Team's with the potential to surprise this season?

[Adam1221]

Which most likley bad looking team has what it takes to surprise a lot of people and make the playoffs next year IYO?

Imo its

1)Blazers- Everyone know's they'll be good but I think people are underestimating just how good they'll be.

2)Kings- The new Kmart looks like a near bonafine all star this year might be his.

3)Nets -They have plenty of young talented players the only question is when will those kids show their upside I think there's a small chance it can be this year plus they have an elite SG in Carter and an already excellent PG with plenty of remaining upside in Harris.

4)Memphis- OJ Mayo and Gay could be a pretty deadly combo it really all depends on how good Mayo will be.

5)Minasota- They actually have a pretty damn solid looking team a core of Miller-Jefferson-Love looks really damn good actually.

Joke entry
*Knicks- 99% this wont happen but they do have a pretty talented team offensively maybe it really was all Isiah's fault.

[Soul Patch]

I think the Mavs with Kidd and without Avery could raise some eyebrows.

[TradeMachine]

Milwaukee. The addition of RJ, with Sessions moving over to PG full time (TRADE MO) should be good as well. No one is even thinking about them in the east, but I think they could make some noise.

[SupaFly78]

Don't be surprised if the Warriors make some noise out West, Don Nelson has a history of surprising the league, especially if they can add Louis Williams to the mix as their backup point guard, as rumored.

[HarlemHeat37]

I'm gonna say nobody..

I don't see any "sleeper" teams making the playoffs this year..

[kdot99]

Who is the new K-Mart?

The Kings may surprise in the West

LA, NO, SA, UTH, HOU are the consensus top 5 I would say with PHX, DAL, DEN, LAC filling out that other tier. The Nuggets haven't gotten worse, PHX hasn't done anything to improve their team besides drafting Lopez so its realistic to see a young team on the rise like the Kings sneaking in.

Anyone in the East can surprise. I think the Heat will be a playoff team once again so it wouldn't surprise me if they cracked the top 4. People are underestimating the impact Michael Beasley may make in his rookie season.

[RoyceDa59]

The Washington Wizards.

[fivas14]

THe Bucks.


And the Blazers aren't a suprise team, everyone expects and thinks they'll win the title next year.

[deeney0]

Expectations for Portland seem to high. I think they'll surprise by showing they need another year to gel. Which shouldn't really be a surprise at all, but there you go.

The Nuggets haven't gotten worse

See Camby, Marcus.

[Bucky O'Hare]

The Bucks always look good on paper. Unfortunately, you have to actually play defense to win at a high level. Someone should remind the Buck's management of that.

[jax98]

Potential to look surprisingly good = Los Angeles Clippers

Potential to look surprisingly bad = Denver Nuggets

Yes, I do see the connection. Overall I believe we'll find out just how important Marcus Camby was to the Nuggets.

[mattyj]

where the hell is "Minasota"? Check your spelling before you start a thread

[Hangtime84]

Teams that could surprise people in the east (meaning make the playoffs):
Bulls
Bucks
Pacers

Teams that could surprise people in the west:
Golden State
Clippers

[Scalabrine]

Harris/M.Williams/Dooling
Dooling/CDR/Hassel/Ager
Carter/Hayes/Simmons
Yi/S.Williams/Najera/R.Anderson
Boone/Lopez/Swift

That team really doesnt look bad, Carter is now the star of the team and they have surrounded him with a bunch of young talented players. Ryan Anderson Brook Lopez and CDR were pretty good picks and could be steals of the draft, im pretty impressed with how they have rebuilt this team almost seamlessly. That is if Carter is still good enough to lead a team. They are my pick for suprise team of the league. If the Kings get another point guard then they should be okay but they need to keep Artest. I think the Blazers could be out of the playoffs for one more year and I think they overachieved last season, they are one of my favorite teams right now but i think they are still a year away.

[ponder276]

My predictions

West:
1 - LAL
2 - New Orleans
3 - Utah
4 - San Antonio
5 - Portland (they're very young, so everyone will improve naturally, and I expect Oden to stay reasonably healthy and have a rookie season at least as productive as Al Horford, which would be huge for the Blazers)
6 - Houston
7 - LAC
8 - Phoenix
I guess the Blazers and the Clips would be surprises?

East:
1 - Boston
2 - Orlando
3 - Detroit
And then Cleveland, Philly, Miami, Toronto and Washington, in I have no idea what order. I guess Miami would be the surprise there? Nets aren't making the playoffs btw - I expect them to be a bottom 5 team in the east, maybe a bottom 5 team in the league.

[pacers33granger]

pacers could surprise with our new roster and hopefully granger stepping his game up again. i dobut we will make the playoffs but people are predicting us to be in the lower end of the league

[Bulls_Dynasty6]

The Bulls. Not saying we are going to be contenders, but we can definitely be a 7 or 8 seed, contrary to not making the playoffs at all.

[edfmx86]

I think the surprise team will be the Spurs...when they finish in a 7 or 8 seed in the west.

[kdot99]

Expectations for Portland seem to high. I think they'll surprise by showing they need another year to gel. Which shouldn't really be a surprise at all, but there you go.

The Nuggets haven't gotten worse

See Camby, Marcus.

Typo. Meant HAVE.

[yaffnc]

i cant believe no one is saying the bobcats. larry brown and his boys are gonna run train on the east coast