Warriors - they have so much youth and so much talent they're gonna have a hard time deciding who to start next year
I'd agree if they were in the East. Having to play 16 games against the Rockets, Spurs, Mavs, and Hornets, along with the rest of the West, would mean they'd have to vastly improve their roster to even consider .500.
Bobcats, Knicks and Pacers. Pacers have beaten the elite teams countless times, and it is no surprise they could end up being a playoff team killer. Bobcats have great talent ready to show in the east, but Knicks will be most interesting, The knicks don't have the best of talents, but they have the best of young, coachable players. I like to see what D'Antoni can make with this team.
There's a lot of promising talent in the league, but I don't think anyone is going to make too significant a jump. I just don't see many of the top teams declining enough for anyone else to get their foot in the door. At the very least though, next year should be exciting in the East as there will probably be up to 12 teams capable of landing a playoff spot. If I have to pick: East - Indiana, Charlotte, Milwaukee, maybe Washington West - Oklahoma City, maybe Minnesota and Memphis
Currently Phoenix has the fewest number of balls (5) in the lottery. They are likely to be drafting at 15 and won't get an impact player for next year. They traded away their 2010 1st round pick. They are over the luxury tax and their management team wants to get under it. That means giving away talent for salary cap room. Rumors in Phoenix say they want to do something like Shaq for Ben Wallace. Shaq goes to a team in contention. Phoenix gets under the luxury tax. Phoenix is unofficially in the rebuilding mode. They won't really anounce it. I would think they will be in the decline for two to four years before remolding the team.
New Jersey Nets - If they acquire, a few more skilled players and stay healthy, I don't see why they can't jump up into the middle playoff picture, next year. Washington Wizards - Again, if healthy with a great pick, they should be a solid playoff team. Phoenix Suns - I think this was a down year for them, but as long as they Stoudemire or Nash...the Suns will be somewhat competitive. If they had Stoudemire, this year. They probably would be 4th to 6th seed right about now. Golden State Warriors - Too much talent to falter, next year.
The team that gets Blake Griffin (probably Sac-town, or The Wiz). Thunder (Durant will SO beast it up next year). Pacers need another piece, as Granger can't do it all by himself. My picks, from most successful down: Team that gets Blake, Thunder, Bobcats, Pacers
Washington's a mess so long as they subscribe by the "3 talented individuals make a team" misconception. East's weak enough that they might make the playoffs, but that's really not saying much. If OKC get Griffin, they're going to be a handful. There's some real talent there if someone would teach them how to spell defense. The Knicks are going to be taking another step forward, but still waiting for the 2010 payoff. The Nets may have a serious sell off - no way VC lasts another year on their books. The Pacers might be alright if they get their finances straight and get a little bit more help.
Maybe if you stop counting down the days until you're a free agent and focus on winning a few games, you might.
I can't believe that Chris Bosh himself had to say this. Toronto is by far the most disappointing team this year and they are finally clicking at the totally wrong time. The Jermaine O'Neal trade was a gamble that didn't pay off, but Shawn Marion seems to work well within their system. They'll definitely be better than New York and Philadelphia next season, but will fall short of Boston. Next year is all about winning for Toronto and showing Chris Bosh that they want to keep him in 2010. I don't think that they'll trade him away, since they have pieces like Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, and Marion. They need better role players; I never liked the idea of depending on Jason Kapono off of the bench. Beyond the Raptors, I think that the Thunder are still too young, but will improve dramatically. Scott Brooks has done a fantastic job of coaching them. Indiana and Charlotte are the other two teams to make a rise, especially with Detroit in all-out tank mode and Chicago never living up to their potential. The East's cellar always seems to be a revolving door.
