I must admit that this NBA offseason has been one of the most intriguing in a long time. Along with some great acquisitions by many teams, some GMs have made some head scratching decisions that could really put their franchises in danger. When I say danger, I mean by alienating their fan base, being dropped by sponsors, and just basically being in position to not be in the post season for years to come.
Courtesy: CSN Washington
My first on a short list of mistakes is the Atlanta Hawks giving Kyle Korver $24 million. Here you have a guy who is basically a three point specialist and doesn’t count as a game changer in any way, shape, or form; as seen in the past, when Korver isn’t hitting his shot, he doesn’t have any other skills that contribute to a win. He isn’t a good passer (1.6 assists for his career), he isn’t a good rebounder (2.9 for his career) and his defense has been as visible as Jimmy Hoffa being spotted at a New York Giants game last season!
Danny Ferry didn’t stop the madness there. He signed Elton Brand, for what? He then matched Jeff Teague’s $32 million deal from the Bucks. Not that Teague didn’t earn that contract, but if he doesn’t have the weapons surrounding him, who is going to help him win games? Al Horford isn’t a franchise Center and his showing in the last Olympics (11.4 ppg), with a weak Dominican Republic team, further cements my stance. He is a capable player, but with the East becoming increasingly strong over the past couple seasons, his game is going to have to make significant strides in order for the Hawks to advance past the first round of the playoffs.
Courtesy: Fox Sports Arizona
I want to step away from the Hawks for a minute and shed some light on the Phoenix Suns. Great acquisitions with the addition of Caron Butler and Eric Bledsoe, but did they really think that those were the only areas they needed to improve in? Now they have 7 guards on their roster and not ONE impact player to help navigate them through the tough Western Conference. Why trade for Bledsoe a year after giving Goran Dragic $34 million and watch him average 14 points and 7.5 assists per game? After Chris Paul and the Clippers front office acknowledged that Bledsoe is a starting Point Guard, why would you think that he would be willing to back up Dragic on a non-playoff team, after being a backup on a perennial playoff team the past couple of seasons? Mind boggling to say the least. Part 2 of this article will highlight more questionable signings and trades by players and franchises as well. Stay tuned.
