How Each NBA Team Can Have a Successful Season

We are now mere days away from the start of the NBA season. Some teams have already completed their abbreviated preseasons. In mere days, we'll actually watching basketball that counts. 

Different teams have different expectations, though. What's going to be successful for the Clippers isn't going to be what's successful for Miami, who has a different bar than Toronto. 

"Success" is not an all-or-nothing barometer. It's about achieving the most you can. Success is meeting goals.

I like to think of goals as being something you can achieve, but also being something you have to push yourself as hard as you can achieve. If you've done all you can, you succeeded. 

Then, once you've done that, you reset your goals and do even more. That's what teams are doing right now. Last year, teams like Chicago and Oklahoma City succeeded in getting to the conference finals. The Knicks succeeded in getting to the postseason. 

Other teams won't mark "success" in terms of wins, but in terms of progress. 

That same bar is too low now. Here is every team's measure of success for this season. 

Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks made it to the semifinals of the Eastern Conference last year. They'd be hard pressed to get back there this year.

There are two reasons for that. First, other teams got better. Second, they got worse. 

They got worse by losing Crawford. With the additions that the Knicks made and the Nets are expected to make, it's hard to fathom a world where the Hawks are a top four team in the Eastern Conference. Even Indiana and Philadelphia could be pressing them this year. 

Considering that Chicago and Miami ore the class of the conference, that's six or seven teams that are as good as, or better than, Atlanta. Final four seems a bit of a stretch. 

Honestly, the best the Hawks can hope for this year is to get as far as they did last year, but even that's a bit of a reach. If they just make a competitive first-round series, the Hawks could consider it a successful year. 

Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are clearly a team moving backwards, not forwards. They're getting older. They traded Kendrick Perkins away to get Jeff Green, and Green is not going to be able to play this year. 

Both Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are in the final year of their contracts. 

This is the last year of the "Boston Three Party," and it's not promising. After the aging trio and point guard Rajon Rondo, the team looks very thin. Eastern Conference champions just two seasons ago, they aren't really contenders this year.

So what marks success for the Celtics? It's hard to say, but it might be something more to do with something front office related than what they do on the court. For the Celtics, success might have more to do with positioning themselves for next year and whether they can work a trade to improve their long-term fortunes. 

Charlotte Bobcats

For the Charlotte Bobcats, don't even think about the playoffs. That's just not going to happen. In fact, if the Bobcats win 20 games, then it'll be nothing short of a miracle. 

No, for Charlotte, success and failure has nothing to do with winning and losing. It has everything to do with how well their young rookie, Kemba Walker, pans out. 

Walker is one of two more point guards who should be adding to the stockpile of point guards who are changing the game. If he can look like the next star in the line of Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and even John Wall as players who can shred you passing or scoring the ball, they'll have a player to build around. 

Charlotte's success is equal to Kemba Walker's success. If he wins, or is in the running for Rookie of the Year, that's the most the Bobcats can hope for. 

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls stunned the basketball world last year, winning a league-high 62 games and then getting to the Eastern Conference finals. In fact, they achieved so much more than expected it almost became a disappointment. 

They need to measure themselves in terms of progress, though, and this year, the hurdle they need to jump is the Miami Heat. They filled their biggest need in signing Rip Hamilton, and if his first game with the Bulls in their preseason finale was any indication, they can do it. 

If the Bulls get to the NBA finals, that's success. If they win it, it's icing on the cake. In all likelihood, though, the tougher of the battles will be the Heat than anyone they might face in the finals. 

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland went from being one of the best teams in the NBA to being the worst. Lofty goals for the Cavs this year could range from the mere mundane—like avoiding 20-game losing streaks—to the more prodigious, like not having the worst record in the NBA. 

Mostly what Cleveland needs, though, is hard to define but easy to recognize. They need to have hope. 

The team overhauled their roster in the last year, and Dan Gilbert deserves a ton of credit for what he's been able to do. What he's done is carve out for himself a team that is one of the most inexperienced and youngest in the league, though there is real talent to work with. 

The Cavs feature eight players on their roster who have two years of experience or less. 

What the Cavs need is a sign that all this youth can come together and form the nucleus of a team with playoff potential. It won't be so visible in wins and losses, but in terms of chemistry, competitiveness and fire. If they have all that, they'll finish the season with hope, and if they do that, they'll be a success. 

Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are the reigning NBA Champions, a fact which Shawn Marion correctly notes appears to be lost on some people. Yes, they lost Tyson Chandler, but they added Lamar Odom, and oh yeah, they still have Dirk Nowitzki too. 

There are some things to cause legitimate questioning as to whether the can repeat, such as the fact that Jason Kidd is closing in on 40 and the fact that they did lost Tyson Chandler. 

However you slice and dice it, though, the Mavs season is only going to be measured by one word this year, and that's "repeat." 

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets had a changing of the guard last year. They traded away Carmelo Anthony and took in a a haul of players in return. Now, the leadership of the team is going to fall to re-signed players Nene and Arron Affllao. 

For the Nuggets, success should be measured by how effective the duo are, and that will, to a degree, mark how good the team is. If the two can lead the Nuggets to a postseason appearance, it should be considered a success. 

More would have been possible were they able to keep Wilson Chandler, but his hiatus to China has hindered that plan. 

Detroit Pistons

It wasn't that long ago that the Pistons were contending for the NBA title. I know it sounds crazy, but just three years ago, they were losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Last year, though, they were one of the worst teams in the league. 

They cut ties with one of their former stars who helped them to get to the conference finals annually and to win an NBA Championship when they amnestied Rip Hamilton. 

It was time. 

The Pistons are making a transition, and whether they succeed or fail this year will be measured by how they see growth from some of their younger players like Austin Daye, Rodney Stuckey and their rookie, Brandon Knight. 

If they can win 25-30 games and see progress in their young players, the Pistons can mark this year a success. 

Golden State Warriros

The Golden State Warriors have been flirting with a breakout season for a few years, and it's time to have one. Last year, they came close, winning 36 games. 

The Western Conference is getting weaker, and the Warriors should be getting stronger. 

They also have a new coach in Mark Jackson who is preaching defense. That's the thing the Warriors have been missing. With Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis, they have all the physical tools to be good defensive players, but they've lacked the discipline. 

With the new approach, the Warriors are a good pick to be this year's "Memphis." 

A success for the Warriors is to make the postseason, and it's not impossible to think they could win a series. 

Houston Rockets

Last year, the Houston Rockets had an interesting distinction. Their difference in Pythagorean Wins, a hypothetical number of wins based on how they actually played, and their real wins, was four games, the most of any team in the NBA. 

There are some aspects of basketball that just land in the "chance" range. Some of it is learning how to close out teams. Their are a number of mitigating factors. 

The point being, the Rockets were a playoff-caliber team last year, but they missed the playoffs. This year, they need to learn how to make those real wins match their Pythagorean Wins. If they do, they'll make the postseason, which is what would be a success for them. 

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are a team that has really changed their prospects since naming Frank Vogel as their head coach. They closed out the season to make the postseason. They challenged the Bulls in the opening round. 

Now, they are having one of the better offseasons, adding the likes of David West and George Hill to compliment their roster. 

The Pacers have quietly become a top-five team in the Eastern Conference and could validly contend to get to the second round of the playoffs. Winning a playoff series would be a great success for this team, but a very reachable one. 

Los Angeles Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers fans are actually looking forward to a season for the first time since...well, maybe for the first time. 

Adding Chris Paul to the Blake Show is just fun. This team got real good real fast, and they are on planning to push teams in the West for respect. 

It's not realistic to be talking NBA finals, or even conference finals, yet, but this is a team that should make the second round. If they can get there and push Dallas or Oklahoma City in a series, it would be a success for the Clippers and could pass as their most successful season as a franchise. 

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers, generally speaking, have one measure of success every year. You either win the NBA title or you don't. When you've played for half of them, that's just what comes with the territory. 

This year, it's going to be tough for them to be the best team in the NBA, though. They are older and that doesn't make them better. They traded away Lamar Odom for virtually nothing, and that didn't help. They signed Josh McRoberts, though!

It's hard to get too excited about that when they nearly had Chris Paul and had their targets set on Dwight Howard. 

This year, forget about the best team in the NBA. If the Lakers can stay the best team in the City of Angels, it'll be a success. 

Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies really broke out and became a borderline elite team in the latter half of last season. Only six teams posted more wins over the last half of the season, and they beat out the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs—the first series win in franchise history.

More will be expected of them this year, even if they only make as deep a run in the postseason. A top-four seed should assure them of the chance to get as far as they got last year and have a chance at getting to the the Conference Finals. 

They'll expected to make the transition from "surprise" team to "elite" team as the Oklahoma City Thunder did last year. If they can win 45 games and post a competitive second-round series, that would mark a success, though it's conceivable they could make it further. 

Miami Heat

More than any team in the NBA, the Miami Heat are expected to win the NBA title. For them, that, and only that, constitutes success. Between now and the postseason, there will be this big buffer known as the "regular season," which will be nothing but filler for the Heat. 

If the Heat don't win it all this year, it's a failure. If they do, it's a success. 

Milwaukee Bucks

The way the Milwuakee Bucks ended things the year before last, there were hopes that they would be able to contend last year. Then, the Deer didn't get feared so much as they got hurt. 

For the Bucks, they have added a piece in Stephen Jackson to  Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings. That's three borderline All-Star caliber players. They also acquired Benoh Udrih. 

There's enough there that should they be able to stay healthy, they can contend for a playoff spot. Getting to the postseason would constitute a successful season for the Bucks. 

Minnesota Timberwolves

The Timberwolves have been almost dependably awful since Kevin Garnett left. Granted, the downward spiral started before that, but they've won a total of 78 games in the four years since his departure. That's just horrific. 

This year they add Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams and JJ Barea to last year's breakout star, Kevin Love. They've added a new coach in Rick Adelman. There's energy around the 'Wolves for the first time in a long time, but they need to translate that into wins. 

They don't need a huge season, but they need to start swinging the pendulum in the right direction. Winning 40 percent of their games, i.e. 25, in a shortened schedule would be a great step for the team and a reasonable goal. 

New Jersey Nets

The New Jersey Nets are not going to measure their year based on wins and losses. They'll measure it in keeps or losses, as in whether they keep or lose Deron Williams. 

Now granted, that's going to involve winning. Williams isn't going to stick around with a team hoping to win the lottery—he wants to win. If the Nets win, he'll stay; if they don't, he'll leave.

If he stays, they succeeded. 

New Orleans Hornets

JJ2? It doesn't have quit the same ring as CP3 does it? Jarret Jack will be taking over starting point guard position for the traded and departed Chris Paul. The Horents aren't going to be as good as they were last year; that goes without saying. 

For the Hornets, it's all about staying competitive, and a big part of that is going to rest on the shoulders of Eric Gordon, the prize of their trade so far. Gordon has All-Star potential, and now, he'll be "the man" in New Orleans. 

Where the Horents will be measured this year is on the potential that comes out of the deal they made for Paul, and a large part of that is going to depend on how Gordon plays. If he shows the ability to carry a team, this is a successful year for the Hornets. 

New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are putting together a team which they hope can rival the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat for the Eastern Conference. 

Last year, they scored points easily enough, but so did the team they were playing. To solve that problem, they brought in Tyson Chandler, one of the top interior defensive presences in the league. However, to acquire him, it cost them their starting point guard, Chauncey Billups, whom they needed to amnesty in order make cap space available. 

Now they are adding Baron Davis to fill that void. 

All in all, the Knicks are working in the right direction, but they are still going to need to spend a year together before they are able to hang with Chicago and Miami. They can be the third-best team in the East, though, and if they are, that's a mark of success. 

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Oklahoma City went from surprise team two years ago to contender last year. Can they be a champion this year? Or at the very least, Western Conference Champions?

For whatever it's worth, which is probably somewhere between a nickel and a dime, the Thunder took both of their preseason games against the Mavericks. 

Last year, the Thunder were one of the best offensive teams in the league, averaging 111.2 points per 100 possessions. On the other hand, they gave up 107.2 points per 100 possessions. 

If they're going to get better, they are going to need to improve defensively. Since the merger, only one team has won the NBA title without finishing in the top 10 in defensive rating. If the Thunder, behind the defensive leadership of Kendrick Perkins, can be a top-10 defense, they'll have a real chance at winning a championship. 

That would mark a successful season for the Thunder. 

Orlando Magic

I would love to tell you that everything is all chummy in Orlando and that "success" is keeping Dwight Howard. That's not really going to happen though. It's time for the Magic to set more realistic goals. 

No, for Orlando it's no about winning. It's not about keeping Howard. It's about trading Howard and getting the best deal for him. Success for the Magic is securing a package for D12 that leaves them positioned to be a contender in the future. 

Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia did so much more than anyone expected last year. Doug Collins was a positively brilliant coach in guiding the team to the playoffs. 

The problem with Philadelphia is that it's hard to believe they didn't maximize their talent. Can the 76ers improve on last year's performance?

I'd like to argue that they are destined for more, but the Eastern Conference is going to be harder, and it's unlikely that Philadelphia will even attain last year's level of success. 

If Philadelphia even gets to where they were last year, it's a success. 

Phoenix Suns

The Phoenix Suns are moving backwards. The year before last, they were in the Western Conference Finals. This year, they might be one of the five worst teams in the Western Conference. 

It's hard to figure what the Suns would call success because it's hard to set the bar too low. 

It may be that what the Suns can most look forward to is establishing Markieff Morris as a player who can be a major contributor to a future nucleus. All things considered, though, this is a team that is short on talent outside of Steve Nash, and just staying interested at the end of the year would be a success.  

Portland Trail Blazers

It's my belief that Portland is setting their sights much higher than the rest of the league. I think they are a great candidate to be this year's version of the Bulls. By that, I mean that they are a team that many are pointing to as maybe fifth best in the West.

In actuality, they are a team that has a lot of talent and is very deep. They could make a run at having one of the best records in the NBA last year. Similar to last year's Bulls, we'll be looking at the Trail Blazers at the end of the year thinking that we should have given them more credit at the beginning of the year. 

Success for the Trail Blazers is getting to the Conference Finals, a much more realistic possibility than people recognize. 

Sacramento Kings

Last year, the Sacramento Kings played their last game in Sacramento. Then they didn't. 

The way to mark success this year for the Kings is easy. Keep them in Sacramento. They have the potential to be a playoff team, which would be enough to generate fan support.

There's never been a question about the locals showing up to support their team when they are in contention. Magic Johnson has promised to contribute money to finance the new stadium. This way, it is set up to keep the team there. 

Now, it's just a matter of being good enough to make the fans want to come. 

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs shocked the world and completely changed their philosophy last year, and in doing so, won the Western Conference's top seed. However, once they got to the postseason, it didn't help much, as they were ousted by the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Spurs are an aging team, and their greatest player, Tim Duncan, is in the last year of his contract, and conceivably, the last year of his career. 

For the Spurs, success this year will be to keep that year meaningful. Being in playoff contention makes this a win for the Spurs, even if they don't win. 

Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors are another team who has consistently struggled, even when they had Chris Bosh. They had a few good seasons in the Vince Carter days, and they did make the postseason twice under Bosh, but really, this team is mostly bad.

They've added virtually no one of significance to a roster that won just 22 games last year. A pro-rated 17 wins this year is a very unachievable goal. 

For the Raptors, the goal is lose, lose, lose. The worse the better. If you're going to suck, do it right and get a lottery ball!

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are a team that's interesting because they have five big men who can actually ball. In a league where big men are at a premium, you have to think that somewhere they are working a trade angle. 

If the Jazz can work a trade, they can vault themselves into playoff contention. 

For them, then, success is making the playoffs, but with the qualifier that they trade away one of their big men for a quality wing. 

Washington Wizards

One thing you can say about John Wall, he's not going to back down from a challenge, no matter how big it is. Even if it's carrying the lowly Wizards to the playoffs, he'll give it his best effort. 

That's not going to happen this year, but they should come a lot closer than they did last year. The Wizards were 3-38 on the road and 20-21 at home. That disparity is the largest in NBA history. 

This year, if they can improve on the road, it will go a long way towards making them a team that can contend for the postseason in the future. If they can get even 10 road wins, that would be a huge improvement and put them on the road to success for the future.