12 NBA Teams 1 Player Away from Being Title Contenders

Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks put on an impressive display against the Miami Heat during this year's NBA Finals, yet we also cannot deny the effect the "big three" had in South Beach, making a championship run in only the first year of such an experiment.

While Dallas' depth triumphed over Miami's star power, both teams showed us there are different paths a team can take to get to the finals. They also showed us how a single player can make or break you. One player can be that final piece that pushes a team into the threshold of being a title victor and one player can also bury you.

Some NBA teams may be in need of much more help than a single player in order to become legitimate contenders, but there are organizations, who may or may not have made it to the postseason last year that could become instant title contenders with only one addition.

Last season we saw teams fall out of title contention, underachieve and make significant moves toward becoming legitimate contenders, and these are the clubs that are one player away from entering, or in some cases reentering, the quest for a championship.

Who are these teams? I'm glad you asked.

On the ensuing slides, let's take a look at 12 teams who have many of the right pieces to a championship puzzle already in place and are just one player away from being within reach of the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Is 12 an excessive number? Absolutely not. These 12 teams have the ability to make the playoff race even more competitive than it already is. 

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks won 44 games last season, and have the makings of a team who could be much better.

As much as Josh Smith's contract and attitude may be a bother, the Hawks would be better off holding onto him as he leaves a void that Al Horford and Marvin Williams just cannot fill.

Joe Johnson will continue to score as will Jamal Crawford if they bring him back. Additionally, we cannot forget about Jeff Teague, who showed some promise during the postseason. He could absolutely explode next season.

What Atlanta lacks is that true low-post presence. Horford and Smith can score inside, but they need a true center to block shots, provide a rebounding boost and open up the floor for players on the perimeter.

The Hawks are currently built to be among the top four or five teams in the Eastern Conference, which is respectable, but if they want to take it to that next level, the championship level, they need one more player.

An efficient center would propel the Hawks into title contention, and while this is a center starved leave, Atlanta can take solace in knowing only one last piece will make them that much better. 

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics' core four may still be in tact, but three of them are aging and the other's abilities are being questioned as his primary weapons continue their decline in production.

Boston is still well equipped enough to finish in the top-half of the Eastern Conference, but to believe that they are capable of getting past the Miami Heat at this stage is slightly far fetched. Is it impossible? No, but it is improbable.

How many pieces to the puzzle are the Celtics missing? Just one. Seriously? Yes.

One player can make Boston legitimate title contenders again, a capable center to be exact. Reversing the Kendrick Perkins trade would do the trick, but that isn't happening. 

The Celtics have depth at nearly every position, just not arguably the most important one. If they can add a competent center to pair with Garnett in the low-post, a championship becomes within reach for this group in an age-related time crunch.

Would Dwight Howard do? Sure, but that isn't happening. Personally, exploring the options surrounding Marc Gasol's availability could be the best option.

Chicago Bulls

You could argue that the Chicago Bulls are title contenders as is and many would listen, but if the postseason display against the Miami Heat was any indication, this team is in need of a capable shooting guard.

Carlos Boozer may or may not be a contractual bust, but even if he isn't, one more player, at the shooting guard position, is a necessity. Rose carries the team in almost all facets of the game, and it's time the Bulls relieved him of some of the backcourt burden.

To be honest, Chicago could be a title contender now, but one last addition makes them a lock to be worthy of championship talk. Yes, the Bulls won 62 games and had the best record in the league last season, but a competent shooting guard almost makes ensures they will surpass Miami, and that's what it is going to take for another team to come out of the Eastern Conference at this point.

The Bulls could be that team right now, but the addition of only one player would put any doubts to the contrary to rest.

Maybe Chicago should get nostalgic and give Jamal Crawford a call. That is unless Rose would like to try and whip the ball-devouring Monta Ellis into shape, in which case an inquiry to Golden State shouldn't be out of the question.

Golden State Warriors

Even though the Golden State Warriors only won 36 games last season, they remain just one last player away from forcing their way into title contention.

Golden State was one of the most underachieving teams in the league last year. With talents like Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and David Lee, this is a team that should have been fighting for, at the very least, a playoff spot.

The Warriors got off to an auspicious start last season, giving us a taste of what they are truly capable of; however, even meeting their full potential is not enough to make them legitimate contenders. What Golden State needs is a dominant low-post presence to go along with Lee.

At 6'9", Lee is listed as a center, and while he is a capable one, he would be better served at the power forward position. One last capable low-post player gives the Warriors an array of weapons both inside and out, and makes them downright scary on the offensive end.

Defense is an issue, so the one player would need to be defensively apt, but that is not an unreasonable request.

Some fans may be screaming for Ellis' head, but the truth is he, Curry and Klay Thompson make quite the trio on the perimeter. Now all they need to do is find a buddy for Lee down low.

Would Dwight Howard consider relocating to Golden State?

Houston Rockets

While the retirement of Yao Ming should have came as a crushing blow, the fact is the Houston Rockets have stayed relevant basically without him over the past few years.

Last season, Houston finished just outside top eight in the Western Conference, disappointing, but promising at the same time.

Luis Scola seems to get better with age, Kevin Martin is extremely underrated, Chase Budinger is poised for a breakout and the Rockets have a plethora of options at the point guard position. What does that leave? The center spot, which has arguably been vacant for quite sometime now.

Hasheem Thabeet is a promising youngster, but the Rockets would be better off with him as a backup for now and a proven veteran as the starter. The center position is so very crucial and an experienced addition in the low-post could prove to make Houston the title contenders they never quite were with Yao.

Who should be the one player of choice? Greg Oden, obviously. Okay just kidding, Tyson Chandler could prove to be just the player to help this Rockets team return to championship contention though.

Indiana Pacers

The Indiana Pacers, despite only winning 37 games last season, are a team that is capable of contending for a title very soon.

Danny Granger is a star, and both Darren Collison and Roy Hibbert could very well turn into stars at any moment. Even Tyler Hansbrough has a lot of promise, yet the Pacers need a fifth guy to complete their starting lineup and thrust them into the realm of championship contention.

With the talent on Indiana, they arguably should have won at least 10 more games than they did last season, and while some struggles can be attributed to growing pains, the rest were a result of a missing piece.

The Pacers have some very good role players to come off the bench, but they need that last player who is a game changer and can make a significant impact on a nightly basis. A prolific veteran shooting guard would certainly push them to the next level, and would make their team one to be feared.

Don't let Indiana's less than mediocre finish last season fool you, this team is capable of more as is. Just think of what they would be capable of with a more prominent shooting guard though.

Not to name drop, but Jason Richardson could prove to be just what they need.  

Los Angeles Clippers

Blake Griffin is a beast, Eric Gordon is as elusive as they come, DeAndre Jordan is an up and coming big man, and yet the Los Angeles Clippers only managed to win 32 games last season.

The Clippers underperformed last year to say the least, but it is this very flaw that also sheds a positive light. Though they did not even make a push for the playoffs, the Clippers have a young core in place that is capable of wreaking havoc on opposing teams.

Their core is so promising, in fact, that it will only take one player to allow them to make a championship push. A small forward would be best, giving the Clippers another weapon on the outside that can relieve some of the scoring burden off of Griffin's and Gordon's shoulders.

When you have two players averaging over 20 points per game on the same team, cohesion and success are not that far off.

Sometimes it only takes one player to push a team to the next level. In the Clippers' case, one player could be the difference between title contention and irrelevancy.

My personal suggestion, give Caron Butler a call. 

Los Angeles Lakers

Featuring the Los Angeles Lakers in this slideshow is like saying they aren't title contenders anymore, and they aren't, a statement I am prepared to take some major flack for.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers struggled this past postseason, and while they will still put up a significant amount of wins by staying pat, they are currently one player outside of the title race.

Bryant by no means is done being prolific, but it is time he got some more help in the backcourt. We can say that the missing piece belongs down low all we want, but Dwight Howard may not be the answer to this team's issues. 

Los Angeles needs someone who is going to put the ball in Bryant's hands, while also remaining a scoring threat. That player is not Derek Fisher.

Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are a great supporting cast, but do not underestimate the value a solid floor general has to a team like this. Sure, Bryant has the tools to run the point, but must he worry about everything?

The Lakers are entering a difficult situation right now; their core is aging and they have, like it or not, fallen out of title contention. However, while it may seem as if they are poised for a free fall, one player could reverse all of this.

Chris Paul would be a great addition, but that is more than unlikely. T.J. Ford though, may not be as prolific, but he has the tools to keep Bryant happy and Los Angeles in the hunt for a title.

New Jersey Nets

Yes, the New Jersey Nets only won 24 games last season, but the organization is now entering the Deron Williams era, and while no one is sure how long that will last, he makes this team a playoff caliber franchise by himself. 

Brook Lopez is also another promising young player who seems on the cusp of superstardom and gives Williams a more than capable running mate. These two should prove to be quite the tandem, one that could put the Nets as high as the top half of the Eastern Conference.

As far as contending for a title goes though, they are not quite there yet. Marshon Brooks should prove to be a scoring machine and Kris Humphries is solid at the power forward position. That being said, New Jersey could use just one more proven player to make them legitimate title contenders.

An offensive savvy small forward could push the Nets to a whole other level, a level where winning a championship is not out of the question. 

Williams and Lopez will carry this team through to the playoffs, and just one more body to help support such weight would help New Jersey find its way into title contention.

Is the light at the end of the tunnel being held by Tayshaun Prince? 

New York Knicks

A revived New York Knicks organization won 42 games last season on the back of Amar'e Stoudemire, and the midseason Carmelo Anthony trade has their fan base screaming championship, yet this team isn't quite there yet.

But the good news is that they are not far away.

Like it or not, the Miami Heat proved that a "big three" could contend for an NBA title. The Knicks now have two-thirds of such a structure in Anthony and Stoudemire, and one more proven player, preferably a point guard or center, would put them over the top.

New York clawed its way to the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, and while as is they should be able to at least make a push for a top four seed, they are not ready to contend for a title.

Young players like Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert and even Toney Douglas are capable role players, but the Knicks need healthy experience to help lead them, and as Chauncey Billups proved last season, he cannot fulfill the healthy aspect of that deal.

Stoudemire and Anthony are a great foundation to a championship caliber team, but one more player turns this foundation into a completed structure, a structure that would contend for an NBA title for seasons to come.

If Chris Paul's wedding toast becomes a reality, he is certainly a player that fits the bill.

Portland Trail Blazers

The Raymond Felton acquisition really opened a plethora of new doors for the Portland Trail Blazers, and the addition of one more player would make any goal for this franchise seem obtainable.

LaMarcus Aldridge is a superstar, Brandon Roy is instant offense and Nicolas Batum is a young athlete poised for a breakout. All of these players give Felton a supporting cast to dish off to that he has never had before. It is not illogical to believe that this is a team who could find themselves amongst the top of the Western Conference.

What's stopping them from contending for an NBA title then?

A center.

Marcus Camby can play the center position, but he is aging rapidly and his body may not hold up, and there is serious doubt as to whether Greg Oden remembers what its like to actually play the game of basketball.

A capable center solidifies the paint and gives Aldridge the low-post running partner he has lacked as of late.

Are the Blazers title contenders right now? No, but they are only a heartbeat away. A heartbeat of a center away to be more specific. To be even more specific, perhaps the pulse of Nene would prove to be the difference.

San Antonio Spurs

While we can sit here and attribute the San Antonio Spurs' postseason meltdown to sheer bad luck, the truth of the matter is that age is finally catching up with this group, nearly validating Tony Parker's assumption that this team is done contending for titles.

However, they don't have to be, not yet anyway.

One more player could prove to be the difference between the Spurs falling to the middle of the pack or remaining at the top.

Tim Duncan, while 35, is still at least capable of being effective, and the same goes for Manu Ginobili, only more so. Parker, while a PR nightmare this summer, is still at the top of his game, and the Spurs have some refreshing youth in Gary Neal. Furthermore, Jefferson may be overpaid, but he is a solid rotation player to have on the roster.

What San Antonio needs is a player to tie this all together. They need one more player to relieve the burden even further off of aging stars Duncan and Ginobili. They need another player to keep Parker motivated.

Winning 61 games and maintaining the second best record in the entire league last season should mean the Spurs are title contenders as is, but even while they went on a tear all of last season, many were just waiting for their shortcomings to catch up with them. If the postseason showed us anything, it was that San Antonio was no longer prepared to contend for a championship.

The Spurs have been the poster child of consistent success for an NBA team over the past decade, and while they seem to be drifting further and further away from that label, they only need to add one more piece to their puzzle to become not just feared contenders, but contenders in general again.

It seems like a complex situation, but a big man to play alongside Duncan and relieve some of the low-post burden could prove to be an easy fix.

Tyson Chandler, perhaps?

You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @DannyFavs2033.