One Reason Each NBA Fanbase Can Be Legitimately Excited for 2013-14 Season

Rest assured, folks. There is plenty to be excited about with the upcoming 2013-14 NBA season.

There is often so little excitement when August turns into September every year. The summer of nice weather is drawing to a close. For some, vacations and cruises to tropical regions are finishing up. For others, school is about to be in session.

Your team is also probably finished making offseason moves.

The chances are good your baseball team has been out of real contention for a couple weeks and you've been watching third-stringers run around the gridiron for a month in exhibition games. Thanks to those crazy kids that started the Pullman Strike, most of us are at least on a three-day weekend.

On the definitive bright side, the NBA season draws closer and closer.

So, I grant you permission to crack open a pumpkin or Oktoberfest brew while following along here. September has arrived and we are allowed to enjoy those early fall beverages while finally seeking out the exciting storylines on the hoop horizon.

Happy September NBA fans, let the countdown to tip-off begin.

Atlanta Hawks

Good team flying under the radar

Over the course of 12 months, the Atlanta Hawks have lost their two most recognizable stars. Josh Smith signed a contract with the Detroit Pistons exactly 364 days after Joe Johnson was dealt to the Brooklyn Nets.

However, do the Hawks look all that worse for wear? Al Horford and Paul Millsap form a legitimately talented NBA frontcourt. Jeff Teague is a solid point guard, with Kyle Korver and, if healthy, Lou Williams providing excellent shooting on the flank.

Depth may prove to be a problem down the road, as much of their background pieces will be very young, excluding a rapidly declining Elton Brand.

Still, this team has some major talent on it and should continue to challenge that middle glob of teams in the Eastern Conference.

Backup Reason: No longer feel obligated to unconditionally root for Josh Smith.

Boston Celtics

Finally get to root for something different.

Even the staunchest Paul Pierce fan has to admit that the past few seasons were beginning to feel rather Groundhog Day-like. I feel confident in writing this, considering that that particular fan happens to be the Michael Walsh that writes for Bleacher Report.

Stories surrounding the Boston Celtics in recent summers were the same: Do the older stars have another run in them? Is it time to blow up the Big Three? Is it officially Rajon Rondo's team? Is Doc Rivers coming back? As those of you who own radios in the great state of Massachusetts know, I could go on.

So, Danny Ainge did some things this summer to shake fans out of the usual drab offseason questions. Pierce, Rivers and Kevin Garnett are gone. Brad Stevens, Kelly Olynyk, and a host of role players from the Brooklyn Nets are in Boston, and the storylines surrounding the team have changed about as dramatically as possible.

This shakeup may have made Boston worse in the short run and perhaps even the long run, but change is exciting. Boston's summer and upcoming season will be the epitome of that phrase.

Backup Reason: Your mother's reaction to seeing Kelly Olynyk on the court for the first time.

Brooklyn Nets

Filled holes on an already talented team.

The Brooklyn Nets won 49 games last season and had some pretty glaring holes. Production from the wing was a step above terrible, and their interior defense amounted to slow plodding by Brook Lopez and Reggie Evans.

Gerald Wallace shot under 40 percent while playing 30.1 minutes per game. He has been replaced by Paul Pierce and Andrei Kirilenko at small forward, a major upgrade.

A fair chunk of Evans' minutes will be going to Kevin Garnett next season. He and Kirilenko provide forwards with an actual defensive reputation.

Opponents shot 59.7 percent from within five feet against Brooklyn last season, per NBA.com. Allowing Garnett to slide back into his rangy, defensive power forward position, thanks to Lopez's center presence, will be beneficial for Brooklyn's defense.

Backup Reason: Your owner will literally stop at nothing to pay for a winning team. He is paying five guys a combined $82.2 million!

Charlotte Bobcats

Your team has a legitimate offensive force.

For all the bad press Al Jefferson's new contract has received this summer, a good player remains underneath.

Per NBA.com, the Charlotte Bobcats shot a league-low 53.8 percent from inside five feet, and a ghastly 34 percent from five to nine feet. Jefferson last season, from those ranges, shot 63.6 percent and 48.1 percent, respectively. The Bobcats simply haven't had an offensive player of this caliber.

Jefferson probably won't lead the team back into playoff contention, but he will at least give fans something to watch on offense. He should also provide a decent mentor service for similarly styled, No. 4 overall pick Cody Zeller.

He also provides a legitimate pick-and-roll partner for Kemba Walker. B.J. Mullens and Bismack Biyombo weren't helping his development at all.

Backup Reason: This is your last season as the Bobcats. Next summer will mark the Charlotte Hornets return.

Chicago Bulls

Derrick Rose is back.

Not much more needs to be said here. The 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player has played in only 39 regular-season games since receiving that award. He took the whole 2012-13 season off to rehab an ACL injury and now he is back (language NSFW).

The #TheReturn hashtag will finally mean something. Pulling those No. 1 jerseys out of the closet won't be coupled with a deep sigh. The Bulls should be able to score more than 93.2 points per game, as they were up at 98.6 points during Rose's MVP campaign.

Rose is a career 21-points-per-game scorer, elevated to 25.1 in the playoffs. He is pure offense from the point guard position.

The return of this defensive juggernaut to offensive mediocrity should be enough to elevate the team back into legitimate contention in the Eastern Conference. Tom Thibodeau's defense helped drag one of the league's worst offenses to a second-round matchup with the Miami Heat last season. Getting Rose back should even things out a bit.

Backup Reason: Jimmy Butler and Luol Deng probably wont have to play 40-plus minutes per game. Which is a good thing.

Cleveland Cavaliers

There is a precedent for this type of team building.

Cleveland Cavaliers fans should take note of how the Oklahoma City Thunder were constructed (minus the James Harden trade). By nailing three straight top-five picks, the Thunder have become one of the league's elite franchises.

When Cleveland grabbed Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick this summer, he became their fourth top-five pick in three years. Bennett joins Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters as highly touted young Cavaliers.

While none of that group are of Kevin Durant-level talent, there is a map out there of how to develop this team. Cleveland added the veteran presences of Jarrett Jack and Earl Clark to help Anderson Varejao, and took a very reasonable flier on Andrew Bynum.

Keep in mind that the Thunder went from 23 wins to 50 wins the year their final piece, Harden, was added. Of course, 50-32 was only good for a No. 8 seed that year out west. Last season it would have granted them the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. If anything close to that comes through for Cleveland this year, there will be plenty to be excited about.

Backup Reason: The chances Andrew Bynum misses consecutive full seasons to injury have to be slim.

Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki doesn't make a habit of missing the playoffs.

Prior to last season’s hiccup, in which Nowitzki started the season hurt, the Dallas Mavericks had made 12 straight postseasons. During those years, the Dallas star never averaged less than 21 points per game.

Dirk is also playing for a contract for the first time in quite a while. The Mavericks will undoubtedly offer him the opportunity to stay, but another trip to the playoffs could mean the difference between $15 million and $9 million per year.

Dallas has surrounded a healthy Dirk with a legitimate distributor in Jose Calderon and backbone defensive help in Samuel Dalembert and DeJuan Blair. They provide a toughness in the paint that maybe Chris Kaman and Elton Brand could not.

Whether the team has put enough around him to make noise out west or not, fans should be excited to watch a full season of one of the league’s best.

Backup Reason: Ricky Ledo could very well be the surprise of the draft.

Denver Nuggets

Brian Shaw chose to coach your team.

Of all the offers that have come in for Brian Shaw over the past couple years, the Denver Nuggets job was the one that appealed to him most.

That, in itself, is something to feel good about. The fact that he was one of the most sought-after assistants in years is what to be generally excited about.

Shaw helped Frank Vogel and Larry Bird build something special with the Indiana Pacers over the past few seasons. Now he is taking that experience, along with years of coaching with the Los Angeles Lakers and a 14-year playing career, to Denver.

Considering the team's recent shortcomings on the defensive end, as well as Andre Iguodala's departure, this hire makes a lot of sense. If Shaw can incorporate some of those defensive sets from Indiana, the Nuggets will be an even more exciting team to watch.

Backup Reason: For only about $10 million next season, Denver brought in three free agents who all had solid years. Nate Robinson, J.J. Hickson and Randy Foye all excelled in 2012-13.

Detroit Pistons

Scored big in offseason without breaking the bank.

The Detroit Pistons have a five-year drought without a winning season. That matches the number of times they missed the playoffs from 1983-2009. A storied franchise couldn’t be held down much longer.

So they went out and made noise this offseason. The Pistons brought in Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings. Two big names for about the per-year price Dwight Howard is getting from the Houston Rockets.

Neither Smith nor Jennings are max-level players, but combined they sure could be. The Pistons instantly turned the tides of next season without overspending on any particular player.

Thanks to Charlie Villanueva and Rodney Stuckey, the team will still clear a guaranteed $17 million off the books next summer.

The Pistons made a couple gutsy moves, but minimized the risks by not sacrificing future cap relief.

Backup Reason: Chauncey is back!

Golden State Warriors

Quite literally, this might be the most likable group in the league.

Becoming a star in the NBA and remaining liked throughout the league is a gargantuan task. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony are all incredibly polarizing players. However, with Stephen Curry, we have possibly the most universally liked star in basketball.

Flanking him with immensely likable and fun-to-watch secondary pieces like Klay Thompson, David Lee and Harrison Barnes makes the Golden State Warriors an exciting team to follow. 

Throw in the always-cool-to-see-live Andre Iguodala, the NBA's most prominent Aussie Andrew Bogut, and a highly available and informative coach in Mark Jackson, and the Warriors are primed to make some more noise this coming year.

Golden State will score a lot of points and play a very fun brand of basketball. What isn't there to be excited about?

Backup Reason: Golden State somehow convinced the Utah Jazz to take on the mammoth Richard Jefferson and Andris Biedrins contracts.

Houston Rockets

Dwight is having fun again.

Remember when the world loved Dwight Howard? The superman cape? The dancing? More importantly, the 2009 playoff run?

Last summer Howard was a part of a move that he thought would make him happy. He moved to a massive market in the league's most glamorous city. However, it wasn't the right situation. A massive personality in his mid-20s, Howard seemed to clash with the Los Angeles Lakers' older establishment.

He appears happy with the Houston Rockets so far. This is a much younger group looking to make noise and disrupt the Western Conference establishment. That is more Howard's style.

A happy Howard is an exciting Howard. Rockets fans should be prepared for some real excitement this year.

Backup Reason: Enjoy what will probably be the last season Houston gets away with paying Chandler Parsons mere pennies.

Indiana Pacers

Eastern Conference Finalist has top scorer returning.

Without doing anything out of the ordinary, the Indiana Pacers had a great offseason. Not only were they able to re-sign David West, but they will also welcome back star scorer Danny Granger from an injury-plagued season.

There are those who believe Granger and Paul George won’t coexist smoothly. However, common sense says that a killer defensive team which struggled to score consistently last year could use an offensive injection. Granger provides that pure offensive touch that the Pacers struggled to find last year.

He should grant them the ability to limit Lance Stephenson’s minutes, while also lightening the load of George on the offensive end. 

Backup Reason: Indiana’s very weak bench has been upgraded with C.J. Watson, Luis Scola and Chris Copeland.

Los Angeles Clippers

Doc Rivers brings some much-needed leadership.

The Los Angeles Clippers are welcoming their first coach since Bill Fitch that has NBA hardware on one of his fingers.

Doc Rivers replacing Vinny del Negro should be enough to get any Clipper fan out of their seat. Adding in a re-signed Chris Paul and Matt Barnes and freshly acquired J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley should result in a standing ovation of excitement.

What Rivers brings is a level of cachè on the sidelines and in the front office (Doc is also the Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations) that simply wasn't there before. When he talks, Paul and Blake Griffin will listen. So should Donald Sterling and Gary Sacks.

Backup Reason: In terms of pairing two strong-minded point guards, Rivers and Rajon Rondo's Boston Celtics days aren't exactly a poor standard to follow.

Los Angeles Lakers

Hell hath no fury like a family scorned.

In the wake of Dwight Howard's decision to play for the Houston Rockets, there has been an interesting theme simmering below the surface.

The remaining members of the Los Angeles Lakers have every opportunity and ability to band together. We've seen glimpses from Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash on Twitter. There could be some sort of weird, almost familial kinship developing between the guys who feel spurned by Howard.

That could be enough to cause some excitement from their half of the Staples Center. Los Angeles also has a host of guys playing for their next contract, which could motivate some big individual years out of them.

Backup Reason: If anyone can return in record time from an Achilles tendon injury, it is Kobe Bryant.

Memphis Grizzlies

More of the same!

Well, the Memphis Grizzlies were one of the most exciting stories of last season. Almost nothing has changed on the floor, so the excitement should be obvious.

Grizz fans know what to expect now, and it should only get grittier.

Lionel Hollins was not brought back, which opens the door for defensive specialist and assistant coach Dave Joerger to slide into the top spot.

The style fans grew to love last season has major ties to Joerger, leading one to believe things will only get better for the NBA's No. 2 ranked defensive team a year ago.

Backup Reason: Quincy Pondexter is no longer the only perimeter shooting option, as two-time champion Mike Miller was signed after being amnestied by the Miami Heat.

Miami Heat

Keep the Big Yellow Taxi lyrics in mind.

Just remember to enjoy it while it lasts, Miami Heat fans. Your team right now is a true juggernaut with an opportunity to win three consecutive NBA titles.

Who knows how long this will last, though. Miami’s Big Three will have the opportunity to test free agency sooner than you think. The Heat have already had to sacrifice Mike Miller to keep that highly paid core together. 

Micky Arison has plenty of money, and Pat Riley loves spending to win, but even after clipping Miller, the defending champs are nearly $10 million over the luxury tax.

Backup Reason: No, really. The team you root for has a very good chance to win three consecutive NBA titles.

Milwaukee Bucks

Winning now, while still developing young talent.

For all the criticism their team is taking this summer, the Milwaukee Bucks aren't necessarily in bad shape moving forward.

Yes, they are treading water as a team destined for another No. 8 seed, but they are still developing some young talent and not risking future financial issues. The team replaced Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis with Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo for a little less money. Jennings has shot over 40 percent once in his four-year career, while Mayo has never sunk below 40 and had a very efficient year last season. 

Ellis is approaching his 28th birthday and had shown signs of deteriorating play recently. Knight, on the other hand, is just 21 and has similar potential with a better three-point shot.

Joining Knight and 25-year-old Mayo are Larry Sanders, 24, John Henson, 22, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, 18, as burgeoning Milwaukee youth. 

Thanks to Caron Butler, Luke Ridnour and Ekpe Udoh's contracts, the Bucks can still knock around $17 million off the books next summer. They've also already locked up Sanders to a four-year extension with some of that money.

Backup Reason: What's not to like about the Nate Before Christmas?

Minnesota Timberwolves

Healthy stars to start the season!

One reason to get excited about the Minnesota Timberwolves is simple: health. 

If one combined the games played by Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love from last season, the duo would still have missed seven of 82 games.

As it were, Rubio managed 57 after missing all of December and not seeming like himself till mid-February. Love broke his hand in October, rehabbed, returned, and then broke it again a month-and-a-half later. He saw time in just 17 games.

Add to that role player extraordinaire Chase Budinger being available for just 23 games, and it isn't hard to see how the Timberwolves lost 51 games in 2012-13.

It appears that all three are back to full health for the 2013-14 kickoff. Along with the freshly re-signed Nikola Pekovic and free agent grabs Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer, this team should remain in playoff contention for as long as they remain on the floor.

Backup Reason: Only a few more weeks spent worrying that Love will give someone a fist bump just a little too hard.

New Orleans Pelicans

They seem to have seen enough losing.

Following two consecutive losing seasons, and five years without a playoff series win, the New Orleans Pelicans are making their move. 

The offseason consisted of bringing in All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday, granting former Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans a much-needed change of scenery, and filling the roster with quality role players like Al-Farouq Aminu, Greg Stiemsma and Anthony Morrow.

All of them join a young, developing core of Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon. If head coach Monty Williams can figure out how all these pieces fit, the Pelicans could be quite the exciting puzzle. 

Backup Reason: Your new mascot is named after this guy.

New York Knicks

Already good team has a somewhat-crafty offseason.

There are a couple things to keep in mind this offseason for fans of the New York Knicks.

One, the team was just two wins away from the Eastern Conference Finals last season.

Two, Andrea Bargnani is still just 27 and was essentially a 20-point-per-game scorer 17 months ago.

Hopefully Bargnani can stay healthy, providing decent scoring insurance if Amar'e Stoudemire continues to deal with nagging injuries.

The other big-name addition is Metta World Peace. While the age is a concern, he has been a starting wing on playoff teams for pretty much his, and Ron Artest's, entire career. What he brings to New York is defensive help on the wing, where the young Iman Shumpert was on an island in 2012-13.

If World Peace has anything left in the tank, he potentially frees up Shumpert to smother some high-scoring shooting guards. His style could also allow Carmelo Anthony to worry less about slugging it out defensively with the Paul Pierces, Rudy Gays and LeBron Jameses of the Eastern Conference.

The team was also able to re-sign Pablo Prigioni, Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith to slightly less-than-market-value contracts.

Backup Reason: The rap collaboration between World Peace and Shumpert that you just know is coming (language NSFW).

Oklahoma City Thunder

Starting to separate themselves from the James Harden trade disaster.

Beyond the obvious elation over being a title contender and Russell Westbrook coming back healthy, there is another legitimate cause for excitement.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have some healthy, young competition for James Harden's former role as a scorer with the second unit. The blandness of Kevin Martin is gone and fans can really start looking at these younger guys with some attention.

Reggie Jackson performed admirably in Westbrook's absence, and the team might finally see some fruit from the Jeremy Lamb tree. There is always the possibility that Perry Jones or Andre Roberson turn into something as well.

Jackson averaged 15.3 points per game after Westbrook went down in the playoffs. Lamb wasn't very efficient, but averaged 18.8 points per game in the 2013 summer league.

Backup Reason: Kevin Durant is going to win an MVP award sooner or later, maybe this is the year.

Orlando Magic

All of the potential, none of the expectations.

Your team is stocked with young potential, and still has very little expectations.

Since other Eastern Conference teams like the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors have all started looking toward proven talents to raise them immediately, they all have playoff expectations. With Orlando, that pressure is far less. The youth on those other teams need to play well, or they'll be viewed through failed lenses.

If this team, littered with budding stars like Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic, plays well, it is a nice surprise. If they unseat one of those aforementioned teams, all the better. The Magic are allowing their newcomers the chance to develop into something long-term, instead of a cheap shot at a playoff spot while the Eastern Conference reshuffles. 

The overarching point is, Orlando's youth is being allowed to develop without the threat of an Andrew Bynum or Josh Smith usurping their playing time.

Backup Reason: This is probably the last time you have to deal with paying Hedo Turkoglu.

Philadelphia 76ers

New head coach comes from good stock.

When searching for a head coach this late in the game, a team could do a whole lot worse than plucking a leaf from the Gregg Popovich coaching tree.

In Brett Brown, the Philadelphia 76ers aren't getting just another retread head coach with mediocre history: see Collins, Doug and Jordan, Eddie. They are starting anew with a brand-new face who spent the last half a decade learning from the NBA's best.

Brown has little head-coaching experience outside Australia and the Olympics, but the 76ers aren't exactly teeming with NBA experience either. This is a decent chance for a symbiotic learning experience.

Backup Reason: Honestly, it was a struggle to find one. It is going to be a long year, Philly fans.

Phoenix Suns

This season will be a learning experience for fans and players alike.

Well, Phoenix Suns fans. The one legitimately exciting aspect to look forward to this season is finally figuring out a few things.

For better or worse, we will know if Eric Bledsoe is as good as many seem to think. We'll know if Michael Beasley has officially played himself out of the NBA. We'll know if Goran Dragic is a legitimate starting point guard, what Kendall Marshall is and whether Alex Len was worthy of all that "possible No. 1 pick" hype.

You may even find out what Marcin Gortat is worth in a trade. 

Whatever the results, remember: the Suns have just over $15 million in guaranteed contracts next season. They can overhaul the whole thing next summer. On top of that, a whole chunk of the roster is playing for their next pay day.

Backup Reason: Probably a couple fun Gerald Green dunks and alley-oops.

Portland Trail Blazers

Adding quality role players on good contracts.

Look up and down the Portland Trail Blazers roster. It is tough to pick out their worst contract. All seem reasonable enough, especially when you forget the fact that this team lost 49 games last season.

Therefore, fans can be pleased that Portland has improved incrementally this summer and has done so without making a ton of noise either for a bad deal or stellar move. They've quietly added a legitimate center in Robin Lopez to take the place of J.J. Hickson, regularly out-sized and out of position.

The team brought in some great, cheap shooting with C.J. McCollum, Mo Williams and Dorell Wright, as well as some mammoth all-around potential in Thomas Robinson. Toss in a super-cheap veteran like Earl Watson and a super-sleeper draft pick in Allen Crabbe, and there isn't a thing not to like about Portland's summer.

The Trail Blazers also have given Terry Stotts a little bit of leash in the face of all the head coaching turnover of 2013.

Backup Reason: Since Damian Lillard is already 23, hopefully that sophomore slump thing can be totally avoided.

Sacramento Kings

A new direction.

The Sacramento Kings have been longing for a direction through their current seven-year playoff drought.

Direction may be what has just arrived. A new ownership group, general manager, head coach and point guard should be able to put the Kings back on a track.

In May, Vivek Ranadivè's ownership group purchased the Kings from the Maloof family, keeping the franchise in Sacramento. They then hired Pete D'Alessandro to run the franchise as GM and Mike Malone to run the team as head coach. 

Greivis Vasquez came to Sacramento in the Tyreke Evans deal, and will provide the Kings with their first true point guard in years.

Vasquez's nine assists per game last season showed he has developed a knack for running an offense and finding the open man. This was a team that too often looked lost on the floor last year. Vasquez should help distribute the rock evenly and aid in the creation of a new offensive system. 

Backup Reason: New ownership and general manager may have a shorter leash with DeMarcus Cousin's antics.

San Antonio Spurs

Title contention while not sacrificing youth.

Once again avoiding the obvious call for the excitement of rooting for a title contender, San Antonio Spurs fans should be thrilled about the opportunity to watch the youth development of their team while not sacrificing the elite play of their veteran stars.

The Spurs have re-signed Tiago Splitter, 28, and also return 22-year-old wing Kawhi Leonard. While Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and perhaps Manu Ginobili are the main reasons this team will once again be among the league's elite, Splitter and Leonard have the potential to keep them there beyond the next couple seasons.

They are joined by 26-year-old Danny Green, who had a breakout Finals performance, and newcomer Marco Belinelli, 27. Belinelli was responsible for numerous clutch performances with the Chicago Bulls last year.

Backup Reason: A team that was seconds away from an NBA title returns their top seven most-played guys.

Toronto Raptors

Full team has time to prepare with one another.

Everything about the Toronto Raptors last season seemed promising, but hastily assembled. It continued into the season with Andrea Bargnani's injuries and Rudy Gay's arrival.

This year, the team should have enough time to prepare fully for the upcoming season. Kyle Lowry is established with no Jose Calderon to threaten him at point guard. Gay has a full training camp with his new team. Jonas Valanciunas is healthy and comfortable in North America. DeMar DeRozan's contract extension is no longer weighing on his mind.

Even Dwayne Casey is entering his third season with the franchise, holding a vote of confidence from new GM Masai Ujiri.

Overall, the Raptors should be a more cohesive unit this season. Their core will have training camp to form bonds and then we get to see the real vision for this franchise. 

Backup Reason: Ujiri won the league's Executive of the Year award and chose to take his talents to Toronto.

Utah Jazz

The space is clear for young stars to emerge.

We've been waiting too long to find out what exactly Derrick Favors and Alec Burks can be at the NBA level.

Though the Utah Jazz aren't going anywhere this season, those questions will for sure be answered by next summer.

Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap are gone, opening the door for Favors to prove himself. Same goes for Burks, now that Mo Williams and Randy Foye are elsewhere.

There should be ample opportunity for Gordon Hayward to take another step forward while looking for that lucrative extension next summer. The same opportunity is there for Trey Burke, Jeremy Evans and Rudy Gobert to prove their worth at the NBA level.

Backup Reason: The Jazz literally have $5.4 million in guaranteed contracts beyond this season.

Washington Wizards

Nothing holding John Wall back.

Fans should get to find out what level of point guard John Wall is at this season.

The pieces have been built around him, with back-to-back top-three picks in Bradley Beal and Otto Porter. The Wizards have a solid, though not super, three-man frontcourt of Emeka Okafor, Nene and Kevin Seraphin. Wall also has long-term security now with his huge five-year, $78.8 million contract extension.

Eyes will be on him to both stay healthy and manage this team into playoff contention.

Come next summer, Wizards fans should know if Wall is a point guard on the level of Chris Paul, Tony Parker and Russell Westbrook, or if he is simply good enough to be grouped in the middle of the pack.

Backup Reason: Emeka Okafor's $14.4 million contract may not be a total waste. It also comes off the books at season's end.