bosh has with him in Toronto.

Wade may not be the 30 I think he is, but he's not far from it. With the way he plays, there's even more of a need for Miami to go for it now. It's doubtful Miami would want to put that much money into their starting lineup with no bench to speak of, but at a minimum it's an interesting blueprint for Heat fans to dream about.

What they need to do this summer: Charlotte Bobcats

Most people have considered the Bobcats a young, up and coming team for a few years now. They haven't been able to get over the hump and into the playoffs, though. The last two or three years, Charlotte has been stuck in purgatory: not good enough to compete with the big boys, and not bad enough to get a difference maker at the top of the draft. So what do you do if you have good young players, but no superstars to make you relevant in the postseason?

1)Trade Raja Bell. Bell is Charlotte's only player who has a contract expiring in 2010, which means the Bobcats might be able to find a team desperate to save money or get as far under the cap as possible next year. Yes, Larry Brown values the presence of veterans like Bell. But Charlotte doesn't need good guys nearly as much as they need great players. While they are at it, Charlotte should see what they can get for Gerald Wallace, and Emeka Okafor. It's not that I don't like these guys, it's that they aren't talented enough to carry a team, and that's what they would have to do for the Bobcats. For other teams who are closer to the top, these players could make a big difference though, and they might be worth a lot in a trade. Once Okafor's base-year status expires, wouldn't it make sense for Charlotte and Miami to talk about trading him for Michael Beasley if the rumors about Riley not being a big fan are true? Or maybe to the Hawks for Josh Smith? And what about Raja Bell to New Orleans for Julian Wright and Rasual Butler? Would a team like the Knicks give you Wilson Chandler for Bell and Alexis Ajinca to get rid of Jared Jeffries contract? I don't really have many good ideas for how to trade Gerald Wallace, but the point is that Charlotte does have some guys other people want. Packaged right, the Bobcats should see if they can get a talented player on his rookie contract who hasn't yet met expectations.

2) Change the philosophy. If you have middle of the road talent, you need to at least have a philosophy that can make those players appear better. Phoenix did this a little bit with Shawn Marion, who isn't a middle of the road talent but was made better by the Phoenix system. At the 3, Shawn Marion had a flawed shot, an average handle, and would have relied more on his elite athleticism than his skills. As a 4 though, Marion is an even more elite athlete, and his ability to stretch the floor by knocking down shots is a plus, not the minus it was as a three. Phoenix was able to get away with playing Marion out of position because he's a very good defender and rebounder. If they can't figure out a way to get more talent, they have to find a way to get more out of what they have. Make chicken salad out of chicken ... Boris Diaw is another example from the Suns, and part of the reason I suggested shopping Okafor above. The easiest way for Charlotte to change their philosophy is to get the ball to Diaw, who is one of the best passers from the post in the League. If Charlotte can run more of its offense through Diaw (which is only possible with a bigger scoring threat at the other big man), the floor opens up and Charlotte becomes a matchup nightmare for teams with slower 5s.

3) Start Ray Felton at the 2 next to DJ Augustin. Felton is not a full-time 2. I understand that and don't even think he's a full-time starter. But again, Charlotte needs to make its opponents match up to them instead of always matching up to their opponents. While a Felton-Augustin backcourt is undersized, it is also very quick, and one of them is going to annoy whatever 2 has to chase him around. If Charlotte can't get a wing who is talented enough to beat other wings off the dribble, they should manufacture that same

So in an ideal world, how would Charlotte look next season? Smaller and more unpredictable. They have a nice chip in DJ Augustin who can get into the paint with ease. Now they need a couple of other guys who can do the same. They also need to take more risks. For example, if Charlotte could talk Miami into the Okafor-Beasley trade I mentioned above and New York into the Bell/Alexis Ajinca-Chandler/Jeffries deal, their starting lineup could look something like this:

• Augustin
• Felton or Henderson
• Chandler
• Beasley
• Diaw

That lineup has a lot more potential to develop into something than the one they have now. Or at least I'd be a lot more willing to buy a ticket to see that team, which is another huge problem for the Bobcats. Go big or go home Charlotte. Being on the verge of the playoffs doesn't do much for me, and developing at a snail's pace does even less. You're in NASCAR country, you should know what Ricky Bobby's dad, Reese Bobby says: "if you ain't first, you're last."

What they need to do this summer: Atlanta Hawks

For the first time probably since the Dominique Wilkins-Danny Manning trade, the Hawks are coming off two consecutive playoffs seasons. After years and years of adding young talent, it finally looks like some of those players are panning out and turning the Hawks into a perennial playoff contender. But now comes the hard part, where the Hawks have to go from just being in the playoffs to being a threat to actually win in the playoffs.

Actually Atlanta made a lot of progress this year, actually getting home court and winning their first series. And their talent level isn't that far off from some of the other contenders, but their play is. They need a lot of development from their core players and to make some smart moves this off-season. If they do the following, they should be able to make another jump next year:

1) Josh Smith needs to become a power forward. Smith has the athletic ability to compete at the 3, but I guarantee you every Atlanta opponent starts smiling when he tries to play like one. Sure he can knock down some shots, but does he really scare you when he settles for jumpers? Nothing pisses you off when you watch the Hawks more than the teases of star talent Smith displays when he aggressively attacks sprinkled in between slow isolations and jump shots without even one dribble. Smith needs to take a serious look in the mirror this summer and finally realize that if the ball comes to rest on offense in his hands, something went terribly wrong. The ball needs to be in the hands of Atlanta's guards until they want Smith to do something with it. Smith's game needs to be predicated on aggression, and the jumpshots should only be a counter when teams start to sag and take away the paint. I'm not putting all of the blame on him though. Both the guards and coaching staff need to do a better job of putting Smith in positions to succeed. If I had to guess, I would imagine this is what Smith and Woodson are always fighting about, so it's not that Woodson isn't trying. He isn't succeeding though, and it shows the deeper you get into the playoffs. Whoever is working out with Smith this summer needs to take the ball out of his hands and just teach him how to play off of a pick and roll. Everyone in the Hawks' organization would be much happier if he could do that. Probably won't happen, but Atlanta needs it to make the jump.

2) Define the guard's roles. The Hawks just picked up Jamal Crawford for practically nothing, which is great from a talent standpoint but not necessarily from a chemistry point of view. Crawford has a terrible reputation of being selfish which I don't entirely agree with, but he does take a lot of bad shots. I've always thought that Crawford's bigger problem is that he doesn't have a high basketball IQ and often tries too hard to do what the coach wants instead of taking what the defense gives him. Larry Brown used to say similar things about Crawford, and I don't think Brown is very fond of players who are as selfish as Crawford's reputation suggests. That being said, after this many years Crawford needs a clear directive that he shouldn't be shooting every time down. I would imagine that Crawford and Johnson will share ball handling duties early on, which is dangerous because Crawford will alternate between being too aggressive and too passive. Now that you've traded for him, you have to live with him. And the only way to live with Crawford is to tell him he's the point or tell him he's the 2. He can't play in between. If you see Crawford as your point, pick up the pace and be prepared for some great plays and some headache inducing turnovers. If you aren't sure, tell Crawford to learn how to catch and shoot (amazingly, when he was with the Bulls Crawford said he never learned how to do that. I guess it's not that amazing if you aren't a fan, but I think it's incredible NBA level talent skipped over such a fundamental thing). Jeff Teague is a pretty good pick up considering where they drafted, but he probably isn't ready to step in and play big minutes just yet. He needs to understand what he's doing as soon as possible though, because they will need him this year. Atlanta is thin in the backcourt unless they improbably bring back Mike Bibby.

3) Turn Marvin Williams into a point forward. Marvin Williams is a huge talent and a mismatch against most 3s. Williams is also content scoring 15 instead of trying to destroy his opponent every time out. The Hawks need to tell Williams that he is going to have the ball in his hands early and often, and is responsible for getting into the lane to get everyone else going. Where Williams is lacking in terms of a killer instinct, Atlanta needs to force feed him. He needs to go into the season expecting and demanding the ball consistently, which is a big adjustment for him personality-wise. But the Hawks need another ball handler who can cause mismatches other than Johnson, and it won't be Crawford consistently and you don't want Smith to audition for that role. It has to be Williams for this team to threaten Cleveland and Orlando.

4) Re-sign Zaza Pachulia and try to steal another big man. Unlike most teams who are just making the playoffs but trying to make the jump to contender, the Hawks already have the versatility to play a lot of different ways. They can play Johnson, Williams, and Smith at the 2-3-4, they can play Johnson at the 3 with either Smith or Williams at the 4, or they can play Al Horford at the 4 and match up with some of the bigger lineups around the League. But they need a big who can give them the flexibility to pull off all of these different combinations. They need a 5 who can step away from the basket and give Johnson or Williams room to post up a small wing. They also need a big who can bang down low and compete with Dwight Howard, Kendrick Perkins and Shaq. Pachulia did a pretty good job last year and I don't think they should let him go for free. But they need another big to add to this rotation. Maybe this would be a good home for the Polish Hammer, Marcin Gortat.

Atlanta has some serious mental question marks with Josh Smith, Marvin Williams and Jamal Crawford, but they also have some serious talent too. This is the wrong time for them to be satisfied with their small steps toward contending. They need Mike Woodson and the front office to step up now and make some of these changes I recommended, or they need them to step out of the way before it's too late.

Assessing the Shaq to Cleveland trade

When Shaq got traded to Cleveland for Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic, I didn't think it would really improve Cleveland all that much. Sure, Shaq is a huge upgrade in terms of strength and low post scoring, but he's also a lane clogger that will take away some of LeBron's ability to get all the way to the rim too. Shaq also has never been great against the pick and roll, so that area of Cleveland's defense won't really improve. And Shaq has never been all that happy being a secondary option, which is exactly what he'll be in Mike Brown's offense.

But the more I thought about it though, the more sense it made for Cleveland. Looking back at the Eastern Conference Finals, a lot of the mismatch problems Orlando caused on the outside actually came from the inside. Where Kendrick Perkins was able to push Dwight Howard out further and somewhat neutralize him, the Cavs were extremely deficient. Rashard Lewis wasn't beating people off the dribble as much as he was catching people Anderson Varejao peeking inside and not being able to recover. If he doesn't have to help so much, maybe Varejao won't look as bad trying to cover Lewis this time around.

I really started feeling better about the trade for Cleveland once Orlando made their trade for Vince Carter, virtually assuring that Hedo Turkoglu won't be back. Losing Turkoglu takes away the other matchup that could potentially make a defense scramble against Orlando, which is really how they get their shots. You don't think that of Shaq as a defensive anchor anymore, but he can still play that role just because of his size. And especially against Orlando with Howard and Boston with Perkins, the two other top contenders in the East. Just being able to stay at home more and not come running every time a big man catches the ball down low automatically makes Cleveland a much better defensive team.

On offense, Shaq puts someone dangerous on the block for a team that has a lot of shooters, which is never a bad thing. It does take away from LeBron's effectiveness in isolations, but wasn't that the goal all of last season anyway? It seemed like Cleveland brought in Mo Williams to take LeBron off the ball more and it worked in the regular season. LeBron got a lot more lobs in the halfcourt and back door cuts, which he really needs to develop into a championship threat. He can't just sit at the top and drive against the best defenses because they rotate too well for that. The Spurs proved that in the Finals, and the Celtics proved it last year. Adding

Shaq is definitely a step in the right direction, but Cleveland still needs to improve its forwards. They need a small forward who allows them to play smaller with LeBron at the four in short spurts, and they need a four who can step out and be a threat from 18-20 feet so Shaq and LeBron have enough space to operate. If Varejao has to play too many minutes, you eventually end up playing 4-on-5. But this move does shore up more of Cleveland's holes and make them more versatile than and dangerous.

Next step: Mike Brown has to show he can make these pieces fit. That may be the biggest challenge of all for the Cavs. More on that later this summer.

*That's it from a basketball standpoint, I'm sure the "worldwide leader in sports" will have more to say on what this means to NBA introductions.



Expect a hard-hitting piece on Outside the Lines to follow this up any day now.

The Vince Carter, Orlando - New Jersey trade

New Jersey just traded Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to Orlando for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie. Vince Carter is the biggest name in the trade, and there used to be a time when you could judge trades based on who got the best player. That's not the case anymore, as players cannot adapt to differing styles and roles as easily. Now, players are used to either having the ball or playing off the ball, and aren't really able to go from one to the other.

I think Vince Carter is one of those players, and especially going to a quirky team like Orlando. It's even harder for a player like Carter to adjust to playing off the ball more (as he will likely be asked to do) at his advanced age and with some of the leg injuries he's had over the years. Not to mention, Vince only goes to the hole to create for himself. He's not going to turn into a great drive and kick guy all of the sudden, which is the bread and butter of the Magic offense.

Additionally, most people feel this trade takes away Orlando's ability to re-sign Hedo Turkoglu, who was a huge part of Orlando's success in the playoffs. One of the major keys to Orlando's success was the matchup issues they caused starting Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. Both are 6'10" and too quick for most power forwards. Where one usually had a size disadvantage on the boards, the other could at least partially make up for that by having a size advantage over 3s. Teams usually put 3s on Turkoglu and 4s on Lewis. With his size and ball handling ability, Turkoglu was also able to get some intermediate post opportunities.

If you start Vince at the 3, he doesn't have a size advantage over most 3s. One of the reasons why Orlando got so many 3s was because of Turkoglu's size. But with Vince at the 3, there is less reason to double. If you start Vince at the 2, you have to start Mikael Pietrus at the 3, which really weakens your bench. No Battie, no Alston and no Pietrus off the bench means the Magic are extremely thin. Not to mention, Turkoglu was Orlando's primary ball handler when Jameer Nelson was off the floor. Now you have a team that is about the same from a talent standpoint, but gave up a lot in terms of the awkward matchups it caused, which got Orlando a lot of free shots. If you don't have to come off a shooter to stop Vince, or if he can't get the ball to a shooter when that happens, Orlando loses a lot of opportunities -- and a lot more than just the points and assists Turkoglu gave them.

New Jersey, on the other hand, got depth and younger. Courtney Lee was a good rookie and is considerably younger than Carter. Rafer Alston gives the Nets a solid backup point if they choose to keep him, and can also play alongside Devin Harris if you need Harris to assume more of a scoring role. Tony Battie is serviceable and can teach the Nets' big men some professionalism. And New Jersey got a big contract off the books when they aren't really going anywhere. While Lee is not an upgrade in terms of talent, he is a much better fit to develop with Harris and Brook Lopez when they are ready to compete for a title.

All told, I think I like this trade for New Jersey, but not nearly as much for Orlando. I know I'm probably in the minority because people are drawn to stars. In this case, I don't think the star is going to translate into wins.

Thoughts before the draft

Just so I have it documented somewhere, here are my predictions for the draft tonight, along with my thoughts about the pick:

1) Obviously Blake Griffin. There's not much to talk about there.

2) Hasheem Thabeet. I think this is a mistake, unless Memphis is looking to trade Gasol. That's too many slow centers for my personal tastes.

3) James Harden. I think he's the right pick if Thabeet isn't around. Westbrook has special athleticism at the point that isn't quite as special if he turns into an undersized two. Harden just fits into what they are doing in OKC.

4) Ricky Rubio. This was the first really difficult prediction, but ultimately I think it's the right decision. As much as I think Evans has the body you want with Kevin Martin, I think Rubio moves the ball better, which is ultimately what they need for a team that isn't all that tough. If you can't outhit them, outquick them.

5) Tyreke Evans. It's hard for Minnesota to go wrong with their backcourt, since they are essentially starting from scratch. As long as they pick two guys who can coexist, it shouldn't make much difference.

6) Jonny Flynn. I personally like Steph Curry better because of his length and shooting ability, but Flynn does give them more of an agitator and catalyst. With Love, Jefferson, Gomes, Brewer, and now Evans based on my selection for them, you have too many smart guys who aren't great athletes and not enough people who can go get their shot when the offense isn't working.

7) Jordan Hill. I like Curry more but it's not a bad pick based on their stated desire to move Stephen Jackson to the 2. Who the hell am I kidding? I don't like Hill AND I don't like the decision to move Jackson into the backcourt. Hill is a little light and a lot raw for my tastes. If you move Jackson to the 2, presumably it is to get him into the post more. But where is he going to post up if you keep getting big men who can't shoot and are too raw offensively to make themselves threats anyway? I hate the move for Golden State.

8) Stephen Curry. Great pick for the Knicks considering where they fell in the Lottery. He's not an answer, but he's definitely a piece in that offense.

9) Demar DeRozan. This one doesn't make much sense to me unless you're planning for life after Chris Bosh leves. DeRozan won't be able to help Bosh in the half-court because he's too raw, and he won't be able to help on the break because Jose Calderon won't take enough risks to take advantage of DeRozan's talent. DeRozan may be the most talented wing left, and Toronto may need a wing, but that doesn't mean they make sense together. I would rather see James Johnson go here and add to the versatility and toughness on the front line.

10) Jrue Holiday. I absolutely hate this pick. If Holiday wilted under Ben Howland, what is he going to do under Scott Skiles? I already have problems with point guards who seemingly don't want the limelight (and there are some serious doubts in my head about whether Holiday feels he belongs), but I think there's a serious chance of ruining a kid like that if you send him to a coach like Skiles. Plus, the Bucks are another team who could use some toughness up front. I would prefer Johnson or DeJuan Blair.

11) James Johnson. Ten minutes ago, I would have typed Terrance Williams here and not thought much of it. With the rumored trade of Vince Carter to Orlando for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie, I think the Nets can address their front line and get a tweener forward who will increase heir flexibility. If you cant tell already, I'm pretty fond of Johnson and think every team should have at least one forward who can swing inside or out for about 15 minutes a game. To me, it's the only way you keep up with the LeBron's and Carmelo's.)

12) Terrence Williams. This is a blah pick to me. The Bobcats need a 2 and Williams is probably the best 2 left, but I don't see this pick improving the team. Charlotte is stuck in late lottery purgatory and needs to swing for a home run, but can't really do that because the only potential stars at this point would be ripped to shreds by Larry Brown. So a boring pick with not much chance of it turning into a steal. Don't get me wrong, I think Williams will be a pretty good pro. It's just that Charlotte needs better than pretty good.

13) Ty Lawson. I hate this pick, and it sums up why I'm not a fan of Larry Bird the executive. You already have two point guards on your roster you don't really want in Jamal Tinsley and TJ Ford. Tinsley is an arrest waiting to happen, and Ford is an undersized, injury-prone point who chafes at losing any playing time. Nobody wants either of them, yet you've decided you need another point, who is also undersized and a little injury-prone. I would rather take DeJuan Blair and ride him until his knees fall off, or until I can figure out a way to get rid of all of these point guards nobody likes.

14) Earl Clark. I'm not a big Clark fan, but I like the pick. It sounds strange, but I swear it makes sense somehow. The key to Phoenix's running style was always playing everyone up a position, and having guys who could take advantage of the quickness mismatches that caused. Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were too quick for most centers; Shawn Marion was too quick for most power forwards. Now Phoenix doesn't really have anyone who can change the complexion of the matchups like that. Clark is the one guy I see left who fits that bill. And he can't be more inconsistent that Diaw was, can he?

15) BJ Mullens. It's not the worst pick in the world, but I definitely don't like it. The Pistons don't really have much besides Jason Maxiell in terms of power players. Mullens and DeJuan Blair are probably the only two left worth this pick, but only Mullens compliments what Maxiell does well. Blair is a little too repetitive and doesn't give them enough length. That being said, nothing about Mullens impressed me last year. If I were the Pistons, I would probably draft a point guard to take some minutes away from Rodney Stuckey having to make all the decisions (I wasn't impressed) and then try to either sign some bigs with my cap room, or see what I can get for Tayshaun Prince and/or Richard Hamilton.

I'm running out of time, so below I'll just say who I think will be picked, followed by who I would take.

16) Gerald Henderson (DeJuan Blair)
17) Jeff Teague (Brandon Jennings)
18) Austin Daye (Sam Young)
19) Brandon Jennings (Brandon Jennings)
20) Tyler Hansborough (DeJuan Blair)
21) Sam Young (Jeff Teague)
22) DeJuan Blair (DeJuan Blair)
23) Omri Casspi (DaJuan Summers)
24) Eric Maynor (DaJuan Summers)
25) DaJuan Summers (DaJuan Summers) (Are you sensing who I think should go a little higher?)
26) Nick Calethes (Nick Calethes)
27) Toney Douglas (Chase Budinger)
28) Josh Heytvelt (Derrick Brown)
29) Wayne Ellington (Wayne Ellington)
30) Derrick Brown (Derrick Brown)