The 2016-17 NBA season is right around the corner but before we get to the actual action it’s time to look back at the offseason with a recap of some of the highlights and lowlights of the summer. Here is a look at some notable NBA offseason awards.
Most Improved Team: Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are clearly the most improved team in the NBA after landing another former MVP in Kevin Durant to man the small forward position. Golden State’s biggest issue the last two seasons has been its lack of a pure three, so it only made sense that they went out and signed one of the best in the NBA in Durant. Obviously, the move surprised a lot of people when Durant decided to joined what was already considered to be one of the best teams in NBA history.
It will be hard to improve statistically after Golden State won 73 games a year ago but the key will be getting back to the NBA Finals and taking care of unfinished business after failing to win a championship last season. Both the Warriors and Durant will be equally hungry to get the job done. The only question is whether head coach Steve Kerr can make this all work.
Primed To Take Next Step Award: Boston Celtics
The Celtics failed to land a superstar player once again this offseason but they did land a pair of potential stars in center Al Horford and rookie first round pick Jaylen Brown. Horford provides an immediate upgrade at the center position while Brown will slide in nicely behind Jae Crowder. Boston will lean on Isaiah Thomas, Horford and Crowder to lead the way and they could be poised to take another major step forward in the Eastern Conference this season.
Best Head Coach Hire: Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota Timberwolves
Thibodeau appears to be the perfect fit for a Timberwolves’ team that is trending in the right direction. Led by back-to-back Rookie of the Year award winners in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota has a very competent core to build around. Wiggins and Towns have the potential to be superstars at their respective positions and Minnesota has surrounded them with some quality depth pieces including Zach LaVine, Ricky Rubio, Gorgui Dieng and this year’s first round pick Kris Dunn.
Thibodeau turned a No. 10 defense in to the league’s best in his first year with the Chicago Bulls and if he can have a similar impact with the Timberwolves then this group could be closer to contending for a playoff spot in the Western Conference than most people realize. And it’s interesting to see just how far the Bulls have fallen since they canned Thibodeau.
Most important for the Timberwolves will be a coach who can help them build an identity and provide some direction. He has the experience this team has been lacking and should get them moving up the standings in the West.
Worst Offseason Award: Sacramento Kings
There were a number of teams we considered for this spot but ultimately the Kings were far ahead of their competition in this department. Sacramento allowed the league’s reigning assists leader leave town in Rajon Rondo while also waiving goodbye also waiving goodbye to Seth Curry. Instead, they decided to go the cheap route by taking a flier on troubled point guard Ty Lawson, who will man the position along with Darren Collison.
In the 2016 NBA Draft, the Kings – yet again – had a bizarre strategy. They spent their first round pick on a big man in Georgios Papagiannis instead of addressing its lack of guard depth. DeMarcus Cousins called out management by saying he didn’t understand the Papagiannis selection and the reality is that most basketball fans don’t have a clue what they are doing either. Cousins is one of the best centers in the NBA already, but the Kings continue to invest in the position. Last year, they spent a lottery pick on Willy Cauley-Stein and also signed Kosta Koufos to big money. Meanwhile, they have a ton of holes on the rest of their roster. It’s no surprise that this team is among the worst in the NBA.
