Teams To Look Out For in The 2009 Season

With all the offseason moves that have occured over the past few months and with nearly three months left until the NBA season even begins, a number of NBA teams have stacked up on talent that could propel the team to its final destination of championship glory.

While we know teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Boston Celtics will all be at the top of their respective conferences as they have for the past few years, there will also be a number of teams from years prior that could cause a stir amongst the top seeds.

Draft picks and trades have run rampant throughout the NBA and with teams that were bottom dwellers last year, the moves they have been able to make could bring them a sense of relevancy they have not felt in years.

The Los Angeles Clippers

After a dissapointing 19-63 season with injuries ravaging the team for the 2008 season, the Clippers now stacked on young, healthy talent could make a push into the eight spot of the playoffs. Baron Davis, who missed 17 games last year and experienced career lows in a number of categories, could return back to his form that he was familiar with as a member of Golden State, now that he has had a full offseason to recover. Davis isn't the only veteran coming off of injury, Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby will also be returning after each player missed half the season. With the two coming back, defense should come as less of a problem to the Clippers, who surrerendered 104 points per game last year. Heralded by draft pick Blake Griffin, second year point guard Eric Gordon and third year forward Al Thornton, the city of Los Angeles might finally have a second team to be reckoned with.

The Detroit Pistons

The city of Detroit is not used to its basketball team having a losing record, even if it is only four games below. The Pistons experienced turmoil last year when it traded away Chauncey Billups and received Allen Iverson in return. With Iverson not fitting into the system and an unhappy Richard Hamilton coming off the bench, the Pistons were in unfamiliar territory as an No. 8 seed going into the playoffs. It had reached the conference finals six times in a row before getting swept out of the first round by the Cavaliers. Going into the offseason, the organization knew something had to be done to bring the team back into championship contension. With Iverson most likely on the move, the Pistons brought in young forward Charlie Villanueva and shooting specialist Ben Gordon to fill in the voids that needed to be filled. Even with the losses of Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess, and with Iverson most likely to still leave, the Pistons could still make a push into one of the top five seeds if the chemistry that led it deep into the playoffs years before could work now.

The Washington Wizards

With nowhere to go, but up, the Washington Wizards are expected to make a run into the postseason with it's new acquisitions. The Wizards, who were probably hampered worst by the injury bug last season, picked up shooters in Mike Miller and Randy Foye from the Timberwolves this offseason and have now filled up every position in its starting lineup. Not only bringing Miller and Foye in, Washington also gets Gilbert Arenas, Brendan Haywood, and Deshawn Stevenson back from season ending injuries. Players, such as Javale McGee and Javaris McCrittenton got a lot of experience last year after starting alongside all stars Caron Butler and Antwan Jamison. The defense might struggle, but a starting lineup of Arenas, Miller, Butler, Jamison, and Haywood is capable of many things. Expect the Wizards to get into the playoffs as a six to eight seed.

It appears that many of the teams that were not taken seriously last season will become postseason threats this upcoming 2009-2010 season. Most teams came out as winners this offseason so far making next season a lot more interesting.