NBA Free Agency: 3 Teams That Have Improved the Most Thus Far

Apr 26, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Andre Iguodala (9) passes the ball around the reach of Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) in the third quarter during game three of the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 110-108. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

We all heard about it. Dwight Howard officially made his decision on Friday, choosing to sign with the Houston Rockets.

This puts the Rockets up there with some of the better teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, who eliminated them in the first round of the playoffs. The Rockets now have the pieces needed to compete for a championship with James Harden and Howard at the post.

The other big free agency signing that happened on Friday was the Warriors, bagging Andre Iguodala to the tune of a four-year, $48 million dollar contract. He is that final piece that the Warriors need, the “Swiss army knife” that can really do it all. He’s a mini LeBron James, in a sense that he can rebound, score, and pass the basketball.

With that being said, here are three teams that have gotten better in the offseason, which is so early. These teams have the General Managers that know have what it takes to get the job done and make their team better, which is what the offseason is all about:

Golden State Warriors:

The Warriors lacked a closer in the final minutes of playoff games. Iguodala is now that guy.

The Warriors also lacked two clutch defenders, Klay Thompson being the only one. Andre Iguodala is that other guy.

The Warriors, now that they’ve lost Jarrett Jack to free agency, need a guy who can handle the ball, not named Curry. Andre Iguodala is that guy.

He knows how to finish games, and has a ton of playoff experience. With a young, bright team like the Warriors, this is exactly what they’re looking for.

This was one of the best moves of the offseason for the Warriors, and although they didn’t acquire Howard, their future is looking pretty bright.

Houston Rockets:

Nobody is sure what the Rockets are going to do to clear space for Howard, whether it’s trading Jeremy Lin or Omer Asik, but the acquisition of Howard has already the Rockets that much better. Pairing Harden with Howard will be a deadly duo, deadlier than Iguodala and Curry.

Speculation is that Rockets could finish atop the Western Conference, but of course, the Thunder are there, the Spurs are still there, and the Lakers, despite popular belief, may actually be in the playoffs because Kobe Bryant will be healthy.

The Rockets will be one of the better teams in the NBA, but because the Western Conference is so dangerous and deadly, it makes it hard for them to really make a statement. Plus, you never know if Howard is going to do to Houston what he did to Los Angeles.

Charlotte Bobcats:

Stop laughing. No, seriously.

The Bobcats have had a productive offseason, drafting Cody Zeller, and signing one of the best centers in the NBA in Al Jefferson.

The Bobcats have a scary starting lineup on paper, with Kemba Walker running the entire team. They may actually contend for a playoff spot next season. They won’t be nearly as good as the other two teams on this list, but to Michael Jordan, anything better than their past two seasons would be a blessing.