The NBA is a star studded league is saying lightly, in order to win a NBA title it is fair to say that you need one of the Top 6 players in the league. Even that doesn't guarantee you anything.
Over the last two decades, a few teams have had amazing cores that had great chances of winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy but have failed. Those teams include the Mid 90's Seattle Sonics, late 90's Utah Jazz, early 2000's Indiana Pacers and last but certainly not least the early 2010's Oklahoma City Thunder.
All four of these teams had great players for a good stretch at some point and appeared in at least one NBA Finals. Neither of these teams didn't win because they chocked or couldn't preform under pressure, for the most part these four teams didn't win because they were going up against superior competition.
The four teams that I listed below all have a chance to be NBA's next great team. However, with the amount of talent that is littered throughout the NBA, there is no team on the rise that is guaranteed anything.
Phoenix Suns
Their team is called the Suns, but we might as well call them the Wildcats. Four players used to play for Kentucky and that is just the beginning. N.C. State product T.J. Warren is a scorching scorer averaging 20.2 PPG and shooing 50% on two point jump shots.
In last June's draft, the Suns went out and snagged Croatian Dragan Bender who despite being a mystery pick so far, has a huge potential as he is only 18. Just minutes later, Phoenix made another big splash by trading up and selecting Marquese Chriss who only started playing team basketball until Grade 9.
Currently, the team is exciting and young. If the pieces call blend together this might be a playoff team year in year out in the Western Conference.
Minnesota Timberwolves
For years, Timberwolves fans haven't had their way since the departure of Kevin Garnett. Year after year they just weren't good enough in a very talented Western Conference. The last few years has been especially heartbreaking for the T-Wolves as they passed on Stephen Curry twice in the year
Things are slowly turning around in the twin cities. Andrew Wiggins might be the next Steve Nash along with Karl-Anthony Towns lead the charge for the T-Wolves roster that already included European stud Ricky Rubio. With additions over the last year and a half such as Zach LaVine, Shabazz Muhammad and maybe the steal of last years draft Kris Dunn out of Providence, this team looks poised to end NBA's longest playoff drought.
Philadelphia 76ers
Over the last few years, 76ers have been stock piling the draft picks in the city of Brotherly Love. Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Ben Simmons have all became 76ers after amazing but brief college careers at three different schools respectively. Off to a 1-9 start this year, the 76ers look primed to be selecting another talented Freshmen out of college in next years loaded June's draft. With sharp shooter Nik Stauskas already on the team, Philadelphia might be able to get back to the Allen Iverson glory days one day. As ESPN's Bill Simmons would say, "this team is two years from being two years away".
New Orleans Pelicans
Don't laugh because this team is just getting started. At 2-9, like the 76ers this team will likely be picking in the Top 3 in June. In last years draft, they selected my favorite player in the draft in Buddy Hield. With a youthful supporting cast that already includes Archie Goodwin and Anthony Davis along with good college players in Solomon Hill and Terrence Jones the Pelicans are quietly following in the foot steps of other of the other three teams. With a couple more pieces, this team could be a force in a few years.
No comments:
Post a Comment