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

2013 NBA Picks and Predictions: Top 5 Winners in Free Agency: One of the busier NBA free agency periods in recent memory is essentially in the books, and with as many big names that were on the market, it should come as no surprise that there were several teams that hit it big during in free agency. For some teams, the new additions have a chance to transform them into legitimate title contenders. For other teams, the new pieces have a shot to get them out of the draft lottery and into the postseason. With that in mind, here is a closer look at five teams that made significant upgrades to their rosters during the offseason and are ready to make a little noise when the 2013 NBA season begins.

1.      Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers offseason got off to a great start, and it just kept getting better. Los Angeles acquired former Boston coach Doc Rivers, and as a direct result, star point guard Chris Paul chose to sign an extension. Keeping Paul ensures that the Clippers would be a major factor in the Western Conference once again, but they also bolstered their bench. Los Angeles added Darren Collison as a backup point guard and added Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick as perimeter firepower. Paul now has plenty of weapons to work with, and the Clippers are a much more balanced team that they one that bowed out early in the last year’s playoffs.

2.      Houston Rockets

After weeks of speculation and rumors, Houston won the Dwight Howard sweepstakes and landed the highly-coveted center. With James Harden and Chandler Parsons leading one of the NBA’s more explosive offenses, Howard’s impact on the defensive end alone will push Houston in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. Keep in mind that the Rockets snuck into the playoffs last year despite allowing the third-most points per game and averaging the sixth-fewest blocks per game. Howard is going to help tremendously in both those areas.

3.      Brooklyn Nets

Owner Mikhail Prokhorov is going to pay a lot of luxury tax, but the end result is a potential NBA title. The Nets went out and traded for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, giving Brooklyn an intimidating, albeit aging, starting five. The Nets will now run out Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Pierce, Garnett and Brook Lopez on a nightly basis. They also got Jason Terry as a throw-in with Pierce and Garnett, resigned Andray Blatche and signed Andre Kirilenko to bolster the bench. Sure, chemistry will have to be developed, but based on talent alone, the Nets are now a threat in the Eastern Conference.

4.      New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans was busy in the offseason, but thanks to a draft night trade and a big signing, the Pelicans have gone from Western Conference bottom-feeder to playoff contender. After drafting Nerlens Noel with the No. 6 pick, they traded him to Philadelphia for point guard Jrue Holiday, addressing one of the team’s biggest needs. New Orleans then went out and signed guard/forward Tyreke Evans, providing a major upgrade in athleticism on the wing. Suddenly, the Pelicans have a starting five of Holiday, Eric Gordon, Evans, Ryan Anderson and Anthony Davis. A playoff berth is a real possibility.

5.      Golden State Warriors

After the Sacramento Kings decided to yank their contract offer to Andre Iguodala, the Warriors wasted little time snatching up one of the better two-way players in the game. No, Iguodala is never going to be the type of player that carries the load offensively, but he won’t have to for a Golden State team that has Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Instead, Iguodala can focus on being a stat sheet stuffer, and more importantly, he can be the Warriors’ defensive stopper. He has the length and athleticism to guard the opponents top perimeter scorer, and at times, a strong defensive presence seemed to be the only thing missing for Golden State. The addition of Iguodala also allows the Warriors to move Harrison Barnes to a sixth man role, which instantly upgrades the team’s bench. Overall, a team that was already on the rise just got even better, and the Warriors are suddenly dangerous in the Western Conference.

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