5 NBA Teams That Will Be Exposed as Title Pretenders in 2012-13

The San Antonio Spurs have been written off as title pretenders in just about every season since their first championship in 1999.

The rationale was well-worn.

The Los Angeles Lakers would prove insurmountable; the Spurs didn't have enough legitimate superstars; or, more recently, the team has just got too old.

The Boston Celtics haven't been strangers to the same kind of dismissal as of late.

It would be absurd to call either of these teams title pretenders. The Spurs came within two games of another shot at the NBA Finals in 2011-12, and the Celtics came within just 48 minutes.

That doesn't mean the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat have ushered in the dawn of a new era in the NBA, it just means they each won a really important series.

Nevertheless, there are still a few teams that are getting a lot more attention than they deserve. Their fans believe they have a real chance, but they should know better.

At the very least, they should prepare for disappointment. Here's a look at five would-be contenders that don't have what it takes to go all the way.

Indiana Pacers

There's a lot to like about the Indiana Pacers, both in terms of their potential and in terms of how they've got this far.

This team was well-built, and without the aid of a big acquisition or blockbuster trade. It's the product of patience, smart moves and solid coaching. It wouldn't be fair to describe last season as a fluke. It wasn't one.

However, that doesn't mean the Pacers are any closer to actually winning a title than they were a few months ago.

Danny Granger has already plateaued, and you know David West isn't getting any better at this point. Roy Hibbert could still improve, and Paul George is sure to have an even better season. However, it's just hard to imagine them making a big enough jump to pose a serious threat to the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics or a healthy Chicago Bulls.

The overnight makeovers of the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers could make Indiana's life even harder, and the New York Knicks have to be taken seriously now that head coach Mike Woodson is turning things around with an undeniably talented roster.

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers got better this summer, but not nearly enough to seriously scare the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs or Los Angeles Lakers.

It's one thing for a team to have some sub-par defenders, it's another when one of those guys is your second-best player. Blake Griffin will continue to get his minutes, and those minutes will continue to hurt Los Angeles on the defensive end.

For all this team's talent, these players just haven't been together for very long. This will only be the second year Chris Paul and Caron Butler have been with the team, and it's also welcoming Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill and Lamar Odom to the fold.

Furthermore, LAC isn't winning anything so long as Vinny Del Negro is coaching the team. It's like they're trying to chase Chris Paul away.

Memphis Grizzlies

Ever since the Memphis Grizzlies bested the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2011 playoffs, it's felt as though a new contender was edging its way into the pack.

That feeling only got stronger as Memphis began rolling through the league's best teams last season, proving game after game that it could hang with just about anyone. That will probably remain the case, but it probably won't be enough to get past the first or second round.

As solid as this starting lineup is, there's just something wrong with how this team is built. Something that doesn't work. Perhaps it's the fact that half the roster has the instincts of a defensively-minded, up-tempo crew, while the painted area is consistently manned by plodding big men like Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph.

Perhaps head coach Lionel Hollins just doesn't know how to get the most out of the wildly talented Rudy Gay. 

Maybe a backcourt of Mike Conley and Tony Allen just doesn't allow for enough playmaking.

Either way, we can at least hope the Grizzlies give us another exciting seven-game series. Their first-round battle against the Los Angeles Clippers was almost epic.

Brooklyn Nets

With Joe Johnson, a full season of Gerald Wallace and a healthy Brook Lopez, the Brooklyn Nets will indeed be a vastly improved team.

Unfortunately, that's just not saying very much. The Nets were terrible last year, and they still have some serious problems. 

Outside of Gerald Wallace, this team's defense will be mediocre at best. Deron Williams hasn't defended in years, and Brook Lopez has never done more than block a few shots (which, at his size, he should be able to do purely by accident).

However, the Nets could simply outscore everyone, right? Don't they have enough offense now?

If every contest were played in the half-court, sure. However, the Nets' two best scorers like to hold the ball and work in isolation. This isn't a unit that will run the fast-break especially well, so don't expect them to push tempo and score enough to make up for the defensive deficit.

Brooklyn will make the playoffs, and it might have enough to get to the second round. However, that's where it stops, at least this season.

New York Knicks

I'd really like to be proven wrong on this one.

The New York Knicks have flirted with greatness (or at least real improvement) for a while now, and this season will be an incredibly important measure of how close they are to actually contending.

NYC will have an intriguing bench thanks to the additions of defensive specialists Marcus Camby and Ronnie Brewer.

It will also have a one-two punch at the point that could really go either way. If Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton can put together decent seasons, the Knicks could very well upset a contender in the playoffs.

Having said that, they'll probably have to upset more than just one.

As tempting as it is to get excited about Iman Shumpert's second season, a rededicated Amar'e Stoudemire and a Carmelo Anthony fresh off dominating the Summer Olympics, it just seems like something is bound to go wrong with this club. 

Even the staunchest NYC fans have to have that feeling in their stomach that's presumably become somewhat commonplace when it comes to their beloved Knicks.