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Jul 31 2013

NBA 2013 Summer Moves: Eastern Conference

This article looks at the new NBA landscape for the 2013-2014 season for the Eastern Conference. With the draft and the first wave of free agency in the past, it is time to take a preliminary look at how the rosters are shaking out and whether or not the moves that teams made will have a significant difference in how those teams performed from last season.

Each team will be separated by their nominal starting five (PG = point guard, SG = shooting guard, SF = small forward, PF = power forward, C = center), with most important players followed by the more replaceable parts (i.e, franchise player of the Big 3, followed by the other two starters). Also included are the rotation (6th man through 8th man), followed by the rest of the bench (up to the 13th man). New additions and re-signings are marked by an asterisk*, rookies by a (1). Players who are uncertain to be ready for the season opener are kept out of the starting lineup and rotation and marked with a (+). Because of the heavy coaching and management turnover, those figures are listed as well.

To see my Offseason Preview from before the Draft, open here:

ATLANTIC DIVISION

New York Knicks (2012-2013: 54-28, 1st in Atlantic, 2nd in Eastern, Semifinals Loss to Indiana)

Starters: PF Carmelo Anthony, C Tyson Chandler, PG Raymond Felton, SF Iman Shumpert, SG Pablo Prigioni

Rotation: SG J.R. Smith*, PF Andrea Bargnani*, SF Metta World Peace*

Bench: C Amaré Stoudemire, PG Beno Udrih*, PF Kenyon Martin*, SG Tim Hardaway, Jr. (1), C Cole Aldrich*

Head Coach: Mike Woodson

General Manager: Glen Grunwald

The Knicks essentially swapped sharpshooter Steve Novak (149 3s on 42% in 2012-2013) for Bargnani, the first pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Bargnani has made 149 3s … over the last three seasons combined (at a shabby 32%).  World Peace fits the “don’t pass, shoot the three” style of the Knicks’ offense from last season while theoretically giving the Knicks a wing defender.  He’s not that far off a replacement for Jason Kidd as you think (Kidd made 114 3s at 35% with 125 steals, World Peace made 141 3s at 34% with 122 steals). Of course, MWP isn’t a difference-maker, and he just adds to the litter of age and injury marking the Knicks’ lineup around Anthony. Chris Copeland and James White are out in New York, and Udrih and first round pick Hardaway are in, along with former lottery pick Aldrich.

 

Brooklyn Nets (2012-2013: 49-33, 2nd in Atlantic, 4th in Eastern, First Round Loss to Chicago)

Starters: PG Deron Williams, C Brook Lopez, SG Joe Johnson, SF Paul Pierce*, PF Kevin Garnett*

Rotation: SF Andrei Kirilenko*, C Andray Blatche*, SG Jason Terry*

Bench: PF Reggie Evans, PG Shaun Livingston*, C Mason Plumlee (1), SF Alan Anderson*, PF Mirza Teletovic

Head Coach: Jason Kidd*

General Manager: Billy King

On paper, the Nets are beyond loaded. If this was 2008, I’d be excited. Of course, it’s 2013, and the former Celtics are all coming to BK as role players. The addition of Kirilenko would have been a solid enough replacement for Gerald Wallace; think of Pierce replacing Keith Bogans. Even if Pierce is limited to 25 minutes a game, he adds playmaking and shooting that the Nets didn’t have last season from the wing. With last season’s starter at power forward still on the roster (Evans) along with Blatche, Garnett can also be limited to reasonable minutes, replacing Kris Humphries and adding a long defender with the ability to play 20 feet from the basket. Terry is another player drafted in the 90s (RE: he’s old), but the chemistry factor should be positive considering the fact that he won a title with new coach Kidd in 2011. Livingston replaces C.J. Watson, while Anderson just adds to the extraordinary depth that the Nets are paying for. The key to this team’s success is how well all of these players support the Nets’ big three from last year of Williams, Lopez, and Johnson. Lopez was the team’s lone All-Star from last season, and it will be interesting to see whether or not he gets lost in the shuffle of what Kidd wants to accomplish next season in order to jumpstart Williams.

 

Boston Celtics (2012-2013: 41-40, 3rd in Atlantic, 7th in Eastern, First Round Loss to New York)

Starters: SF Gerald Wallace, SG Jeff Green, PF Brandon Bass, PG Avery Bradley, PF Brandon Bass, C Vitor Faverani (1)

Rotation: SG Jordan Crawford, C Kelly Olynyk (1), SF Courtney Lee

Bench: PG Rajon Rondo (+), PF Jared Sullinger, PF Kris Humphries*, SG MarShon Brooks*, SF Keith Bogans*

Head Coach: Brad Stevens*

General Manager: Danny Ainge

The Celtics are jumping into a rebuild here, but the status of Rondo (their only All-Star from last season) will determine how much deeper that rebuild will go beyond swapping retirement-aged assets Pierce, Garnett, and Terry for Gerald “Crashed” Wallace, Humphries, Brooks, Bogans, and three 1st round picks from Brooklyn. The Celtics were barely at .500 this past season, so the drop off won’t be too steep. Rondo is coming off ACL surgery and has had to reaffirm his communication with Stevens, formerly of Butler, and his commitment to the Celtics amid trade rumors. He’s a wildcard, along with Stevens’ ability to keep the Celtics in the top-ten defensively with a rookie center instead of Garnett. Other than Green making a projected jump in production as the number one option over the course of a full season, there’s not much to like about the upside of the Celtics’ roster.

 

Philadelphia 76ers (2012-2013: 34-48, 4th in Atlantic, 9th in Eastern)

Starters: PF Thaddeus Young, C Spencer Hawes, SF Evan Turner, PG Michael Carter-Williams (1), SG James Anderson*

Rotation: SG Darius Morris*, PF Lavoy Allen, PG Tony Wroten*

Bench: C Nerlens Noel (1) (+), SG Jason Richardson (+), SF Hollis Thompson (1), PF Arnett Moultrie (+), C Daniel Orton*

Head Coach: Brett Brown*

General Manager: Sam Hinkie*

Unlike the Celtics, the 76ers are not being shy about their trip to the cellar. The Sixers set an NBA record for fewest free throws made in a season. There is a severe lack of scoring and shooting on the roster, and there isn’t a veteran point guard in sight. New GM Hinkie didn’t replace Doug Collins at head coach until mid-August when Brown, a former Spurs assistant was hired. Brown is the 8th head coach of the Sixers since Larry Brown left in 2003. The plan is to get a coach who will be able to develop young players over the course of a bad season, and Brown, a former director of player development in San Antonio, will have his work cut out for him. Hinkie replaced All-Star PG Jrue Holiday and C Andrew Bynum with rookies Carter-Williams and Noel. Carter-Williams is a big playmaking defender who struggles with his shot and turnovers, but Holiday’s shooting and ball-handing numbers in the second half of the season were discouraging. He averaged 15.9 points per game on 40% shooting with 7 assists per game and 3.5 turnovers per game after February 1st, compared to 19.4 points on 46% shooting with 8.9 assists and 4 turnovers per game going into February. Noel is thin, raw offensively, and coming off of ACL surgery (so of course the Sixers had to trade for him), but has major upside as a defender. Richardson is still on the books while he recovers from major knee surgery, while the team has no plans for C Kwame Brown. It doesn’t appear that Turner, the second overall pick in the 2010 draft, was in the team’s plans, but Hinkie wasn’t able to trade him during the draft. His production hasn’t matched his draft pedigree, but Turner might be better without Collins. Obviously, the Sixers are going the way of the 2012-2013 Trail Blazers in terms of not having a bench and featuring two lottery rookies (a point guard and a center).

 

Toronto Raptors (2012-2013: 34-48, 5th in Atlantic, 10th in Eastern)

Starters: SG DeMar DeRozan, SF Rudy Gay, C Jonas Valanciunas, PG Kyle Lowry, PF Amir Johnson

Rotation: SF Landry Fields, PF Tyler Hansbrough*, PG D.J. Augustin*

Bench: C Aaron Gray, SG Terrence Ross, PF Steve Novak*, PG Dwight Buycks (1), SF Austin Daye*

Head Coach: Dwane Casey

General Manager: Masai Ujiri*

The Raptors lost their lottery pick in order to acquire Lowry last year, and Ujiri’s arrival has already paid dividends in the form of getting a shooter (Novak) and a first-round pick for Andrea Bargnani. Bargnani has essentially been replaced with superior rebounders Johnson and Hansbrough. Their bench looks awfully thin, the wing combo of DeRozan and Gay is one of the most inefficient in the league, and Casey is squarely on the hot seat. There’s enough talent for the Raptors to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008, though not enough to win their first playoff series since 2001. They could just as easily blow the whole thing up by January if they start slow again.

 

CENTRAL DIVISION

 

Indiana Pacers (2012-2013: 49-32, 1st in Central, 3rd in Eastern, Conference Finals Loss to Miami)

Starters: SF Paul George, C Roy Hibbert, PF David West*, PG George Hill, SG Lance Stephenson

Rotation: PG C.J. Watson*, PF Luis Scola*, SG Orlando Johnson

Bench: SF Danny Granger (+), C Ian Mahinmi, PF Chris Copeland*, SF Solomon Hill (1), PG Donald Sloan*

Head Coach: Frank Vogel

General Manager: Kevin Pritchard

The Pacers have gone one step further every season since 2010, and if that pattern is to continue, they will be representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. It was a foregone conclusion that West would re-sign. Granger could take Stephenson’s spot in the starting lineup, but the Pacers were the top-ranked defense in the league while George became an All-Star at small forward. There is also no guarantee that Granger will return to form at 30 years old and coming off of knee surgery.  Scola replaces Tyler Hansbrough while Copeland and Hill serve as Granger insurance. Copeland adds much needed shooting, but he’s a liability defensively, which will matter if he has to play 30+ minutes. Watson is an upgrade over D.J. Augustin, though he’s not a difference-maker.  The addition of Scola gives the Pacers a reserve big man who can shoot; though Scola is 33 with declining rebounding ability and zero athleticism, he can’t be ignored by opposing defenses come playoff time.  The Pacers have more depth and talent off the bench, but allocating minutes while keeping their defense at an elite level will be interesting.

 

Chicago Bulls (2012-2013: 45-37, 2nd in Central, 5th in Eastern, Semifinals Loss to Miami)

Starters: PG Derrick Rose, C Joakim Noah, SF Luol Deng, PF Carlos Boozer, SG Jimmy Butler

Rotation: SF Mike Dunleavy*, PF Taj Gibson, SG Kirk Hinrich

Bench: C Nazr Mohammed, PG Mike James*, PF Erik Murphy (1), SG Tony Snell (1), PG Marquis Teague

Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau

General Manager: Gar Forman

Given the health and age of their big men, the Bulls could stand to add another before the season starts. Rose should be ready to return after missing the entire season, allowing the Bulls to part with Nate Robinson and letting Kirk Hinrich come off the bench. The emergence of Butler and drafting of Snell allowed the Bulls to release Richard Hamilton, and the signing of Dunleavy is an upgrade on Marco Belinelli.  

 

Milwaukee Bucks (2012-2013: 38-44, 3rd in Central, 8th in Eastern, First Round Loss to Miami)

Starters: C Larry Sanders, SG O.J. Mayo*, PF Ersan Ilyasova, PG Brandon Knight*, SF Caron Butler*

Rotation: PG Luke Ridnour*, PF John Henson, SG Gary Neal*

Bench: SF Carlos Delfino* (+), C Zaza Pachulia*, PF Ekpe Udoh (+), SF Khris Middleton*, SG Giannis Antetokounmpo (1)

Head Coach: Larry Drew*

General Manager: John Hammond

The Bucks have a new backcourt, swapping volume scorers Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis for Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo. The Bucks signed Hawks restricted free agent Jeff Teague with hopes of reuniting Teague with new coach Drew, but the Hawks matched the offer. Where there is smoke, there is fire, and it was only a matter of time until Jennings left the Bucks. Drew has a project in developing Knight, one of the worst PGs in the NBA last season (4.0 assists, 2.7 turnovers per game). If Knight can improve like Jeff Teague did, the Bucks would be thrilled. Delfino replaces Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, which upgrades the Bucks’ shooting significantly. The Bucks lost out on J.J. Redick and Mike Dunleavy in free agency, and had to settle for Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour. Butler and Delfino should compete for minutes at SF once Delfino returns from injury. Drew was able to net one former Hawk in Pachulia, who replaces Dalembert as a backup center. The Bucks need Mayo to score, but he has never been as good as Ellis at getting to the free throw line. 

 

Detroit Pistons (2012-2013: 29-53, 4th in Central, 11th in Eastern)

Starters: SF Josh Smith*, PG Brandon Jennings*, PF Greg Monroe, C Andre Drummond, SG Rodney Stuckey

Rotation: SG Chauncey Billups*, PF Jonas Jerebko, SF Kyle Singler

Bench: C Josh Harrellson*, PG Will Bynum*, PF Charlie Villanueva, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1), SF Luigi Datome (1)

Head Coach: Maurice Cheeks*

General Manager: Joe Dumars

The Pistons had a huge summer rebuild, and I doubt that Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings turn out like Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon from 2009, although anything is possible. I understand that Smith is most likely going to start at SF and Monroe at PF to make room for Drummond in the starting five, sending Singler to the bench. Stuckey is a dreadful shooter (29% from three, 42% from the field through six seasons) and a poor fit next to Jennings, but there is a chance that he starts if Caldwell-Pope isn’t ready. The Pistons are headed for some complicated lineups offensively (beware: Josh Smith is 58 3-point attempts away from becoming the worst 3-point shooter with at least 1,000 attempts since Charles Barkley), but there is a clear upgrade in talent here. Smith, like Jennings, is one of the more polarizing players in the league, but he nominally replaces Jason Maxiell on the roster and spent six years playing next to a skilled big man in Al Horford. He immediately upgrades the Pistons’ defense while giving them a dynamic, though inconsistent, forward. Smith scored 1,327 points last season; no Piston has scored that many points in six years. Smith’s arrival allows Drummond to start at C, though the Pistons’ lack of depth at C could have them bringing Drummond off the bench while Singler starts. Cheeks comes from OKC, where they start an oversized frontcourt, so spacing be damned. I thought Cheeks was hired to aid in Knight’s development as a point guard, but he’s worked with Allen Iverson and Russell Westbrook, so maybe Jennings will learn how to get to the free throw line more and be productively aggressive instead of taking bad shots. Jennings has talent and averaged 17.5 points per game this past season, but he is a 39% shooter through four years and has never averaged more than 6.5 assists a game. He’s a clear upgrade in talent over Knight and Jose Calderon, but he could use the guidance from Cheeks and Billups. Billups was looking forward to his return to point guard, and he’ll be used to space the floor and keep the IQ at an acceptable level on the floor. It remains to be seen if he has anything left after struggling with the complications of a late-career Achilles tear. Billups and Datome basically replace Kim English and Khris Middleton/Corey Maggette. It’s hard to imagine how Detroit will close games out with poor free throw shooters Smith (52%), Monroe (69%), and Drummond (37%) on the floor at the same time, but the Pistons have built a playoff team. There is just too much talent at every position.

 

Cleveland Cavaliers (2012-2013: 24-58, 5th in Central, 13th in Eastern)

Starters: PG Kyrie Irving, SG Dion Waiters, PF Tristan Thompson, C Anderson Varejao, SF Earl Clark*

Rotation: PG Jarrett Jack*, PF Anthony Bennett (1), SF Alonzo Gee

Bench: C Andrew Bynum*, SG C.J. Miles, C Luke Zeller, SF Sergei Karasev (1), SG Carrick Felix (1) (+)

Head Coach: Mike Brown*

General Manager: Chris Grant

Cleveland bought back the most successful head coach in franchise history in Mike Brown, used the first overall pick on a skilled forward in Bennett, used another first-round pick on a skilled forward (Karasev), and spent free agent funds on a new center (Bynum), a combo guard (Jack), and a lengthy forward (Clark). Irving is an All-Star, and he will play next to Jack often. Jack replaces Shaun Livingston, Clark and Miles replaces Wayne Ellington, Bennett replaces Luke Walton, Bynum and Varejao replace Marreese Speights, and Karasev replaces Omri Casspi. Brown has his work cut out for him improving this team’s defense, especially if/when Bynum (missed last season) and Varejao (only 81 games played last three seasons combined) break down again. Irving is an All-Star scorer and shooter, but he needs to stay healthy and take the next step as a distributor and defender. The Cavs don’t want to start Gee next year, as he was one of the worst starting SFs in the league; Clark offers an intriguing option defensively while Bennett (another poor defender) will start out as a backup PF before being considered at SF and/or as a starter. Waiters is another player who needs to improve offensively (41% from the field, 31% from 3 as a rookie) and defensively. Despite the inevitable growing pains, something would have had to gone very wrong for this team to lose 50+ games next season.

 

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

 

Miami Heat (2012-2013: 66-16, 1st in Southeast, 1st in Eastern, NBA Champions)

Starters: SF LeBron James, SG Dwyane Wade, C Chris Bosh, PG Mario Chalmers, PF Udonis Haslem

Rotation: SG Ray Allen, PF Chris Andersen*, SF Shane Battier

Bench: C Joel Anthony, PG Norris Cole, PF Rashard Lewis, SF James Jones, C Greg Oden* (+)

Head Coach: Erik Spoelstra

General Manager: Pat Riley

The Heat return every player from a championship team except for SF Mike Miller, who was amnestied. Players like Lewis and Jones are the best bets to replace his shooting (Jones filled that role in 2010-2011 while Miller struggled with injury), but both players have been collecting a significant amount of dust over the last two seasons and neither is as versatile as Miller was (Miller started at PF while the Heat won the last two games of the NBA Finals). Of course, Miller never played 1,000 minutes in a season for the Heat in his three seasons there. After scoring Miller (2010), Battier (2011), and Allen (2012) in post-Decision free agency, the Heat won the Greg Oden sweepstakes in 2013 (maybe they get LeBron in 2014?). Oden is a wildcard. He was the first overall pick in the 2007 draft by Portland, but he only played 82 games in three seasons for them, with no games since December 2009. Oden’s knees are even more perilous than Andrew Bynum’s.  After three years off, he went the way of former injury-prone Trail Blazer No.1 overall pick Cs Bill Walton (Celtics) and Mychal Thompson (Lakers) in joining a championship team (he didn’t go the Sam Bowie route, passing up the ’96 Bulls for retirement). The Heat won a championship in 2012 with another C in questionable physical condition (Eddy Curry) on their bench, so at worst, Oden won’t be counted on. Andersen is back, as is Anthony. At best, Oden can rebound for a team that grabbed the fewest boards in the league, and he theoretically gives the Heat an inside defender to keep guys like Roy Hibbert from becoming postseason superstars, assuming he stays out of foul trouble. This team’s title defense will ultimately come down to the continued effectiveness of 4-time MVP/2-time Finals MVP James, Wade, Bosh, and the aging players around them.

 

Atlanta Hawks (2012-2013: 44-38, 2nd in Southeast, 6th in Eastern, First Round Loss to Indiana)

Starters: C Al Horford, PF Paul Millsap*, PG Jeff Teague*, SG Kyle Korver*, SF DeMarre Carroll*

Rotation: PG Dennis Schröder, PF Elton Brand*, SF Cartier Martin*

Bench: SG Louis Williams (+), C Gustavo Ayon* (+), PF Mike Scott, PG Shelvin Mack, SG John Jenkins

Head Coach: Mike Budenholzer*

General Manager: Danny Ferry

The Hawks replaced Josh Smith with Millsap, which is a wash overall (Millsap isn’t as versatile as Smith but he’s more efficient) but a shame for Horford, who probably has to play more center. The Hawks also lose Smith’s shot-blocking, though Brand is still an effective player in that department going into his 15th season. Brand replaces Ivan Johnson. Teague signed an offer sheet with the Bucks, but he’s back. Schröder basically replaces Devin Harris. Korver also returns while Carroll replaces Anthony Tolliver. DeShawn Stevenson wasn’t going to be able to handle starter minutes and was released; he shot 37% from the field last season, which was an improvement on the 28% that he shot the year before. Even if Williams (ACL surgery) is ready for the season, he has always been a 6th man. It would be nice if Jenkins could replace Harris and Stevenson at SG. He is little more than a shooter, but he’s a good one (38% from three as a rookie). Ayon is a downgrade from Zaza Pachulia. The Hawks aren’t a bad team, but the only way they keep a playoff spot is if Budenholzer, a longtime Spurs assistant, keeps the Hawks’ defense up to standards. Atlanta has a chance to be very efficient offensively.

 

Washington Wizards (2012-2013: 29-53, 3rd in Southeast, 12th in Eastern)

Starters: PG John Wall, SG Bradley Beal, PF Nenê, C Marcin Gortat*, SF Trevor Ariza

Rotation: SG Martell Webster, PF Trevor Booker, PG Eric Maynor*

Bench: SF Otto Porter (1) (+), C Kevin Seraphin, PF Al Harrington*, PG Garrett Temple*, C Jan Vesely

Head Coach: Randy Wittman

General Manager: Ernie Grunfeld

The Wizards haven’t done much outside of drafting Porter (who is already struggling with injuries instead of challenging Ariza and Webster for playing time) and signing Maynor to replace A.J. Price as John Wall insurance. Speaking of Wall, he has a huge contract now, and he has to stay healthy and lead the Wizards to the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Porter replaces Cartier Martin on the Wizards’ roster, so just about anything they get from him is a bonus compared to last season. The Wizards were 5th in the league defensively, but dead last offensively.  The trade of injured C Emeka Okafor for Gortat should help improve Washington’s offense, and while Gortat isn’t as stout defensively as Okafor, he certainly is a better option than having Seraphin, Vesely, or Booker start games next to Nenê. The health of Wall, Beal, and Nenê will determine whether or not this team improves at all offensively. All of those players struggled with injuries last season, and even with the addition of Gortat, they are the main scorers on the team.

 

Charlotte Bobcats (2012-2013: 21-61, 4th in Southwest, 14th in Eastern)

Starters: C Al Jefferson*, PG Kemba Walker, SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SG Gerald Henderson*, PF Josh McRoberts

Rotation: PG Ramon Sessions, PF Cody Zeller (1), SF Jeff Taylor

Bench: C Bismack Biyombo, SG Ben Gordon, C Brendan Haywood (+), SF Anthony Tolliver*, PG Jannero Pargo

Head Coach: Steve Clifford*

General Manager: Rod Higgins

The Bobcats had the worst big men in the league last year and the worst defense in the conference. Zeller replaces Byron Mullens, though Josh McRoberts is in the way of starting at power forward. Jefferson replaces Tyrus Thomas (amnesty) and DeSagana Diop, and while he has a reputation as a black hole who struggles to defend effectively or score efficiently, he is the best offensive big man the Bobcats have had in their brief and unfortunate franchise history. Biyombo can still be useful as a shot-blocker off the bench, and Clifford has worked with Dwight Howard for the past several seasons, so maybe there is something to salvage there. The Bobcats have four original top-ten picks now (Zeller, Kidd-Gilchrist, Walker, Biyombo), so it’s time that those players show some progress. There is still a severe lack of shooting on this team.

 

Orlando Magic (2012-2013: 20-62, 5th in Southeast, 15th in Eastern)

Starters: PG Jameer Nelson, C Nikola Vucevic, SF Maurice Harkless, SG Arron Afflalo, PF Jason Maxiell*

Rotation: SF Tobias Harris, C Kyle O’Quinn, SG Victor Oladipo (1)

Bench: PF Glen Davis (+), PG E’Twaun Moore, PF Andrew Nicholson, PG Ronnie Price*, C Solomon Jones*

Head Coach: Jacque Vaughn

General Manager: Rob Hennigan

Even though the Magic only have three new players, there are a lot of moving parts at every position except for C, where Vucevic is entrenched after averaging a double-double last season. Oladipo was the second overall pick and is being cross-trained at both guard positions, which leaves veterans Nelson and Afflalo on relatively shaky ground. The Magic set an NBA record for fewest free throw attempts in a season, but it’s unclear whether or not Oladipo is going to make a huge difference there (only 3.6 free throw attempts a game) or as a playmaker (Oladipo averaged only 2.1 assists last year to go with 2.3 turnovers). But he replaces Beno Udrih on the roster and is an obvious talent upgrade in the backcourt. Harkless could remain the starter at SF, but if the Magic decide that Harris is a SF, then he could challenge to start there. Harris finished the season as Orlando’s starting PF in place of the injured Davis (foot) and played more than anyone else on the team, averaging 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 36.1 minutes. Maxiell started for the Pistons the last two seasons and could be a placeholder at the PF spot, but Harris is going to play a lot. Harkless and Harris could continue starting together, but the Magic could use another SF if they go that route. The Magic have no plans to use SF Hedo Turkoglu.  Moore and Price will battle for scraps in the backcourt, while Nicholson has an opportunity for playing time depending on how the Magic use Maxiell, Davis, and Harris. The Magic are another year away from a full Dwightmare recovery. They started 12-13 last season, but they have a lot of cleaning up to do.

NBA 2013 Summer Moves: Western Conference

-1SKILLZ