NBA: 2016-17 Final Wrap-Up

The 2016-17 NBA season is over, after we watched the Golden State Warriors (67-15, 16-1) run through their competition, en route to their second championship in the last three seasons, following the addition of Kevin Durant. Golden State defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31, 13-5) in the NBA Finals, as we saw the same two teams in the Finals for the third year in a row. Now, we are preparing for the 2017 NBA Draft, free agency, trades, the Summer League, and before we know it, the 2017-18 NBA season will be upon us. In the mean time, here is my wrap-up of the historical season we just witnessed.

1. Warriors (67-15, 16-1): Golden State's dream season perfectly culminated in a 16-1 record in the playoffs, sweeping Portland, Utah, and San Antonio, on their way to a 5-game series victory Lebron James and Cleveland, the team that ended the Warriors' quest for a second consecutive title in 2015-16. The addition of Kevin Durant, Finals MVP, proved to be the difference, as he scored 30+ points in all five games against the Cavaliers. And now what? Golden State will reload and likely be back in the Finals again next season, as long as they re-sign Stephen Curry and Durant, which they are expected to do. 2016-17 was an incredible year for the Bay Area's team, but it could only be the start of a true dynasty.

2. Cavaliers (51-31, 13-5): Cleveland's season didn't end the way they wanted it to, as it did in 2015-16, when Lebron James fulfilled his promise to bring a championship to his hometown team. But that doesn't mean the Cavaliers had an unsuccessful campaign. All in all, James had another stellar season, posting two triple-doubles in the Finals, and cementing himself as the second greatest player of all-time, while Kyrie Irving took another step forward as one of the league's top isolation players. Looking ahead, the franchise must make a move during the offseason, adding a fourth All-Star caliber player, in an effort to compete with the Warriors atop the NBA. Expect Cleveland to go after guys like Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, or Chris Paul. However, they may have to part ways with Kevin Love in order to add one of those pieces.

3. Spurs (61-21, 8-8): San Antonio was on the brink of defeating the great Warriors way back in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, before superstar Kawhi Leonard went down with another ankle injury, and subsequently, the Spurs lost 113-111 and the following three games to be swept out of the playoffs. But what if Leonard didn't go down with a season-ending injury? San Antonio would have almost certainly won Game 1, and could have pushed Golden State more than anyone else did. With that in mind, expect the Spurs to simply reload and give it another go-around next year, with the same cast of characters. Leonard, who finished top-5 in the MVP race for the second straight season, will be back alongside Lamarcus Aldridge, one of the NBA's premier mid-range scorers. According to a multitude of reports, the Spurs are looking at offering Kyle Lowry, Chris Paul, or Derrick Rose a spot in the starting five, and a chance to be the point guard going forward, given Tony Parker's age and health status, but don't put any bets down on that type of signing. In my mind, though, Lowry makes the most sense and would be the best fit.

4. Celtics (53-29, 9-9): Boston had a huge jump from 2015-16 to now, going from a team that bowed out in Round 1 to the Atlanta Hawks, to a near title contender. But that's the thing, they're only near. Danny Ainge's team is still 3-5 years away from being a title favorite, but the future is definitely bright for the leprechauns. Isaiah Thomas had a breakout year and is the point guard of the future, while Avery Bradley emerged as one of the league's better two-way guards, and finally, Al Horford had yet another productive campaign. Even Jaylen Brown, the 2016 No. 3 pick, showed glimpses of being an athletic freak and a potential All-Star. And because of the blockbuster trade that happened in 2012, in which the Celtics dealt Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets, in exchange for a plethora of future picks, Boston had the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, Ainge swapped the No. 1 for the No. 3 and a(nother) future pick to Philadelphia. So now what? Ainge and the Celtics could decide to trade their picks to Chicago or Indiana for Jimmy Butler or Paul George, or they could draft Josh Jackson and go after interested free-agents like Blake Griffin or Gordon Hayward.

5. Rockets (55-27, 6-5): Houston, like the Celtics, experienced a major leap in the NBA echelon, all the way into the top-5. James Harden has solidified himself as a year in and year out MVP candidate. I think the Rockets are simply one All-Star level player away from being the second best team in the conference. Maybe Kyle Lowry? Maybe Gordon Hayward? Maybe Paul Millsap?

6. Raptors (51-31, 4-6): Toronto was swept by Cleveland in Round 2 of the conference semifinals, but they showed a lot of potential over the course of the season, which included trading for Serge Ibaka. The Raptors must turn their focus to re-signing Kyle Lowry, as they did with DeMar Derozan last offseason, and keep their core intact. If not, Cory Joseph would be the starting point guard, and I don't think he's quite ready to be the signal-caller on a conference contending team.

7. Jazz (51-31, 4-7): Utah hung with Golden State in two of their four games, following a series victory over the Clippers, which was highlighted by a Game 7 victory on the road. Unfortunately, the Jazz are likely to lose their best player, Gordon Hayward during the summer. Utah will offer him a max contract, but he'll ultimately decide the fate of the Jazz, keeping them as a playoff team or sending them back to the bottom tier in the West.

8. Wizards (49-33, 7-6): Washington was one game, one win, away from being in the Eastern Conference Finals, but after John Wall struggled in the Game 7 loss against Boston, the Wizards were eliminated. I do think they have a bright future and the backcourt of Bradley Beal and Wall is always promising, but the rest of the roster, mainly the bench, isn't up to par with it's two best players. And that's not going to get better with reports surfacing that Otto Porter Jr., starting small forward, is going to get looked at by Brooklyn, Miami, Orlando, and others during free agency. But if Blake Griffin decides to take a chance on a young and promising backcourt, the Wizards would elevate another echelon.

9. Clippers (51-31, 3-4): Los Angeles Clippers are in a bit of a quandary over the 2017 offseason, because All-Star tandem Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are free agents, as is J.J. Redick, and Paul Pierce is retiring, which means two things, 1) the Clippers are going to either get a lot better or get a lot worse and 2) they have money to spend. I expect Paul to re-sign, while Griffin and Redick sign elsewhere, but obviously, I could be off on all three. Lastly, after getting bounced in the First Round for the second year in a row, the Clippers must find another big time player, even if they lose Griffin, which is why they're rumored to be going after Danilo Gallinari, Paul George, and Paul Millsap.

10. Hawks (43-39, 2-4): Atlanta rounds out the top-10, with yet another 40+ win season that gets them into the playoffs, which is pretty much a forgone conclusion at this point. After getting rid of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver, and watching Al Horford leave last year for Boston, the core group of the 2014-15 Hawks that went to the Eastern Conference Finals is nearly gone. With that being said, Dwight Howard played pretty well in his first season with the team, and Paul Millsap is a machine, producing well at 32-years-old. But with the frontcourt aging and free agents in Tim Hardaway Jr. and Millsap, it might be time to blow it up and rebuild through the NBA Draft, returning to relevancy in 3-5 years.

11. Thunder (47-35, 1-4): Oklahoma City was a top-5 team in the league from 2011-2016, but after Kevin Durant's deparure, the Thunder organization took an enormous blow. Russell Westbrook, the likely NBA MVP, averaged a triple-double for the first time since 1961-62 when Oscar Robertson completed the nearly impossible feat. Even with Westbrook's historic season, which was exciting to watch, there wasn't enough winning which ended with a 4-1 gentleman's sweep to the Rockets in Round 1. Westbrook will be back but the franchise must focus on re-signing him before the summer of 2018. Victor Oladipo must become more assertive. Jerami Grant's position has to be improved. Taj Gibson's range must extend to the 3-point line. And Steven Adams is a good center, but has to become a better free-throw shooter. In my mind, the Thunder absolutely have to go after Danilo Gallinari, Rudy Gay, Blake Griffin, and Otto Porter Jr.

12. Bucks (42-40, 2-4): Milwaukee, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, is one of the best young groups, and they're only going to get better with the Greek Freak, Jabari Parker, and likely Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. The Bucks should be a playoff team again.

13. Grizzlies (43-39, 2-4): Memphis is a lot like Atlanta, they always win 40+ games, make the playoffs, give someone fits, and the bow out without really winning anything big. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol will be back which is good, but they should try to get younger with the rest of the roster. It's time to move on from Tony Allen, Vince Carter, and Zach Randolph.

14. Pacers (42-40, 0-4): Indiana's 2016-17 season was headlined by the constant trade rumors of Paul George, and the fact that he didn't get traded, hid the incredibly disappointing season that actually took place. A team with Jeff Teague, George, Thaddeus Young, and Myles Turner, was expected to compete for a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals. Instead, the Pacers lost 4-0 to the Cavaliers in the First Round. They have to try and trade George before he leaves for the Lakers in free agency, and that's really all the Pacers should worry about this year. Although, they still have enough talent to slip into the backend of the postseason.

15. Bulls (41-41, 2-4): Chicago, the fourth Central Division team in the top-15, was in the middle of the pack of the Eastern Conference for virtually the entire season. After going 41-41 in the first season with Rajon Rondo, Jimmy Butler, and Dwyane Wade on the court together, the Bulls grabbed a 2-0 lead in Round 1, before losing four straight to the Celtics and being eliminated. Rondo may be gone during the offseason. Butler is on the trading block. And Wade has announced he’ll re-sign with the Bulls. We’ll see where this team goes, but it seems like they’ve been fending off a rebuild for the last three seasons or so.

16. Trailblazers (41-41, 0-4): Portland, rounding out the top-16, and all of the playoff teams, experienced an up-and-down season to say the least. They started off slow, but Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum really came on strong late, and it seemed like the Trailblazers could give someone fits in the First Round. But an injury to Jusuf Nurkic, who was acquired mid-season from the Denver Nuggets, all but evaporated that thought. Instead, Portland was embarrassed by Golden State, as was most of the league, en route to a season-ending sweep. The good news? Most of the team will be back and they’re a likely playoff team again in 2017-18.

17. Heat (41-41): Miami was one of the top-10 teams in the league following the All-Star break, if only they didn’t get off to such a porous start, the Heat would have been seen as a team that could reach the Second Round. But that horrible beginning to the season did occur, and because of it, Miami finished one-game out of a playoff spot. Heading into next year, the Heat are looking good, because Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters, and Hassan Whiteside should all be back, and even though Chris Bosh is officially retiring, they’ll have a ton of cap space to go after a max-player during the summer. Hello Danilo Gallinari, Blake Griffin, Gordon Hayward, Paul Millsap, and Otto Porter Jr.

18. Nuggets (40-42): Denver was on Portland’s trail all season long, fighting for the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but after Russell Westbrook’s heroic game-winner in the final week of the season, the Nuggets were eliminated from playoff contention at 40-42. However, this team has it’s core coming back in Emmanuel Mudiay, Jamal Murray, Kenneth Faried, and Nikola Jokic.

19. Pistons (37-45): Detroit was supposed to be a playoff team, a year after reaching the postseason for the first time since 2009, but instead, the Pistons took a monumental step back. One thing that did come from the 2016-17 campaign was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s emergence as the team’s best player. First things first, this team has to re-sign Caldwell Pope, and then go from there. According to reports, they are dangling the No. 12 pick in an effort to trade for a veteran player. Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond have also been discussed in possible trades. Stan Van Gundy will likely make a move sooner or later.

20. Pelicans (34-48): New Orleans made a big splash over All-Star Weekend, when they traded for Demarcus Cousins, but the swap ended up being more style than substance. Cousins and Anthony Davis weren’t as productive together as people would have hoped, and this team likely won’t get anything seriously done, unless they acquire a couple of solidified players. Enter Kyle Lowry and James Johnson.

21. Hornets (36-46): Charlotte, like Detroit, reached the playoffs in 2015-16, just to fall out of contention the year after. Michael Jordan wasn’t too pleased with that. And he’s already done something to shake things up prior to the 2017 NBA Draft. Last night, the Hornets swapped Miles Plumlee, Marco Belinelli, and the No. 41 pick for Dwight Howard and the No. 31 pick. Howard isn’t the player he was when he played for the Orlando Magic, but he is an upgrade at the position, and is a big name to pair with Kemba Walker.

22. Mavericks (33-49): Dallas is at a crossroads, trying to decide if they want to rebuild for the future, and waste the latter half of Dirk Nowitzki’s career, or continue attempting to contend for a playoff spot. Nowitzki only has a couple of years left in the tank, but if the Mavericks want to even see a glimpse of the postseason, they must find a point guard, whether that is through the NBA Draft or free agency. Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr. are likely options at the No. 9 overall pick, while Kyle Lowry, George Hill, and Jeff Teague are free agents.

23. Kings (32-50): Sacramento is an absolute mess and has been since the early-2000s, and honestly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. The Kings went 32-50, traded their best player, and now has two top-10 picks in the NBA Draft. I’m expecting them to take a point guard with their No. 5 spot and a big man at No. 10. Apparently, the Kings are hoping for De’Aaron Fox and Zach Collins, both of whom would help a lot.

24. Knicks (31-51): New York - well, let’s just copy and paste the absolute mess part about the Kings right here - because the Knicks are one of the most difficult teams to figure out. At 31-51, they were far from a playoff team, even with the likes of Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, and Kristaps Porzingis. Meanwhile, Anthony and Phil Jackson were publicly airing out their laundry, and the former-Syracuse forward, is once again on the trading block. Which seems never-ending. And for some reason, Porzingis, the team's’ future, is unhappy and could be traded in order to acquire another top-10 pick. Who knows what’s going on in New York.

25. Timberwolves (31-51): Minnesota was expected, by me (and many others), to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, but instead, they became a huge disappointment, mainly because of their terrible defense. However, there is still a lot of potential on this team in Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, Andrew Wiggins, and Karl Anthony-Towns. Throw in another top-10 pick and maybe, just maybe, they’ll see the postseason soon.

26. Magic (29-53): Orlando seems like they’ve been drafting in the top-5 for every season since Dwight Howard’s departure, and I’m not sure how likely that trend is to change anytime soon. Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon haven’t been bad, but they certainly haven’t been good, while Victor Oladipo, their top player, was dealt last offseason. I expect them to go after another guard with their lottery pick.

27. 76ers (28-54): Philadelphia was bad, again, but The Process might finally be coming around. We can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel. If everything goes as planned, we’ll see Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid on the court together in 2017-18. We can all be excited for that, at least.

28. Lakers (26-56): Los Angeles Lakers aren’t a good basketball team, but their is hope in the Staples Center, given the rumors that Paul George desperately wants to be a Lakers signee by the start of 2018-19. The plan to sign him already began with the trade of D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the No. 27 selection. This year probably won’t be anything special, but if Magic Johnson can do everything he hopes, a lineup of Lonzo Ball, Jordan Clarkson, Paul George, Lebron James, and Brook Lopez is a possibility, even if it is far fetched.

29. Suns (24-58): Phoenix’s season was bland, as usual, with the only outlier being Devin Booker’s breakout 70-point performance against Boston. Booker is a future star, but he’s pretty much on his own on the Suns. If they’re going to turn it around, Phoenix needs to add either Josh Jackson or Jayson Tatum at No. 4.

30. Nets (20-62): Brooklyn is the worst team in the league, after going 20-62, and they’re likely going to be in the basement of the association for a number of years, after making one of the worst trades in NBA history in 2012. Realistically, they could have Jaylen Brown, Markelle Fultz, and a top-5 pick next year, but instead, they have none of those assets. I guess getting rid of an again Brook Lopez for D’Angelo Russell was a pretty good trade, since Russell is now the team’s best player, but still, Brooklyn won’t win more than 30 games anytime in the foreseeable future.

Photo Credit: Asia Starz, NBA.com, and WJBF-TV.