The NBA's Up-and-Coming Teams

My last article was on the teams that may be the biggest surprises this year, all with young talent and the ability to make a nice run this season. This post will be on the teams that look like they may have a solid future, even if that good fortune may not start this year.

Indiana Pacers (4-4)

We all know how good Danny Granger can be, and he's obviously the piece that the Pacers are trying to build around. They began taking those steps by drafting Roy Hibbert, who is having an amazing season at center so far. He's averaging about 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks per game.

I believe the Pacers did a good job in acquiring Darren Collison, who showed sparks of brilliance last year while filling in for Chris Paul on the Hornets. He hasn’t started this season with a bang just yet, but I believe his play will get better.

These are three very solid pieces that could have the Pacers in the right direction.

Los Angeles Clippers (1-9)

Their record obviously shows that they are not quite ready yet, but they are putting together a very good team. The Clippers' main piece will be Blake Griffin, the No. 1 pick from a year ago. They have a talented shooting guard in Eric Gordon, who has shown that he can definitely score. Chris Kaman is a solid center, but I think the biggest surprise will be Eric Bledsoe.

Many analysts had speculated that Bledsoe would be better than expected. They believed that his talents were hidden by the hype of John Wall at Kentucky, and Bledsoe is doing his best to prove this correct.

These are some great pieces, and things may start looking a lot better for the Clippers soon, but it is the Clippers, so I guess we will have to wait and see.

Sacramento Kings (3-6)

The season has not started as I thought it would for the Kings. I thought DeMarcus Cousins would come out as a beast. I even had him winning the Rookie of the Year award, but it hasn’t been so. Either way, I still believe that Cousins will grow into the NBA game and be a huge factor for this team.

That, paired up with the playmaking abilities of Tyreke Evans, is a very scary duo. I had believed that Jason Thompson would be teaming up with Cousins in the front court, but the Kings seem to be moving in a different direction.

They do still need some more pieces, but they're off to a good start with Evans and Cousins.

Washington Wizards (2-6)

There’s an obvious reason for this: John Wall.

I did not expect him to come into the NBA and be this good. He's averaging about 18 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and three steals per game. He is the piece that the Wizards will build around. Still not sure what they can do with Gilbert Arenas, but he could be good to keep if he can fit into the shooting guard position.

They also have some other talented pieces such as Al Thornton, Josh Howard and Nick Young. Andray Blatche could be a fierce power forward, but his biggest drawback is his commitment to the game. I am still not sold on JaVale McGee, but he is a player that could really grow into something good.

The Wizards have some nice pieces after totally unloading, but it will all depend on how each player grows and, more importantly, how they all grow with each other.

This is just an opinion, so please…Pardon My Bias.