This article looks at the new NBA landscape for the 2014-2015 season for the Eastern Conference. With the draft, first wave of free agency, and a certain interconference blockbuster trade 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.

Like last year, 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 veteran acquisitions 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:

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Oklahoma City Thunder (2013-2014: 59-23, 1st in Northwest, 2nd in Western, Conference Finals Loss to San Antonio)

Starters: PG Russell Westbrook, PF Serge Ibaka, C Steven Adams, SG André Roberson, SF Perry Jones

Rotation: PG Reggie Jackson, C Kendrick Perkins, SG Jeremy Lamb

Bench: SF Kevin Durant (+), SG Anthony Morrow (+), PF Nick Collison, C Mitch McGary (1) (+), PG Sebastian Telfair*

Head Coach: Scott Brooks

General Manager: Sam Presti

The biggest shakeup for Oklahoma City was the departure of longtime starter Thabo Sefolosha, who had his minutes severely cut in the playoffs. Though Jackson will most likely play more minutes, free agent acquisition Morrow could be the starter. Morrow bounced back from a bizarre 2012-2013 season (only 383 total minutes in Atlanta and Dallas) and shot the ball well for New Orleans last season (88 made threes, 45 percent). Morrow isn’t anywhere close to the defender that Sefolosha is, and he’s not the most versatile or athletic player. But he has six games of 30+ points; Sefolosha has zero. McGary and Josh Huestis were Oklahoma City’s late first-round picks; McGary replaces Hasheem Thabeet, while Huestis nominally replaces Caron Butler. There is a chance that Huestis will be the first domestic draft-and-stash D-League player, so there’s that. Telfair played in China last season; he’ll replace the retired Derek Fisher. This is becoming an annual statement, but it must be said again: you can’t keep getting credit for stockpiling young talent when those players don’t produce. Oklahoma City will have a new starting lineup for the first time since the 2011 trade for Perkins – don’t stop at just Sefolosha! Adams should be challenging for the starting job. McGary should be challenging Collison for minutes. Lamb has to justify his status as a lottery pick, and Roberson is needed as a wing defender. Brooks has leaned on veterans long enough; it’s time for the young players to show something. Durant’s free agency clock is ticking.

September Addendum: Huestis doesn’t have a contract and will start his career in the D-League. Roberson is the closest match to Sefolosha defensively, and will have a shot at the starting job.

October Addendum: Durant and McGary are both out with foot fractures. Durant’s injury will knock him out for at least six weeks, and he could miss more games with this injury than all the games he’s missed so far in his career combined (16). 

October Addendum, part II: Morrow sprained his MCL, and may be out until December. Adams has finally overtaken Perkins as Oklahoma City’s starting center.

Portland Trail Blazers (2013-2014: 54-28, 2nd in Northwest, 5th in Western, Semifinals Loss to San Antonio)

Starters: PF LaMarcus Aldridge, PG Damian Lillard, SF Nicolas Batum, C Robin Lopez, SG Wesley Matthews

Rotation: SG C.J. McCollum, PF Thomas Robinson, SF Dorell Wright

Bench: C Chris Kaman*, PG Steve Blake*, PF Joel Freeland, SG Will Barton, C Meyers Leonard

Head Coach: Terry Stotts

General Manager: Neil Olshey

Portland won as many games as the Miami Heat last season, and had their season ended by the same team as well. The Trail Blazers bring all of their starters back. The bench, while not the complete failure that it was in 2012-2013, was still unimpressive last season. McCollum, a top-ten pick in the 2013 Draft, must be ready to step up a level, or the Blazers are in trouble. Mo Williams was Portland’s sixth man last year, and he’s been replaced by Blake. McCollum should run circles around Blake in training camp and the preseason, and unlike last summer, McCollum is healthy. Kaman is on his fifth team in five years, and after being an All-Star in 2009-2010, he has failed to play 1400 minutes in a season. He can still score, rebound, and block shots though, and the only roster spot that was open was Earl Watson’s, so it’s not a bad addition considering the fact that Freeland and Leonard were the backup bigs last season. Continuity should pay dividends for Portland, but they’re not sneaking up on anyone this year. Lillard is already an All-Star and McCollum is talented. Those two need to show they can be better defensively (and McCollum needs to show he can handle a regular role) for Portland to have any shot at improvement.

Minnesota Timberwolves (2013-2014: 40-42, 3rd in Northwest, 10th in Western)

Starters: SF Andrew Wiggins (1), PF Thaddeus Young*, PG Ricky Rubio, C Nikola Pekovic, SG Kevin Martin

Rotation: SF Corey Brewer, PF Anthony Bennett*, PG Mo Williams*

Bench: C Gorgui Dieng, SG Zach LaVine (1), C Ronny Turiaf, SF Chase Budinger, SG Shabazz Muhammad

Head Coach: Flip Saunders*

General Manager: Milt Newton

Kevin Love was a goner two years ago. It was just a matter of who, how, and when. Owner Glen Taylor allowed disrespectful former general manager David Kahn to shipwreck the 2009 Draft, hire Kurt Rambis as head coach, and lowball Love during the lockout season. I’m nowhere close to a Kevin Love apologist, but I’m also not a moron like Taylor is – there’s a reason why the Timberwolves have the NBA’s longest postseason appearance drought, and it’s not because of Love. That said, the Timberwolves should have challenged for a playoff appearance, and they wheezed out a ridiculous amount of close games. They were not well-coached, the intangibles were off, and that was before the injuries exposed their horrendous depth. Here’s the twist: Minnesota made out very well in the Love trade! For one, President of Basketball Operations Saunders is back as head coach after getting fired midway through the 2004-2005 season; the Timberwolves were in the 2004 Conference Finals with MVP Kevin Garnett. I’d feel better about this if Saunders wasn’t completely inept as the Washington Wizards head coach (51-130, multiple discipline issues from 2009-2012), but I digress. Rick Adelman had a great coaching career, but Saunders should be better prepared to be emotionally invested in the team. Young is a good pickup, though his numbers should take a hit now that he’s not playing on the least talented team in the league. Young isn’t close to the player Love is: he doesn’t get to the line much, he’s undersized, he’s not a strong passer, and he isn’t a good shooter. However, Young does have a good mix of talent, work ethic, and attitude. Then there are the last two top picks. Wiggins is basically replacing Luc Mbah a Moute on the roster, and he is an elite athlete with the ability to defend at least as well as Brewer. While the Timberwolves will need Wiggins to be assertive, he will be surrounded by a top passer in Rubio, a good scorer and shooter in Martin (19 points per game, 115 threes at 39 percent), and a strong interior presence in Pekovic. Another talent upgrade, at least in theory, is Bennett replacing Dante Cunningham. Bennett had one of the worst rookie seasons by a top pick ever, so he has nowhere to go but up. He should be in better shape, and being with fellow Canadian Wiggins is another boost in the intangible category. But he only had one double-double last season, and he will need to show that he can shoot and give a consistent effort defensively. Minnesota’s original lottery pick, LaVine, is a better athlete than player right now. He also has a low bar to surpass though, as he takes the roster spot of Alexey Shved. Williams isn’t the All-Star caliber player he was five years ago, but he is an upgrade over Barea and takes the roster spot of A.J. Price. Minnesota lost the best offensive big man in the league, and they still have no one in their starting lineup who will protect the rim. But the bench has a lot more talent now, and for the first time in at least a decade, there appears to be a strong foundation here. Unfortunately, the ownership, management, and coaching don’t inspire confidence that the group of Wiggins, LaVine, and Bennett will find their way together.

September Addendum: Barea does not appear to be in the team’s plans this season. He’s a buyout candidate.

Denver Nuggets (2013-2014: 36-46, 4th in Northwest, 11th in Western)

Starters: PG Ty Lawson, PF Kenneth Faried, SG Arron Afflalo*, C Timofey Mozgov, SF Danilo Gallinari

Rotation: SG Randy Foye, C JaVale McGee, SF Wilson Chandler

Bench: PF J.J. Hickson, PG Nate Robinson, C Jusuf Nurkic (1), SG Gary Harris (1), SF Alonzo Gee*

Head Coach: Brian Shaw

General Manager: Tim Connelly

The Nuggets may have the most injured roster in the league. Gallinari should be healthy after tearing his ACL in the spring of 2013, while McGee should be over his stress fracture from autumn of 2013. But Hickson and Robinson are up against the clock to be ready for training camp after both tore ACLs. The Nuggets traded Evan Fournier to acquire Afflalo, and Afflalo should challenge Foye for a starting job. Afflalo is coming off a career year while shooting the ball better than Foye, Afflalo should be considered the frontrunner. Hickson was the starter for most of last season at center, but he should play a more normal role at power forward with McGee returning to health, Nurkic’s addition, and Mozgov’s continued presence. Nurkic and Harris were acquired for the price of their lottery pick. Nurkic is a big-bodied player who takes Jan Vesely’s roster spot; not exactly a high bar to surpass. Harris is a shooting guard who will replace the departed Aaron Brooks. He isn’t a point guard, but he may be in line for some ballhandling duties if Robinson isn’t ready to start the season. Chandler was the starting small forward last season, but he’ll have to hold off Gallinari. Denver didn’t add a whole lot to the roster, but they’re getting nearly half their rotation back from some kind of major injury. They should be better as a result, but they still don’t look like they have enough difference-makers to significantly improve upon last year’s record, especially defensively.

October Addendum: It sounds like Mozgov will get the first crack at the starting center job while McGee makes his way back from last season’s leg injury.

October Addendum: 2012 2nd-round pick Quincy Miller was released, and Alonzo Gee appears to have made the roster to start the season.

October Addendum, part II: All of the injured Nuggets played in the preseason (Gallinari, Robinson, Hickson, McGee).

Utah Jazz (2013-2014: 25-57, 5th in Northwest, 15th in Western)

Starters: SF Gordon Hayward, PF Derrick Favors, SG Alec Burks, PG Trey Burke, C Enes Kanter

Rotation: PG Dante Exum (1), PF Trevor Booker, SF Rodney Hood (1)

Bench: C Rudy Gobert, SG Ian Clark, PF Jeremy Evans, SG Touré Murry*, SF Steve Novak*

Head Coach: Quin Snyder*

General Manager: Dennis Lindsey

Utah really wanted Hayward back, matching Charlotte’s offer sheet to retain him on a four-year, $63 million deal. Hayward’s return and the selection of Exum fifth overall replaces Richard Jefferson, last year’s starting small forward. Exum may start at shooting guard as a complement to Burke, but Burke had major issues on both ends of the floor as a rookie, and Exum thinks he’s a point guard. This will be a situation to monitor, as there is also a chance that Burks starts at shooting guard, as well as late-first round pick Hood getting a chance to start in order to keep Hayward at shooting guard. Exum could even stay at point guard and instead of complementing Burke, he could take Burke’s starting spot. Exum is an athletic blur with the ball in his hands and he has plus size at 6’6″, but he’s probably not ready to run an offense right now, and he’s not a good shooter at this point either. Burke can take care of the ball and shoot; his (glaring) weaknesses are his struggles scoring (895 points on 897 FGAs as a rookie) and defending (only 42 steals to go along with his lack of size). Last year’s combo guard was Diante Garrett, so Exum represents a clear talent upgrade there, while Hood has upside that 34-year-old Jefferson doesn’t have anymore. Snyder replaces Tyrone Corbin as head coach after spending a year as an assistant in Atlanta. In addition to the aforementioned questions in his starting lineup, it will be interesting to see if Snyder gives Kanter another chance to start alongside Favors next season. Booker takes Marvin Williams’ roster spot; Booker can’t shoot like Williams, so there’s an opening for Kanter, the third pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The Jazz went a whopping 3-34 when Kanter started last season, 22-23 when he didn’t. Kanter can rebound and score, but he’s a total liability defensively. Novak takes Brandon Rush’s roster spot, but all he can do is shoot threes (52 made threes at 43 percent in Toronto last season, only 8-of-24 inside the arc), which is why he struggles for playing time. Murry isn’t a good offensive player, but neither was John Lucas III last season. At least Murry brings even more size to the backcourt. Having a new coach in place and a surplus of young talent at every position should allow the Jazz to improve some. But with youth comes inconsistency, and Snyder has a lot of work to do to improve what was the worst defensive team in the Western Conference.

October Addendum: Snyder looks to be giving Kanter a chance to be a starter again, and Kanter is trying to expand his game by being the dreaded stretch big. We’ll see how this works out – Kanter needs to be better defensively with Favors on the floor.

October Addendum, part II: Clark was one of nine players to play at least 20 minutes per game in the preseason.

PACIFIC DIVISION

Los Angeles Clippers (2013-2014: 57-25, 1st in Pacific, 3rd in Western, Semifinals Loss to Oklahoma City)

Starters: PG Chris Paul, PF Blake Griffin, C DeAndre Jordan, SG J.J. Redick, SF Matt Barnes

Rotation: SG Jamal Crawford, C Spencer Hawes*, PG Jordan Farmar*

Bench: PF Glen Davis, SF Chris Douglas-Roberts*, C Ekpe Udoh*, SF Reggie Bullock, SG C.J. Wilcox (1)

Head Coach: Doc Rivers

General Manager: Dave Wohl*

The most important move involving the Clippers this offseason was the official transference of the ownership from Donald Sterling to Steve Ballmer. The reparations of the Clippers is just about complete: Drafted Griffin in 2009, traded for Paul in 2011, hired Rivers in 2013, and now they get a new owner in 2014 just as the other pro basketball team in Los Angeles is coming off of their worst season ever in California. On top of that, Rivers went from threatening to leave if Sterling stayed to becoming the President of Basketball Operations and the highest paid head coach in the league. The Clippers will bring back the same starting lineup, and 2014 Sixth Man of the Year Crawford returns as well (though the cliff approaches for Crawford as he enters his 15th NBA season). Hawes represents the most significant addition to the roster, and the Clippers gave a lot of money up (four years, $23 million) for a player who plays on a team that plays its starting big men 35 minutes per game each. Hawes is a souped-up Byron Mullens, a 7-footer who is more comfortable shooting threes and getting dunked on than scoring inside and giving a damn about consistently defending. However, unlike Mullens (who Rivers foolishly signed last year), Hawes can actually make threes, grab some rebounds, pass the ball, block a shot, and look like a functional basketball player. That last part is key, because the Clippers had some of the most garbage play from their reserve big men, and they would have been in a world of hurt had Griffin or Jordan went down for an extended period of time. Davis and Hedo Turkoglu were the backup bigs by the end of last season, and the only time Davis played more than 20 minutes after getting released by Orlando was the meaningless season finale and the First Round Game 1 loss to Golden State (due to Griffin’s foul trouble). Hawes, like Josh McRoberts, had an out-of-body experience shooting threes last season (113 makes at 32 percent first six seasons, 128 made threes at 42 percent last season). Farmar replaces Darren Collison, which will be a downgrade. Farmar is a decent backup point guard in that he can make plays and shoot threes, but he’s injury prone (missed half of last season with Lakers) and would not be able to fill in as a starter like Collison did last year for 35 games (Farmar has 30 career starts). The Clippers basically gave up a future first-round pick just to get rid of Jared Dudley, who lost his starting job during the season to Barnes. The Clippers drafted Wilcox despite the fact that shooting guard was probably the last position that needed a body; he replaces Willie Green. Los Angeles only has eleven players under contract, but they don’t have a lot of money to spend either. A trade still isn’t out of the question; the Clippers still need another athletic big man and another wing who defend.

September Addendum: Douglas-Roberts and Udoh have been added to the roster. Douglas-Roberts replaces Dudley, while Udoh replaces Ryan Hollins. Douglas-Roberts showed a new ability to hit threes last season (51 made threes at 39 percent in Charlotte last season, 32 made threes at 28 percent from 2008-2013), but that’s about it. Udoh can block shots (317 in 4436 career minutes) better than Hollins (231 in 5233 career minutes), but Udoh is a terrible offensive player (43 percent field goals) who missed nearly half the 2013-2014 season.

Golden State Warriors (2013-2014: 51-31, 2nd in Pacific, 6th in Western, First Round Loss to Los Angeles Clippers)

Starters: PG Stephen Curry, SG Klay Thompson, PF David Lee, SF Andre Iguodala, C Andrew Bogut

Rotation: SF Harrison Barnes, PF Draymond Green, PG Leandro Barbosa*

Bench: SG Shaun Livingston (+), C Marreese Speights, C Festus Ezeli, SG Brandon Rush*, PG Nemanja Nedovic

Head Coach: Steve Kerr*

General Manager: Bob Myers

The Warriors are close to jumping the shark. Fired coach Mark Jackson oversaw a team that went from one playoff appearance in the 17 seasons that preceded him to back-to-back playoff appearances and more than 50 wins for the first time over 20 years. The annually terrible defense improved to 4th in the league! But relationships mean everything, and in Golden State, bad relationships with management and a slightly above average offense were fireable offenses for Jackson. To hell with relationships with players! Kerr comes in with championship rings as a player, management experience in Phoenix, and broadcasting experience with CBS/Turner. So of course he comes in and starts talking about stretch fours and how Iguodala may have to come off the bench. But I digress. The Warriors only made one significant personnel move, and that was replacing their reserve backcourt of Steve Blake and Jordan Crawford with the signing of Livingston. Livingston was a major catalyst in Brooklyn’s turnaround last season with his defense and efficient play offensively. He doesn’t shoot threes and he’s not flashy, but the Warriors have enough players to do that stuff. Players like Thompson, who the Warriors twisted and turned over when the Kevin Love Sweepstakes were popping off. The Warriors held on to Splash Brother No.2, and one of two things will happen: a) he’ll take his father’s advice and get to the line Harden style, which may push his scoring average well over 20 points per game and get him paid more than Gordon Hayward and Chandler Parsons (and, well, Splash Brother No.1), or b) he’ll remain a mildly above average shooting guard who may walk in free agency next year. Either way, the intangibles with this team will be something to watch. Ezeli missed all of last season with an injury, but he could slide into Jermaine O’Neal’s minutes. Barbosa and Rush both tore their ACLs during the 2012-2013 season and did not impress in very limited playing time last season; they replace Blake and Hilton Armstrong on the roster. The players aren’t too different than last season, so there is 50-win talent. Kerr was paid a lot of money to give this team more structure offensively, so he’ll be on the hot seat to make it work right away without compromising Golden State’s elite defense.

September Addendum: Livingston (toe surgery) may not be ready to start the season on time.

Phoenix Suns (2013-2014: 48-34, 3rd in Pacific, 9th in Western)

Starters: PG Goran Dragic, SG Eric Bledsoe, PF Markieff Morris, SF P.J. Tucker, C Miles Plumlee

Rotation: PG Isaiah Thomas*, PF Marcus Morris, SG Gerald Green

Bench: C Alex Len, SF T.J. Warren (1) (+), PF Anthony Tolliver*, PG Tyler Ennis (1), SG Archie Goodwin

Head Coach: Jeff Hornacek

General Manager: Ryan McDonough

First of all, the Suns did not deserve to make the playoffs last season. Their three-game losing streak in the last week of the season was to San Antonio (the eventual champs) and Dallas and Memphis (the teams that earned the last two seeds in the conference). To be the best you have to beat the best, and they failed. On another note, Eric Bledsoe does not deserve a max deal at this time. Yes, he was incredibly dynamic when he played last season, eating heavy meals next to 2014 Most Improved Player Dragic. However, Bledsoe missed nearly half the season due to knee surgery, and he still has yet to play 2000 minutes in a season. Feelings are getting hurt over this, but for every Suns highlight of Bledsoe from last season, there should be a shot of Bledsoe in a suit. If you’re paying Bledsoe for a season of production, get the whole picture! The Suns brought in Thomas from division “rival” Sacramento, and he’s a major upgrade on Leandro Barbosa. Anytime you can bring a player who averages an efficient 20+ points per game, you should do it. Warren was the team’s lottery pick, and he takes Channing Frye’s spot on the roster, while Markieff Morris should move into a starting role. Hopefully the Morris twins still get plenty of time on the court together. Frye wasn’t a remarkable starter, but he made his threes (160 made at 37 percent). Marcus Morris is the better shooter, while Markieff Morris is better around the basket. Warren also doesn’t shoot the three as much as everyone will want him to, but he knows how to put the ball in the hole inside the arc. Tolliver replaces Emeka Okafor on the roster; Okafor missed the entire season after being traded with Washington’s first-round pick for Marcin Gortat. Tolliver can hit the three like Frye (102 made at 41 percent in Charlotte last season), but he does nothing else well. Ennis was drafted with Washington’s first-round pick and he replaces Ish Smith as a backup point guard. Phoenix needs to figure out the situation with Bledsoe, and a trade shouldn’t be ruled out. They’ll be entertaining to watch no matter what, but for next season at least, they need Bledsoe to put in a full season to take the next step.

September Addendum: Bledsoe wanted $80 million over five years. Phoenix offered $48 million over four years. The two sides settled for $70 million over five years. So basically, Phoenix gets what they want over four years, then Bledsoe gets his fifth year for $22 million. Even if Bledsoe gets hurt again, now Phoenix boasts impressive backcourt depth. Compared to where Phoenix was in 2012-2013, this roster is vastly improved – but they still need to catch a 2014 playoff team slipping.

October Addendum: Warren fractured his thumb and is out indefinitely.

Sacramento Kings (2013-2014: 28-54, 4th in Pacific, 13th in Western)

Starters: C DeMarcus Cousins, SF Rudy Gay, PG Darren Collison*, PF Jason Thompson, SG Ben McLemore

Rotation: PG Ramon Sessions*, C Reggie Evans, SG Nik Stauskas (1)

Bench: PF Carl Landry, SF Derrick Williams, C Ryan Hollins*, PG Ray McCallum, PF Omri Casspi*

Head Coach: Mike Malone 

General Manager: Pete D’Alessandro

The Kings had been disrespecting Isaiah Thomas for the last three years, despite the fact that he outplayed 2011  lottery pick Jimmer Fredette, 2012 free agent Aaron Brooks, and 2013 trade acquisition Greivis Vasquez in that time. If the Kings were concerned about Thomas’ defense and ball movement, then sure, whatever. But to let a 20-point-per-game player walk to sign Collison is borderline asinine. Collison is a fine backup, and he filled in well for the Clippers when their starting backcourt missed so many games that Collison had to start 35 games. But he’s a liability defensively, he doesn’t have Thomas’ ability to get to the free throw line (capping his scoring at no more than 13 points per game over the course of his career), and his unwillingness to move the ball has cost him his starting job in previous stops with Indiana and Dallas. The Kings also decided to use the eighth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft on Stauskas, who plays the same position as McLemore, their lottery pick from last year. McLemore did nothing well as a rookie, but he really struggled shooting the ball (38 percent from the field, 32 percent from three). Stauskas may be a better fit in a starting lineup with Cousins, the re-signed Gay, and Collison, so that will be an interesting training camp competition. Stauskas takes seldom-used Jared Cunningham’s roster spot. The Kings traded Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw to New York for Jeremy Tyler and Wayne Ellington. Tyler could have a shot at some minutes as he’s bigger, younger, and more athletic than Evans and Landry. Ellington can shoot with range but he rarely got off Dallas’ bench, and he has two recent top-ten picks ahead of him. Terry didn’t play a single game with the Kings after getting traded from Brooklyn, but he’s still on the roster for now. Sacramento has stability off the court, but they have made a lot of questionable roster moves. Their guards are passing and defensive question marks, mistake-prone Thompson is still their starting power forward, and they lack any semblance of quality size behind Cousins.

September Addendum: Tyler, Ellington and Terry are no longer on the roster. Eric Moreland is a shot-blocker who earned a contract with his summer play. Sim Bhullar is 7’5″, but barely played in summer league.

September Addendum, part II: Sacramento was able to sign Sessions, who should slot in over McCallum as Collison’s backup. Sessions actually does a better job at getting to the free throw line than Collison, averaging 4.9 free throw attempts per game last season despite starting less than a quarter of the season. He’s a strong passer, but is a mediocre shooter who doesn’t offer much as a defender. The Kings signed big men Hollins and Casspi, and though both are limited players, they both have more experience than Sacramento’s camp invites.

Los Angeles Lakers (2013-2014: 27-55, 5th in Pacific, 14th in Western)

Starters: SG Kobe Bryant, PF Carlos Boozer*, PG Jeremy Lin, C Jordan Hill, SF Wesley Johnson

Rotation: SF Xavier Henry, PF Julius Randle (1), PG Ronnie Price*

Bench: SG Nick Young (+), C Ed Davis*, PF Ryan Kelly, PG Jordan Clarkson (1), C Robert Sacre

Head Coach: Byron Scott*

General Manager: Mitch Kupchak

The Lakers went straight to hell last season. They started 10-9 before Bryant returned from his torn Achilles, went 2-4 with Bryant, then won their first game after he broke his knee. They finished 14-42, and Mike D’Antoni quit after getting a vote of confidence. Scott wasn’t hired until the end of July, in which the Lakers struck out on adding marquee free agents for the second straight offseason. Well, besides Bryant of course, who is armed with a two-year, $48.5 million contract. Bryant’s durability is a major question mark, but he had essentially the entire year off to rebrand his game. Last year’s starter at shooting guard, Jodie Meeks, left in free agency. Nash is also back, though his prospects for health are much bleaker than Bryant’s after playing in only 15 games. He’ll replace Jordan Farmar. Meeks and Farmar were the 40-percenters from three-point range as the team set a record for most threes made and attempted last season. Expect their efficiency from deep to drop off. Nash isn’t expected to start next season, as the Lakers acquired Lin and cut Kendall Marshall, last year’s surprise starter. Lin is capable of putting up digits and he has improved his shooting over the years. But he’s going to be an interesting fit next to Bryant, and his bad defense was a factor in Patrick Beverley taking his starting job in Houston. Marshall is unathletic, defenseless, and a below-basic scorer, but he had 25 games of at least ten assists with the Lakers last season; Lin has only 19 such games in his four-year career, including three last season. Boozer and Gasol were basically traded for each other, as the Lakers got Boozer on a waiver claim after Chicago used the amnesty clause on him. The Lakers had their worst rebounding season since the merger, and adding Boozer and lottery pick Randle should help. Adding those players will not help the Lakers inside defensively, especially with Hill returning to start at center. Gasol’s health and durability fell off a cliff over the last two seasons, but he was still a skilled 7’1″ player who could move the ball, hit the mid-range jumper, and block shots. Neither Boozer nor Randle defend or pass the ball much. Randle takes Kent Bazemore’s roster spot. The Lakers also added Davis to replace Chris Kaman, whose most notable moment last season was probably napping on the team’s empty bench. Like Hill, Davis is a little undersized to play center. He’s an athletic 6’10” and can block shots and finish, but it’s alarming that he couldn’t get more minutes in Memphis last season when Marc Gasol went down. Clarkson is a 6’5″ second-round rookie who takes MarShon Brooks’ roster spot. Scott’s tenure in Cleveland suggests that he’s not going to be successful in improving the Lakers’ 28th-ranked defense, especially with marginal rim protection and weak and/or uninterested defenders in the backcourt. They’ll be better than last season, but they could use another wing who can defend. Five years after being champions, the Lakers have started to become the Dallas Cowboys of the NBA.

September Addendum: Henry is still getting over knee surgery, and is questionable for training camp.

October Addendum: While Henry appears to be nearing a return to the court, Young tore a thumb ligament and will miss most, if not all, of November.

October Addendum, part II: Steve Nash’s nerve issues will not allow him to play this season. The two-time MVP is unlikely to play again.

SOUTHWEST DIVISION

San Antonio Spurs (2013-2014: 62-20, 1st in Southwest, 1st in Western, NBA Champions)

Starters: PG Tony Parker, PF Tim Duncan, SF Kawhi Leonard, C Tiago Splitter, SG Danny Green

Rotation: SF Manu Ginóbili, PF Boris Diaw, SG Marco Belinelli

Bench: C Jeff Ayres, PG Patty Mills (+), PF Matt Bonner, PG Cory Joseph, SF Kyle Anderson (1)

Head Coach: Gregg Popovich

General Manager: R. C. Buford

The Spurs are champs, and their roster is almost completely the same. They re-signed Diaw, Mills, and Bonner, and drafted Anderson 30th overall. Anderson replaces Damion James and can start taking his Diaw notes up close. Mills had shoulder surgery and won’t be ready to play until winter. 2014 Coach of the Year Popovich signed a contract extension as well. It would be incredible if the Spurs could win another 50+ games the way they did last season: having the best defense in the league west of Indiana and Chicago while only two players (Duncan and Belinelli) played more than 2000 regular season minutes. They will need Finals MVP Leonard to pick up from where he left off offensively, as the Spurs are going to need him to score more with Parker, Duncan, and Ginóbili on the wrong side of 30.

Houston Rockets (2013-2014: 54-28, 2nd in Southwest, 4th in Western, First Round Loss to Portland)

Starters: SG James Harden, C Dwight Howard, SF Trevor Ariza*, PF Terrence Jones, PG Patrick Beverley

Rotation: PG Jason Terry*, C Donatas Motiejunas, SF Francisco Garcia

Bench: PF Tarik Black (1), SG Troy Daniels, PF Clint Capela (1), PG Isaiah Canaan, SG Nick Johnson (1)

Head Coach: Kevin McHale

General Manager: Daryl Morey

The Rockets went from bidding on major free agents like Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh to getting their management and locker room ripped for how they lost Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin. Ariza returns to Houston to replace Parsons five years after he came to Houston to replace the artist formerly known as Ron Artest. Ariza shot only 39 percent in his lone season in Houston, and he’s never approached the 16.6 points per game Parsons added as the third wheel to Harden and Howard. But Ariza shot the ball from three better than Parsons last season, and is a superior defender, which will certainly help Houston. The Rockets will miss Parsons’ versatility, but the starting lineup is still playoff-caliber. The bench is not, which will matter if Howard’s back flares up, Harden doesn’t get up after one of his foul-inducing slashes to the basket, or Ariza goes down for the third time in four seasons. Houston needs a new handcuff for Beverley, as Lin wound up starting 33 games, many of them in place of an injured Beverley. 2013 second-round pick Canaan is still on the roster, and 2014 second-round pick Johnson has a contract, so the opportunity is there. Daniels earned a spot in the rotation during the playoffs, and his shooting should earn him minutes again. Garcia is also back, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy enough to play 60 games in five years. The loss of Omer Asik hurts because Houston doesn’t have a quality backup center anymore. But Asik missed 34 games last season, so it’s not like they had him available or fully invested all season anyway. Houston used a first-round pick on raw Swiss big man Capela, and he’ll be with the team instead of stashed overseas (which is probably what Houston wanted to do before their free agency plans fell through). Adrien averaged 11 points and eight rebounds per game in Milwaukee after a midseason trade from Charlotte; he takes Omri Casspi’s roster spot. Alonzo Gee showed in Cleveland that he isn’t a quality rotation player, but he’ll have a shot at playing time with only Daniels and Garcia ahead of him; he takes Jordan Hamilton’s roster spot. Houston’s disappointing summer has to be taken into perspective. They struck out on adding a third star, and may have lost that player in Parsons. But like Harden said, he and Howard are the cornerstones. They need their young players and veteran additions to show they are capable of producing. Morey is going to keep business open regardless.

September Addendum: Gee will not be on the roster.

September Addendum, part II: Longtime former Maverick Terry was acquired in a trade with Sacramento, and the former Sixth Man of the Year may get the first chance to replace Lin. But Terry is 37 now, and he looked done last year in Brooklyn before sitting out the rest of the season post-trade, never suiting up for the Kings. Unless he had the best rehab ever, all Terry offers at this point of his career is the ability to hit the three – he can’t defend and, unlike Lin, can’t drive anymore.

October Addendum: Black, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas, beat out Adrien for a roster spot.

Memphis Grizzlies (2013-2014: 50-32, 3rd in Southwest, 7th in Western, First Round Loss to Oklahoma City)

Starters: PF Zach Randolph, PG Mike Conley, C Marc Gasol, SG Courtney Lee, SF Tayshaun Prince

Rotation: SG Tony Allen, C Kosta Koufos, SF Vince Carter*

Bench: PF Jarnell Stokes (1), PG Beno Udrih, PF Jon Leuer, SG Jordan Adams (1), SF Quincy Pondexter

Head Coach: Dave Joerger

General Manager: Chris Wallace

A year after letting former coach Lionel Hollins go due to philosophical differences despite the best season in franchise history, Memphis was headed in that direction again with Joerger, who nearly went to Minnesota. Instead, owner Robert Pera fired some people, talked to his head coach for the first time after the season, and retained Joerger to avert a crisis. Memphis re-signed Randolph and will return their starting lineup from the end of last season, though that means Prince hasn’t been replaced yet. His minutes should continue to trend downward, especially with Pondexter healthy and the addition of Carter in free agency. Carter will be 38 in January, but he averaged double figures scoring for the 16th-straight season for Dallas and made 146 threes at 39 percent. He’s an upgrade on Mike Miller, but he’s not a good defender and he shot a career-low 41 percent from the field. Memphis used their first-round pick on Adams, a big-bodied guard who got to the line well at UCLA and racked up steals. The ability to get to the line is key, as Memphis made the fewest free throws in the league last season. Adams takes James Johnson’s spot on the roster, but he has some depth chart climbing to do with Lee and Allen ahead of him. Stokes, a second-round pick with a body at least as big as Randolph’s, has an easier road to playing time as Ed Davis left in free agency. Memphis was 40-19 when Gasol started last season, and they have solid depth with Joerger entering his second season as head coach. They’re going to be a real problem if the small forward position doesn’t hold them back even more than it did last season.

Dallas Mavericks (2013-2014: 49-33, 4th in Southwest, 8th in Western, First Round Loss to San Antonio)

Starters: PF Dirk Nowitzki, SG Monta Ellis, SF Chandler Parsons*, C Tyson Chandler*, PG Jameer Nelson*

Rotation: SG Devin Harris, PF Brandan Wright, PG Raymond Felton*

Bench: C Greg Smith*, SF Richard Jefferson*, PF Al-Farouq Aminu*, SF Jae Crowder, SG Ricky Ledo

Head Coach: Rick Carlisle

General Manager: Donnie Nelson

The Mavericks forced game 7 against the eventual NBA champions, and then they went H.A.M. on their starting lineup for the fourth time since winning the 2011 championship. This time, they came full circle by bringing back Chandler, giving up starting center Samuel Dalembert and point guard José Calderón while punting on their second-round picks (they had already traded away their first-round pick). They also traded little-used reserve Wayne Ellington and 2013 first-round pick Shane Larkin, and had to take back Felton, arguably the worst starting point guard in the league. Much like his 2009-2010 season in Charlotte, Chandler comes to Dallas after a disappointing and injury-marred season, failing to average double-figures in 55 games with the Knicks. Chandler is still a better finisher, rebounder, and defender than Dalembert. Chandler also enters a contract year – just like 2010-2011. Felton, 30, will be competing with Harris and Nelson for the starting job. Either way you slice it, Felton should average less than 30 minutes per game for the first time in his career, and his conditioning issues won’t be tolerated by Carlisle like they may have been over the last few seasons. Nelson takes Larkin’s roster spot, and he is a better shooter than Felton. Both Felton and Nelson are terrible defenders, while Harris has struggled to stay healthy the last two seasons. Parsons comes over from Houston to replace Shawn Marion, and owner Mark Cuban has used Parsons’ acquisition to throw shade at their in-state rivals all summer. Parsons will help make up for Dallas’ weak point guard situation, as he is capable of handling the ball and making plays. Dallas will miss Marion’s championship-level defense, as Chandler is the only above-average starter on the team at the moment. Smith only played 100 minutes last season, and is only an adequate replacement for DeJuan Blair if he can stay healthy. Jefferson replaces Vince Carter, as Dallas continues their quest to acquire all of the 2000s New Jersey Nets. Jefferson inexplicably started 78 games for the Western-worst Utah Jazz, though he could very well carve out a decent role as a shooter off the bench (123 made threes at 43 percent last season). Aminu is the opposite of Jefferson: a young, athletic player who can rebound and defend, but can’t shoot to save his chances at being an NBA starter. Aminu was a starter at small forward for New Orleans, and he was signed after the Mavericks voided Rashard Lewis’ contract. Aminu’s defense should help replace what Marion was able to do, though the 2010 lottery pick is lost offensively. Dallas’ offensive firepower is going to be scary, but their personnel may drive Carlisle crazy as far as defense is concerned.

October Addendum: Nelson is going to start the season at point guard, and Felton will start the season suspended.

New Orleans Pelicans (2013-2014: 34-48, 5th in Southwest, 12th in Western)

Starters: PF Anthony Davis, PG Jrue Holiday, SG Eric Gordon, C Ömer Asik*, SF Tyreke Evans

Rotation: SF John Salmons*, PF Ryan Anderson, PG Austin Rivers

Bench: C Alexis Ajinça, SG Jimmer Fredette*, PF Luke Babbitt, SF Darius Miller, C Jeff Withey

Head Coach: Monty Williams

General Manager: Dell Demps

Forget the injuries – New Orleans dealt with questionable roster fits and a complete donut hole at center last season, which contributed heavily to their bottom-five defense. New Orleans gave up a future first-round pick to fix the issue at center, as Asik is an upgrade on Jason Smith. Asik is a legit 7-footer, which allows Davis to continue his ascent to the top of the (meaningless) power forward power rankings, and Asik averaged a double-double as a starter two seasons ago. Anderson’s return to health will be key, as he was lights out when he did play last season (19.8 points per game, a Kevin Love-like three threes per game and three offensive rebounds per game). New Orleans is incredibly thin on the wings, as Salmons replaces Al-Farouq Aminu, last year’s starter at small forward. Salmons has three-point range, but he only shot 36 percent from the field last season and was one of the worst starting small forwards in the league two years ago in Sacramento. Evans and Gordon are both shooting guards, but unless someone like Miller (a terrible rebounder) emerges as a starter, Evans will not come off the bench like he did last season. Smith, a second-round pick, replaces Brian Roberts. Gordon believes that the only thing in between the Pelicans and the postseason is health. Gordon has missed at least 18 games every season except his rookie year, while Davis’ durability is the last thing in his way to fulfilling his Next Big Ticket destiny. But that belittles the bigger issue here with New Orleans. Anderson is the only decent backup on this team until further notice, and this team looks built to struggle defensively on the wings. There is enough offensive firepower, but this isn’t a well-balanced or deep team. Williams and Demps have their work cut out for them, and another season out of the playoffs may cost one or both of them their jobs.

October Addendum: Fredette appears to have locked up a roster spot, while Russ Smith has played sparingly this preseason.

NBA 2014 Summer Moves: Eastern Conference

-1SKILLZ