Team Future Rankings

[flyerhawk]

Ouch! Don't be mad you guys haven't won since '83 now...

Yeah but at least I remember our title. And we are a contender now.

I have several die hard Knick fan friends. They are inconsolable.

 

[tlance]

They essentially have 2 1st round picks every year for the next SEVEN years!!! How can you possibly project where those will be?

Well, they look like a playoff team this year. With all those assets, they should stay a playoff team for the duration. That is 7 down.

Here are the rest:

-Denver 2020- will be in the 20s
-Miami 2021- likely to be in the 20s
LAC 2022
Miami 2023
LAC 2024
Houston 2024
LAC 2026
Houston 2026

obviously 2022 and beyond is impossible to predict with certainty. But I am betting on a big market team with no draft picks to be at least close to playoff caliber. They won’t be tanking at least. A couple of their picks or swaps could hit, but odds are they aren’t going to be high lotto picks. If they get any, it won’t be more than 2 or 3.

 

[msgkings322]

Yeah but at least I remember our title. And we are a contender now.

I have several die hard Knick fan friends. They are inconsolable.

Props to them for sticking with that dumpster fire

 

[msgkings322]

Well, they look like a playoff team this year. With all those assets, they should stay a playoff team for the duration. That is 7 down.

Here are the rest:

-Denver 2020- will be in the 20s
-Miami 2021- likely to be in the 20s
LAC 2022
Miami 2023
LAC 2024
Houston 2024
LAC 2026
Houston 2026

obviously 2022 and beyond is impossible to predict with certainty. But I am betting on a big market team with no draft picks to be at least close to playoff caliber. They won’t be tanking at least. A couple of their picks or swaps could hit, but odds are they aren’t going to be high lotto picks. If they get any, it won’t be more than 2 or 3.

I bet the LAC and Houston picks will be good ones by then, but as you say who knows

 

[Black Adam]

Yeah but at least I remember our title. And we are a contender now.

I have several die hard Knick fan friends. They are inconsolable.

lol, Moses Malone is STILL a bad memory...

 

[flyerhawk]

Well, they look like a playoff team this year. With all those assets, they should stay a playoff team for the duration. That is 7 down.

Here are the rest:

-Denver 2020- will be in the 20s
-Miami 2021- likely to be in the 20s
LAC 2022
Miami 2023
LAC 2024
Houston 2024
LAC 2026
Houston 2026

obviously 2022 and beyond is impossible to predict with certainty. But I am betting on a big market team with no draft picks to be at least close to playoff caliber. They won’t be tanking at least. A couple of their picks or swaps could hit, but odds are they aren’t going to be high lotto picks. If they get any, it won’t be more than 2 or 3.

Right but if we are looking long term, who else has as much upside as the Thunder? Of course none of those picks may pan out. And a team like the Pacers could get really lucky and strike gold with a draft pick and be dominant. But in 4 or 5 years, how many teams are you SURE will be really good? There is so much turnover in this league it is just too hard to know.

 

[flyerhawk]

lol, Moses Malone is STILL a bad memory...

Loved that guy. And Cheeks. And Jones. And Doc, of course.

I was 15 when they won that title. Wish I was a bit older so I could have really savored it.

 

[bksballer89]

You mean other than not have a draft pick? Having a lot of cap space only matters if teams want to come and play there.

Players want to come play in Miami lol.

Unless something drastic happens next year, I can't see why Miami won't land a big fish in the summer of 2021 as they'll finally have the cap room

 

[flyerhawk]

Players want to come play in Miami lol.

Unless something drastic happens next year, I can't see why Miami won't land a big fish in the summer of 2021 as they'll finally have the cap room

Maybe. Maybe not. There is no way to really know. Just because the Heat will have cap space doesn't necessarily mean that players will want to go there. We see this all the time.

 

[tlance]

Right but if we are looking long term, who else has as much upside as the Thunder? Of course none of those picks may pan out. And a team like the Pacers could get really lucky and strike gold with a draft pick and be dominant. But in 4 or 5 years, how many teams are you SURE will be really good? There is so much turnover in this league it is just too hard to know.

Here are a few with as much or more:

Dallas- Luka Doncic- enough said
Miami- Bam and Butler locked up + destination market + 2021 cap space
Philly- financial trouble, but Embiid + Simmons + Harris > than a bunch of picks that might be good, might not
Memphis- JJJ + Ja + another high lotto pick
Bucks- if they retain Giannis
Lakers- If they retain AD and sign another star to go with him.
Nets- If Kyrie and KD show up
LAC- if they keep Kawhi and PG for another go round


OKC is probably not landing a marquis free agent any time soon. SGA is a nice player, but who else do they have to fit the long term window? Diallo maybe. The picks are great. They could possibly turn into a full on Brooklyn situation, but I don’t think that is super likely. Give me teams with a core already in place.

I just don’t think it is likely that OKC is going to come out the other side with a championship caliber roster. Possible, not likely. Which is why I can’t rate their future higher than like a 6 or 7. If Houston and LAC fall apart in a couple years, that changes dramatically. But I am not betting on that right now. Both have highly competent front offices.

 

[tlance]

Maybe. Maybe not. There is no way to really know. Just because the Heat will have cap space doesn't necessarily mean that players will want to go there. We see this all the time.

Give me cap space + south beach all day over a bunch of future picks from Houston and LAC

 

[flyerhawk]

Here are a few with as much or more:

Dallas- Luka Doncic- enough said
Miami- Bam and Butler locked up + destination market + 2021 cap space
Philly- financial trouble, but Embiid + Simmons + Harris > than a bunch of picks that might be good, might not
Memphis- JJJ + Ja + another high lotto pick
Bucks- if they retain Giannis
Lakers- If they retain AD and sign another star to go with him.
Nets- If Kyrie and KD show up
LAC- if they keep Kawhi and PG for another go round

]

We are talking down the round. 3+ years from now. Dallas will have Luka, maybe Porzingas and what? They have no picks for a few years now. So they will need to hope that they get super lucky.

Miami will have a 34 year old Jimmy Butler. What exactly will he have in the tank?

Memphis will have Morant and JJJ looks like he could develop. But they are still giving up a pick to the Celtics and haven't really progressed at all.

Look, my point here isn't that the Thunder are sure to be the best team in 5 years. My point is that they have the best collection of assets for 5 years from now. They have a tremendous amount of capital to work a trade or develop players.

Look at the Warriors. They went from the best team in the world without question to the worst team in basketball in a year. While that was an extreme example, things change quickly. OTOH, look at the Celtics who made some great trades for aging players and went from fading team to team loaded with talent.

I just don’t think it is likely that OKC is going to come out the other side with a championship caliber roster. Possible, not likely. Which is why I can’t rate their future higher than like a 6 or 7. If Houston and LAC fall apart in a couple years, that changes dramatically. But I am not betting on that right now. Both have highly competent front offices.

I think you are looking at the short term and applying it to the long term.

 

[tlance]

]

We are talking down the round. 3+ years from now. Dallas will have Luka, maybe Porzingas and what? They have no picks for a few years now. So they will need to hope that they get super lucky.

Miami will have a 34 year old Jimmy Butler. What exactly will he have in the tank?

Memphis will have Morant and JJJ looks like he could develop. But they are still giving up a pick to the Celtics and haven't really progressed at all.

Look, my point here isn't that the Thunder are sure to be the best team in 5 years. My point is that they have the best collection of assets for 5 years from now. They have a tremendous amount of capital to work a trade or develop players.

Look at the Warriors. They went from the best team in the world without question to the worst team in basketball in a year. While that was an extreme example, things change quickly. OTOH, look at the Celtics who made some great trades for aging players and went from fading team to team loaded with talent.




I think you are looking at the short term and applying it to the long term.

The Warriors will be right back in the mix next season assuming they can stay healthy.

To your point, it is difficult to project 3+ years down the road. So I am rolling with the teams most likely to have superstars since we know superstars drive championship teams.

Dallas is going to have one. Regardless of Butler’s trajectory, Miami could have 2 if they sign somebody and Bam continues to progress.

After that?

Who knows. But I believe the big market teams are always more likely to have a superstar than the small markets. And OKC could get there, but I sure wouldn’t bet on that.

 

[flyerhawk]

The Warriors will be right back in the mix next season assuming they can stay healthy.

To your point, it is difficult to project 3+ years down the road. So I am rolling with the teams most likely to have superstars since we know superstars drive championship teams.

Dallas is going to have one. Regardless of Butler’s trajectory, Miami could have 2 if they sign somebody and Bam continues to progress.

After that?

Who knows. But I believe the big market teams are always more likely to have a superstar than the small markets. And OKC could get there, but I sure wouldn’t bet on that.

Well there isn't much point in forecasting the future if we just assume that the big market teams will get all the super stars and the current stars will remain the stars.

 

[buckalis]

Bucky's list was pretty messy... so I figured I would give my view...

Charlotte Hornets(Near Term 4, Long Term 2) - Playing better than I expected but this team has no future.

Excellent criteria for idiots, but there is an excuse... Crystal ball that was used, was bought from a "damaged goods" basket...

 

[buckalis]

Well there isn't much point in forecasting the future if we just assume that the big market teams will get all the super stars and the current stars will remain the stars.

Excellent criteria for idiots, but there is an excuse... Crystal ball that was used, was bought from a "damaged goods" basket...

 

[flyerhawk]

Excellent criteria for idiots, but there is an excuse... Crystal ball that was used, was bought from a "damaged goods" basket...

Is English your first language or are you 10 years old? Asking for friend.

 

[buckalis]

Is English your first language or are you 10 years old? Asking for friend.

I'm only saying that the criteria you use equal to fake-magician using a damaged crystal ball...

When you judge the future of a team, you have to take into account the following (in that order):

1. The current useful roster, the age of the players and their future development potential (for example arrow shows down, Bucks arrow shows up, Grizzlies arrow shows over the heavens).

2. The financials, the size of the contracts and the ability or not of the team to retain the roster... (for example, the Nets who have the worst financials in the league, will have to dump the salaries and lose the players of two out of Dinwiddie, Harris, LeVert or Prince!)

3. The picks and the assets they have in stock who can be used on impactful trades.

You don't say bold nonsense like:

"Charlotte Hornets(Near Term 4, Long Term 2) - Playing better than I expected but this team has no future."

this is exactly what a bullshitter that has no idea what he is talking about would say... Ask a student that has taken logic science lessons in college if you want a confirmation of the above...

It's like a fake magician using a damaged crystal ball bought out of a "damaged goods" basket in the local store!

Pure garbage...

 

[Black Adam]

Excellent criteria for idiots, but there is an excuse... Crystal ball that was used, was bought from a "damaged goods" basket...

how's the Eastern Conference "dominance" looking these days...?

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Pure garbage...

Speaking of pure garbage...