Biggest Strength for Each NBA Team Heading into the 2011-12 Season

We are approaching month two of an NBA lockout, and even though we are still a bit of time away from missing actual games, it is looking more and more like that's exactly where we are headed.

It could be as short as missing a few weeks of games as both sides realize we don't want to go through a repeat of 1998, but it could always be the same or worse than back then and it could be until January or February before any games are actually played.

Even though all those problems are ahead of the league, it doesn't mean we can't speculate about what the season will show us when the lockout eventually does end.

So I want to take this fine Monday to look at the positives for all of the teams out there in the league.  It may seem hard to pick something positive about every team, as there are some terrible teams out there, but I have found a strength of every team, even if it is just as simple as the fact that they have hope for the future with their young players.

Atlanta Hawks

Strength: Options

The Atlanta Hawks are a team with three legitimate potential All-Stars and then a few question marks dotting their lineup.

They have no problem handling the scoring load, however, when they have guys like Joe Johnson and Josh Smith, who are both quite good scorers.

Add on Al Horford, the rapidly rising Jeff Teague and potentially re-signing Jamal Crawford, and they are full of ways to put the ball in the basket.

Boston Celtics

Strength: Experience

This one is pretty obvious, don't you think?

Boston has some obvious weaknesses in their depth and at their starting center spot, but there are plenty of ways they can make up for that.

The biggest strength that Boston has is that they have been to the finals twice with their "Big Four" and they know how to win games, a fact that can't be overlooked.

Charlotte Bobcats

Strength: Hope

It may sound cheesy, but sometimes when a team is as down as Charlotte looks to be this year, hope is one thing that can't be overlooked.

The Bobcats have two young players in Kemba Walker and Bismack Biyombo who are very big question marks, but any kind of positive showing from them early on could make them come together more quickly and make them a better team than anyone really thought.

Chicago Bulls

Strength: Versatility

The versatility of the Chicago Bulls is one thing that not many people have talked about since they became one of the elite teams in the league, but they are capable of playing many different styles of basketball.

Chicago has a lineup that can give you lockdown defense, a shooters lineup, a run-and-gun lineup and a big and a small lineup.  The only thing they are working on developing is a slowed-down, every-possession-counts lineup that is most useful in the playoffs and really only comes with experience.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Strength: "It Can't Get Any Worse" Mentality

Sometimes all a team needs is the thought that their team a) can't get any worse, or b) if their team does get worse then things are going to be embarrassing.

Cleveland will have enough players returning from last season that they might have a mentality of not wanting to go through the same thing as they did last year (long losing streaks, blowouts more often than close games).

Dallas Mavericks

Strength: Experience, Swag

Dallas had experience in their lineup last year, but now they have the experience of winning a title together, so long as they stay together for the most part.

On top of that, they now know that they can get over the hump and win a title, giving them that extra bit of swagger that most other teams do not have.

Denver Nuggets

Strength: Pace

There are few teams out there that can keep up with the Denver Nuggets as they are currently built, and if they can keep Nene, then they could be legitimate title contenders.

Denver with Nene can run at a pace slightly slower than that of the Golden State Warriors while still having a force down low that can play defense, block shots and run the court with the smaller, faster guards.

Without Nene, they will have to run faster and play a quicker pace to try to catch opponents off guard and win as many games as possible.

Detroit Pistons

Strength: Veteran Presence...Kind Of

Honestly, the Pistons are a mess, and it's hard to find a positive about this team—but I suppose they do have a decent veteran presence.

Richard Hamilton and Ben Gordon have been around the league long enough to know the ins and outs enough to teach the rookies, plus they have Ben Wallace still around to try and teach Greg Monroe to play defense like he did.

Golden State Warriors

Strength: Shooters

If you get into a shootout with the Warriors, chances are you are going to lose, as they have more options than nearly any other team.

Monta Ellis, Stephon Curry, David Lee and Dorrell Wright are the obvious sharpshooters hanging around their team, but they also have Klay Thompson coming in to add to their embarrassment of riches.

Houston Rockets

Strength: Toughness

Seriously, looking at the Houston Rockets on paper should make it painfully obvious that they are miles away from being a good team, but they only finished a few games out of the playoffs last year.

They are full of scrappers, led by Luis Scola on the defensive end and Kevin Martin on offense who may not be a very tough guy on the surface, but is a very scrappy young scorer.

The way they play the game will take others off guard and they will end up beating some very good teams as the year goes along so long as they make the right moves in free agency.

Indiana Pacers

Strength: Options

They may not have the star power that would allow them to have a few players share the load of most of the scoring, but they do have players that can step in and fill different roles on any given night.

For instance, they have two players in Darren Collison and Danny Granger who can be the No. 1 guy on each night while still having Tyler Hansbrough, Roy Hibbert, Paul George, Brandon Rush and (depending on if they re-sign them) Mike Dunleavy and Josh McRoberts, all of whom are capable of playing as good as third-best on the team, some second-best depending on the night.

Los Angeles Clippers

Strength: Growth

Sometimes when a team sneaks under the radar to crash the playoff party (think 2011 Grizzlies or 2007 Warriors) it's because a number of players on their team have improved more than it seemed like they could.

This year the Clippers have Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Eric Gordon along with Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes looking to get better this year.

Los Angeles Lakers

Strength: Determination

Throughout the team, Los Angeles' players all have reason to be determined to get another championship this year.

It could be Kobe Bryant's last chance to win a title as an alpha dog allowing him to match Michael Jordan's championship total.  Pau Gasol wants to get rid of some of the heat on himself.  Lamar Odom wants to prove that he is worth keeping rather than being traded in a package for Dwight Howard.  Andrew Bynum wants respect, and hell, even Mike Brown wants to prove that he is a good coach without LeBron James.

Memphis Grizzlies

Strength: Defense

This one is pretty basic, but Memphis has a nasty defense, and it's hard to roll with a team when they play such a physical game.

The Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol frontcourt is the most fearsome and physical in the league after last year's playoffs while they still have Tony Allen and Shane Battier, who are two of the best backcourt defenders in the league.

Miami Heat

Strength: Star Power

Surprise, right?  But, in case you didn't notice, Miami's got a whole slew of players who would be a No. 1 option on any other team.

This gives them the luxury of letting their top guy, or even their top two players having an off night, as the third can pick up the slack and get them over the hump in games where they just aren't feeling it.

Milwaukee Bucks

Strength: Peaks

Back in 2010, the Bucks made what was at the time an improbable run to the playoffs by going 22-9 after the All-Star break.

They were able to string together wins because they constantly had a rotation of the best player on their team with Andrew Bogut, Brandon Jennings and John Salmons all putting up impressive performances.

This made it hard for a team to know exactly what to do on each night, and it allowed for them to stay hot even if another player was cold.

Their team this year is built quite the same way, so long as Jennings can get his swagger back.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Strength: Potential

It may take a while for them to put it all together this year, but the Minnesota Timberwolves are dripping with potential.

They still have that Kevin Love guy who can put up a 30-30 when you're not looking, plus they have Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams coming in, both of whom could be great players competing for the Rookie of the Year Award this year.

New Jersey Nets

Strength: Top Option

It's never a bad thing when the most important person on the floor and the best player on your team is the same person.  That's what you get when you have a superstar point guard toeing the hardwood night after night.

Deron Williams is not only an elite scorer, but facilitator as well which means he can get good players to play great, mediocre players to play like above-average guys and so forth.

New Orleans Hornets

Strength: Leadership

Even though he is stuck leading a questionable team with questionable ownership, New Orleans fans should never fear because Chris Paul is a guy that takes his job with all the seriousness in the world.

He is one of the few natural-born leaders in the league, and with him they will make the playoffs without a doubt.  However, if they trade him, things could get dicey.

New York Knicks

Strength: Scoring Versatility

I think the Knicks need a coach who knows what defense is before they can win anything more than their division, but they do have a versatility on offense that is unmatched.

They can slow the ball down and have Carmelo Anthony pick apart his defender or completely go run-and-gun to freak out any defense when Amar'e Stoudemire steps out to accept a pick-and-pop and drop the rain from downtown.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Strength: Options

Much like what the deal was with the Pacers' slide, but about a dozen levels higher.

To have the luxury of Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook alternating in and out as your best player on any given night is like no other advantage in basketball, but to pile on top of that Kendrick Perkins, James Harden, Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison and Serge Ibaka filling out your three through seven spots, and you have options for every day of the week.

Orlando Magic

Strength: Big Man Down Low

If I could be completely honest with you Orlando fans, without Dwight Howard your team is in shambles at the bottom of the league.

With him, however, you guys are a legitimate title contender.

Howard takes a ragtag bunch of shooters and becomes a nucleus that creates good defense in the center of a field of electrons that make any of their shooters dangerous just because of how good Howard is down low.

Philadelphia 76ers

Strength: Balance

There are non-elite teams out there who have aggressive defenses that pound an opponent into submission while others run-and-gun their way to 114 points a game—and then there are teams like the Philadelphia 76ers.

Philadelphia put out a balanced attack that put forth just under 100 points a game and allowed just 97 a game. On any given night they could have a great scoring outburst or a lockdown defensive night.

Phoenix Suns

Strength: Offensive Capabilities

Just like the first year since they re-acquired Steve Nash, the best thing the Suns have going for them is their ability to put the ball in the basket.

When you are blessed to have the best offensive-minded point guard in the league, and the best since John Stockton with a better long-ball, then you have to have a good offense.

Portland Trail Blazers

Strength: Versatility

Whether it be on offense or defense, Portland can trot out a lineup for anything but one with championship experience.

They can go small-ball, big-ball, all-offense, all-defense, shooters, drivers, pick-and-roll combos and roll out a killer full-court press—and this is all before factoring in Brandon Roy and Greg Oden.

Sacramento Kings

Strength: Potential

If everything somehow clicks with this team (I'm not as high on a team that boasts four basketball black holes as some of you out there, but they do have potential), then they could be scary.

They have guys that aren't totally inept on defense and players that could potentially be great on offense besides Tyreke Evans.

Plus, they have a complementary power forward now in JJ Hickson, who is more comfortable scoring without the ball which could give him killer numbers, especially with all the creators they will have.

San Antonio Spurs

Strength: Veteran Leadership

I probably could have left this slide out and you all would have just assumed this, but here it is anyway folks—we don't cut corners here!

With just Tim Duncan as a veteran leader of the Spurs, they would have all the veteran leadership they need, but add Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Antonio McDyess and Richard Jefferson and it seems like every rookie they bring in starts two years ahead of the rest of the league.

Toronto Raptors

Strength: Potential

The Toronto Raptors look like one of those puzzles where you have to slide the pieces around until everything lines up and falls into place, and they actually might not be that far off from being done.

Bringing in Jonas Valanciunas could slide Andrea Bargnani down to power forward (a position he seems more natural at and at which they are weak).  Then, factor in improvement from DeMar DeRozan, decent play from Jose Calderon and a small forward signing, and you may have a decent team there.

Utah Jazz

Strength: Room for Error

The Jazz could go one of two ways right now, and both would probably work for them.

First, they could blow up the team, trade Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Devon Harris and Mehmet Okur's expiring contract for draft picks and young guys and be set up to be a powerhouse a few years down the road.

Or, they can keep their team together, see how well Enes Kanter is and how he fits in and if they are good, they can potentially add a piece at the trade deadline.

Either way, they have no pressure to do anything right away, so up until the trade deadline they can just play basketball and not worry.

Washington Wizards

Strength: Bring-Down-the-House-ability

Even with a normal set of basketball players, John Wall could throw enough alley-oops to fill a highlight tape like they used to make back in the '90s.  However, the players put up with Wall are no normal set of basketball players.

Just imagine a lineup of Wall, Nick Young, Jordan Crawford, Jan Vesely and JaVale McGee coming down the court on a fast break.  Is it not inconceivable that they could end up with at least one play a game where they look like The Globetrotters.

Sure, this may not be a great strategy to win games, but do it often enough and the crowd gets so rowdy that your opponents get flustered and their coach is forced to call a timeout just to recover.

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