NBA Playoffs 2012: The State of Each Eliminated Team

The NBA season is over for the 14 playoff teams not from Oklahoma City and Miami.

Even though many of these teams had championship aspirations and fell short, they filled the 2012 postseason with gutsy performances, shocking developments, and all the drama that could have been promised for a season that was in jeopardy itself to begin with.

The teams who were eliminated are moving in a variety of directions as franchises. Some were blown out of the playoffs. Some pushed elite teams to the limit. Some series outcomes seemed inevitable until the unthinkable happened.

While the stories in the coming weeks will be all about the two teams left standing, here is a brief look at each eliminated team: where they are trending as an organization and what moves they can be expected to make in the offseason based on this season's results.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz sneaked into the Western Conference playoffs as the No. 8 seed, but were overmatched against the San Antonio Spurs to begin with.

The team has a formidable front line with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, who played to his new contract in the regular season but struggled mightily in the playoffs.

While both those players are only 27, the Jazz also acquired Derrick Favors in the Deron Williams trade, and he came on strong at the end of the season.

Although he struggled shooting in the playoffs, the 20-year-old Favors nearly averaged a double-double, and looks to be on his way toward playing to his potential as the 2010 No. 3 overall draft pick.

Beyond that, though, the Jazz need serious help.

While Devin Harris is a solid point guard, it is unclear whether he is really worth over $9 million per season. Gordon Hayward is the only other promising wing or perimeter player beyond Harris.

Josh Howard is 32 and does not seem interested anymore, based on his massive dip in numbers the past three seasons. He tore his ACL in February 2010 after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Washington Wizards, and has not been the same player since.

With only one pick in the draft in the middle of the second round, look for the Jazz to bolster its perimeter personnel to help improve the team's backcourt or upgrade at small forward.

The Jazz should be aggressive in free agency as well to fill some of these needs.

New York Knicks

After a quick five-game exit in the first round at the hands of the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, it was unclear what direction the team would go in with the coaching staff or its roster.

With the team signing Mike Woodson to an extension, the coaching situation is stabilized.

The team chemistry, though, is not. Injuries to Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and the emergent Jeremy Lin for various stretches of the lockout-shortened season did not allow the team to consistently gel.

They went on a remarkable run with Lin in the starting lineup, but his spectacular play eventually dipped. With Lin being a restricted free agent, the Knicks' front office has a big decision to make.

Either a sign-and-trade or keeping Lin is probably the best option, since older veterans Baron Davis and Mike Bibby are not very viable starting point guards in the league today.

Apparently, Woodson agrees. Despite the fact that Lin has not signed yet, he named him the team's starting point guard.

Tyson Chandler and Stoudemire have the frontcourt covered, but the Knicks will be looking for Josh Harrellson to step up in his second year to provide more of a spark coming off the bench.

The Knicks only have the 48th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, so keeping Lin should be a priority since there is not much of an answer for a point guard on the roster.

Unless the team thinks it can lure Steve Nash, there probably is not an upgrade at the position to be found.

The needs the Knicks should address is adding depth at point guard and at center to help out Chandler, and any sort of defense it can find, because offensively they are a very explosive squad especially from the perimeter.

Dallas Mavericks

The defending NBA champions' defense of their title was short-lived.

The Mavs were swept in the first round by a hungry Oklahoma City Thunder team that has thrust its way to the finals.

Kelenna Azubuike and Brian Cardinal are the only players on the roster that are not former first-round draft choices, but all of these players are at various stages of their careers, and most are on the decline.

Lamar Odom was their big free agent acquisition, and he bounced around the D-League at one point in the season.

Thirty-nine-year-old Jason Kidd will retire unless he gets paid in free agency, according to Sports Illustrated basketball writer Chris Mannix.

Jason Terry is also hitting the free agent market at age 34, and his deal could be reworked since he can still play.

Vince Carter and Shawn Marion are both aging too, and their play on the court shows it, as Carter logged the worst points per game average of his career and Marion had the worst since his rookie year.

Dirk Nowitzki is the only other older player along with Terry who is still showing signs of significant contribution for the team. Of the remaining players on the roster, most are not sure-fire NBA starters.

With one first round pick in the 2012 draft and decisions to make regarding free agents, the Mavs should save some cap room but may lose the ability to field a competitive team.

The front office should look for an upgrade at small forward, shooting guard, or point guard to plug the void left by the decline of Carter and Marion, and the potential departures of Kidd and Terry.

A one-stop fix for point guard issues would be Deron Williams, but it would likely mean letting most of the veterans walk.

That might not be a bad thing, though, and the Mavs could address the shooting guard/small forward concern with the No. 17 pick. Perhaps Kentucky's Terrence Jones, as NBAdraft.net projects may happen.

Orlando Magic

After a disappointing 4-2 exit in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals to an upstart Indiana Pacers squad, head coach Stan Van Gundy got the ax.

It is unclear who the next coach will be, and it is unclear if Dwight Howard is going to stay with the team long-term.

The roster is fairly young across the board, and whether the Magic just needed to hear a "new voice" in the huddle or on the court remains to be seen. What does have to change is the team's defense.

As explosive as the Magic can be when hitting three-pointers, the offense lives and dies by the jump shot too often.

Even when the ball is going in a ton from beyond the arc, the misses still lead to more fast-break opportunities for opponents, and Howard cannot run the length of the floor every time in transition situations to get back on defense.

What the Magic could really use is a stellar interior scorer. Someone who has an arsenal of post moves and can operate in the paint, as well as pass when double-teamed, would be so valuable.

Not only would a power forward with that skill set give Magic shooters more clean looks, but it would also bring something to the table that Howard has not developed at all: passing from the post.

Jordan Hill would be a wonderful fit, but he has a pending felony assault investigation. Kris Humphries might be worth a look, or the team could grab a power forward with the 18th overall pick such as Baylor's Perry Jones.

One player at power forward will not fix the team, but the Magic will hope to find new life with a new coach and an upgrade on its interior offense and perimeter defense to improve its position in the East in 2012-13.

Regardless, the team better make smart moves and sell the new coach before Howard opts out of his contract this summer.

Denver Nuggets

The franchise came within one game of advancing out of the first round for the first time in three years, but fell short in Game 7 against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The heart the team showed in pushing the Lakers to seven games after being in a 3-1 hole, as well as the depth of the roster are reasons Denver should be optimistic about its future.

Re-signing JaVale McGee would be a great move, and aging point guard Andre Miller is the only other pending free agent.

The roster is deep across the board, although an upgrade at small forward would certainly help matters.

McGee will probably demand enough money to equalize Miller's contract being off the books, so the best bet to upgrade would not be to spend on a big-name free agent such as Gerald Wallace.

Rather, the team should draft somebody like Vanderbilt-product Jeffery Taylor, a solid all-around player with four years of college basketball under his belt who could come in and start right away.

Possessing two second-round picks, value can be had for a backup point guard behind Ty Lawson.

The Nuggets should have a solid team next season with more playoff experience under its belt and plenty of players on the roster ready to break out into perennial All-Stars, led by Lawson, Arron Afflalo, and Kenneth Faried.

Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks are stuck in neutral, and arguably took a step back this season losing to the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

The games were competitive, and they were playing without All-Star center Al Horford for much of the season, but it just does not seem like the Hawks have a team built for long-term contention in the Eastern Conference.

While the nucleus of Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, and Horford is a solid foundation to build around, it is difficult to tell whether the explosive Josh Smith will ever harness his talents and morph into the player he was expected to be. He could be dangled as trade bait if he cannot show more consistency.

Beyond that, if Kirk Hinrich can be re-signed, that would be huge for depth off the bench, something the Hawks have not had much of after Jamal Crawford's departure. Tracy McGrady gave solid minutes last season, but is not nearly the player he once was and is a free agent entering his 14th year.

The obvious need is offensive firepower from the perimeter, whether off the bench or in the starting lineup. The team had the sixth-best defensive unit in terms of points allowed without Horford, so that should not be a huge concern.

Khris Middleton (Texas A&M) or John Jenkins (Vanderbilt) might be good fits for the squad in the late first round of this year's draft.

Nick Young and O.J. Mayo would be logical fits in free agency, although Mayo is a restricted free agent.

Regardless, it always seems the Hawks are one or two players away. If they can pick up some offense this offseason and continue playing defense at a high level, they could move in the direction of building a long-term contender in the East.

Memphis Grizzlies

The injuries to valuable bigs Darrell Arthur and Zach Randolph early in the season, and also the return of Rudy Gay, drastically changed the dynamic of the 2010-11 team that made the Western Conference semifinals.

A disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games put a bitter cap on a frustrating season that fell short of expectations that labeled the team as a serious contender in the West.

With Randolph hoping to remain healthy for the entire season to start alongside Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies will still have one of the best frontcourts in the NBA, and can possess valuable depth if they retain restricted free agents Arthur and Marreese Speights.

The Grizzlies need depth in the backcourt, especially with O.J. Mayo potentially leaving in free agency. One wildcard is Lester Hudson, who went on a scoring rampage for a short stretch for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season but was waived and picked up by Memphis to finish out the season.

Expect the franchise to come back refreshed and reload for a run at the Western Conference title next season if it can stay healthy, and as long as it can pick up another role player at the 2 or 3.

Chicago Bulls

What else can be said? In the opening round of the playoffs, a devastating knee injury to Derrick Rose in Game 1 resulted in Chicago never finding their groove against a scrappy Philadelphia 76ers team that ousted the top-seeded Bulls 4-2.

The Bulls won the Eastern Conference in the regular season, and were in a great position to make a championship run, but were simply struck by horrifically bad luck in the last two minutes of a game that was well in hand.

The one position that could use an upgrade in the starting lineup is power forward. Carlos Boozer had his lowest points and rebound totals since his rookie season.

Even if there is no price suitable for an immediate upgrade, the Bulls have a team built for championship runs for the foreseeable future.

Thanks to the continuing development of Rose and Joakim Noah and stout defensive system that head coach Tom Thibodeau has implemented, the Bulls should not need any big time acquisitions to make a serious push for the NBA Finals next season, assuming Rose is healthy.

Los Angeles Clippers

The arrival of point guard Chris Paul instantly transformed the Clippers into a playoff team.

When Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler also joined the team, it had the makings of a sudden contender.

With Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan up front, the Clippers now had a solid starting five.

This translated to the fifth seed in the playoffs this season, despite losing Billups to a season-ending injury early on.

It is difficult to say whether this team overachieved or underachieved, especially considering the coach allegedly was losing his grip on the team throughout the course of the season.

Considering the Clips got past a favored Memphis Grizzlies team in the first round and ran into the buzz saw that was the San Antonio Spurs, the season was not so disappointing overall.

While the starting lineup was stellar, there was not much help coming from the bench save for the playoff emergence of sharpshooter Nick Young and Reggie Evans, who was a terror on the glass.

As Griffin continues his development into a more complete player, it should automatically elevate the entire team.

Re-signing Young should be a priority because the team cannot build through the draft this year.

With its only pick is at No. 53 overall, the front office must make the most of it as depth is an issue at every position on the roster even with the supposed return of Billups at the 2.

Indiana Pacers

A shocking 2-1 series lead against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals was the highlight of the season.

Even though the team lost the next three games and was eliminated, there are plenty of positives to draw on for head coach Frank Vogel's team.

The roster should face some changes in the offseason with many of its role players being free agents.

With that said, it would be wise to maintain starters George Hill and Roy Hibbert at all costs. Both are young, and Hibbert especially proved his value in the playoffs this year.

The Pacers could either use a solid backup to Hibbert or more instant offense from off the bench.

Doron Lamb (Kentucky) and Fab Melo (Syracuse) may be available at No. 26 overall if the team wanted to go either direction there.

The improvement of Paul George is the X-factor for the club moving forward.

If he can be more consistent, the Pacers could be even more dangerous than the team that was on the brink of taking a 3-1 lead on the East's current NBA Finals representative.

Los Angeles Lakers

It is difficult to tell when Kobe Bryant will finally break down and stop being so productive. In any event, he will be back next year, desperate as usual for another ring.

It is just unclear who else will be for the Lakers.

The frontcourt is in serious jeopardy. The enigmatic duo of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol constantly struggled to put consistent great games together this season.

While flashing brilliance at times, each of the seriously skilled players took turns disappearing at times.

Gasol allegedly wants out of LA, and is rumored to want a trade to the Bulls.

Bynum's option has been picked up by the Lakers for next season, but is he stable enough to remain a Laker for his prime?

Bryant's window is closing to compete for a title, so if a Gasol trade is done, it better yield some value if the Lakers hope to make one last championship push before Bryant finally decides to retire.

Ramon Sessions is the only free agent, and he proved to be a good starting option alongside Bryant in the backcourt.

The Lakers also have the last pick of the draft this year, and likely will not get a great role player at that spot.

The team desperately needs depth off of the bench especially offensively, and that should be a priority in free agency and when exploring trade options for Gasol.

It is difficult to see the Lakers improving with the current state they are in, but it is also difficult to bet against a team led by a hyper-competitive Bryant.

Philadelphia 76ers

Head coach Doug Collins has instilled a defensive identity into his team, which allowed the third-fewest points in the NBA during the regular season.

A 10-point loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals showcased hard-nosed, throwback basketball that was not always pretty to watch.

Most fascinating about the 76ers' run is that they proved teams can still play a predominantly half-court style in today's game despite rule changes to favor higher scoring.

As an No. 8 seed, the 76ers became just the fifth of its kind to knock off a No. 1 seed in the first round of the NBA playoffs. This is not the last to be heard from this shocking young team, either.

Lou Williams is the only free agent, and though he provides the most scoring off the bench, he should have plenty of incentive to come back due to the team's encouraging results in 2011-12.

It is safe to say the Sixers were the most overachieving team in the league this past season, and all they truly lack moving forward is another interior offensive presence to take it to the next level.

Enticing players to take at No. 15 in the draft would be Ohio State's Jared Sullinger or Mississippi State's Arnett Moultrie, who NBAdraft.net suggests in its mock draft, as does ESPN.com's Chad Ford.

San Antonio Spurs

Even though key players are getting older for the Spurs, they are arguably the deepest squad in the NBA.

On a 20-game winning streak heading to Oklahoma City for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs suddenly got steamrolled, losing four straight games.

This abrupt ending to the season for the regular season Western Conference champions was stunning, but its ramifications may not generate much backlash for the franchise's success next season.

Tim Duncan is a free agent, but I imagine he will be back for one more season barring some miraculous development.

Manu Ginobili is getting older, but played some of the best basketball of his career when healthy this season. Tony Parker also played fantastically this season.

So, San Antonio will still have their top three players next season, and they have a wave of promising youngsters in Kawhi Leonard, Gary Neal, and DeJuan Blair.

Danny Green started a lot this season, but is a free agent. If the Spurs can get him back, that would be ideal, but Stephen Jackson should be back and could fill in as a starter if needed.

Even if he does not play as many minutes as a typical starter, these playoffs showed that Jackson definitely still has something left in the tank, and he could slide over to the 2 next season.

Head coach Gregg Popovich juggled around his rotations so masterfully throughout this season, allowing his stars to rest when needed.

If he can continue to pull that off, Popovich could extend the careers of Duncan, Jackson, and Ginobili, and help develop youngsters through experience at a more rapid pace.

Also, the Spurs have the second-to-last pick in the draft, and whenever they have a pick, it usually turns to gold no matter where it is.

Even though most will not be paying attention when No. 59 rolls around, look for general manager R.C. Buford to snatch up a player who may play a huge role as early as next season.

The moral of this story: the Spurs next year with a vengeance; with many familiar faces motivated to deliver one more championship in the Duncan-Popovich era.

Boston Celtics

While other eliminated playoff teams have reason to be positive, prospects are looking fairly bleak in Boston.

Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are unrestricted free agents, and their salary demands have the potential to break up the Big Three.

If the Celtics hope to re-sign Brandon Bass on his player option, keeping at least one of those players—likely Garnett—would be ideal.

The team was also decimated by injuries this year, with shooting guard Avery Bradley and wing player Jeff Green both going down, Bradley in the middle of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Despite having relatively little depth, the Big Three and superstar point guard Rajon Rondo pushed the Miami Heat to the brink of elimination, grabbing a 3-2 series lead in the conference finals after three consecutive victories.

Head coach Doc Rivers said himself in the postgame press conference that he pressed all the buttons he knew how to press, but the team just did not seem to have anything left at the end of the decisive Game 7 against the Heat.

In order to limit the severity of the inevitable development stage that will follow the Big Three's exit from Boston, the front office should try to convince Allen and Garnett to sign short-term contracts. 

If the Big Three remains under contract for even one more season, along with Rondo, it could be enough to attract another big-name free agent eager for one final title push.

It would be exciting to see the Big Three try to gut it out for one more season, and see if injuries do not plague the team as much this time around.

The Celtics are one player away from being a legitimate title contender next season, perhaps the last shot it has in the Big Three era.

However, if Allen or Garnett or both do not return, expect ground to be broken on a massive rebuilding project in Boston, which very likely will not result in any improvement from this year's impressive showing.