2013 NBA Picks and Predictions: Top 5 Losers in Free Agency

2013 NBA Picks and Predictions: Top 5 Losers in Free Agency: While just about every NBA team enters the offseason hoping to make a splash in free agency and improve its roster, the unfortunate truth is that the opposite happens for some teams. Whether a team simply misses out on its top targets and struggles to find adequate replacements or simply overpays for players that really don’t seem to fit with the other players on their roster, there are always a few teams that are on the losing end of free agency. The 2013 offseason has been no exception, and with that in mind, here is a closer look at a handful of teams that are no closer to, or even further away from, being a factor in their respective conferences.

1.      Dallas Mavericks

One year after failing to land point guard Deron Williams in free agency, the Mavericks were unable to sign center Dwight Howard. In the aftermath, Dallas went out and made a bunch of questionable signings. Reliable point guard Jose Calderon could actually be useful, but a high-volume, low-percentage shooter like Monta Ellis and a foul-prone, offensively-challenged center like Samuel Dalembert add next to nothing to the Mavericks’ starting lineup. Meanwhile, perennial underachiever Wayne Ellington doesn’t add much off the bench. Quantity doesn’t make up for a lack of quality in this case, and Dallas is no closer to being a factor in the Western Conference than it was last year.

2.      Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers pinned their immediate future on resigning Dwight Howard and ultimately failed to keep the big man. Their consolation prize was center Chris Kaman, but all that signing really does is ensure that Los Angeles’ roster will remain old and slow as a whole. Meanwhile, the front office chose to amnesty the one player Kobe Bryant wanted to keep around in small forward Ron Artest. Even if Bryant does return from his Achilles injury early in the year, the Lakers’ starting five is on the wrong side of 30, and their bench is a joke. Los Angeles might be able to sneak into the postseason again, but they are nothing more than a four-game sweep for one of the top teams.

3.      Boston Celtics

While an argument can be made that Boston needed to start over, there is no denying that the Celtics went from a perennial playoff contender to a lottery team this offseason. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry are gone, along with head coach Doc Rivers. Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks are among the newcomers that are going to try to replace a couple of future Hall of Famers, but the drop-off in experience and talent is sizeable. For now, Boston still has point guard Rajon Rondo, but a lack of overall weapons will ensure the Celtics are sitting at home when the playoffs begin.

4.      Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee snuck into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed last year, but the Bucks will be lucky if they can stay out of the cellar in the Eastern Conference after what has happened in the offseason. Milwaukee lost Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings, leaving the team without its starting backcourt from last year. The Bucks also lost shooter J.J. Redick. Milwaukee did land point guard Brandon Knight and shooting guard O.J. Mayo, but unless Knight suddenly figures out how to run an offense, the Bucks’ roster is nothing more than a bunch of mismatched, unproven pieces.

5.      Detroit Pistons

On the surface, Detroit’s offseason looks fairly productive. They added point guard Brandon Jennings and small forward Josh Smith, and both players are major upgrades in terms of athleticism. However, the Pistons’ future success is tied to their young frontcourt of Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, and the playing styles of Jennings and Smith could hinder the development of the young big men. After all, Jennings and Smith are both known for taking a lot of low-percentage shots, especially from beyond the arc. Detroit might win more games this year, but if it comes at the expense of the development of Monroe and Drummond, it will be a long-term loss for the franchise.

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