10 Sports Teams That Are Going to Be Great Really Soon
The art of building a sports team can be frustrating for fans. When a franchise struggles to perform but the future looks bright, it almost becomes an act of futility.
Sports tend to be veiled in parity. That's the good news. Teams can turn it around and make waves if they're assembled properly and put in a situation where they can ultimately succeed.
As it stands today, there are countless teams on the brink of being really good. Implementing a formula on current standings, future projections and roster talent, 10 teams stood out the most.
This list is strictly limited to squads that have experienced some success in the past but now have a chance to push that to the next level. Peeping the professional worlds of hockey, basketball, football and baseball, the following index was drafted.
Oakland Raiders
1 of 10
Are the Oakland Raiders on the verge of finally becoming an AFC contender? The pieces certainly look to be in place for a sustained level of success.
To the chagrin of all the haters out there, Derek Carr spent the 2015 NFL season developing into a franchise signal-caller. He threw the ball 573 times, completing 61.1 percent of passes for 3,987 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions.
The offense revolves around him. When you add in a star wide receiver named Amari Cooper and a veteran presence in Michael Crabtree, this offense has a shot to be formidable.
Defensively, Khalil Mack stands out as the team's best player. The former No. 5 overall pick has become a wrecking machine, securing 15 sacks last season.
Combined, it's a recipe that helped turn a 3-13 team in 2014 to a 7-9 club a year later. If that win-loss ratio continues to trend upward, the Silver and Black should be a force in no time.
Houston Astros
2 of 10
The days of bloated spending automatically turning into championships are long gone. Times have changed and changed for the better.
In Houston, the Astros have come alive under this updated philosophy. The club currently boasts the 24th-ranked payroll, according to Spotrac, and it sure looks like they could be making a deep postseason run in 2016.
An infusion of youth led the Astros to the MLB playoffs last year. Though the Kansas City Royals bounced them in American League Division Series, the team proved to be tough.
Houston lost that series 3-2. That may not be the case this year. Carlos Correa, George Springer and Jose Altuve represent a trio of power-crushing talent all under the age of 27.
When you add in commanding arms the likes of Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh, you begin to realize this team is destined for big things.
The Astros are coming off an 86-win season. That total should be topped as the talent continues to coagulate together.
Boston Celtics
3 of 10
We can't gloss over the fact that the NBA is built around stars. History has proved that teams thrive with a centerpiece.
The Boston Celtics have helped change that way of thinking in the Eastern Conference, and believe it or not, it's pretty refreshing to witness.
Comments like that aren't meant to strip away the abilities of the Celtics' roster. But what you see on a nightly basis is a cohesive team that's well-coached and enthusiastic about its situation.
Bleacher Report's Vytis Lasaitis spoke at length about the Celtics' recent struggles. In that piece, he raised a bevy of compelling points about the team's future. One of those points includes the realization that head coach Brad Stevens' team is missing "another truly explosive scorer."
The good news is that the average age of the Celtics' starting lineup is only 25.8 years old. That means they can secure another vivacious scorer through free agency or perhaps the draft and really make a push toward greatness.
Will the NBA ever allow a team deprived of megastars to win a title? The Celtics are out to become the first squad to prove that's possible since the Detroit Pistons did it in 2004.
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Dallas Stars
4 of 10
The Dallas Stars have undergone a slow build to get to the point they're at today. Remember, two years ago this team won 40 games and slipped into the playoffs.
Although they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round, the writing was plastered on the wall. The Stars had enough talent to make a push.
A slow season in 2014-15 has been washed away. Dallas already has clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs, per Fox Sports.
You can correlate the team's success to a fusion of smart coaching by Lindy Ruff—check out Dallas' two-goalie system—and an influx of exuberant, young talent.
Mattias Janmark, Patrik Nemeth and Radek Faksa are all under the age of 25. Those guys have exceeded expectations, which has helped the Stars manufacture wins.
The Stanley Cup playoffs will serve as a true benchmark for the Stars. Teetering on greatness, the question now is will they be able to breakthrough the NHL and make a serious push?
Pittsburgh Steelers
5 of 10
Injuries tend to play a crushing role in any team's downfall. The Pittsburgh Steelers realized that when they lost running back Le'Veon Bell during the regular season and wide receiver Antonio Brown shortly after in the playoffs.
Even their franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, got banged up in that Wild Card Round showdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.
When this team was healthy, it appeared on film to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Think about this: Pittsburgh finished fourth in points per game, and Roethlisberger only suited up for 12 regular-season contests.
Knowing that, it's easy to understand why the Steelers would flourish in 2016.
Pittsburgh is a very dynamic and compelling team to watch offensively. Roethlisberger's aptitude for putting points on the board is further enhanced by playmakers like Brown and Bell.
If they can play any sort of defense, this Steelers team is going to be a threat to the entire AFC.
Arizona Diamondbacks
6 of 10
Landing starting pitcher Zack Greinke was the Arizona Diamondbacks' way of announcing their intentions to the rest of Major League Baseball.
All it took was $206.5 million to send the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers ace to the desert.
That's a bigger sign of things to come for this team. With Greinke supplanted in the rotation, the Diamondbacks now have a real shot to inflict damage on the rest of the National League from all angles.
Remember, this team managed to score the second-most runs in the NL—behind only the Colorado Rockies. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt deserves a lot of credit for that offensive explosion.
A compelling 2015 built on the back of 33 home runs, 110 RBI and a batting average of .321 threw the 28-year-old in the realm of superstardom. His steady production also fuels other guys like A.J. Pollock and David Peralta to step up and rake.
Arizona's deep roster is enough to obtain a spot on this list.
Minnesota Vikings
7 of 10
The Minnesota Vikings seemed to have finally turned the corner last season. Head coach Mike Zimmer helped guide his squad to an 11-5 record before losing a heartbreaking Wild Card Round clash with the Seattle Seahawks.
One positive thing you can pull from that loss is that the Vikings were able to keep up with a consistent force in the NFC on a big stage.
Defensively, the Vikings also impressed all season long. The franchise finished fifth in points allowed per game, per ESPN's count.
It comes down to team-building 101. Zimmer's Vikings have been structured by embracing consistency on all fronts. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is taking control of the offense, Adrian Peterson is still running the rock at a high level and as mentioned earlier, the defense has thrived under Zimmer's guidance.
A tough division like the NFC North—home to the always-competitive Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears—doesn't make the road ahead easy. But assuming Minnesota can stay the course, this team has a shot to be great in the near future.
Washington Nationals
8 of 10
Bryce Harper's astonishing, MVP-winning 2015 season was only overshadowed by how poorly the Washington Nationals played. The team, filled to the brim with talent, won 83 games. That's a 13-game drop-off from the previous year.
But that letdown shouldn't detract people from understanding how good they could be. We know that Harper is one of the game's best players. His baseball-reference.com WAR of 9.93 led all of Major League Baseball in 2015.
It's going to be up to Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and other hitters to keep up with Harper and help facilitate a winning season from an offensive perspective.
Pitching shouldn't be a concern. Gio Gonzalez, Stephen Strasburg and Max Scherzer all can produce when healthy.
Will this team be great? That's not guaranteed. Can it? Of course it can. The Nationals have a generational talent named Bryce Harper lurking around the clubhouse.
Houston Texans
9 of 10
Head coach Bill O'Brien's Houston Texans aren't lacking star power. DeAndre Hopkins and J.J. Watt can attest to that. But after winning the AFC South in 2015 with a 9-7 record, the team made sure that signing a franchise quarterback became priority No. 1.
Brock Osweiler, from the Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos, was lured to the Texans for that very reason. He signed a four-year deal, securing him $72 million in that time frame, as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Investing that type of capital into a QB signals the Texans are ready to take the next step. The roster already has enough pieces on it to make noise with Hopkins, Watt, Jadeveon Clowney, Brian Cushing and Johnathan Joseph.
Assuming Osweiler grows with the offense and develops rapidly into a big-time player, the Texans would become a menace in the AFC. His progress puts them on the outskirts of a town called greatness.
Cleveland Indians
10 of 10
Terry Francona has done an excellent job changing the culture in Cleveland ever since he took over managerial duties in 2013. His version of the Indians has finished three straight seasons with a winning record, notching one playoff appearance along the way.
The 2016 season should continue down that winning path. But this time, the Indians could in the hunt for a championship.
Cleveland has a lot of valuable elements on its roster. Outfielder Michael Brantley has transformed into a modern-day game-changer. He led the American League in doubles last season, smashing 45 of them, while batting .310 in the process.
Starting pitcher Corey Kluber may have lost 16 games last season, but he won 18 the prior year and somehow managed to maintain an ERA below 3.50. Based on that, he has the power to turn the clock back to 2014.
The main concern surrounding the Indians is that they're stuck in a deep division. FanGraphs' 2016 projections have the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals all winning 77 games or more.
It won't be easy, but the Indians definitely have enough depth and talent to make a World Series run.
All stats and information via Sports-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.
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