Intro
Improving on the previous season is often the goal for most teams. Teams want to see their offseason decisions pay off and show they learned from the past. There are five teams to keep an eye on to see some major improvement this season.
Last season was a disappointment of varying degrees for a few of these teams. One team had a brutal season injury-wise; another lost its star and dropped in the standings for a long stretch. Two teams should reap the benefits of adding more playmaking and ball handling to their roster. There is a team that should see improvement from last season by having another year to grow in their coach's system.
These are the five teams that will be the most improved teams in the NBA this season.
Phoenix Suns Edit
1 of 5
The Phoenix Suns season did not go as planned last year. They had championship aspirations after trading for Bradley Beal to create a big three with him, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker. Those championship aspirations disappeared rather quickly, with Beall playing only 53 games.
The Suns finished the season with 49 wins but were swept in the first round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. With all their moves in the offseason, one hole they never filled was finding a true playmaker.
The idea was Beal and Booker would be able to handle the responsibilities. Both did an admirable job, but it came at a cost. Being responsible for both playmaking and scoring began to wear down Booker. Phoenix could have used a ball handler who ran the offense to take the playmaking pressure off Booker's shoulders.
Phoenix addressed the need in the offseason. They signed Monte Morris and Tyus Jones to help provide that playmaking. With those two guards, it should allow Booker and Beal to focus more on their scoring.
Another significant change that should improve the Suns' team this year is their coaching change. They went from Frank Vogel to Mike Budenholzer.
Under Budenholzer, it is safe to assume the Suns will attempt way more threes. Last season, the Suns were 25th in three-point attempts. When he coached the Milwaukee Bucks, they were regularly in the top five in attempts.
With the new guards making it easier for the stars and a coach who will encourage the team to shoot more threes, it is hard not to see the Suns as an improved team that could be a real problem in the Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs
2 of 5
Wembanyama-mania tookover San Antonio last season. Victor Wembanyama's rookie season was nothing short of amazing. There were highlights almost every night. He did everything on his way to Rookie of the Year and even won a few votes for Defensive Player of the Year. Even with all of that, it did not net the Spurs many wins. That will change this season.
Last season, the Spurs were the youngest team in the NBA, with an average age of 23.52. San Antonio addressed that by bringing in two veterans, Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. The team IQ from last season should only go up with the addition of these veterans.
There were times last season the Spurs guards had a hard time getting the ball to Wembanyama. San Antonio was a below-average pick-and-roll team, 24th in points per possession when the ball went to the roll man and 23rd when the ball-handler kept it.
That is where adding Paul will help San Antonio. The Point Gawd, in a pick-and-roll with Wembanyama, will be tough to cover. More importantly, he will get Wemby the ball in the spots he needs.
Having Barnes on the roster gives Gregg Popovich the perfect power forward to stretch the floor and play Wembanyama as a center.
The Spurs may not be a playoff or play-in team, but they will win more games than the 22 games they won last season.
Memphis Grizzlies
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Everyone's favorite, "no one is talking about this team," but everyone is talking about them is the Memphis Grizzlies. The team was snakebit last season, with Ja Morant, Marcus Smart, and Desmond Bane all missing large amounts of time with injuries.
Unsurprisingly, Memphis is on this season's most improved list. If Morant returns to his 2022-23 season, where he averaged 26.2 points and 8.1 assists. The Grizzlies are a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
Their improvement goes beyond just getting healthy. Last season, Jaren Jackson Jr. got to expand his role. The team found diamonds in the rough in GG Jackson and Vince Williams (unfortunately, both will start this season injured).
A big difference maker, and we mean big, will be Zach Edey. The 7-4, 305-pound rookie will be a fascinating piece for Memphis. If he can hold up defensively, he will be a threat to the other end of the floor. Just with his size, he should be a great screener for Morant.
If the injury bug stays away, the Memphis Grizzlies will be the biggest turnaround team this season!
Houston Rockets
4 of 5
The Houston Rockets were the surprise team last season in the West. They made a small run for the 10th seed before falling out of the race late in the season. They finished .500, and that was a great starting point.
With another year under coach Ime Udoka this season, the Rockets should be a play-in team at the very least. Houston is loaded with talent on the roster. They have a good mix of veterans and young players, from Fred VanVleet to Alpreen Senguin.
The key for the Rockets will be finding their offense. Last season, they were 10th in defensive rating but 20th in offensive rating. This is where rookie Reed Sheppard can come in off the bench to provide some firepower.
If Houston's offense can make a slight improvement with the defense staying at the same pace it had last season, the Rockets will liftoff into the postseason.
Philadelphia 76ers
5 of 5
The Philadelphia 76ers had a subpar regular season record last year because of Joel Embiid's injury. This season, it is clear that Embiid will go along with a load management plan, but unlike last year, the Sixers are better prepared for it.
The Sixers made the biggest splash in the offseason, signing Paul George away from the LA Clippers. That is a massive upgrade over Tobias Harris. George is a legitimate number two option on most NBA teams and even a number one option on some teams.
Philadelphia is a deeper team this year than last year. Tyrese Maxey leaped to stardom last season with two backups in Kyle Lowry and Reggie Jackson. They have a long list of wing role players, from Kelly Oubre Jr to Caleb Martin. Daryl Morey finally found a legitimate backup center in Andre Drummond.
This is the best Sixers team Joel Embiid has been on, and even on nights he is resting, they have the tools to win games without him.
