What’s Next For Teams Eliminated in the Second Round and Conference Finals?
The Los Angeles Clippers’ loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday and the Atlanta Hawks loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday gave us the NBA Finals matchup between the Suns and the Bucks. Now seeing how the Eastern and Western brackets played out, it seems that it is time to examine the teams that have been eliminated in the second round and conference finals and determine what their best options are to make another deep playoff run in the future.
Philadelphia 76ers
Coming into the playoffs as the first seed in the East, it seemed as though the 76ers were primed to make it to at least the Conference Finals and possibly even beyond that. However they suffered a surprising loss to the Atlanta Hawks in a series that went to seven games.
While there is a lot that is up in the air with this team, one thing seems certain. It is time to move on from Ben Simmons this offseason. The 24 year old point guard was an all star and an all defensive first team player this season, but showcased his lack of a true scoring ability in the playoffs. He only averaged 9.9 points per game and shot 33% from the free throw line in the series against the Hawks. The 76ers and Joel Embiid struggled to find another scoring option especially late in games when they needed scoring the most.
The Sixers should go after a scorer that can create for themselves to take some of the offensive pressure off Embiid. Some potential trade candidates for Simmons could be Kemba Walker, D’Angelo Russell, or even a package for Damian Lillard. If a trade does not workout, the 76ers should look to free agency to try and acquire 35 year old point guard, Kyle Lowry who was close to being traded to Philly at the trade deadline.
Lowry is from Philadelphia and could be looking to sign with a contender as the Toronto Raptors appear to be on the verge of a rebuild. The 76ers GM, Daryl Morey has shown that he is not afraid to make a lot of trades in one offseason, and it would not be surprising if this team looked very different next fall.
Brooklyn Nets
Let’s be honest, at full health there is not many teams who can stop the Brooklyn Nets. The new big three of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving all dealt with injuries this past season. Kyrie and Harden both had injuries in the second round which was one of the main reasons that they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games.
There isn’t a lot this team can really do to get better this offseason, other than get healthy again and develop some more chemistry. Back-up point guard, Spencer Dinwiddie was injured for most of the season but is now a free agent. The 27 year old averaged 20.6 points per game last year and should be a top priority for the Nets to resign, especially since the Nets lack a deep bench.
Other than that, the Nets should be looking for some more rim protection among their big men, which is something that shouldn’t be too hard to solve in free agency. Bringing in a cheap free agent center like Javale Mcgee or Nerlens Noel would be a superb addition. Despite the loss this season, the future for the Nets is looking bright and Nets’ fans shouldn’t be overly concerned.
Utah Jazz
After losing to a banged up Clippers team in 6 games, the future of the Jazz is uncertain. The Jazz had the best record in the NBA this season, the sixth man of the year in Jordan Clarkson, the defensive player of the year in Rudy Gobert, and three all stars in Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Rudy Gobert. Despite averaging 34.8 points per game in the second round, the 24 year old Donovan Mitchell could not will his team into the conference finals.
This might have been the Jazz’s best chance to return to the finals and there is not a clear path to become better. Mike Conley is a free agent and the Jazz should definitely be looking to resign the one time all star. There is not a lot the Jazz can do to improve their team this offseason. Most of their team is made up of veterans, making it difficult to trade for someone that can significantly help their team.
Not to mention, Utah is not an ideal free agent destination due to it being a small market. However, if they have the chance to sign a cheap big man that can stretch the floor, such as Bobby Portis or Jeff Green they should take that chance. Adding a big that could space the floor would bring a different dynamic to the team when Rudy Gobert or Derrick Favors are on the bench.
Lastly, the Jazz have the 30th pick in the draft, so adding through the draft won’t be very easy. The Jazz’s best chance is to run it back with a similar team next year. If they can’t make a deep playoff run, it would not be very surprising if Donovan Mitchell requests a trade in an attempt to get out of Utah.
Denver Nuggets
Despite losing in the second round, the Nuggets are in a great position. Denver had its first MVP in franchise history in Nikola Jokic. Along with that this team was fairly banged up in the playoffs, as 23 year old Jamal Murray was out for the entire playoffs. Murray averaged 21.2 points per game in the regular season before getting hurt. This team is still very young and with a healthy Jamal Murray next year this team should definitely be a contender in the West.
The team should be looking to resign 35 year old, Paul Millsap to a one year deal. Millsap is a solid rebounder and a good veteran leader for a young team, but the Nuggets shouldn’t go out of their way to try and acquire him. Adding more guard play to this team would be a major plus. When Jamal Murray went down, it was Facundo Campazzo and Austin Rivers who had to step up off the bench.
It would never hurt to add some more bench depth from the guard positions. Adding cheaper guys that could handle the ball off the bench like Kendrick Nunn or TJ Mconnell through free agency would be a great addition to the Nuggets roster. Overall, this is a strong and well structured team and the Nuggets should avoid trying to make any massive moves to completely shake up their team this offseason.
Los Angeles Clippers
Like many of the other teams that were eliminated in the second round, injuries ultimately caused the Clippers’ downfall. With Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka, and Ivica Zubac missing time in the playoffs this year it was of course going to be a tough task to make it out of the conference finals.
The Clippers first and most important goal this offseason is to resign Kawhi Leonard. The 30 year old is a 5 time all star and without a doubt the team’s best player and the most notable free agent this year. He has a player option this year. Bringing him back to a long term deal would give the Clippers some security knowing that they have Paul George and Kawhi locked for the next couple of seasons.
The Clippers should also make a move after a true playmaker at the point guard position. They made a move for Rajon Rondo at the deadline, who played well for them, but isn’t a starting quality point guard at this stage in his career. Not to mention, Reggie Jackson is a free agent and while the Clippers should look to resign him, it wouldn’t be crazy to assume other teams will throw big time money at him after his incredible display of scoring in the playoffs. Adding a player like Spencer Dinwiddie, Lonzo Ball, or even a veteran in Mike Conley through free agency would give the Clippers a more solidified point guard.
This team should also try to find some stability from its big men. Serge Ibaka has a player option this year and Demarcus Cousins is also an unrestricted free agent. Cousins played well in the playoffs, and teams may overpay for him in the offseason. Bringing back Serge Ibaka would be a huge plus, with his defensive prowess and ability to stretch the floor. Most importantly, as long as this Clippers team resigns Kawhi, they will definitely be a threat in the Western Conference for many years to come.
Atlanta Hawks
Without a question, the Atlanta Hawks were the most surprising team in the playoffs. This was team that wasn’t even looking like they were gonna make the playoffs at the start of the year only to end up as the five seed, take down a red-hot Knicks team, defeat the one seed in Philadelphia, and make the Eastern Conference finals a six game series. This roster, Trae Young, the front office, and Nate Mcmillan all deserve a lot of credit for never backing down from a challenge this playoffs.
That being said, the Hawks still could improve this offseason. Most of this team is locked under contract, but John Collins is a restricted free agent. The Hawks should obviously look to get Collins back on their team and should even be willing to overpay to keep him around. Collins was looking for a lot of money midway through the season but that may have changed now considering that the Hawks are a proven contender. The Hawks also have the 20th pick in the draft and should be looking to put more defense around Trae.
This teams other notable free agents are Kris Dunn and Louis Williams. Louis Williams is one of the few veterans on this team and provides great scoring off the bench as proven in the playoffs, and should be a target to resign. Kris Dunn is a solid defensive role player and while he barely saw the court in the playoffs, he has the ability to bring defense from the point guard position that Trae Young and Louis Williams simply do not have in their arsenal.
What’s important for this team is to not speed up their process too fast. While it might be tempting to package their younger guys like Huerter, Reddish, and Okongwu along with picks for a star player, this team should hold off and keep their young core together. With Atlanta’s superstar in Trae Young only being 22 years old, the Hawks have no reason to push the young guys out in an attempt to win right now. This roster has proven that it is talented enough to win now and also compete for many years to come.
