Cheap Seats: The 12 Best Young Teams In The NBA

Now that the 2008 NBA draft is complete, it is time to look at the future of the league. With so many up-and-coming teams, it seems inevitable for the association to explode and once again become America’s most watched sport.

The most exciting part is that so many teams have the potential to be contenders. There are a handful of ‘win right now’ teams and a large majority of everybody else will be rising to the top soon enough.

I have decided to take a close look at each team in the league in terms of their young talent. The criteria I was looking at included finding players 25 years of age or younger who have the potential to become an all-star. I was very generous in the players I have listed, but was so for every team. I looked at the players from the perspective of the team’s GM, seeing only the positive qualities in them that COULD make them a star in this league.

I have included all the young teams worth mentioning on this list, and the number just so happens to be twelve. Every team listed has at least three players who are 25 or younger and have multiple star qualities. So, without further ado, here are your NBA teams of the future: 

12. Philadelphia 76ers

PG Rodney Carney

SF Andre Iguodala

SF Thaddeus Young

PF Maurice Speights

Outlook: This is a young and exciting team that could make a splash in the East immediately. With Mo Cheeks at the helm, these guys are going to play like they have nothing to lose, because they don’t. Carney and Young are really good looking players and Iguodala has already proven he’s a big time pro. If Speights pans out, this team could be good for a very long time.

What’s Needed: While they definitely have some young talent, they clearly lack the big name star. If they could somehow land that player at the shooting guard or center position, look for them to be contenders in the east. If not though, they’ll probably be relegated to being a number five seed in the playoffs for quite awhile.

11. Charlotte Bobcats

PG D.J. Augustin

SF Gerald Wallace

SF Adam Morrison

PF Emeka Okafor

Outlook: This team has some star power. I think D.J. Augustin is going to be one of the best point gaurds in the league for a long time. Don’t discount Adam Morrison just yet; he should make a good pro. Plus, Okafor is a beast, and while few may know about Mr. Wallace, the man is a monster. Under Larry Brown, this team could go places.

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