UP AND COMING TEAMS
I love a team that can build around a franchise center. Oden has accomplished very little in his first 2 years, and is the key to the future of the team. IF he is the player we expected him to be, the Blazers have the dominant big man on defense who can also score. Aldridge and Roy are young stars and they have other young players who will continue to get better. Pritchard has shwon he can get things done in the front office, and if Oden stays free of injury, they may begin to put it together very soon.
i can see a great Northwest Division matchup between the Thunder and Blazers in 2 years. The Thunder are gonna be a major competetor in the western division if they can stay healthy and keep adding to the equations they already have! I just think Oden was a bust for the blazers. Sorry
Thunder and Blazers should be a great rivalry. Westbrook versus Roy and Durant vs aldridge should be great. OKC should take Harden and try to get a young center like Chandler, Kaman, or Hawes. Double double guys like that. If you look at their rosters the thunder seem to have less holes. Both teams need solid centers.
Oden could be one of the top centers in the league in the not too distant future. He is still 21 years old! If he shakes the injury bug, he will be no less than in the top quarter of starting centers within the next 2 years........worst case scenario.
The Bulls are very exciting with Rose as the centerpiece and the way they took Boston to 7 should be a sign for things to come. The key is how they get the right pieces to play alongside Rose. It's similar to when the Jazz and Hornets got Williams and Paul respectively.
Right now, the key is Ben Gordon, do they resign him or do a sign-and-trade.
Bulls.
They just shown you why this playoff. And with two first round pick and some trades they could be something just by having D.Rose in their team alone.
Portland.
Oden is not a bust it's just unlucky that he is plagued with injury this past 2 years. Oden: worst case scenario: J.Pryzbilla like (defensive player for the team) Best case scenario: develop into one of the dominant big man in the league.
And they have a young core and i would surely like an upgrade in their point. And who knows what could Kevin Pritchard will be doing this year.
Thunders.
Harden is good but i don't think its what they needed. They needed someone to play inside, Thabeet or Hill atleast.
all you're giving are the obvious ones. that's boring to debate about. okc and portland are given to be contenders in the near future. let's talk about something crazy, something not everyone would agree on.
okay, i'm not going to choose an obvious team. here goes. i think the pacers have a potential to be contenders. they're in the easier conference and they actually almost made the playoffs last season. their leader was supposed to be mike dunleavy but he was injured most of last season so granger stepped up his game to lead the team. they don't have players who'll get your attention but they'll get the job done, something what the spurs have done in the past. a future starting line up of:
C Hibbert
PF Murphy
SF Granger
SG Rush
PG Jack/Ford
won't intimidate anyone but those are good character and hard working players who will play the game the right way. if the team's healthy and if granger continuous his development offensively and defensively, i'd say they can go as high as the 6th seed in the east (behind the cavs, celtics, magic, wizards, heat).
In your opinion who are going to be contenders in future years? i have many(kings,clipps,cats) but heres my min one
THUNDER- Current Starting Lineup----Westbrook,Thabo,Durant,Green,Kristic
Bench------Livingston,Mason,Wilkins,Watson,Collison,Atkins
Needs------shooting guard, low post threat, true center
Draft possibles---Thabeet,Rubio(move westbrook to the 2),Harden or Derozan
great core in green,kristic,durant and westbrook can build around that with the draft and free agency