7 NBA Teams Ready to Take the Next Step This Season
On the road to improvement, it's a well-known fact that some Eastern Conference teams, such as the Miami Heat, will face far fewer struggles than the Western Conference's Memphis Grizzlies purely because of their immediate competition—something that has nearly as great an effect on a team's probability of success as the talent on the roster. Because (or in spite) of both factors, seven teams in particular will take big steps forward in the 2015-2016 NBA season.
Many teams have made valuable additions through the draft or free agency in their pursuit to gain an extra edge, but all will turn to one player to make a crucial difference in their season.
Those projected improvements were evaluated by the size of the team's leap, as well as its ability to challenge its conference's incumbents and its proximity to the postseason promised land.
Check out this year's crop of rising teams and be on the lookout for them at the end of the regular season.
Honorable Mention: New York Knicks
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Oh, the New York Knicks. After they set a franchise record for losses with 65 and missed the postseason for the second consecutive year, it's hard to believe that the light is at the end of the tunnel.
But it is.
For one, the Knicks benefit from playing in the Eastern Conference, where, no matter how minor the improvement, their strides will be noticed.
A year with the triangle offense under their belt and some under-the-radar but meaningful additions pave the way for just that. And Kristaps Porzingis. Despite all the criticism surrounding New York's first-round pick, he'll prove to be worthy of the selection, though perhaps not right away.
Key Player: Robin Lopez
The Knicks wanted LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. They were badly in need of a big man to bulk up their frontcourt presence. In Robin Lopez they have precisely that.
To be certain, the 7-footer's contributions will rarely show up on the stat sheet. The 27-year-old's priority will be acting as a defensive presence in the paint. Head coach Derek Fisher said he believes that Lopez will be helpful "in a big way in terms of being a guy people have to think about when they go in the lane," per Al Iannazzone of Newsday (h/t DailyKnicks.com's Maxwell Ogden).
One Knicks stat that will see a marked improvement, however, is rebounds. According to the New York Post's Marc Berman, Lopez grabbed 394 boards last season, a whopping 56 more than any Knick, even though he played only 59 games because of a broken hand.
Combining Lopez's talent for getting extra opportunities with players who can score off them, which New York already has in abundance, is a recipe for long-term success.
7. Charlotte Hornets
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The Charlotte Hornets began changing their offensive identity a couple of seasons ago, but this summer, through some fairly dramatic roster changes, they fully committed to becoming a leaner, meaner and more uptempo team.
With that will come the three-point shot, which they'll try to emphasize. Al Jefferson will still find himself in a crucial role, however.
According to the Charlotte Observer's Scott Fowler (h/t SB Nation's Liam Boylan-Pett), head coach Steve Clifford said the Hornets will work in a "four-out" offense with Big Al in the paint and four players, primarily shooters such as free-agent acquisition Jeremy Lin, spread out beyond the arc.
The team likely won't master this difficult scheme this year, but with so much young talent, including first-round draft pick Frank Kaminsky, the future, both near and distant, is bright.
Key Player: Kemba Walker
The brightest aspect of the squad remains Kemba Walker. If there will be any return on the investment in this new offensive approach, it will be because the four-year point guard will continue to play at a high level.
The UConn product is by far the Hornets' best ball-handler and is most capable of creating offensive production. Despite being singled out as such for the majority of his short career, he still managed to average 19 points per game last year.
Should Charlotte successfully space the floor, defensive attention on Walker will shift elsewhere, and his production will only continue to grow as a result.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves
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One day, the Minnesota Timberwolves were the team that, despite solid play from Kevin Love, didn't even have a slim chance at making the playoffs. The next day, they had a squad stacked with two consecutive first overall picks, an NBA Dunk Contest champion and a franchise legend.
Yes, the T-Wolves are far from securing a postseason berth, particularly because of the competition in the Western Conference, but the ceiling for their emerging, soon-to-be superstars such as Andrew Wiggins is too high to be ignored. Particularly not when the mentoring presence of Kevin Garnett is taken into account.
Even point guard Ricky Rubio came growling out of the gates in the season opener with a 28-point, 14-assist performance.
Minnesota has played the long game of building for the future, but as Zach LaVine has shown, that doesn't mean the team won't have its fun in the meantime.
Key Player: Karl-Anthony Towns
According to the annual NBA general manager survey, 62.1 percent of GMs believe that Towns will be the best player in his draft class five years from now. It's easy to see why.
Just take his NBA debut against the Los Angeles Lakers for example. As the Los Angeles Times' Broderick Turner pointed out, Towns' 14-point (on 6-of-10 shooting), 12-rebound performance was exceptional.
His tremendous 7-foot stature will keep him competitive when facing some of the West's elite centers, but with rare footwork and quickness for a guy his size, he'll be a menace for even the most agile guards to get around. Towns' own scoring will emerge as well. He isn't simply an immovable object. The T-Wolves can expect to count on his proficient post and mid-range shooting as well.
With Towns and Wiggins almost sure to develop into what will be dominance in the paint and Rubio playing solid, unappreciated basketball, it wouldn't be surprising to see Minnesota develop into a Memphis-esque team. Considering that the Grizz had an impressive 55 wins a season ago, that's likely a comparison that the young Wolves would favor.
5. Boston Celtics
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The Boston Celtics made major strides under new head coach Brad Stevens a season ago, securing the seventh seed in the playoffs, and, despite a sweep and early exit in the first round, the group played well above expectations.
Fast forward to this season, and Boston, with a year of seasoning and a less competitive Eastern Conference, has both the talent and room to climb up those standings.
To be certain, the Celtics don't appear to be able to contend with some of the East's more upper-echelon squads just yet, but Stevens has proved he can get the best (and then some) out of already high-potential players such as Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder.
Key Player: David Lee
According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the C's were hoping to lure Kevin Love away from the Cleveland Cavaliers during free agency but snatched David Lee from the NBA champions instead.
At 32, Lee has considerably more mileage than Love, but with that comes the experience that this young Celtics team so desperately needs. After all, according to the Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach, the entire Celtics playoff team of a year ago combined had appeared in fewer playoff games than LeBron James alone.
It isn't just about experience, however. The 6'9" power forward has some serious game. Lee had a diminished role last season on a gifted Golden State Warriors team, but the former two-time All Star averaged no fewer than 16.5 points per game and 9.3 rebounds per game between 2009 and 2014.
With no real star power in Boston, Lee, who is now back in a starting role, will emerge as a leader, both off the court and on the stat sheet.
4. Milwaukee Bucks
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The Milwaukee Bucks went from a 15-win season and a lottery pick to earning the Eastern Conference's sixth seed just a year later, even without the services of that pick.
Head coach Jason Kidd deserves a ton of credit for the turnaround, and expectations in his second year leading the young team are even higher as a result of the unlikely strides he helped the Bucks make.
He has an absurd amount of youthful talent to work with, however. Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't called the Greek Freak for nothing, and alongside Jabari Parker (who is injured) and Michael Carter-Williams, he heads a formidable lineup.
In fact, the most frightening part of this team is that not only can it challenge contenders today, but it's also likely to be the contenders of tomorrow.
Key Player: Greg Monroe
An already versatile Bucks squad became even more of a handful the second it signed center Greg Monroe. His youth and diverse talents make him a perfect fit for a team in need of an athletic big man capable of putting up points.
It showed. In his debut with the team, he posted a 22-point, 14-rebound game against the New York Knicks.
According to Charles Gardner of the Journal Sentinel, Kidd expressed that, despite a shift in NBA scoring trends, he wants his Bucks to stay true to working in the paint where Monroe will prove to be lethal. The coach said that the 25-year-old "can cause a problem, not just by scoring the ball but by making plays for his teammates."
If Monroe turns out to be the missing piece in this dynamic puzzle, which so far he seems to be, the Bucks will spell trouble for an often inconsistent East.
3. Miami Heat
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After four consecutive Finals appearances, the Miami Heat found themselves on the outside looking in last year, in large part because of the discovery of blood clots in Chris Bosh's lungs, which ended his season in February.
Quality depth, too, was a issue for the team that for many years relied on superstars to cover up its lack of a talented bench—something that proved to be especially problematic when Dwyane Wade would inevitably miss time.
Depth will be the Heat's biggest asset this season, however. Additions such as rookie Justise Winslow and free agent Amar'e Stoudemire giving Miami its first bona fide second unit in a very long time.
Combined the reserves with the still present All Star talent and Miami may soon be staging an Eastern Conference coup.
Key Player: Gerald Green
The biggest addition by far is Green, the electrifying offensive spark plug who most recently had a stint with the Phoenix Suns but otherwise has been making a habit of switching teams throughout his eight years.
So far, the Heat seem to be like a tremendous fit. According to Yahoo Sports' Tim Reynolds, Bosh stated that head coach Erik Spoelstra "is allowing Gerald to be who he is, 'Mr. Instant Offense'".
It's showing. With a 19-point game coming off the bench against the Charlotte Hornets and a tremendous preseason showing, Green looks like just the guy the Heat need to keep the offensive tempo up when the aging Wade needs a spell.
2. Memphis Grizzlies
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Oh, the woes of the Western Conference. Despite being loaded with talent, the Memphis Grizzlies, who are surrounded by an absurd concentration of All-Stars and deep, well-rounded and superbly coached teams, have been trapped in the middle of no man's land in the playoffs.
Although the team's stars continue to get longer in the tooth, they, much like the San Antonio Spurs, continue to play at a high and efficient level. That efficiency will always serve them well, but so too will the addition of Matt Barnes who, in addition to bringing a solid defensive presence, will also give Memphis a three-point shooting option aside from Courtney Lee. Even a minor measure of long-range shooting will help this team finally get a leg up on its fierce competition.
Key Player: Mike Conley
One need only review the Grizzlies' Game 1 performance without Conley against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals to see the importance of the point guard to the team.
Yes, the Grizz's identity stems from the big man one-two punch of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, but Conley is the glue guy who meshes the squad together.
According to FoxSports.com's Tyler Duke, over the past two seasons, Memphis' win percentage with Conley is 64, much greater than the 54 percent without him.
There are good reasons for that. Not only are Conley's talents as a court general superb, but his defensive play is even better. In a time when many at his position are flashing for their ability to take outrageous shots and produce scoring at a very high level, the 28-year-old's old school style is often overlooked.
But the fact of the matter is, without Conley defending the new breed of high-octane point guards, even the muscular frontcourt doesn't stand much of a chance in the West.
1. Los Angeles Clippers
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Oh, the woes of the Western Conference. Despite being loaded with talent, the Los Angeles Clippers, who are surrounded by an absurd concentration of All-Stars and deep, well-rounded and superbly coached teams, have been trapped in the middle of no man's land in the playoffs.
Wait...wasn't that—yes, the Clippers suffered from the same affliction as the Grizzlies. They were stalled by no fault of their own.
We already know what kind of high-quality product we're getting with the Clippers. Chris Paul is an elite point guard, and Blake Griffin is not a man to be trifled with. Obviously, however, that isn't good enough to reach the ultimate goal of breaking into a championship series.
The Clippers added some valuable pieces such as veteran Paul Pierce, who proved to be instrumental to the Washington Wizards' postseason success, and Josh Smith, who gouged them in the playoffs while playing for the Houston Rockets. Bolstering the bench will play a large part in getting the Clippers over the semifinals hump.
But it's the man they barely managed to retain who will have to take the step into All-Star status if the Clippers want to join the class of NBA elite.
Key Player: DeAndre Jordan
Lob City is one of the most unstoppable forces in the NBA, and DeAndre Jordan's dunking prowess is alive and well, but Los Angeles will require a little more offense from the center, who is entrenched as one of the team's Big Three with his massive four-year, $88 million salary.
Obviously, as evidenced by his poor free-throw shooting, Jordan isn't going to be developing a jump shot any time soon, but according the the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch, the 27-year-old said that the Clippers will look to him "on duck-ins and easy baskets running the break, transition baskets, things like that."
Considering the debacle Los Angeles went through to keep him on the team, Jordan must deliver nothing short of complete paint dominance and display the potential to be an All-NBA first-team center.
That alone will go a long way to building Los Angeles' bridge to the promised land.
