The future potential of 2020's projected playoff teams from worst to best:

[TurnUpTheHeat]

why is this?

Are you sure that the Celtics will beat you in the 2nd round of the playoffs? I'm not... I think a Bucks vs. Heat ECF is as possible as the Bucks vs. Celtics...

I thought you moved us to Western Conference?

 

[buckalis]

I thought you moved us to Western Conference?

Nope... my post was about the Jazz to everyone but the trolls in this forum...

Speaking of the Heat, it's the team that is the most dangerous for the Bucks this season IMO...

Not so much because of roster matching, but more because of coach Poelstra being the most experienced to handle a playoff series with a good but handicapped with respect to his opponent's roster...

I believe that the Bucks will have a much easier ECF if it is the Celtics in the 3rd round...

 

[shopson67]

With 5 teams as bright as the sun I think future games may be hard to watch. I mean, have you ever tried to look at the sun?

Probably just as difficult as watching the Wolves in their highlighter unis.

 

[shopson67]

Any thread that talks up the Celtics while talking down the C's main rivals is alright in my book.

As usual, anything that does so is typically weakened with opinion over fact.

 

[shopson67]

I understand that it hearts some fucking idiots feelings, when they see their circus being among the teams with no future, but I guess, what proves them fucking idiots, is that they never can argue on subject and therefore only thing they can think off is of sick ways to divert a subject with lies and accusations that not even exist.

I guess down there in the "Zorroland", some of the hombres drink too much tequila and smoke too much of the "magic weed"...

 

[Gman]

As usual, anything that does so is typically weakened with opinion over fact.

Good opinion in this case, though.

"Lakers suck!" ----> good.

 

[shopson67]

Good question. I like Drummond. He shows up every night, has worked hard on improving his free throws, and has shown development of a little hook shot. But he is a throwback played that doesn't fit the current evolution of the NBA. If the Pistons could actually find anyone with a consistent outside shot it would help his game immensely as he is a decent passer out of the post. I don't think he is worth a max, but I'm concerned that some other team may throw money like that at him (cough, cough, Knicks, cough).

The Knicks would be better served to stick with Robinson at center and let him get experience now IMO.

 

[shopson67]

Good opinion in this case, though.

"Lakers suck!" ----> good.

Hilariously wrong however.

 

[Myles]

9. The Indiana Pacers: (Future potential: Uncertain but possible to be good)

Victor Olandipo is expected back within the following month after a very serious injury, that makes his performance ability questionable... But even if Victor can be at the level he was, the Pacers will need more to add in order to take the next step and seriously contend for the title and that, doesn't look easy to achieve.

They are stuck in purgatory. They are a very well run organization in a small market. Recipe for disaster.
They always make the playoffs (8 of the last 9 years with the other being them finishing 9th). So they do not get top 5 draft picks. They haven't had a pick in the top 10 since 1989. That makes it hard to be a top contender. Add into it that it is not a destination free agents want to go and they are what they are. 5th place in the East. Dipo will probably help them get to 4th and maybe 3rd, but their fate is set.

 

[shopson67]

oh, the guy's a laugh a second BECAUSE of his arrogance. it's clear he knows nothing about the game, but he's going to continue to puff himself up like he does...

there's comedy in that, at least...

And future comedy to come when he denies he said any of this, or that it was taken out of context...

 

[shopson67]

As the season moves past the middle, some more conclusions can be safely made:
1. The Grizzlies don't only have a bright future ahead of them, but are just a step before becoming contenders in the West.

2. The Jazz are legitimate contenders in the West and are targeting to be in this year's finals.

3. The Bucks have 22y.o. Dragan Bender in their future plans, not only they guaranteed his contract, but started using him in the regular rotation (they only gave him garbage time mins up to now).

Assets on D.J. Wilson and Sterling Brown have been moved back in the rotation and therefore are the favorites to be moved by the trade deadline this season.

4. The Rockets are a "bubble"... Nothing more than a mediocre team with no real future. Their presence on the front count is temporary...

Bender has played in 4 games all year, and only 1 this month. That game (vs the Knicks) he accumulated basically nothing but rebounds and fouls in 21 minutes. Brown and Wilson have little to no trade value as end of the bench fodder.

 

[buckalis]

They are stuck in purgatory. They are a very well run organization in a small market. Recipe for disaster.
They always make the playoffs (8 of the last 9 years with the other being them finishing 9th). So they do not get top 5 draft picks. They haven't had a pick in the top 10 since 1989. That makes it hard to be a top contender. Add into it that it is not a destination free agents want to go and they are what they are. 5th place in the East. Dipo will probably help them get to 4th and maybe 3rd, but their fate is set.

Exactly my thoughts too... IMO, a lot will depend on Olandipo's condition not in the short term, but going forward... If he can reach his previous level, the Pacers will then need another clutch player's addition next to the Brogdon, Olandipo, Sabonis, Turner core if they are to take the next step and contend...

They may regret letting Bojan walk (and even more so with no return) in the near future...

 

[Black Adam]

Good opinion in this case, though.

"Lakers suck!" ----> good.

aw, go eat yer Lucky Charms, Leprechaun boy...

 

[buckalis]

Bender has played in 4 games all year, and only 1 this month. That game (vs the Knicks) he accumulated basically nothing but rebounds and fouls in 21 minutes. Brown and Wilson have little to no trade value as end of the bench fodder.

Everybody is entitled to have an opinion, even if he is wrong in this world...

IMO, Brown will be valued much higher than you think on any trade, especially after his ball handling skills have exploded to the degree of being able to play PG in the (ultra demanding) Bucks roster, after the MIL training stuff worked on him so hard on the matter and Wilson you underestimate because of Giannis/Ilyasova presence, which automatically puts him under their shadow...He would be a fine rotation piece on any NBA roster and with more potential to progress further in the short term.

The Bucks renewed Bender because he has the potential and the age to be their future center and have put all they have on him in training power as to achieve it... Yesterday it was the 1st time that Bender was used in the regular rotation, all other times before yesterday were garbage time... The difference on his body and the abilities on having a physical game were more than evident with all the muscles he has added within three months...

The 22y.o. will prove to be a steal for the Bucks in the near future with the exceptional basketball skills he has, the phenomenal mobility for his size and the clutch shooting potential... He is just starting (from scratch)...

 

[buckalis]

Good opinion in this case, though.

"Lakers suck!" ----> good.

The Lakers don't suck... they will suck in the near future having the arrow only showing down for their future potential, but for the moment they are among the contenders although I think they will fail to make it as far as the WCF this season...

IMO, it will be the Heat playing against the Bucks in the NBA finals this season... It's a prediction I've made already during the preseason...

 

[Black Adam]

The Lakers don't suck... they will suck in the near future having the arrow only showing down for their future potential, but for the moment they are among the contenders although I think they will fail to make it as far as the WCF this season...

IMO, it will be the Heat playing against the Bucks in the NBA finals this season... It's a prediction I've made already during the preseason...

 

[buckalis]

The Lakers don't suck... they will suck in the near future having the arrow only showing down for their future potential, but for the moment they are among the contenders although I think they will fail to make it as far as the WCF this season...

IMO, it will be the Heat playing against the Bucks in the NBA finals this season... It's a prediction I've made already during the preseason...

Meant the Jazz, not the Heat of course...

IMO, the Lakers will be taken out by the Clips in the 2nd round of the playoffs and the Jazz will beat the Clips in the WCF finals...

In the East, I think the surprise will come from the Sixers being eliminated in the 1st round from the Raptors and then the winner in the Heat vs. Celtics game in the 2nd round, will lose to the Bucks in the ECF...

 

[CitySushi]

Everybody is entitled to have an opinion, even if he is wrong in this world...

IMO, Brown will be valued much higher than you think on any trade, especially after his ball handling skills have exploded to the degree of being able to play PG in the (ultra demanding) Bucks roster, after the MIL training stuff worked on him so hard on the matter and Wilson you underestimate because of Giannis/Ilyasova presence, which automatically puts him under their shadow...He would be a fine rotation piece on any NBA roster and with more potential to progress further in the short term.

The Bucks renewed Bender because he has the potential and the age to be their future center and have put all they have on him in training power as to achieve it... Yesterday it was the 1st time that Bender was used in the regular rotation, all other times before yesterday were garbage time... The difference on his body and the abilities on having a physical game were more than evident with all the muscles he has added within three months...

The 22y.o. will prove to be a steal for the Bucks in the near future with the exceptional basketball skills he has, the phenomenal mobility for his size and the clutch shooting potential... He is just starting (from scratch)...

Do you think there's any correlation that you believe Milwaukee bucks players to hold tremendous value, yet other teams players have little to none?

 

[msgkings322]

The Lakers don't suck... they will suck in the near future having the arrow only showing down for their future potential, but for the moment they are among the contenders although I think they will fail to make it as far as the WCF this season...

IMO, it will be the Heat playing against the Bucks in the NBA finals this season... It's a prediction I've made already during the preseason...

Seriously what is wrong with your computer? Does it always change the word 'Jazz' to 'Heat'?

Not that you'll see this post....

 

[buckalis]

Do you think there's any correlation that you believe Milwaukee bucks players to hold tremendous value, yet other teams players have little to none?

Being chosen to play for the Bucks roster, with respect to other alternatives the Bucks had, adds by definition value to a player... A good example is Rajon Tucker this season, who after going undrafted the Bucks signed on an exhibit-10 and then on the Wisconsin Herd after the Bucks had no empty spot in the main roster or the 2-way spots... Rajon was finally offered a regular roster contract on December and is now a rotation piece for the Jazz...

But I have never said that other team players have little to no value, or that the Bucks players have "tremendous" value... That is all your invention... The truth is, that experienced coaches that know how to value players much better than some silly posters here, are picking Players that the Bucks don't need to keep and are either starting them or they use them as main rotation pieces...

Coach Casey is a good example starting Snell and Frazier and then use Wood and Maker as main rotational pieces, although they all were "deep rotation" when with the Bucks last season... Now Brown's value is significantly better than all mentioned and Wilson's too... It's partly the reason why Brown and Wilson were kept, while the others that were mentioned, were let go and now it's their turn to go after the Bucks have been upgrading the roster further...

By the way, it's not certain that the Bucks will move Brown... It may be Connaughton instead they will move... But it will be either Brown or Conn... not both! It will much depend on who the trade partner chooses...