Changing of the guard? Lots of elite teams will regress next year

For the Spurs, it's been 5 seasons since they had a crack at the NBA Finals.

Celtics are showing their age. Allen, Pierce, and Garnett are getting worse and may retire. In the 2nd-4th season from now, they will be 1st round playoff fodder with 40 year old KG and Allen. The Celtics' last retooling from the Larry Bird era took 22 years, before they won another ring. They are a 2nd-3rd round playoff team for next season.

 

Depending on what they do with their offseason, I think they could be a bubble team.

 

Definitely is the end of the KG/Duncan/Kobe/Dirk dominant era. Not that those guys will go into the sunset without a fight, but the writing is on the gym wall - relatively new blood is rising to the top. If those teams - Spurs, Celts, Lakes, Mavs - can add fresh new great talent, they can still stick around the elite sector. If not, it's a down-slide for them.

I was looking forward to a Celtics/Spurs final as a Finale to the end of that era. KG vs. TD. Ginobli vs Allentown. Parker vs. Rondo. They're all watching now. The Celts and Spurs didn't have more than a couple games of maximum heroics in them for each of their Conf Finals serieses. And the Heat and OKC didn't crumble when trailing in the series.

 

I feel Boston's time as a legitimate contender could be over. Garnett, Allen and Pierce have really been showing their age lately and they havent been able to place the same level of young talent around them besides Rondo the way the Spurs have with their aging stars.

The Spurs I believe still have a good shot but I think they'll be in the second round of the playoffs for sure and possibly in the WCF again next season but it may take a bit of luck for them to advance to the Finals again (ie: westbrook being hurt, durant out etc)

Dallas: I think they are also playoff but not contender anymore as well unless they do get Williams and Howard or one of the two. But if they return next season with the same core and no major shakeups they may squeeze in again as a lower seed and then get bounced.

Lakers: They have no bench, the have no real PG and their big men do not compliment as well as they should and Kobe is getting older and really showing his age. Like the Spurs I think they can make it to the finals again but it may require some luck unless some crazy trade happens and they are infused with some younger talent to fill their bench and their starting lineup.


teams on the rise:
Wolves: If Rubio and Love are healthy with Pekovic coming on now and a real coach in Adelman they'll be playoff bound sooner than later, they were on pace this year until rubio got hurt.

GS: I actually like their team now a lot will depend on Bogut's health (always a big if) but they are quite balanced now and will have another young player joining them and if Mark Jackson can get them out of running and gunning all the time (which they aren't anymore with the players on that team) but they maybe like first round fodder until they get some experience

Jazz: they made the playoffs late this year and they have some young big guys that may only improve, oddly enough the thing the Jazz need is a PG (harris isnt that good) something they've never needed. Its a shame Sloan isnt there anymore its hard for me to really hate this Jazz team without Sloan there - I mean I still hate them but its not the same level of hate.

Blazers: if Alridge is healthy with their capspace and the picks they have in this years draft they can be back real quick. I wish the Rockets were like the Blazers in that they quickly embraced tanking


teams in limbo:
clippers: they did well but Griffin and Jordan havent really improved the way I would have liked them to and they have a lot of contracts up this year and will Sterling pony up the $ the keep that team together -- I can actually see them becoming the 2nd biggest threat in the west but I feel their ownership is going to lead them back into the bottom soon enough.

Rockets: yeah totally in limbo not going into this

Hornets: they quit last year but had some life but Gordon coming back and with the team they have they arent too bad but if Davis is legit they can leap frog a lot of teams. Kaman and Gordon being healthy (unless Kaman is a FA) can benefit the team alone

Nuggets: They did pretty well last year but I think they are a better version of what the Rockets tried to do -- win without stars -- but that isnt going to happen in the NBA today. They may contend for the playoffs but they arent really going to go anywhere

Grizz: If they can move Gay and focus on the Conley/Randolph/Gasol trio I think they can be a legit team in the west, randolph being hurt last season hurt but it is not going to be easy to move Gay with his contract. But if Gay can buy in to being a 3rd/4th option they can be the 2nd best team in the west IMO, but I dont think he will


teams that will still suck:
Kings

teams that wont suck
Thunder

 

Lakers have a chance if they deal Bynum for DWill or something like that. I doubt trading Gasol can get good return in the market.