Ranking NBA's 5 Most Lethal Up-and-Coming Teams

The 2014-15 NBA season tips off tomorrow, and though teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets are known commodities, there are many teams that have the chance to turn some heads.

This league has a high number of young, talented, up-and-coming teams, and selecting five, let alone ranking them, is a difficult proposition.

Ranking any type of list requires criteria or else it becomes a jumbled grouping of arbitrary opinions. I have set my criteria for being a great young, up-and-coming team based on scores of one through 10 in five categories:

Age/Potential: Preference was given to teams based on how far under the median NBA roster age of 26.9 they were. High-potential players on a roster were also given preference, but no teams over the median age were considered, as the desire was to rank young, up-and-coming rosters.

Previous Success: Preference was given to teams that have managed some amount of recent success that gives some proof that they are more than just hype. Playoff appearances in the last four to five years were considered but no teams that have won a playoff series were considered due to having "arrived" already. (This excluded the Trail Blazers and Thunder, who were both under the league-average age)

Team Chemistry/Fit: Preference given to teams that have versatile rosters with players that complement one another. Teams were penalized for having players that create fit or chemistry issues.

Player Retention/Flexibility: Preference given to teams that have their best players signed to long-term deals as well as cap flexibility outside these key player contracts.

Total Talent: Preference given to teams with a high level of current talent. Potential is great, but it doesn't win games.

Honorable Mention: Utah Jazz

Age/Potential:  9.5

The Utah Jazz have the second-youngest roster in the NBA, with an average age of 24.1, a full two-and-a-half years under the league average.

The projected starting lineup of Trey Burke, Alec Burks, Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter comes in at an average of 22.6 years.

The roster features five former top-10 NBA draft picks and three former top-five picks. It can be argued that all five of these players still have potential to become even better going forward.

Previous Success:  5

This team has yet to make the playoffs since the season following the Deron Williams trade in 2011-12.

It has won only 45 percent of its games since the departure of Willams and only made the playoffs once since then.

The Jazz were the worst team in the Western Conference last season. The future may be bright for Utah but their past successes are marginal.

Team Chemistry/Fit:  7

This team features Kanter and Favors, two up-and-coming monsters in the post that it depend upon to generate offense. The space for these players is limited by the streaky shooting of guards Burke and Burks.

The Jazz do have outside shooting on their bench, including Steve Novak, rookie Rodney Hood and Ian Clark.

This team does not have any obvious locker room issues and is a young team willing to lose as long as it is getting better, and why wouldn't it be? It looks much better already, admittedly in the preseason, than last season.

Future Retention/Flexibility:  8

This franchise has two players signed through 2017-18: Favors and Hayward.

In addition, Kanter and Burks are the only consistent contributors who will need new contracts before 2016.

This flexibility, combined with its potential to retain important players on the roster, make this an important part of the franchise's up-and-coming status.

Overall Talent:  6

Kanter has shown the ability to be an unstoppable force in the post, but he will need to be more consistent. Conversely, Favors is a consistent player who could use more dominating performances on his resume.

Kanter can score in a variety of ways on the low block, but what we see beginning at the one-minute, 48-second mark of the above video is what really makes him scary: his outside ability.

Kanter showed an improved outside touch this preseason and even hit a couple three-pointers. The current Kanter with range is a scary proposition for opposing defenses.

Hayward is not worth the max contract he signed but is still and above-average player at the position who cashed in on a great market.

Burks, Burke, Gobert, and first-round pick Dante Exum are all high-potential players and especially Exum has the chance to be truly special. That being said, none of them are elite talents at their position currently.

The Utah roster is still geared toward potential more than current talent and is docked for this in its overall talent score.

Total Score:  35.5/50

5. New Orleans Pelicans

Age/Potential:  8.5

The New Orleans Pelicans check in as the fifth-youngest team in the NBA, with an average one-and-a-half years younger than the mean.

Their starting five of Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, Tyreke Evans, Anthony Davis and Omer Asik features four players 25 or younger.

Davis has the potential to be one of the five best players in the league and is truly a once-in-a-generation talent. He has one of the most versatile offensive skill sets for a big man I've ever seen and has the potential to be the league's best defender in the next few years.

Previous Success:  4.5

The Pelicans won 34 games last season and finished 12th in the conference. This is not a new position for the team, having missed the playoffs every season since Chris Paul led it to a seventh-place finish in 2010-11.

The team has built some momentum, climbing from the bottom of the conference but has still posted a lackluster 41 percent winning percentage in the past four seasons.

Team Chemistry/Fit:  8

Forwards Davis and Ryan Anderson have the ability to stretch the floor from the frontcourt, but Holiday, Gordon and Evans are all players who need the ball in their hands to be at their best.

Asik is a true post player who should add that dimension to a roster that lacked it. Davis represents an upgrade as a frontcourt mate, as a player who creates far more space than Dwight Howard did in Houston.

Shooters Austin Rivers, John Salmons and Jimmer Fredette should bring some scoring to the second unit.

Future Retention/Flexibility:  8

Davis will hit the restricted free-agent market following the 2015-16 season unless an extension can be worked out, ranking as the primary concern of the Pelicans.

Holiday and Evans are under contract through the 2016-17 season but are the only players assured to be on the roster past the 2015-16 season.

Overall Talent:  7.5

The Brow, Anthony Davis, is one of the best young players in the game. He may develop into the best player in this league, but even now he stands as one of the best in the league.

As evidenced by the first half highlights from last week's Pelicans vs. Washington Wizards game, Davis can score from just about anywhere on the court and has handles rarely seen by a player his size.

Holiday developed into one of the league's better facilitators last season, when he was finally surrounded by some talent. He still has above-average scoring ability but would benefit from shooting less contested jump shots.

Evans is an electric player who can get hot and explode for a game-changing number of points, while Anderson can pour it in and space the floor as well.

Asik was one of the better centers in the league before the arrival of Dwight Howard in Houston, and could see a resurgence of that with a better fit, Davis, next to him in the front court.

Anderson is an elite stretch four that, thanks to Davis, comes off the bench. Having such a prolific scorer coming of the bench is a great luxury to have.

This Pelicans squad can only be improved if they are lucky enough to avoid injuries like those that plagued them a year ago.

Total Score:  36.5/50

4. Phoenix Suns

Age/Potential: 8

The Phoenix Suns have the sixth-youngest roster in the league at 25.5 years.

Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe make up one of the most potent, if not the most potent, backcourt in the league, while Archie Goodwin and Isaiah Thomas can score a ton of points off the bench.

First-round pick Miles Plumlee, acquired as part of the Luis Scola trade, led the team in rebounds last season and has outplayed expectations thus far.

The Morris twins (Markieff and Marcus) have developed into solid rotation players with Markieff having a career season last year as a first-time starter, showing he can be one of the better stretch fours in the league.

2014 first-round pick T.J. Warren, from N.C. State, has the potential to be a great scorer and sparkled in summer league and played well in limited minutes during the preseason. Unfortunately, as reported by Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, the rookie suffered a small crack in his thumb during last Tuesday's preseason game.

Previous Success: 5

The Phoenix Suns were slated to be one of the worst squads in the league last season, but they defied all odds and rallied to win 48 games.  This made them the best team in the lottery last season, and they only missed the playoffs in the loaded Western Conference by one game.

The Suns have not made the playoffs since 2009-10 but have won an impressive 47 percent of their games during this rebuilding stage.

Last season's success with the current roster skews this score a little high despite not making the playoffs in the last four seasons.

Team Chemistry/Fit: 8

The Suns feature three similar players at guard, nicknamed the Slash Brothers (see above), but they are afforded this slashing space by wings and stretch 4s who can step out and shoot from distance.

The Morris twins, Gerald Green and Anthony Tolliver can all stretch the floor and create driving lanes for players like Dragic, Bledsoe, Thomas and Warren.

Future Retention/Flexibility: 8

This franchise has Bledsoe and the the Morris twins locked up for the next five seasons but will have to look into re-signing Dragic and Green following this upcoming season.

The Suns have the luxury of only having three long-term contracts, and those three contracts are for players they want to keep around.

Overall Talent: 8

The Dragic/Bledsoe backcourt is one of the most talented in the league and will be the backbone of this talented roster.

Plumlee, the Morris twins, Thomas and Green are all talented contributors, while Warren has shown glimpses of immense talent.

Total Score:  37/50

3. Denver Nuggets

Age/Potential: 7

The Denver Nuggets feature one of the 10 youngest rosters in the league, nearly a full year lower than the league average.

Their core of Kenneth Faried, Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo is all in the prime of its careers, and the team has only Nate Robinson age 30 or older.

Faried, Gary Harris and Danilo Gallinari all have the potential to improve greatly but only Faried has superstar potential on this squad.

Previous Success: 8

The Nuggets have made the playoffs four of the last five seasons but did not make it in the first season since the firing of legendary coach George Karl.

Last season the team finished 11th in the brutal Western Conference, not a bad finish for a squad that was not expected to compete.

Team Chemistry/Fit: 7

This team relies upon the pick-and-roll between Lawson and frontcourt duo Timofey Mosgov and Faried. Look no further than the above video to see how well Lawson understands the pick-and-roll, especially "putting [his defender] in jail."

That portion of the offense is then backed by outside shooting from Gallinari, Randy Foye and Lawson.

The offense will have to integrate the returning Arron Afflalo, whose scoring ability from outside should fit right in. He also brings the ability to create his own shot, a valuable trait for a team that can rely quite heavily upon Lawson to set up teammates.

Wilson Chandler gives the second unit a legitimate scorer, while Nate Robinson can heat up quickly as a reserve guard.

The only locker room concern on this team is JaVale McGee, and he really only affects the team with the occasional bone-headed plays on the court.

Future Retention/Flexibility: 8

Lawson and Faried are both signed to long-term deals, but the majority of the team is signed through the 2015-16 season.

The flexibility allows the team to improve over the next two seasons without having to worry about resigning most of its contributors but leaves it flexible over the next three to five years.

The possibility of Afflalo opting to not pick up a player option after this season will cause some headaches, but it seems to have struck a balance between retaining key players and future cap flexibility.

Overall Talent: 7.5

Thanks to Lawson, Afflalo and Faried, the Nuggets have no concerns at three of their five starting positions.

Gallinari, Foye and Chandler are all important contributors with decent talent, while Mosgov enjoyed a good first season as a starter.

JJ Hickson is an important post player off the bench but is returning from an ACL injury and will miss the first five games due to a drug suspension.

This team is talented eight players deep and will be yet another squad to be reckoned with in the Western Conference.

Total Score:  37.5/50

2. Charlotte Hornets

Age/Potential: 8

The average age of this Charlotte Hornets squad checks in at 26.1, almost a full year below the NBA average. If three outliers over 30 years old—Jason Maxiell (31), Jannero Pargo (35) and Gary Neal (30)—are removed their average age goes down to 24 years.

The Hornets boast young stars in the making in Kemba Walker and Lance Stephenson, as well as high-potential players in Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, PJ Hairston, Noah Vonleh and Cody Zeller. Those six players combine for an average age of 21.8 years.

Team offensive focal point and leading scorer Al Jefferson is only 29 years old and has a game that has grown more potent with age.

Not only has he developed his offense every year, his now near fundamentally perfect post game will age well.

Previous Success: 7

The Hornets, as the Bobcats, made the playoffs last season for only the second time since the reincarnation of an NBA franchise in Charlotte.

This was quite a feel-good story for the franchise that recorded an NBA record low winning percentage in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.

Two recent playoff berths, combined with a decent 48 percent winning percentage in the last five years, make the Hornets a decently successful team.

The franchise has yet to record a playoff win since its return but has made steps in the right direction.

Team Chemistry/Fit: 6

The Hornets went out and spent to bring in two players that improve their three-point shooting in Marvin Williams and Stephenson, as well as drafting a third in Hairston.

This perceived improvement should only create more room for Jefferson to operate on the block and facilitate smoother offense in Charlotte.

That being said, the majority of the players on this roster are not natural space creators.

Players like Gerald Henderson, MKG, Stephenson and even Walker are better when they have room to slash and get in the lane, and both Walker and Stephenson are some of the best passers off the dribble in the league, as seen against the Orlando Magic in the video above.

Stephenson is always going to be a bit of a concern with his volatile personality, but the Hornets hope a strong locker room can keep him in line enough to let his talent really shine.

The Hornets will also have to navigate the sticky situation of Jeff Taylor's arrest for domestic violence in a Michigan Hotel.

Future Retention/Flexibility: 9

Charlotte has everyone on its roster potentially under contract through 2015-16 except Neal, Pargo, Maxiell and Taylor.

On the other hand, it could have zero players under control past that season if it so chooses, with only team options and qualifying offers past 2015-16.

Overall Talent: 8

The Hornets boast two potential All-Stars at point guard and shooting guard, as well as an All-NBA third team player at center. 

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a solid contributor who, if he can generate any kind of consistent offense, could make a big leap this year.

Bench players Neal, Henderson, and Hairston can really fill it up and will hopefully provide an improved offense.

The team does lack a true superstar, but so do a lot of good teams in the league.

Total Score:  38/50

1. Toronto Raptors

Age/Potential: 7

The Toronto Raptors are the oldest team in our countdown, at just a half-year under the league average.

That being said, the starting lineup of Kyle Lowry, Terrance Ross, Demar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas features only Lowry (28) and Johnson (27) over the age of 25.

Valanciunas is one of the best young centers in the league and could develop into an elite post presence, while Ross and DeRozan are both versatile uber-athletic young wings who have improved beyond the typical "athletic wing" billing.

The majority of the rest of the roster is under 30 and therefore not likely to rapidly decline in the near future.

Previous Success: 8

The Raptors made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2007-08. They were a No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference fell to the Nets in the first round.

Over the last five seasons, the team has only managed a paltry 42 percent winning percentage, but last season shows that the players it drafted during its rebuilding stage have developed into real NBA players.

A third-place finish last season will skew this score high for good reason.

Team Chemistry/Fit: 8

This team fell victim initially to issues created by similar players on offense in the past. It had both Ross and DeRozan, who were both known as slashers, on the wings.

But both of these players have developed enough of an outside game to create space for their and Lowry's penetrating drives.

Role players Patrick Patterson, Louis Williams, Tyler Hansbrough and Greivis Vasquez are all solid players to bring off the bench, especially Williams, who can heat up in a hurry.

Valanciunas is one of the most efficient post scorers in the league, but according to Jordan Brenner of ESPN.com via SportVU (subscription required), Valanciunas was vastly underutilized, ranking only ninth on the team in half-court touches.

The 22-year-old center must be better utilized to help this team make the next step.

Future Retention/Flexibility: 8

DeRozan and Lowry are both locked down to long-term deals, through at least the 2016-17 season. But, starter Amir Johnson will be an unrestricted free agent after this season.

Both Valanciunas and Ross have team options following the 2014-15 season and will then be free agents in the summer of 2015 if they cannot reach extensions with the Raptors.

Role players Patterson, James Johnson and Vasquez are the only bench players signed past 2014-15, and the Raptors actually stand to have almost $10 million in cap space following this season.

Overall Talent: 8

DeRozan was an All-Star for the first time last season, and Kyle Lowry was probably the biggest All-Star snub of the season last year.

Valanciunas is already a productive player at the position and should only improve if he is given more opportunities.

Amir Johnson, Patterson, Vasquez and Williams are all valuable contributors possessing decent talent, and even the deep bench guys like Hansbrough, James Johnson and Landry Fields can be streaky good.

Riding the play of their starters, and hopefully volume scoring from the bench, the Raptors are a top-five talent in the East at worst.

Total Score:  39/50

All advanced statistics and salary cap/salary information from basketball-reference.com

Follow @2NamezJames