One Thing Every NBA Lottery Team Must Do to Contend in 2013

Why is Kemba Walker smiling? It's because I'm about to explain how his Charlotte Bobcats and the rest of the NBA lottery teams could contend during the 2012-2013 season. 

For some teams, it's as simple as staying healthy, while it's a much more difficult proposition for others. 

But nevertheless, there are key things that each and every one of the 14 non-playoff teams in the league could do to contend for a playoff spot when the next season rolls around. 

Read on to find out what they are. 

Charlotte Bobcats

It's too obvious for me to say that the Charlotte Bobcats need to grab Anthony Davis to contend, so I'm going to use that as a launching point instead. And yes, this slide operates under the assumption that the odds play out as they should and the unibrow winds up on Michael Jordan's team. 

With Davis on board, the Bobcats will have an intriguing collection of young talent and a squad that's certainly capable of making drastic improvements following their ignominious record-setting 2011-2012 season. 

But the key to improvement is going to be remaining patient and giving the young guys plenty of opportunities and long leashes. 

Kemba Walker showed moments of brilliance on offense during his rookie season while Bismack Biyombo did the same on defense. And we all know how good Davis can be. 

All young players have struggles, so the key is going to be sticking with those young men while they try to get their games back on track. 

Cleveland Cavaliers

For Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers, it's all about having a successful draft and pairing some more young players with the other good ones on the Cleveland roster.

You could make an argument that Irving's play merited a spot as a reserve on the All-Star team, and it wouldn't be too much of a stretch, so it's reasonable to expect him to possibly make the team as a sophomore floor general.

Tristan Thompson, the other big rookie for the Cavs, struggled throughout much of the year but did show signs of promise and should continue to improve during his second year out of Texas. He and Anderson Varejao could form a dynamic duo in the frontcourt.

But Cleveland is overloaded with picks in the 2012 NBA draft and could very well add a few more solid rotation members. They currently own the No. 3 (assuming the lottery balls bounce correctly), No. 24, No. 33 and No. 34 picks. 

In my latest mock draft, I had the Cavs adding Bradley Beal, Arnett Moultrie, Festus Ezeli and Will Barton. You can't possibly argue that the addition of those guys wouldn't help significantly. 

Detroit Pistons

If the Detroit Pistons are going to somehow make it back to the playoffs, they're going to have to do so through the talents of Greg Monroe, even if that means getting rid of veterans like Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon who are no longer consistently helping the team. 

Monroe is an incredible offensive big man who's still developing his defensive game. Once he learns how to avoid the outstretched arms of opposing centers and stop getting "Spalding" tattooed into his forehead, he's going to be able to average 20 points per game with ease and firmly establish himself as the third-best player at his position. 

But the beauty of the former Georgetown Hoya's game is that his passing ability is simply insane. Rarely will you find players almost seven feet tall who can find any and all open teammates, no matter where they are on the court. 

The Pistons are going to have some intriguing options to consider in the draft and in free agency, but Joe Dumars and company are going to have to make sure they consider how the players will mesh with their franchise player. 

Golden State Warriors

For the Golden State Warriors, it may be as simple as staying healthy. There's a good amount of talent on this roster, and they were hanging around the edge of the Western Conference playoff line during the early portions of the season.

The problem is that it's quite difficult for this team to remain healthy. Stephen Curry's ankles are made of glass, and Andrew Bogut's entire body might be made of similar material. 

But when they're playing together on the court, scary things could happen. Curry is an incredible offensive talent, and Bogut is always one of the best defensive big men in the league when he's actually on the court. The former Milwaukee Buck may actually be able to bring a newfound defensive identity to Mark Jackson's squad. 

If Klay Thompson can continue to play like he did at the end of the season, and Curry, Bogut and David Lee all play the majority of the games in the season, this could very well be a playoff squad. 

Houston Rockets

One of the things that made the Houston Rockets a team that could be in position to choke away a playoff spot was the depth of the roster. Maintaining that depth is key if Houston is going to be playing into May next season. 

Only three players on the roster are going to be eligible to leave in free agency, but Daryl Morey needs to do everything he can to get them to stay. Restricted free-agent Courtney Lee isn't as big a priority as the two unrestricted free agents though. 

Less crucial to the team's success is going to be Marcus Camby, but the aging defensively oriented big man is still a constant double-double threat and a great backup center.

Finding a way to get Goran Dragic to stay would do wonders for the team as he and Kyle Lowry would form one of the league's best one-two punches at the point guard position. 

This team may not have a true star, but keeping the depth of the roster should be enough to make up for it. 

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have more than enough talent to make the playoffs, but they will have to learn how to play together quickly. 

Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings are both talented scorers, more than talented in fact, but each of the two guards has the tendency to start calling his own number a little bit too often and look away from open teammates. 

The Bucks will not be successful if they take turns standing in the corners and watching as Ellis and Jennings alternate running the offense through isolation plays. But if they can learn how to make their points come within the flow of the offense while involving the bigs, anything could happen. 

While contending is a serious stretch for many of the teams featured in this article, Fearing the Deer could very well happen once more during the 2012-2013 season. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

I realize this is the second time I've used health as a key, but I promise it'll be the last. 

Really though, that's all there is to it for the Minnesota Timberwolves—a young team that should continue to improve simply as a result of gaining more experience. 

Up until the torn ACL by Ricky Rubio, the Spanish sensation at point guard who appeared to be Pete Maravich reincarnated at scoring points throughout the first half of the season, the T'Wolves were actually contending for a playoff spot. No, David Kahn did not quit, and no, the world is not coming to an end (yet). 

If Rubio had stayed healthy and continued to improve during his rookie season while playing alongside Kevin Love, there's no telling what would have happened. 

Assuming all of the key players remain healthy, this team needs to seriously be considered as a potential playoff squad. 

New Jersey Nets

If the New Jersey Nets are going to leave the futility behind them and make the move to Brooklyn a successful one, they're going to have to convince their players to make the move with them. 

The only members of the team who have guaranteed contracts right now are MarShon Brooks, Anthony Morrow, Johan Petro and Jordan Williams. That's not exactly a lineup that will scare anyone. Hell, it's not even a full lineup!

Gerald Green, Kris Humphries, Damion James and DeShawn Stevenson are all unrestricted free agents while Brook Lopez and Sundiata Gaines will test the market via the restricted route. Jordan Farmar, Gerald Wallace and Deron Williams all have player options. 

There's a solid chance that the Nets could return less than half of their 2012-2013 team. I guess that could be a good thing though. 

As you can probably tell, I'm not particularly optimistic about the Nets' chances next year. 

New Orleans Hornets

If the New Orleans Hornets are going to make any noise at all in the Western Conference, they're going to need a star player. 

They had that in Chris Paul before he was shipped off to Los Angeles not once, but twice. The star in return was supposed to be Eric Gordon, but a knee injury sidelined the young shooting guard for the majority of the 2011-2012 season. 

Now, Gordon is a restricted free agent, but if Dell Demps can convince him to return, he could absolutely become that star that the Hornets so desperately need. 

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns very nearly made the playoffs this season thanks to one of the finest regular seasons that Steve Nash has put together in his storied career. 

Without Nash, I'm just not sure what kind of season the team can put together. After all, the second- and third-best players in the desert are Marcin Gortat and Jared Dudley, respectively. If you think you can make the playoffs with those two "stars," you're absolutely off your rocker.

For Phoenix, it's all about hitting the jackpot in the lottery. If they can somehow beat the odds and add a top-three prospect (Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist or Thomas Robinson), then they'll have something to work around. 

If not, they'll be left hoping that they find a diamond in the rough during the back end of the lottery. I have the Suns drafting Kendall Marshall at No. 13 in my most recent mock draft, but that's by no means an immediate fix. 

The Suns just need to remain patient and hope to get lucky at this point, or else, it's going to be a long rebuilding process. 

Portland Trail Blazers

Besides re-signing Nicolas Batum and J.J. Hickson, who are both restricted free agents, the Portland Trail Blazers just need to hope that everything doesn't go wrong again. 

After Brandon Roy had to retire prematurely, and Greg Oden was knocked out for the season once more, Murphy's Law couldn't help but take over for the Blazers. 

But despite a season of mishaps and misfortunes, optimism should reign supreme out West for this team. Batum and Hickson are both high-upside players who haven't met their potential yet and the same could be said about Wesley Matthews, who failed to make 2011-2012 the breakout season many expected. 

Portland needs to find a point guard (cough Damian Lillard cough) and a center, either in the draft or in free agency, but even one more part to pair with LaMarcus Aldridge and the aforementioned players could make this team more than just a fringe contender in the Western Conference. 

Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings have a ton of talent on their roster, they just need to figure out how to piece it all together. 

Right now, the backcourt is absolutely loaded with talent. Tyreke Evans is not too far removed from his historic rookie season, Marcus Thornton is breaking out as a scorer, Isaiah Thomas went from Mr. Irrelevant to actually being relevant and Jimmer Fredette is still brimming over with unrealized potential. 

That, paired with DeMarcus Cousin prowling the paint, should actually give the Kings some hope. 

The problem was that the Kings consistently showed us what could happen when multiple basketball black holes play together—lots and lots of losses. 

Learning how to play together and continuing to give young players opportunities is the only way for Geoff Petrie's team to get better. 

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors managed to finish 14th in defense rating last season but only 29th in offensive rating, so it's the offense that is going to have to take a leap forward. 

That makes improvements in efficiency for DeMar DeRozan vital, as well as the continued offensive outputs of Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon. An immediate impact from incoming rookie Jonas Valanciunas would be nice as well. 

Drafting someone like Harrison Barnes would do wonders for this squad, but each and every member of the team needs to spend the lengthy offseason in the gym practicing their shots over and over again. 

Washington Wizards

The only way that there's going to be any success in the nation's capitol is if the Washington Wizards can afford becoming a dysfunctional squad again. 

Between JaVale McGee's antics and the team's overall lack of established talent, it seemed as though John Wall's team was in the news for the wrong reason more often than the right one. 

But don't get me wrong, there's no shortage of talent wearing red, white and blue.

Wall hasn't broken onto the scene quite yet and has been a disappointment through the first two years of his NBA career, but he's still only 21 years old and has plenty of time to make good on his massive potential. He's not the only intriguing young player on the team though.

Jan Vesely still has a lot of upside and should do wonders in justifying his lottery-pick status once he gets to play a full season while fully healthy. Then there's also Trevor Booker, Jordan Crawford and Chris Singleton, who could all improve quite a bit as well.

With Nene Hilario holding down the paint and an incoming pick that's likely to be in the top three, avoiding dysfunction is going to be key for the Wizards.