1983 Offseason Recap

[offtheheezy]

DASL 1983 Offseason Recap

Might be missing a few players from FA Days 4/5, but some interesting additions and some up and coming teams trying to make some noise this year!

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics
Key Additions: Thurl Bailey, Byron Scott
Key Subtractions: None
Celtics stock up on two talented rookies to pair with talented forward Orlando Woolridge as they continue their rebuild after trading Larry Bird in a blockbuster trade last season.

Miami Heat
Key Additions: Jeff Malone, Doc Rivers, Andrew Toney
Key Subtractions: Mychal Thompson, Dennis Johnson
Heat let their two aging stars go for huge contracts in the offseason to maintain cap flexibility, draft two promising young guards to take their role as the new faces of the franchise. They also pick up Andrew Toney from free agency as they begin their rebuild.

New Jersey Nets
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: Dan Issel
Nets stay pretty steady, lose aging center Dan Issel in free agency but move forward with a young core of Vladimir Tkachenko, Larry Nance, and Sidney Moncrief. With continuing progress from their young core, will they once again make some noise in the playoffs?

New York Knicks
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: None
Knicks retain their expiring contributors in Jamaal Wilkes and Eddie Johnson and primed to run it back after a successful run last season. A team stocked full of talent, seems like they are one point guard away from winning it all.

Orlando Magic
Key Additions: Roy Hinson, Chuck Sapp, Josh Lanier
Key Subtractions: Bob Lanier
Magic pick up a few potential young bigs in free agency in Sapp and Lanier, and Roy Hinson from the draft. They lose a few veterans to free agency, but maintain cap flexibility as they move forward with Sleepy Floyd at the helm.

Philadelphia 76ers
Key Additions: Mychal Thompson
Key Subtractions: Larry Drew
With potentially the best superstar in the league on the roster, Moses Malone finally gets some help teaming up with former Heat star Mychal Thompson to form what some consider to be the best backcourt in the league. Questions remain to be answered from the point guard position after losing Larry Drew in free agency.

Toronto Raptors
Key Additions: Kevin Grevey, Michael Britt
Key Subtractions: None
Toronto Raptors pick up a young talented prospect in Britt who won’t be ready to contribute for a while, but also make a splash by signing Kevin Grevey fresh off a championship with the Suns. Will the Raptors be able to make some noise in the Eastern playoffs after resigning veteran Mike Mitchell? They may need to find a new GM first.

Central Division

Atlanta Hawks
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: Darryl Dawkins
Coming off a middling 41-41 season, Hawks lose starter Darryl Dawkins in free agency. Moving forward with the dynamic wing pair of Bernard King and Otis Birdsong, can these players make enough of an off-season improvement to improve upon last season?

Charlotte Hornets
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: None
The team is pretty restricted by the hard cap but was able to retain all of their core players from a very successful last season. They lose backup Tom Lagarde who was merely a late season insurance addition for the team. After a disappointing showing last season, there is rumblings that the Hornets may move one of their key pieces to change the composition of the team.

Chicago Bulls
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: None
The Bulls made quite a late regular season run after picking up big men Dan Roundfield and Tree Rollins. One more year of development for budding star Isiah Thomas and the core intact, the Bulls seem poised for a big season.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Key Additions: Derek Harper
Key Subtractions: None
After picking up Derek Harper, Cavaliers hope to make some strides after a lottery season last year. Many are saying that Harper could be the best player in this draft behind the big Ralph Sampson, and Cavaliers move forward with a solid young core making to make steps in the right direction.

Detroit Pistons
Key Additions: Clyde Drexler, Kiki Vandwedghe, Phil Hubbard
Key Subtractions: Andrew Yoney
Pistons pick up Clyde Drexler who everyone is curious about after sliding down in the draft. They also make solid signings for Kiki Vandewedghe and Phil Hubbard, Magic Johnson might finally have some bigs to pass to! One more year of development for Fat Lever and this team might make some noise this year.

Indiana Pacers
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: None
Another team restricted by the hard cap, but has shown that they get it done in the playoffs showing up in a late Finals run as the 7th seed after picking up John Drew late in the season. Pacers also make a big move by retaining star pointguard Phil Ford, and will be trying to make it an almost unbelievable 4 straight Finals runs.

Milwaukee Bucks
Key Additions: Phil Smith
Key Subtractions: None
Bucks retain Bill Cartwright, which is enough of a successful offseason for them by itself. A talented team that made a strong playoff push last season, they’ll be looking to make a championship run with a core younger than most other contenders. They steal backup point guard Phil Smith from defending champions Suns and look forward to entering the season with a deeper backcourt.

Washington Bullets
Key Additions: Dale Ellis
Key Subtractions: None
Bullets win the lottery and pick up the 3rd overall pick Dale Ellis, who they will hope will develop quickly and pair well with a solid young core of Mike Gminski, Reggie King, Quintin Dailey. With Calvin Murphy reaching a ripe age of 35, Bullets will be looking to make some strides this season and potentially sneak into the playoffs.

Midwest Division

Dallas Mavericks
Key Additions: Sidney Green, Darryl Dawkins, Scott Wedman
Key Subtractions: None
Mavericks pick up some solid veterans Darryl Dawkins and Scott Wedman but likely they will be on the move to other teams that are trying to make a jump into the playoffs. Mavericks continue their rebuild from last season with a boatload of picks and new promising prospect Sidney Green.

Denver Nuggets
Key Additions: Jon Sundvold
Key Subtractions: Dave Corzine
Nuggets had a fairly successful season last year, and continue with their core of Kevin Porter, Adrian Dantley, and George Johnson. They lose their starting center in free agency and will likely pick up a few more pieces to contend with their core again.

Houston Rockets
Key Additions: Ennis Whatley
Key Subtractions: None
A lottery team last season, Rockets add a young point guard Ennis Whatley that seems already primed to compete for minutes with incumbent point guard Juan Antonio Corbalan. Rockets have a young frontcourt brimming with talent and will be looking to make a big step forward in the upcoming season.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: Artis Gilmore
Timberwolves are running it back after making a few big late season additions with Norm Nixon and Truck Robinson. They lose their starting center Artis Gilmore but have primed young sophomore Mark McNamara to take the starting role all of last season. They pick up another young talent center in Russell Cross and look to make some noise this season.

Phoenix Suns
Key Additions: Dennis Johnson
Key Subtractions: Phil Smith
The defending champs make a huge move and pick up star Dennis Johnson from the Heat and only lose a few of their backup rotation players. With Dennis Johnson pairing up with Julius Irving to create havoc on the wings, Suns seemed prime to defend their trophy in the upcoming season.

San Antonio Spurs
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: None
Spurs made some noise in the last playoffs knocking out the Kings in the first round. They move forward with star George Gervin and hope that James Worthy can make enough of a jump to bring the Spurs into championship contention.

Utah Jazz
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: None
The entire city of Utah breathed a sigh of relief after Kevin McHale announced that he’d be resigning with the team for the next 7 years. With their core now under contract for at least the next two seasons, the Jazz are eyeing another championship contending run. Similar to the 76res, seems like they are one solid PG away from being true favorites.

Pacific Division

Golden State Warriors
Key Additions: Robert Reid, Rodney McCray, John Paxson, Pete Crum (?)
Key Subtractions: Freeman Williams
Warriors pick up talented forward Rodney McCray in the draft and add a key piece in Robert Reid to an already young core brimming with talent. The Warriors are trying to make some noise this year, and it seems like their season will depend on how well young rookie John Paxson can help guide this team from the PG position.

Los Angeles Clippers
Key Additions: Bob McAdoo
Key Subtractions: Robert Reid, Ricky Sobers
A team that was in cap hell last season move Robert Reid’s contract off its books. Despite losing two major contributors in Reid and Sobers via trade and free agency, Clippers still boast a solid frontcourt rotation with the addition of veteran Bob McAdoo and added Paul Westphal to replace Sobers. They may be looking for some leaps in some of their other players to keep in contention.

Los Angeles Lakers
Key Additions: Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, Tom Lagarde, Larry Drew, Darrell Walker
Key Subtractions: Tony Brown
The Lakers who were bottom feeders for most of last season add superstar Larry Bird and pair him with Dominique Wilkins to try and make a run this season. With an addition of a strong frontcourt pair if Artis Gilmore and Dan Issel added from free agency, and picking up solid point guards in the backcourt, the Lakers will be looking to make some noise in the upcoming season.

Portland Trailblazers
Key Additions: Ralph Sampson, Tony Brown
Key Subtractions: Darrell Griffith
Trailblazers seem content with their rebuild coming along after moving their young star Darrell Griffith for prospect Tony Brown and maintaining their cap flexibility. The winners of the last draft, Ralph Sampson is poised to be the next dominant big man in the league. The Trailblazers will trust the process with their new big man and hope to add another talent rookie in the upcoming draft.

Sacramento Kings
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: None
Kings were shocked when they were bounced out of the first round last season when many marked the Kings to be the favorites to win it all. The team is still so young and yet has already shown itself to be true championship contenders in the league. Kings look to bounceback from a disappointing playoff run with more experience under their young stars’ belt.

Seattle SuperSonics
Key Additions: Martin Zollner
Key Subtractions: None
The Sonics retain their big man in Bill Wingate and re-sign their star in Alex English. The Sonics made a late season push last season after adding a defensive big like Wingate, and is hoping to build on that momentum last season. With a solid core of Bucker, Tyler, English, and Wingate, Sonics will likely try to add a few more pieces and go for a run this season.

Vancouver Grizzlies
Key Additions: None
Key Subtractions: Kiki Vandewedghe
The Grizzlies went full rebuild mode last year and shipped out all of its rotation players and lost Kiki Vandewedghe in free agency. The Grizzlies seem to be one of the bottom feeders in the league this season, and seems to be a try-out season to see if any of the young players they got from the draft will pan out to be anything more.

[Craig]

Good stuff man

[Zyme]

Good article. My only quibble is my key addition of adding Bailey and Williams as a strict upgrade to my post rotation.

[offtheheezy]

Good article. My only quibble is my key addition of adding Bailey and Williams as a strict upgrade to my post rotation.

Haha yeah, I started writing this after Days 2/3 in FA, missed a lot of the 4/5 additions

[Zyme]

+5 claim your prize

[offtheheezy]

John Stockton +5

Handling
Passing

[Oregon Ownage]

John Stockton +5

Handling

Done