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The NBA offseason isn’t technically over yet, although the free agent market is all but dried up (unless your team is interested in signing a former Laker).
Few deals get done in August when most front offices are on vacation, something many didn’t get last year with the draft and free agency moved back a month. There’s still uncertainty around Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, potential trades that could shake up rosters and eventually lead to more free-agent activity, however.
Before the draft and free agency began, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey came up with each team’s biggest weakness heading into the offseason. Now six-ish weeks later, it’s time to check in and to see if each franchise has actually fixed these needs or if there’s still more work left to do.
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Biggest Weakness: Wing Defense
Notable Additions: G Dejounte Murray, G/F Justin Holiday, G/F A.J. Griffin
Finishing 26th overall in total defense last season meant improvements were needed in Atlanta, especially on the wing surrounding Trae Young.
Giving up three-first-round picks for Murray is a hefty amount, but the Hawks didn’t have to sacrifice any core players in the process, so that’s a major short-term win. At 6’4″ but with a massive 6’10” wingspan, Murray can defend three positions with ease while breaking up passing lanes and locking down the point of attack. He’s already ranked in the 94th percentile or higher in defensive swing rating twice in his career and can focus even more of his energy on that end of the ball with Young running the offense.
Trading Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings for a return that included a future first-round pick and Holiday also improves the wing defense and Griffin, the No. 16 overall pick in the draft, has good 3-and-D potential as well.
Is it Fixed?: Yes! Murray is an elite perimeter defender and Holiday is a sneaky-good pickup. This won’t be one of the league’s top defensive units, but it won’t be one of the worst again, either.
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Biggest Weakness: Backup Big
Notable Addition: F Danilo Gallinari
Despite having one of the better offseasons of any NBA team with the trade for Malcolm Brogdon and free agent signing of Gallinari, the Celtics didn’t really address their main (only?) weakness. If anything, Boston only became a little thinner in the frontcourt by giving up Daniel Theis in the Brogdon deal.
If Al Horford and Robert Williams III are once again the starting power forward and center, the Celtics only rotation-caliber “bigs” off the bench are Grant Williams and Gallinari. Both are best at power forward, so we’ll likely see plenty of Horford as the backup five as he enters his age-36 season.
Boston should look for at least one more defensive option at center for depth, with Hassan Whiteside likely being the best available.
Is it Fixed?: No. This isn’t a huge issue, but the Celtics should be wary of Horford’s workload and look for additional depth.
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Biggest Weakness: Rim Protection
Notable Addition: C Nic Claxton (re-signed)
The Nets did well to re-sign Claxton, bringing the 23-year-old back on a two-year, $17.3 million contract.
His defense last season was excellent in a limited role, holding opponents to just 49.7 percent shooting at the rim. Among players who defended at least 150 total shots at the basket, Claxton ranked fourth overall only behind Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Rudy Gobert.
With Andre Drummond leaving in free agency for the Chicago Bulls, Claxton will almost certainly be the full-time starter at center for the first time in his career, as Brooklyn hasn’t signed any additional bigs.
We could see some Ben Simmons minutes at center if he’s willing, but this position is all but Claxton’s moving forward. He was really good at protecting the basket in a smaller role (20.7 minutes a game last season) but may have to prove he can sustain this for 30 or more minutes a night now.
Is it Fixed?: Ehhhh. Claxton is a good starting point, but the Nets are extremely thin up front overall. With Kevin Durant’s trade request still hovering over the organization, we’ll call this TBD.
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Biggest Weakness: Rim Protection
Notable Addition: C Mark Williams
The Hornets chose to address their biggest weakness through the draft, selecting Williams out of Duke with the 15th overall pick.
The 20-year-old has everything you’d want out of a defensive prospect. He combined his 7’1″ height with a massive 7’7″ wingspan and 9’9″ standing reach. Williams won ACC Defensive Player of the Year, finished first in the conference in block percentage (11.4 percent) and was one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
We don’t know how much of this will translate to the NBA as a rookie, or even if Williams will start over veteran Mason Plumlee, but he certainly looks the part of a future All-Defensive team member.
This was a really good pick for the Hornets in the middle of the first round, as Williams should be the franchise’s answer at center for the next decade.
Is it Fixed?: It should be, yes. Williams was an all-world rim protector in college who has all the physical measurements you could possibly ask for.
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Biggest Weakness: Rim Protection
Notable Addition: C Andre Drummond
With Nikola Vucevic ingrained as the team’s starting center, and as good as an offensive hub and glass-cleaner he can be, the Bulls would have been wise to seek a plus defender behind him as a change-of-pace option.
While Drummond will forever be one of the better backup centers as long as he’s in the league, the 28-year-old isn’t exactly a true rim protector, either. He allowed opponents to shoot 60.0 percent at the rim last season, ranking in the middle of the pack (21st out of 40) of players who defended at least 280 of such shots or more. Vucevic was 31st at 63.8 percent, so Drummond is a slight step up here.
Getting Drummond on a two-year, $6.6 million deal (with a player option) is really good value for his rebounding alone, although he doesn’t truly move the needle on defense.
Is it Fixed?: Not really. Drummond is a better defender than Vucevic, but he’s not a plus rim protector, either.
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Biggest Weakness: Wing Depth
Notable Additions: SG Ochai Agbaji
The Cavs have slowly built up their weak wing core over the last year with the acquisitions of Lauri Markkanen and Caris LeVert to go along with Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, Dean Wade and Dylan Winder.
Taking Agbaji with the No. 14 overall pick out of Kansas has brought a new dynamic to this group, someone who should enter the rotation immediately as a catch-and-shoot three-point weapon.
At age 22 he won’t need the developmental time like some of Cleveland’s previous picks, but Agbaji is a limited playmaker and shot-creator who will need players like Darius Garland, LeVert and Collin Sexton (if he re-signs) to set up open looks.
Cleveland could turn into a title contender with an All-Star-caliber two-way wing if they can find one, although the addition of Agbaji does make this group pretty deep and versatile.
Is it Fixed?: Yes, although upgrades are always welcome. For now, Agbaji will be a good plug-and-play option immediately.
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Biggest Weakness: No. 2 Scorer
Notable Addition: F/C Christian Wood
Well this is awkward.
While acquiring a No. 2 scorer should have been the top priority for the Mavs this summer, things went the opposite direction with previous sidekick Jalen Brunson bolting for the New York Knicks.
A trade for Wood should help slap a band-aid over the franchise for now after putting up 17.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks a game for the Houston Rockets last season. Like Brunson, however, Wood seems best suited as a No. 3 option on a true championship-caliber team.
For now, scoring outside of Luka Doncic and Wood will be by committee, with Spencer Dinwiddie, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Dorian Finney-Smith asked to carry more of the load with Brunson gone.
Dallas has to hope rookie Jaden Hardy can develop quickly after struggling in the G League last year, as he does possess an appetite and raw skill set for bucket-getting.
Is it Fixed?: Noooooo. This team needed to add to a Doncic-Brunson combo, not lose one of them. Wood helps, but the Mavs still need a proven No. 2 option.
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Biggest Weakness: Perimeter Defense
Notable Additions: SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G/F Bruce Brown, G/F Christian Braun
The Nuggets obviously knew they needed some defensive help on the wing as Bailey suggested, as they had one of the better offseasons when it came to turning weaknesses into strengths.
Getting Caldwell-Pope in a trade from the Washington Wizards should make for the perfect backcourt partner next to Jamal Murray. In addition to his three-point shooting (42.0 percent on catch-and-shoot attempts), Caldwell-Pope is still an above-average defender at the point of attack and as a switchable piece with his 6’5″ frame.
Brown (two years, $13.3 million) was one of the best summer signings by any team and Braun, the No. 21 overall pick out of Kansas, plays with a good defensive motor and instincts which helps compensate for his negative wingspan.
Is it Fixed?: Definitely, yes. Denver clearly knew what the assignment was and aced it.
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Biggest Weakness: Shooting
Notable Additions: SG Jaden Ivey, G/F Alec Burks
After ranking next-to-last in three-point accuracy last season (32.6 percent) and 26th in volume (11.3 makes per game), the Pistons didn’t do a whole lot to actually improve from the outside.
Ivey was just a 32.2 percent three-point shooter at Purdue, although he did make a nice jump from his freshman to sophomore seasons. Getting Burks from the New York Knicks via trade (40.4 percent from three last season) was big, as he could already be the team’s best outside threat.
Other additions (Jalen Duren, re-signing Marvin Bagley III, Nerlens Noel, Kevin Knox II) are either non-shooters or haven’t been reliable floor-spacers throughout their careers.
Detroit will have to hope for some internal improvements here, as their offseason additions weren’t enough to make any big leaps up the accuracy standings.
Is it Fixed?: Nope. Burks will help, but this still projects to be a bottom-five team in all things three-point shooting.
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Biggest Weakness: Backup 1
Notable Additions: SG Donte DiVincenzo, G Ryan Rollins
After losing Gary Payton II to the Portland Trail Blazers and failing to sign a true floor general this summer, the Warriors look like they’ll roll with Jordan Poole as the team’s backup point guard next season.
DiVincenzo can assist with playmaking duties, however, as the 3.6 assists per game and 18.6 assist percentage he registered with the Sacramento Kings last season were a career high. Rollins, the 44th overall pick in the draft, may not crack the rotation in Golden State this season but has creative potential as well.
With just one roster spot remaining (that’s being saved for Andre Iguodala) it appears the Warriors are fine rolling into the season with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Poole sharing ball-handling duties.
Golden State didn’t technically get their backup point guard, but DiVincenzo can essentially function as one in spurts.
Is it Fixed?: Kind of. With Curry, Green, Poole and now DiVincenzo, this group should be just fine, however.
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Biggest Weakness: Point Guard
Notable Additions: PG TyTy Washington, PG Trey Burke
Using Kevin Porter Jr. at point guard last season produced mixed results, as the 22-year-old is a solid playmaker but also excels as a spot-up shooter away from the ball. Adding a pass-first guard to the roster who can set up players like Porter, Jalen Green and now Jabari Smith Jr. seems like the best option to help this offense grow.
Getting Washington with the 29th overall pick in the draft was good value, even if he won’t be ready to be a full-time starter anytime soon. He struggled in summer league (9.4 points on 37.5 percent shooting over five games) but dished out 3.8 assists against only 1.4 turnovers. For now, he’s another project like most of this young roster.
Burke was brought over from the Dallas Mavericks in the Christian Wood trade, although the 29-year-old is also best suited for a bench role.
Houston added some more bodies who can play the position, but no one is taking the ball out of Porter’s hands and winning the starting job for now.
Is it Fixed?: Not yet. Washington could become the answer eventually, but this is still Porter’s job, for better or worse.
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Biggest Weakness: Starting 4
Notable Additions: F/C Jalen Smith (re-signed), F/C Daniel Theis
After trading away Domantas Sabonis last season, the Pacers found their new starting power this summer.
He should look familiar, as Smith played 22 games for Indiana to close out 2021-22 and now returns on a three-year, $15.1 million deal that includes a player option. Head coach Rick Carlisle, for whatever reason, already announced that Smith would be the team’s starting power forward.
This seems extremely unusual (and unnecessary) to make such a declaration already, especially for someone who didn’t even get the third year picked up on their rookie contract by the Phoenix Suns after being selected 10th overall in 2020.
To his credit, Smith did average 14.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 24.3 minutes with shooting splits of 55.6/45.5/81.0 in his eight starts last season, so maybe the Pacers have something here. If Smith does play like a starting-caliber power forward, this is one of the best contracts in the entire NBA.
Is it Fixed?: Potentially. Smith is only 22, entering his third season and played well for the Pacers last season as a reserve. There’s not enough evidence to believe he’s the answer at the position yet, however.
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Biggest Weakness: Floor General
Notable Additions: PG John Wall
For a team possessing only the taxpayer mid-level exception as an avenue to add talent with, the Clippers did as well as they possibly could have.
Following his buyout from the Houston Rockets, Wall quickly agreed to a two-year $13.3 million deal with the Clips that includes a team option. He’ll either start over Reggie Jackson or become one of the best sixth men in all of basketball.
The last time we saw the 31-year-old he still had plenty of burst, and Wall has long been one of the better passers in the NBA. With weapons all around him in LA, he won’t come close to matching his 19.1 point-per-game scoring average, but can become an efficient third or fourth option on most nights who will help get everyone involved.
Is it Fixed?: Yes. This was a tremendous signing for Los Angeles and Wall should be an upgrade over Jackson.
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Biggest Weakness: Wing Defense
Notable Additions: SG Lonnie Walker IV, F Juan Toscano-Anderson, F Troy Brown Jr.
The Lakers had a lot of needs this offseason and have little to fill any of them.
Russell Westbrook is still on the roster, Malik Monk bolted for the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles used its taxpayer mid-level exception on Walker, who the San Antonio Spurs didn’t even keep on a $6.3 million qualifying offer despite having ample cap space.
So, not great.
The Lakers did get younger, however, and Walker still has some offensive upside. He’s not a good defender, however, and he, Toscano-Anderson and Brown all ranked in the 31st percentile or worse in defensive swing rating last season, per Cleaning the Glass.
For an L.A. team that slipped all the way to 21st in defense last season, this simply wasn’t good enough.
Is it Fixed?: Not at all. Outside of the Darvin Ham hire, this hasn’t been a good offseason for the Lakers and wing defense will still be a major issue.
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Biggest Weakness: Shooting
Notable Additions: PG Tyus Jones, SF Danny Green, F Jake LaRavia, F David Roddy, PG Kennedy Chandler
The Grizzlies ranked just 19th overall in field goal percentage last season (46.1 percent) and were 17th in three-point accuracy (35.3 percent), so adding some players who can knock down open shots was a must.
Jones returns on a two-year deal after shooting a career-high 39.0 percent from three last season, and his playmaking in the second unit will continue to be important for everyone else’s offensive success.
Green could be a big factor in the playoffs if he can make a full recovery from a torn ACL and LCL and the rookie class of LaRavia, Roddy and Chandler all shot between 38.3 percent and 43.8 percent from deep in college last year.
Time will tell if this is truly “fixed”, but Memphis did make moves to get better.
Is it Fixed?: Improvements were made, for sure. The Grizzlies either added or re-signed key shot-makers with Green serving as the wildcard here.
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Biggest Weakness: Playmaking
Notable Additions: SG Victor Oladipo (re-signed), F Nikola Jovic
With Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler set to turn 37 and 33 either before or during the 2022-23 season, it’s important for Miami to keep their workloads light before the playoffs begin.
This means more playmaking from Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and the rest of the roster, especially with Oladipo and Jovic, the No. 27 overall pick in the draft.
Oladipo returns on a two-year, $18.2 million deal that includes a player option and posted the highest assist rate of his career (26.3 percent) in his brief eight games to close out the regular season. If Herro enters the starting lineup, Oladipo will have even more creation responsibility off the bench.
Jovic is worth keeping an eye on. At 6’10” he’s a gifted passer who we’re going to look back on as someone who should have gone far higher than where he was actually selected at.
Is it Fixed?: Mostly. The only real addition here was Jovic, who may not see big minutes yet as a rookie. With a starting lineup that could feature Butler, Lowry, Adebayo and Herro and a bench of Oladipo, Gabe Vincent and Jovic, this Miami team should be just fine.
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Biggest Weakness: Wing Depth
Notable Additions: F Joe Ingles, F MarJon Beauchamp, SG Wesley Matthews (re-signed)
The Bucks addressed their wing needs in the draft and free agency, even if they’ll have to wait for some of the help to arrive.
Ingles, 34, is still recovering from a torn ACL suffered on Jan. 30, so Beauchamp, the No. 24 overall pick in the draft, could see some rotation minutes early. The 21-year-old averaged 12.8 points on 45.8 percent shooting from three in five summer league games.
Matthews is a depth piece, as the 35-year-old should no longer be viewed as a starter, especially not on a team like this one with championship hopes. If Brook Lopez is healthy, we could see more Giannis Antetokounmpo minutes at small forward as well with Bobby Portis back on a four-year deal.
Is it Fixed?: Not yet, but it should be once Ingles is cleared to play again. By playoff time, this should be a fairly deep position overall.
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Biggest Weakness: Wing Depth
Notable Additions: F Kyle Anderson, SG Bryn Forbes, F Taurean Prince (re-signed)
With all the attention directed at the trade for Rudy Gobert, the signing of Anderson has often gone overlooked.
The 28-year-old will play an important role whether he starts at small forward or serves as a key piece off the bench. While Gobert previously got played off the floor in the postseason since the rest of the Utah Jazz couldn’t stop dribble penetration, Anderson, Jaden McDaniels and others will be tasked with making sure this doesn’t happen again.
Anderson, 28, is an improved three-point shooter who can defend multiple positions with his 6’9″ frame. Forbes brings some floor-spacing to the second unit (career 41.3 percent from deep) and Prince can play either forward spot as a reserve.
The Wolves have done well.
Is it Fixed?: Yes. Anderson and Forbes were terrific signings and retaining Prince was important as well.
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Biggest Weakness: Shooting
Notable Additions: G Dyson Daniels
The Pelicans were the NBA’s only team to rank in the bottom-10 in three-point percentage and still make the playoffs last season, a trend they better hope holds true this year as well.
New Orleans hasn’t added any shooters, and even the return of a hopefully healthy Zion Williamson (16-of-48, 33.3 percent from deep for his career) doesn’t help that area.
Daniels, the No. 8 overall pick, wasn’t a good shooter in the G League, connecting on just 30.0 percent of his 100 total attempts.
The Pelicans will have to hope for some internal improvements, as things are only going to get more crowded with Williamson and Daniels this season.
Is it Fixed?: Nope. The Pelicans will be a better team, just not a better shooting team.
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Biggest Weakness: Point Guard
Notable Addition: PG Jalen Brunson
For a team that needed a point guard, getting the best one available in free agency is certainly fixing the problem.
Brunson may never make an All-Star team in New York, but he’s a rock-solid option that should make a huge difference to this team’s offense. After entering the starting lineup in Dallas last season, Brunson averaged 17.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and shot 50.2 percent overall and 38.8 percent from three.
His contract is actually pretty reasonable, starting at $27.7 million this season but then declining each year after, giving the Knicks more financial flexibility.
While New York may have wrapped up this deal a little too early for the league’s liking, Brunson will end up being terrific with the Knicks.
Is it Fixed?: Yes. Brunson will give New York the production they’ve been looking for from the point guard position for a long, long time.
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Biggest Weakness: Wings
Notable Additions: F Lu Dort (re-signed), F Ousmane Dieng, G/F Jalen Williams
Bringing Dort back on a five-year, $82 million deal seems like a big number, but a team option on the final season means only $64.8 million over four years is guaranteed. For a team made up almost exclusively of rookie contracts, this deal will be fine.
Picking up Dieng and Williams in the first round of the draft added a good deal of playmaking on the wing as well. Williams should be an immediate contributor in the rotation while Dieng is more of a project but has significant upside as a 6’10”, 19-year-old.
This Thunder team still isn’t going to win many games in 2022-23, but there may not be a better collection of young talent anywhere in the NBA. With a guard-heavy core, OKC did a nice job addressing the rest of the team’s positional needs.
Is it Fixed?: Yes. This is an intriguing wing group now with a ton of upside on both ends of the ball.
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Biggest Weakness: Wings
Notable Additions: SG Gary Harris (re-signed), F Caleb Houstan
With the selection of Paolo Banchero, re-signing of Mo Bamba and eventual return of an injured Jonathan Isaac, this is going to be a huge Magic team.
The wing, well, still leaves a lot to be desired.
Harris is back on a two-year, $26 million deal, taking the money from Orlando instead of being a contender’s taxpayer mid-level exception. The Magic have control over the second season, however, which is completely non-guaranteed.
Houstan was the 32nd overall pick in the draft who possesses good size on the wing at 6’8″. He’s primarily a three-point shooter who should fit well as a spacer with this group.
Orlando’s not in win-now mode yet, and that’s probably for the best. There’s a lot of overlapping pieces on this roster, with the 2022-23 season being about figuring everything out around Banchero. For now, the wing simply isn’t good enough.
Is it Fixed?: No. Harris and Houston will help, but this is still a frontcourt-heavy roster that needs more perimeter threats.
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Biggest Weakness: Perimeter Defense
Notable Additions: F P.J. Tucker, F Danuel House Jr., PG De’Anthony Melton
The 76ers understood the assignment.
James Harden’s pay cut opened the door to add Tucker and House, two players who can defend all over the floor at a high level and hit open shots. Melton finished second in the NBA in steal percentage last season (3.0 percent) and will flourish as a disrupter off the bench.
Trading Danny Green in the deal to get Melton is a big upgrade as well, as the 35-year-old had slipped defensively even before suffering a knee injury during the playoffs.
Philly already had plenty of star power and now did an excellent job of filling in the gaps. The 37-year-old Tucker’s three-year may not age well, but he’ll more than earn his money this season.
Is it Fixed?: Yes. Thanks to Harden’s financial flexibility and a smart trade, Philly was able to add some important defensive pieces.
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Biggest Weakness: Frontcourt Versatility
Notable Additions: C Deandre Ayton (re-signed), C Bismack Biyombo (re-signed), C Jock Landale
The Suns frontcourt will look remarkably similar next season, pending any massive trades for a certain disgruntled Brooklyn Nets star.
Phoenix matched the four-year, $132.9 million offer sheet for Ayton and brought back Biyombo as a defensive option off the bench. The trade for Landale adds some shooting to the center position, but he may not even play that much with the return of Dario Saric from a torn ACL.
For now, this is pretty much the same unit (minus JaVale McGee from last year), especially with Jae Crowder and Cam Johnson still under contract.
The Suns could run this team back and still win 60-plus games again, although an all-in trade for Kevin Durant would make Phoenix the title favorites. We’ll see how long Ayton stays out of trade rumors and if the two sides have truly worked out their differences.
Is it Fixed?: Not really. This is the same talented group from last year now with Saric mixed in.
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Biggest Weakness: Defense
Notable Additions: F Jerami Grant, G Gary Payton II, C Jusuf Nurkic (re-signed)
No matter how bright Damian Lillard’s star burns, he’s never been a high-level defender and the Blazers have done a poor job putting the right pieces around him. Only the tanking Houston Rockets were worse defensively last season than Portland (116.3 rating).
Adding Jerami Grant as the assumed starter at power forward was a terrific pickup, as the Detroit Pistons allowed 4.5 fewer points per 100 possessions (83rd percentile) with the versatile defender on the floor.
Payton is the best defensive backcourt player that Lillard has ever played alongside, posting the second-highest defensive EPM score (plus-3.6, 99th percentile) in the NBA last season only behind Draymond Green.
Bringing back Nurkic as a scoring and rebounding force was fine, but it means Portland’s defense at the basket is going to suffer again. Of the 37 centers who faced at least 250 shots or more at the rim, Nurkic allowed the highest opponent field goal percentage (69.2 percent).
Is it Fixed?: Mostly, as Grant and Payton are huge pickups. This should at least be an average team defense moving forward, which is still a big improvement.
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Biggest Weakness: Wings
Notable Additions: F Keegan Murray, SG Malik Monk, SG Kevin Huerter
Of all the teams that needed wing help this summer, the Kings were the best at actually filling this hole.
Murray, the No. 4 overall pick, is likely going to be the team’s starting power forward, but is athletic and versatile enough to play out on the wing. Monk averaged a career-high 13.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 39.1 percent of his threes with the Los Angeles Lakers last season and Huerter could thrive in a larger offensive role now that he’s away from Trae Young.
Harrison Barnes is somehow still around, but the team had to give up Justin Holiday in the Huerter trade.
Finding talent to place between De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis will forever be the goal as long as the two are in Sacramento. This offseason, the Kings have done just that.
Is it Fixed?: Yes. Murray, Monk and Huerter is a lot of size and shot-making ability. If Murray can grow into a lock-down defender as well, this is a really solid group.
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Biggest Weakness: Volume Shooting
Notable Additions: SG Malaki Branham, SG Blake Wesley
The Spurs were tied for 26th in made threes per game last season and have since parted with three of their top-8 shooters (Dejounte Murray, Lonnie Walker IV and Bryn Forbes).
Unless Doug McDermott starts launching 20 threes a game, getting shots up from the outside is still going to be an issue.
Rookies Branham and Wesley should have the green light, but No. 9 overall pick Jeremy Sochan made just 24 threes all season at Baylor on 29.6 percent shooting.
San Antonio is going to be inevitably bad next season, with volume shooting ranking as just one of their many issues.
Is it Fixed?: Fixed?? This is only going to be more of an issue for the Spurs with Murray, Walker and Forbes gone.
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Biggest Weakness: Wing Depth
Notable Addition: F Otto Porter Jr.
For a Toronto team loaded with bigs, getting a quality wing to come in and keep minutes down for players like Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. was important.
Porter is a perfect fit, signing a two-year, $12.3 million deal with a player option on the end. He’s still just 29, was an important rotation piece for the Golden State Warriors last season and now has championship experience under his belt.
At 6’8″ and 198 pounds Porter can play and defend either forward position, giving the Raptors yet another big wing to plug into their core.
For a team that rode its starters more than any other last season, Porter will help keep everyone fresh for the playoffs.
Is it Fixed?: Yes, Porter was a great pickup and should be an important sixth man for these Raptors.
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Biggest Weakness: Perimeter Defense
Notable Additions: PG Patrick Beverley, SG Malik Beasley
Utah has done a 180-degree turn since the offseason began, as this team has flipped from semi-title contender to the verge of a total tear down.
The perimeter defense has become a wash as the Jazz traded Royce O’Neale to the Brooklyn Nets and saw Danuel House Jr. sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. Beverley and Beasley help for now, but it may only be a matter of time until both are moved as well.
If anything, Utah should be more concerned with who’s stopping teams in the paint, as the center position has now become a committee with Walker Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt and Udoka Azubuike.
This could just be the start of a complete Jazz rebuild, one that will have a lot of weaknesses (and a ton of draft picks!) by the time the dust settles.
Is it Fixed?: Ummm, not exactly. We still don’t know what Utah’s roster will look like by opening night, but losing O’Neale and House almost guarantees the perimeter D won’t be better.
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Biggest Weakness: Point Guard
Notable Additions: PG Monte Morris, PG Delon Wright, G Johnny Davis
The Wizards entered the summer with the worst point guard situation in the league and have since thrown multiple darts at the board to see which sticks the best.
This isn’t to say Morris and Wright are bad, as both are solid options who are best suited as backup options. We’ll see how Morris fares without having the best passing big man in NBA history on the court with him, as the Denver Nuggets net rating went from plus-9.7 with both he and Nikola Jokic in the game to minus-15.5 with just Morris running the offense.
Davis, the No. 10 overall pick in the draft, struggled during summer league and isn’t a true point guard by any means, even if he’s a gifted scorer and occasional playmaker.
This should be a good enough group to begin the season with besides Bradley Beal, but the Wizards should be on the lookout for upgrades as the year goes on.
Is it Fixed?: The point guard situation is certainly better in D.C., but we shouldn’t go as far as to say it’s fixed. The Wizards should continue to monitor the floor general trade market.