NBA Teams with Best Chances of Escaping Rebuilding Cycle in 2013-14

It is a term no fan ever wants to hear their coach or GM use.

Rebuilding.

Rebuilding is what the Cleveland Browns have been up to for 15 years. It is the equivalent of throwing in the towel, of submitting to loss after loss with nothing for the fanbase to look forward to until draft day.

Devoted fans of these rebuilding franchises must partake in abuse from friends, particularly those friends of developed, more win-now-oriented franchises.

These friends do not know the pain or, better yet, the true glory that comes from such unwavering devotion.

The rebuilding years are where true fans emerge and parties willing to jump ship are happily accepted, as there is usually plenty of room on a bandwagon heading to rebuilding town.

The best part is, in most cases, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Three NBA franchises have done enough this offseason (and the offseasons before now) that they are now poised to make a strong playoff push.

Nothing is better than being that surprise team ESPN and other media conglomerates begin to adore once it's time to analyze which new up-and-coming team could make some noise in the playoffs.

Last year, it was the Golden State Warriors, led by emerging star Steph Curry and a slew of other young pieces that came together just at the right time.

These three franchises have similar emerging stars, as well as some incoming free agents who should be able to take them over the top in 2013-14.

Here are those teams.

Cleveland Cavaliers

2012-13 Record: 24-58

I will resist the urge to mention the NBA’s best player when talking about a Cavaliers’ successful rebuilding effort. Also, sorry about that shot at the Browns on the first slide.

Developing Youth

The real reason Cleveland escaped the chain-like grip of rebuilding mode was some good luck in the lottery process. The NBA’s system of determining what teams pick at the top of the first round netted the Cavaliers four picks in the top four of the past three drafts, including two No. 1 overall selections.

They hit the nail on the head when they kicked off the 2011 draft with the selection of Kyrie Irving, a bona fide NBA star.

The Dion Waiters pick a year later yielded 14.1 points per game for Cleveland, as the Syracuse grad turned in a solid rookie year.

Paired with the two highest-drafted Canadian players in history—Anthony Bennett and Tristan Thompson—Cleveland has drafted a young core that is developing nicely. Irving, Thompson and Waiters all averaged double figures in 2012-13, and 2013’s No. 1 overall selection will be expected to do the same in his first season.

The rebuilding project could have stopped there. Those four players, all of whom were drafted in 2011 or more recently, make a quality starting five along with Anderson Varejao.

Free-Agent Additions

Adding Andrew Bynum to that mix, the Cavaliers took it one step further and found a big man who can dominate when needed.

Bynum is still 25 years old, and though his knees are a bit older than that, the excitement that comes with a finished rebuilding effort could be enough to motivate the seven-footer to play more than the 57 games a season he averaged from 2008-2012.

Varejao has been no stranger to the injury bug either, playing in just 81 games the past three seasons.

These two big men will be crucial to Cleveland reaching the playoffs. Though Tristan Thompson and Anthony Bennett can pick up some of the rebounding slack, Varejao and Bynum are far superior rebounders than their Canadian teammates.

Cleveland’s other notable offseason signing, multitalented guard Jarret Jack, adds quality depth to the Cavalier backcourt.

Jack’s presence should allow Irving the opportunity to play on the offensive end without bringing the ball up the court. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket was a big part of the Golden State Warriors' emergence as a breakout team a year ago.

Emerging Star: Kyrie Irving

The ex-Warrior should perform a similar service for his new team. If Irving emerges in the way Steph Curry did a year ago, Jack could develop a role as the guy you bring in to get your star guard to the next level.

Whether he achieves this new nickname or not, the Cavaliers are doing this project right. As Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Grant Hughes mentions in a recent article on NBA rebuilding projects, the Cavaliers have avoided “the dreaded middle” and restocked through the draft.

Unlike the NFL, where gradual and end-of-year improvement typically points to the end of a rebuilding era, the key in the NBA is admitting that the playoffs are not part of the plan some seasons.

The Cavaliers gutted house after LeBron’s departure and now could be reaping the benefits. Expect a big improvement from last year’s 24-58 record.

Prediction: 44-38, No. 6 in the East

Detroit Pistons

2012-13 Record: 29-53

For a franchise that reached the playoffs every year from 2001-2009, success has not been a recent theme in Detroit.

The Issue

The long-term sustainability the Pistons experienced during the Ben Wallace and Chauncey Billups era of the early 2000s screams of an eventual need to rebuild.

Nevertheless, it has been a slow process since 2009 for president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and company. Unlike the Cavaliers, who were forced to rebuild after the loss of one player, Detroit’s aging core of mid-2000’s stars faded down the stretch, similar to what many casual NBA fans believed would happen to the San Antonio Spurs the past few seasons.

Obviously, today’s Spurs did not mirror the decline of those Pistons in any way.

Recreating the legendary starting five that dominated the Eastern Conference throughout the aforementioned years would be difficult and unlikely to be the 2013-14 step of what Dumars called the “long road” to building championships in a July 11 ESPN article.

Free-Agent Additions

One step was bringing back Billups on a two-year, $5 million deal.

Billups is well past his prime and joins an already crowded backcourt. He does, however, provide a link to the glory days and a familiarity with the city of Detroit.

These glory days may be closer than Dumars and the Pistons believe. After the Pistons managed to sign one of the crown jewels of the free-agent market to a four-year deal, ex-Atlanta Hawk Josh Smith, things are starting to fall into place for the team that finished with the same lowly record as the Washington Wizards a year ago.

Smith is talented on both ends of the floor, and though Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated acknowledged the forward’s tendency to settle for too many threes, there is no doubting the athleticism Smith brings to the 3.

As for the guard positions, the departure of Jose Calderon does leave a little bit of room in the backcourt. Calderon did not resign with the team after being acquired in a midseason trade, and in turn, Billups could see some time at both guard spots while competing with Brandon Knight and Rodney Stuckey.

Developing Youth

Once Andre Drummond graduated summer league play due to his dominance, it became more and more clear to Piston fans exactly the kind of frontcourt they may have next year in Detroit.

Once the hard-working, ready-to-breakout Drummond is playing alongside Greg Monroe, who knows what the two will be capable of? Monroe, a Georgetown alum, put up excellent numbers a year ago, averaging 16.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.

Numbers like that put Monroe in the same company as another former Georgetown center, Roy Hibbert, who helped carry his Pacers team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012-13.

Coupled with Drummond, the two youngsters (both under 24 years of age) have the potential to become the best frontcourt in Detroit history. The two offer more on both ends of the floor than the more one-dimensional playing styles o Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace. Additionally, both offer the kind of scoring in the paint any team looking to rebuild covets. The high-percentage looks Detroit should see because of their skills will open up the outside for some of Detroit’s more perimeter-oriented offensive threats.

Those two twin towers lay the framework for a huge improvement in wins. Some inconsistency remains in the backcourt, but if Knight and Stuckey can distribute the ball to what looks to be the most athletic and up-and-coming frontcourt in the Eastern Conference, the Pistons and head coach Maurice Cheeks could be the most improved team in the NBA.

Even if this improvement is not seen early on offense, expect it to be obvious on the defensive side of the ball.

Prediction: 46-36, No. 5 in the East

New Orleans Pelicans

2012-13 Record: 27-55

Since losing Chris Paul, New Orleans has struggled to stay relevant in the NBA.

It has been two years, however, and the 2013 Pelicans roster is now quite talented. While I do not believe they will make the 2013-14 playoffs, their rebuilding project took a big step forward on the most recent draft day. The team with the newest NBA nickname is taking shape and could be a threat to finish in the top eight following next season.

Great Trades and Developing Studs      

The Pelicans are one team that managed to assemble the majority of its roster through trades.

This method began by sending Chris Paul to the Clippers in 2011 for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman and Al-Farouq Aminu, a move that also sent New Orleans immediately into rebuilding mode.

Though Kaman is no longer with the team, Gordon and Aminu remain two of its core players. Gordon led New Orleans in scoring a year ago with 17 points per game, as the Indiana product remains a solid three-point scorer. Furthermore, Aminu’s 6’7’’ frame, 7’3’’ wingspan and tremendous athleticism make him one of the most effective defensive players in the NBA.

Although they lost one of the best players in the NBA in Paul, New Orleans experienced solid returns on their trade, thanks in part to a questionable move by David Stern involving a blocked trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.

This past offseason, the Pelicans have pulled off two trades that will give them as talented a backcourt as the one they had throughout the Chris Paul era.

After picking Nerlens Noel at No. 6 overall and allowing NBA fans to dream of the block-fest that would ensue from Noel and another ex-Kentucky Wildcat, Anthony Davis, manning the post in New Orleans for the next 10 years, the Pelicans made another quick move. They disregarded the fact that Nerlens sounds exactly like New Orleans, and sent the expected No. 1 overall pick to Philadelphia for 2012-13 All-Star Jrue Holiday.

Holiday is a proven commodity and should help New Orleans right away.

A few days after the draft, a three team sign-and-trade netted the Pelicans Tyreke Evans, a former NBA Rookie of the Year and versatile player who can play 1-3 for any team. He will fit in best as a 3 in New Orleans.

The Pelicans sent Greivis Vasquez, who was developing into an excellent point guard in his own right, to Sacramento in the trade along with Robin Lopez. Lopez leaves an even bigger void in the lineup since Holiday can easily take over the point guard duties.

What’s Left to Do?

This star backcourt of Holiday, Gordon and Evans is enough to compete with even the best backcourts of the always-competitive Western Conference.

When this Big Three is paired with 2012 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, the Pelicans will absolutely be in win-now mode.

The one hole on the roster remains at center.

Though the Pelicans picked up former Kansas center Jeff Withey in the Tyreke Evans trade, the 7'0" Withey is no one’s ideal day-one starting center.

According to CBS sports’ Matt Moore, New Orleans is one of a few teams actively pursuing free-agent center Greg Oden.

Oden has yet to live up to his No. 1 overall pick status, but at least he would have something in common with Anthony Davis and would provide New Orleans with the big body it needs down low to stay on pace in the West.

If Oden does not work out, the Pelicans added Greg Stiemsma to help out down low and fill the void left by Robin Lopez.

Overall, this Pelicans team looks very interesting going forward. Despite the inevitable difficulties that should come with being named the Pelicans, this New Orleans team may be able to compete with fringe playoff squads in the Western Conference like the Lakers, Mavericks and Jazz.

Prediction: 43-39, No. 8 in Western Conference (just sneaking into the playoffs)