NBA 2012 Preview: Two Surprise Teams That Will Turn Some Heads in 2012

With the NBA following the NFL down lockout lane, next season looks like nothing but a big question mark. Still, assuming the stars align, it’s never too early to take a look ahead at which surprise teams might turn some heads in 2012.

PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS

The Low Down: Portland fell without much of a fight to the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks in 2011, but with the Western Conference’s perennial powers getting older fast, it’s only a matter of time until the youthful Blazers shoot to the top.

We all know just how dangerous a healthy Brandon Roy can be, and when you supply him with a supporting cast of quality players like Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and the newly acquired Raymond Felton, Portland is a scary team on paper.

Key to Success:  The new guys. It’s fair to say that former first-overall selection Greg Oden is one of the new guys (considering he has not been able to stay on the court for more than a few bounces of the ball since signing his rookie contract).

Despite his age, Marcus Camby is still a lock down defender, but he does not have the legs that he used to. Portland needs Oden to step up in a big way (no pun intended) and prove that he’s worth his pricey new deal. The same goes for rookies Jon Diebler and Nolan Smith, who Portland will look to for some quality minutes off the bench.

MILWAUKEE BUCKS

The Low Down: Okay…I did grow up in Milwaukee, BUT it’s hard to deny that the lowly Bucks are moving in the right direction. Milwaukee surprised a lot of people in 2010 when they nearly knocked off a hot Atlanta Hawks squad in the first round of the playoffs.

This past season was not nearly as impressive, but the pieces are slowly coming together for the Bucks to become a legitimate contender.

By trading basketball’s answer to Tim Tebow (10th overall selection Jimmer Fredette) to the Sacramento Kings during the 2011 draft, the Bucks were able to acquire guards Stephen Jackson, Beno Udrih and Shaun Livingston.

While none of them are the type of player to take over a game, they’re all capable contributors that should fit in well with the likes of Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings and one of the NBA’s most underrated defenders Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Throw in draft picks Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer and Milwaukee has a talented roster on their hands.

Key To Success: Brandon Jennings may be capable of dropping 50 on any given night, but that does not mean he should try to. If he can find a way to cut down on his shots and become more of a true point guard, then the Bucks could be in for a nice 2012 season.

Jackson, Bogut and Harris should all prove to be good guys to feed the ball to.