I know this has been talked about ad nauseum, but I thought I'd share it:
Already this offseason, ESPN Insider has looked at NBA teams that could make a leap forward next year and those headed downward in the standings. Now we're considering the issue from a different perspective. What moves might teams make -- or not make -- that could cause them to head one direction or the other? After looking at possible scenarios that could spell trouble for five teams on Monday, we take the optimistic perspective with teams that could make moves to improve.
Toronto Raptors: Signing Tyson Chandler
The task for new Raptors coach Dwane Casey is simple in theory but difficult in execution: fix a defense that ranked dead last in the league on a per-possession basis last season. Already Casey has suggested that Andrea Barganani will be moving from the center position, for which he was unfit, to power forward.
Toronto needs a defensive anchor in the middle, and the veteran Chandler -- who Casey coached as an assistant in Dallas before getting promoted -- would be a perfect fit, giving the team not only length at the position but also rebounding to make up for Bargnani's poor work on the glass.
Of course, the Raptors thought they were getting Chandler last summer, when the Charlotte Bobcats nixed a proposed deal at the last minute. Instead, Chandler ended up getting traded to the Mavericks, where he peaked at the right time and raised his value during Dallas' run to the championship. Now he is arguably the top prize on the free-agent market, which will make it difficult for Toronto to outbid other suitors.
The task for new Raptors coach Dwane Casey is simple in theory but difficult in execution: fix a defense that ranked dead last in the league on a per-possession basis last season. Already Casey has suggested that Andrea Barganani will be moving from the center position, for which he was unfit, to power forward.
Toronto needs a defensive anchor in the middle, and the veteran Chandler -- who Casey coached as an assistant in Dallas before getting promoted -- would be a perfect fit, giving the team not only length at the position but also rebounding to make up for Bargnani's poor work on the glass.
Of course, the Raptors thought they were getting Chandler last summer, when the Charlotte Bobcats nixed a proposed deal at the last minute. Instead, Chandler ended up getting traded to the Mavericks, where he peaked at the right time and raised his value during Dallas' run to the championship. Now he is arguably the top prize on the free-agent market, which will make it difficult for Toronto to outbid other suitors.
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