Did the Knicks Upgrade Over the Summer?

After a successful regular season wherein they were able to have the second-best record in the eastern conference, the New York Knicks faltered in the playoffs against a tougher opposition in the form of the defensive Indiana Pacers. The Knicks offense who featured the year's scoring champ were stifled. Their defense wasn't any better. To put it bluntly, the team still needed a lot of work if they are to become legitimate contenders for an NBA title.

In a tougher eastern conference

This offseason saw several new players added to the Knicks while some  players from last season were traded away or left during the free agency period. The team has been active, to say the least. However, all the transactions that the team have made still doesn't put them on the upper echelon of the league, or even the eastern conference for that matter. Even if they did improve, the other teams in the east has upgraded by leaps and bounds over what the Knicks have done so far.

Knicks' summer acquisitions

One of the significant transactions of the Knicks this summer is the trade for Andrea Bargniani that sent away Steve Novak. The presumption is that Bargnani, with his better skill sets, will provide the Knicks with another option in the offensive end. However, with several players on the Knicks that constantly handles the ball to be effective, it is very likely that his role will be relegated to what Novak used to do. The fact that his field goal percentages from last season  declined from the previous is a cause for more concern.

How is your favorite NBA team doing?

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The Minnesota Timberwolves in 2013-14

Now that the 2013-14 NBA season is just a few months away and most teams having done their offseason chores of signing, resigning and trading for players, it is easier to look at a team, evaluate the roster and predict how well they will be doing next season. Trades and other transactions can happen along the way that could shake things up, but it is pretty safe to assume that as of this moment, the cores of different teams are all set. That being said, it's time to take a look at the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The team has a roster that is stacked with talent. The team has an all-star power forward in Kevin Love who can rebound quite well and whose range goes beyond the arc. The center position is manned by Nikola Pekovic who is one of the rare big men with a great post-up game these days. There are also some pretty solid players who can fill the small forward position. Chase Budinger and Derrick Williams can both play the position well. The point guard position is secured with Ricky Rubio being the main option and with other quality players on the team like J.J. Barea or Alexey Shved who can fill the role quite well. The team seems to be looking at Kevin Martin as the primary player for the shooting guard. Other guards on the team can fill the shift to the position as well.

The team also has a good wing defender in Corey Brewer. Rookies Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng also carry some certain potential. All in all, the Wolves look good going into the upcoming NBA season.

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