Best and Worst-Case Scenario for Every NBA Team in 2011-12

The best and worst case scenarios for every NBA team for the 2011-12 season spans a wide-ranging variety of outcomes.

For some veteran groups, a shortened season represents a final chance to pursue a title. For other teams with younger cores, a 66-game season might represent the opportunity to get out on the court and run up and down the court at a high pace.

When the action tips off on Christmas Day, there will be plenty of questions facing all 30 franchises, and we're hoping that they're answered sooner rather than later.

Atlanta Hawks

Best Case: PG Jeff Teague continues his development and helps Hawks get over the postseason hump.

The Hawks have been in the same spot for the last couple of seasons, and it's led to earlier postseason exits than the club would like.

Kirk Hinrich is going to be out after shoulder surgery for at least the first month of the season, so Atlanta really needs Teague to continue his strong play he flashed in the playoffs last season.

Worst Case: Trading F Josh Smith

Smith's name continues to surface in trade rumors, and if the team sends him packing, it'll be a move to regret going forward.

With impressive athleticism and a real ability to pack the stat sheet on every night, Smoove brings an element of versatility to the fold that would otherwise be absent.

Boston Celtics

Best Case: Celtics contend for one final championship while core is still in tact.

Both Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are under contract for just one more season, and the overwhelming opinion is that this is the final chance for the Celtics to contend for a title with this group still on the roster.

Worst Case: Danny Ainge alienates Rajon Rondo with consistent trade rumors, and it negatively impacts his psyche.

Ainge is playing with fire by dangling Rondo's name in a variety of trade scenarios, and he better be careful not to alienate his starter and cause an adverse impact on his game.

Charlotte Bobcats

Best Case: Kemba Walker wins Rookie of the Year.

The Bobcats are absolutely desperate for offense, and Walker has a real chance to assert himself as a focal point of the offense without a lot of other appealing options on the roster.

Worst Case: Team continues to struggle, Bismack Biyombo loses lawsuit against Spanish club.

The Nl. 7 overall pick, Biyombo's contract concerns with his prior team, Fuenlabrada, are hopefully resolved before the season tips off.

Chicago Bulls

Best Case: Landing a shooting guard to pair with PG Derrick Rose and round out the team.

The Bulls really don't need to add much to a roster with a ton of talent and serious depth, but the team absolutely has to upgrade at the off guard spot next to Rose.

Worst Case: Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah struggle with injuries again, and the team still can't get past Miami.

The Bulls' big men Boozer and Noah both had separate injury struggles (again) last season, and although some have characterized them as brittle, each will be looking to prove that simply isn't the case.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Best Case: Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson thrive during rookie seasons, bring excitement to Cleveland.

The Cavs are obviously rebuilding, and the club is going to need Irving and Thompson to provide fans a reason to fill the building on a nightly basis after a horrendous 2010-11 regular season.

Worst Case: A repeat of the struggles from the 2010-11 season

Cleveland can't afford to repeat what happened last year, and if the team is ever going to be able to convince free agents to sign with the team, they're going to have to put a better product on the court.

Dallas Mavericks

Best Case: Mavericks repeat as 2011-12 NBA champions

The Mavs surprised almost everybody with a championship run last season, and if the team can win it all once again, Dallas will be a team that nobody takes lightly ever again going forward.

Worst Case: Team fails to re-sign C Tyson Chandler

Chandler is looking to cash in after a career season with the team, and he very may well price himself out of the team's range, and that would be detrimental for both parties as each needs the other to succeed.

Denver Nuggets

Best Case: Nuggets retain restricted free agent SG Arron Afflalo, continue to build upon promising future.

Denver has a ton of cap space to utilize, but there are a plethora of holes all over the roster, and the team is going to need more than just one season to make the front office's vision come to fruition.

Worst Case: Failing to re-sign Afflalo and F/C Nene.

While Afflalo's restricted (free agent) status allows the Nuggets to match any offer he receives, Nene opted out of his deal and is looking for a major pay day, and he may get an offer that is too much for the team's liking.

Detroit Pistons

Best Case: PG Brandon Knight and F/C Greg Monroe emerge as building blocks for the franchise.

The Pistons were an absolute mess under John Kuester, but the team has a legitimate player beneath the bucket in Monroe, and Knight's arrival could really help to bolster the attack in the back court.

Worst Case: Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva continue to be dead weight contracts.

Both players were brought in during the same offseason, and each has looked like a bust since arriving onto the roster. New coach Lawrence Frank has a major task ahead of him in getting the most out of each.

Golden State Warriors

Best Case: PG Stephen Curry and SG Monta Ellis co-exist in the backcourt

Since Curry came into the league, chatter has existed that he and Ellis can't man the same backcourt, but rookie coach Mark Jackson will be looking to debunk that as a myth.

Worst Case: C Andris Biedrins doesn't turn it around, team struggles against bigger opposition.

Biedrins has youth on his side, but he's struggled immensely since signing a lucrative extension with the Warriors, and he'll have to show more than he has in previous years.

Houston Rockets

Best Case: Rockets land top-tier big man in free agency.

Houston has to upgrade along the front line where the team has absolutely no size, and that concern became especially important after first-round draft pick Donatas Motiejunas decided to stay in Poland for the entire season.

Worst Case: Failure to find help along front line cripples team's playoff chances

The Rockets have some nice assets on the roster, but the club has too many concerns in the front court to consider the group a realistic postseason contender unless that is addressed.

Indiana Pacers

Best Case: Trade for Paul Millsap, sign a shooter capable of creating his own shot.

The Pacers have a lot of cap space and a definite need at the power forward position, which makes Millsap a great fit with the team.

The club also needs to find a player capable of creating his own shot off the dribble after failing to land O.J. Mayo at the trade deadline last season.

Worst Case: Tyler Hansbrough starts at power forward, Darren Collison disappoints again.

Collison has been a serious disappointment since he came over from the Hornets, so he'll be looking to improve his production this season.

There might be some in Hansbrough's corner, and while he's shown he can be an effective player, the team shouldn't feel comfortable going forward with him as a starter.

Los Angeles Clippers

Best Case: Trade for Chris Paul

Some are quick to laugh about the Clippers' chances of landing Paul, but the team has a ton of young assets on the roster and can make a really appealing offer to the Hornets.

Worst Case: Lose DeAndre Jordan in free agency, team doesn't upgrade at small forward.

Jordan is going to be highly coveted as a restricted free agent, but the team has the chance to match any offer he receives, and all indications point to the team doing exactly that.

Los Angeles Lakers

Best Case: Trade for Dwight Howard

The Howard rumors aren't going away at any point in the near future, and the Lakers can offer a package centered around young center Andrew Bynum—something no other team can even come close to matching.

Worst Case: Problems at pointguard, small forward go unresolved.

A lot of people focus on the point guard position, but the combination of Metta World Peace, Luke Walton and Matt Barnes leaves a lot to be desired at small forward.

Memphis Grizzlies

Best Case: Re-sign Marc Gasol, continue success from 2010-11 season.

Few things are really impossible, but the odds of Gasol leaving Memphis are so slim that other teams interested in pursuing him should really look elsewhere for help.

Worst Case: Regression from last season, losing Gasol to another team.

This is a young team that showed really promising signs last season, and now a healthy Rudy Gay returns to the fold and bolsters an already very promising future.

Miami Heat

Best Case: Win 2011-12 NBA Finals

It's the one thing that this team couldn't do last season, and it's the only thing that the "Big Three" will be judged by after James' promise of bringing multiple titles to Miami.

Worst Case: No free agent help, LeBron James struggles in fourth quarter(s) again.

The Heat need to find at least one complementary piece off the bench, but it won't much matter if James continues to struggle when his team needs him most.

Milwaukee Bucks

Best Case: C Andrew Bogut stays healthy, SG Stephen Jackson flourishes.

The Bucks will depend heavily on Bogut's health and Jackson's contributions in order to find a favorable postseason seed and have any sort of success this season.

Worst Case: Team struggles with injuries, non-performers again.

Drew Gooden, Carlos Delfino and the inconsistent players need to find a rhythm and play the role of supporting cast that this team so desperately needs.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Best Case: SF Derrick Williams wins Rookie of the Year, PG Ricky Rubio transitions easily.

The T-Wolves need a lot of help, but if both Williams and Rubio prove to make a bigger imprint than some are expecting this season, it could be a positive indicator for what the future holds.

Worst Case: T-Wolves struggle again, PF Kevin Love grows increasingly frustrated.

Love is undoubtedly thinking about his long-term future, and Minnesota is going to need to find some success in order to convince the power forward to spend the majority of his career with the team.

New Jersey Nets

Best Case: Trade for C Dwight Howard, get PG Deron Williams to sign extension.

This is more like a dream scenario for the Nets, as it would truly make the team players in a very quickly improving Eastern Conference.

Worst Case: More poor free agent signings, flounder in Eastern Conference.

The Nets have cap space, but the team can't afford to waste more money on signings who just don't live up to the salary that they've been commissioned.

New Orleans Hornets

Best Case: Get sizable return for future in a Chris Paul trade.

The Hornets need to get real assets in return for Paul rather than a bounty of draft picks, and the team knows that several other franchises around the league would likely be willing to meet that price.

Worst Case: Lose Paul in a watered down deal.

New Orleans just doesn't have a chance of keeping CP3 in the fold for the long-term, and the last thing the Hornets can afford to do for the future is not get enough in any potential trade.

New York Knicks

Best Case: Trade for PG Chris Paul

It's pretty obvious that Paul would like to play with the Knicks alongside Anthony and Stoudemire, and at this point, it's becoming a question of when (before the trade deadline?), not if, that might happen.

Worst Case: Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire struggle with chemistry issues.

When Anthony arrived in the Big Apple, the team struggled to acclimate and didn't perform as expected, something fans won't be paying to see again in 2011-12.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Best Case: Win 2011-12 NBA title

A lot of people might believe the season depends on Durant and Westbrook, but it's going to be more about the performances of James Harden, Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins if this team is going to fulfill its potential.

Worst Case: PG Russell Westbrook unable to cede alpha dog role to SF Kevin Durant

Westbrook struggled to give control to Durant in the postseason last season and it really hurt the Thunder, a trend that the team can't afford to have continue going forward.

Orlando Magic

Best Case: Retain Dwight Howard, trade for elite point guard to pair with him.

This is more like a "dream scenario" than anything else, as all signs seem to point to Howard leaving the Magic.

The club could explore a trade for either Deron Williams or Chris Paul, but neither is a likely avenue of pursuit for a team that has to take a long, hard look at its future.

Worst Case: Lose Howard, begin rebuilding project.

Orlando needs to find the best possible deal the team can to find a real exchange for the big man, and the front office really can't afford to waste any time in doing exactly that.

Philadelphia 76ers

Best Case: G/F Evan Turner shows why he was drafted No. 2 overall in 2010.

Turner had a really disappointing rookie campaign, but the Sixers are hoping that he can turn it around and contribute to the promising future that the team has in store.

Worst Case: SF Andre Iguodala is dealt for cap relief.

Should the club re-sign (restricted) free agent Thaddeus Young and commit to Turner's playing time, Philadelphia could explore a deal for Iguodala, but if he's dealt for salary cap relief alone, it's going to be a serious mistake.

Phoenix Suns

Best Case: Trade for SG Monta Ellis

No, the Suns haven't explored a deal for Ellis, but he certainly makes a lot of sense for a rebuilding Suns team committed to running an up-tempo style of offense.

Worst Case: Continue rebuilding with poor contracts.

Josh Childress, Channing Frye and Hakim Warrick are all arguably overpaid, and this is a team that needs to focus on quality signings rather than continuing to throw money at free agents with "potential" to contribute.

Portland Trail Blazers

Best Case: C Greg Oden stays healthy, plays major role.

If the Blazers can get a solid contribution from Oden this season, this is a team that's going to make a lot of noise in the Western Conference and really surprise a lot of people.

Worst Case: Team continues to struggle with injuries at center position.

Whether it was Oden, Marcus Camby or even Joel Przybilla, Portland just hasn't had the best of luck with health issues in the middle, and the team needs to stay healthier inside to have a realistic chance of competing this year.

Sacramento Kings

Best Case: G Tyreke Evans returns to rookie season form.

Evans struggled with plantar fasciitis throughout the 2010-11 season, but now that he's back to full health, he'll be looking to improve on an electric rookie season when he posted a 20, 5 and 5 season.

Worst Case: Head coach Paul Westphal continues to play musical chairs with the rotation.

Westphal is known for his unorthodox style of rotations among his players, but that could prove to hinder the team in a big way with the number of guards on the roster.

San Antonio Spurs

Best Case: Make one final championship run with core built around PF Tim Duncan

Duncan just doesn't have many years left on his career, and if the Spurs are going to gear up for a final title run, it's going to have to be this season.

Worst Case: Multiple injuries hit a veteran team in a truncated campaign.

Between the expedited scheduling, less time between practices and a crazy travel schedule, the Spurs stand to really hurt from a shortened season if one (or more) key players sustains an injury.

Toronto Raptors

Best Case: SG DeMar DeRozoan has a breakout campaign.

The Raptors don't have much to look forward to this season with a less than inspiring group of talent on the roster, but DeMar DeRozan is a legitimate scorer and is primed to breakout as an impact player for the team.

Worst Case: C Andrea Bargnani continues to look lost as primary offensive option

The former No. 1 overall pick floundered miserably as the premier option at the offensive end last season, and he's likely to struggle once again unless he makes a critical adjustment to be more aggressive on the court.

Utah Jazz

Best Case: Young big men Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter make huge contributions.

The Jazz have a lot invested in the youth on the court, and the team is going to need major contributions from Favors and Kanter beneath the basket if they're going to make any noise.

Worst Case: Team struggles to find chemistry with youth movement.

there are a lot of moving pieces for a very young Jazz team, and a shortened season might not be enough time to build the necessary chemistry to make a sustained run this year.

Washington Wizards

Best Case: PG John Wall leads team to postseason berth.

The Wizards promise to be exciting, and Wall is going to be the epicenter of everything this team does. If this group can find any sort of identity on the defensive end, they could certainly turn some heads and sneak into the postseason at the back end of the standings.

Worst Case: Youth on the roster struggles to play up to potential

Did the youngsters stay ready during the lockout? On a team that has had some maturity concerns around league circles, that's going to be the question surrounding the club until this group proves that they can become a more consistent bunch.