These are the teams that will create some sort of buzz due to their personnel. One or two may even shock us and make the playoffs. But that's where the magic stops.
These teams have their fans. And these fans have major mental issues if they think any of these clubs will wow anybody.
THE CLIPPERS
They have a roster stacked with size and talent. They are certainly good enough to make the playoffs. But guess what? They're the Clippers. On paper, they look great: Baron Davis, Ben Gordon, Blake Griffin, and Chris Kaman. They should be able to do something. But they won't. Griffin looks really good coming off of his knee injury. Ben Gordon had a stellar summer with USA basketball. Why can't they make something happen? Oh yeah, they're the Clippers. When he is healthy, Baron Davis can probably be the 3rd best player on a championship team. But that's asking a lot.
A team like Oklahoma City could really use a player like Chris Kaman. I wonder if they'll dangle Jeff Green to get him. If so, the Clippers may be just dumb enough to bite on that deal.
STRENGTHS: They have a 7 footer who can play. Blake Griffin has shown some pretty amazing athleticism thus far. And Ben Gordon can light it up. I also feel like Vinny Del Negro will have a stabilizing effect on this team. Randy Foye, Rasual Butler, Jake Voskuhl, and Ryan Gomes are good pieces coming off the bench.
WEAKNESSES: They don't have a small forward that is a legit starter. Eric Gordon is a stud, but an undersized 2-guard. Baron Davis already showed up to camp overweight and is fast on his way to injury. Brian Cook should not even be in the league anymore. And oh yeah, this the Clippers.
THE KINGS
The Kings did some good things this summer. They added size in DeMarcus Cousins and Samuel Dalembert while getting rid of Nocioni's contract. This roster still has a long way to go until it is complete, but you have to be intrigued with a Cousins-Evans pairing. Both can flat out play the game. Lots of questions about what goes on between their ears and if they will be able to make it work.
Cousins has the potential to be an MVP candidate some day. But he also has the potential to be Derek Coleman. Maybe Sacramento will get something in between - Rasheed Wallace.
Evans was compared a lot with Dwyane Wade. The question around him is whether he can make his teammates better. If so, this can be a legit duo to be reckoned with in future years. Until Evans shows that he can play without the ball, and that he can make the game easier for his teammates, he is not quite ready to be good enough to be a starter on a championship team. But I suspect his game will eventually get to that level.
STRENGTHS: Cousins and Evans are loaded with talent.
WEAKNESSES: The other 10 guys on the team are not.
THE PACERS
Remind me again why anybody outside Indiana should care? The good news is that Mike Dunleavy's contract is almost up. Even at his best, he wasn't that good. Danny Granger is their best player and he would probably be the 4th best player on a championship team.
STRENGTHS: They traded for Collison - a guy who can really play point guard in this league. Danny Granger is an all-star. And the Pacers are hoping that Hibbert keeps improving.
WEAKNESSES: Oh where do I begin? They need better talent. And they need the marginal talent that they have to stay healthy.
THE WIZARDS
Everybody is excited to see John Wall. Will he be at the same level of a Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, or Deron Williams? All the experts seem to think he has the talent for it. The question is whether the Washington party bus is the best place for him to develop as a player.
And the driver of that bus is Gilbert Arenas. He has already faked a knee injury in the preseason. This is not the act of a guy who has all of his marbles. The whole gun thing undeniably rocked him really hard. Even if he is physically able to play at a high level, the emotional scars may not allow him to. But until John Wall shows otherwise, Gilbert is the best player on this team. Is he good enough to start on a championship team? He was at one point. We'll have to wait and see what he has left...
The Wizards wisely brought in Kirk Hinrich's stability to balance out any nuttiness that may be on that roster. They may be a little small in the backcourt with Hinrich, Wall, and Arenas. They need a decent 6'5"-6'6" player or they won't be able to guard the bigger 2-guards in the league.
STRENGTHS: They've got talent. Aside from the 3 players listed above, I expect Yi Jianlian and Andray Blatche to have big seasons. Andray Blatche showed some tremendous skills last year as the focal point of the offense.
WEAKNESSES: They lost a ton of talent when they traded Butler and Haywood. And the talent they acquired, Josh Howard, blew out his knee. They are going to need their players to develop internally, particularly Javale McGee, Al Thornton, and Nick Young. They don't have much interior talent at all. Hilton Armstrong sucks. Aside from being tall and being able to walk upright, he brings nothing to the table.
THE NETS
Our billionaire owner learned this summer that you cannot simply buy talent because you are the coolest guy in Russia. Turns out that New Jersey is still one of the sweaty crevices of America and nobody really wants to go there.
This team will be a lot better than last year. First, they have stability now with the ownership and with an accomplished coach in Avery Johnson. Another benefit is that Avery Johnson has already coached Devin Harris and loves Devin Harris. Johnson should also be able to get the best out of Jordan Farmar, Harris' new backup fresh off back to back championships with the Lakers. Brooke Lopez has looked like a bad ass in his short career. Both he and Devin could be started on a championship team. But they would be the 3rd or 4th best player on that team. Or maybe even the 5th.
I watched a little bit of preseason. Terrence Williams surprised me with his size and athleticism. I would be curious to see what happens with him this season.
The big curiosity is Derrick Favors. As the 3rd pick, he was hyped. But is going to flourish like a Chris Bosh? Or is he the next Brandon Wright? His preseason has been on the pitiful side, but time will tell. He deserves a shot.
STRENGTHS: They have a fresh start with a new owner and new coach. Devin Harris and Brook Lopez are definite players in this league. Joe Smith will be a stabilizing veteran force.
WEAKNESSES: Not enough talent. Have to change the losing culture that developed last year. Did I mention that they need more talent?
THE KNICKS
Amare Stoudemire gets the opportunity to see how good he is not. I know Stoudemire thinks he is a first tier superstar. Little does he know that first tier superstars can play stifling defense. Hopefully D'Antoni will keep Amare at the power forward spot instead of making him an undersized center. He will get rocked at the center position. My hat's off to the guy, though. Amare has come off several injuries and keeps adding dimensions to his game. Assuming Felton can get him the ball in the right places, he will be really effective this year.
Felton was a nice upgrade from Duhon, but he is not a starter on a championship team. The only guy who really is is Stoudemire. And he would probably be the 3rd best player on a championship team.
Turiaf was a good pickup, but the intriguing one to watch will be Anthony Randolph. If he plays as well as everyone thinks he should, then this Knicks team will make some really solid strides.
STRENGTHS: Finally got out of their salary cap nightmare. Essentially upgraded David Lee and Chris Duhon by getting Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton. Gallinari is supposedly good. He needs to be more consistent, though.
WEAKNESSES: With all due respect to Roger Mason, they do not have a starting shooting guard. They would love to get their hands on Rudy Fernandez, but Portland is asking more than they can give. Eddy Curry has been deadweight since he left Chicago. The good news is that his expiring contract may be exchanged for something of value.
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