2. Cleveland Cavaliers – NBA Finals
The Cavs made it to the Finals in LeBron’s first season back, but injuries to 2/3 of their Big Three (Kyrie Irving; Kevin Love) made a championship impossible despite James’ heroic efforts. Bringing back Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson, along with some youth to replace their aging bench, will be offseason priorities. Even still with LeBron leading the way, this team will be back regardless. They open the offseason as the favorite to win in 2016.
3. Houston Rockets – Western Conference Finals
The Rockets held their seed and made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals. They dominated the Mavericks in the first round and then pulled off a comeback win after trailing the Clippers 1-3 in the conference semifinals. If their roster can remain healthy (See: Dwight Howard; Patrick Beverley), and maybe pick up another wing scoring option to help take the load off Harden, they should be in good shape again for next season.
4. Los Angeles Clippers – Western Conference Semifinals
Even with Chris Paul battling a hamstring injury, the Clippers looked like a lock to reach the Western Finals before their meltdown from a 3-1 lead against the Rockets. This week they traded Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes to get Lance Stephenson, a risky move but one that brings even more explosive scoring to their lineup. This team will be very dangerous next year, but it will be interesting to see how they handle free agency with DeAndre Jordan on the table.
5. Atlanta Hawks – Eastern Conference Finals
After an incredible regular season that saw the Hawks win 60 games and earn the #1 seed in the East, injuries made a run to the Finals nearly impossible. Without Thabo Sefolosha or Kyle Korver and with a battered DeMarre Carroll, they simply stood no chance against the Cavaliers. Going into 2016, the Hawks will hope to solidify their backcourt and re-sign Carroll and Paul Millsap, who both proved to be huge weapons for them.
6. Memphis Grizzlies – Western Conference Semifinals
Even with Mike Conley’s facial fracture, the Grizzlies took the Warriors to six games in the Western semi’s, holding a 2-1 series lead before Tony Allen’s untimely hamstring injury. The offseason will be crucial in how they handle Marc Gasol’s free agency, but the Grizzlies are a hard-nosed team and will be right back next year assuming they can retain the services of their First Team All-NBA big man.
7. San Antonio Spurs – Western Conference First Round
Although they lost in the first round, the Spurs took the Clippers to seven in one of the most entertaining series ever. With intriguing free agents on the market this summer like LaMarcus Aldridge, the Spurs could reload and extend the length of their dynastic run. Even if they don’t land a piece like Aldridge, we’ve learned by now never to count out Popovich’s Spurs.
8. Chicago Bulls – Eastern Conference Semifinals
After their playoff exit, the Bulls fired head coach Tom Thibodeau and brought in Fred Hoiberg from Iowa State to replace him. Questions remain as always with the health of this team, notably with Derrick Rose (of course) and Joakim Noah. Jimmy Butler’s surprise emergence means that his contract will be a big topic of debate for them this offseason. The Bulls will hope that the development of Doug McDermott, Nikola Mirotic, and Tony Snell will offset the aging of their core, including Pau Gasol, but it appears that their championship window is nearly closed.
9. Washington Wizards – Eastern Conference Semifinals
The Wizards stomped the Raptors and showed lots of promise against the Hawks in the second round of the playoffs. John Wall and Bradley Beal continued to improve this season, and Otto Porter emerged from being a potential bust to a very solid 2-way wing player, capable of playing shutdown defense and extending his range to the 3-point line. The future is bright for the Wiz. Paul Pierce’s future, however, is uncertain, and his loss would be a big blow to this team both on the court and in the locker room. Still, with another year of experience, this young team should be even better next season.
10. Portland Trail Blazers – Western Conference First Round
The injury to Wesley Matthews decimated the Blazers’ chances in the first round against a Grizzlies team whose depth was so much stronger than Portland’s. A season after making the second round, the Blazers didn’t really improve much more and now face the uncertain statuses of Matthews and All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge. A first round exit is probably not how they wanted to end this season, but with young, supremely talented guards in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum and money to spend, the future is still bright in Portland.
11. Dallas Mavericks – Western Conference First Round
This team was destined for a better season than they ended up having, but an injury to Chandler Parsons combined with the absolute abomination that was Dallas Maverick Rajon Rondo contributed to their first round exit to Houston. As Dirk continues to age, it will be interesting to see how the Mavericks manage his minutes and usage. It seems their window to compete is closing, but with Mark Cuban at the helm you can never count out the Mavs from making a big offseason splash. As such, LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan will be at the top of their offseason wish-lists, and either player would fit in quite nicely alongside Dirk.
12. New Orleans Pelicans – Western Conference First Round
The Pelicans grew up a lot this season. They grinded out a tough end to the regular season, fighting off the Russell Westbrook’s…er, I mean OKC Thunder, for the 8th seed in the West, before giving all they had in the first round vs. 67-win Golden State. Anthony Davis is already the scariest player in the league, and with him the Pelly’s will be back and even better next year. The hiring of Alvin Gentry as head coach, prying him away from the Warriors, is a solid move that should add some stability to their team as well.
13. Toronto Raptors – Eastern Conference First Round
A really terrible end to the season for a Raptors team that some thought was ready to take the next step. Now in two consecutive seasons they’ve taken care of business against the weak Eastern Conference – this season winning a franchise record 49 games – but have failed to make it to the second round of the playoffs both times. An abysmal series this season ended in just four games against Washington, including a 31-point beating in the closeout Game 4. Toronto will need to reconsider what they’re doing, because clearly their current team isn’t prepared to win when it counts.
14. Milwaukee Bucks – Eastern Conference First Round
Is the future as bright anywhere else in the league as it is in Milwaukee? After Jason Kidd led the Bucks to one of the all-time greatest turnarounds in regular season history, they pushed Chicago to six games in the first round. All of this without 2014 #2 pick Jabari Parker (ACL surgery) and Larry Sanders. With the return of a healthy Parker and the development of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Michael Carter-Williams, the Bucks should be markedly improved again next season. The biggest question marks this offseason in Milwaukee will be re-signing breakout 2-way stud Khris Middleton, adding an inside scoring threat (Brook Lopez, anyone?), and the status of the new arena. Things are looking good in Milwaukee, and so are the new jerseys.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder – Missed Playoffs
It’s incredibly strange to see the Thunder ranked this low, but injuries are a part of the game. Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka ended the season watching the playoffs from home, and yet they are still given the second best odds at winning the title next season, tied with the Warriors. Durant has recently said he vows to be back better than ever next season after watching his co-superstars in the finals without him, and Westbrook proved in his absence last season that we may have never seen a player with his combination of competitiveness, athleticism and skill (though Kobe Bryant might have something to say about that). Still, if healthy, we all know what the Thunder are capable of next season, and that’s winning a title. That being said, this will likely be the lowest they will be ranked all season. How new head coach Billy Donovan will manage the team will be something to keep an eye on. These superstars aren’t quite like his former college kids at Florida.
16. Boston Celtics – Eastern Conference First Round
Cleveland swept the Celtics out of the playoffs, but the fact that this roster of young players made the playoffs in the first place is a testament to their hard work and the incredible coaching of Brad Stevens. With him on the bench, this team will be competing and playing above themselves for years. Adding a solid shooting guard will be of top priority, but with young talents like Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Smart, the Celtics are content to grow and prepare for the future. And it seems they’re already ahead of schedule.
17. Indiana Pacers – Missed Playoffs
Although the Pacers missed the playoffs, their second half to the season was truly exceptional. Without superstar Paul George for the majority of the season due to his gruesome leg injury, the Pacers exceeded all expectations and made a late push to contend for the final playoff seed. If George can return to close to what he was before the injury, the Pacers should make their way back to the top half of the conference quite quickly.
18. Miami Heat – Missed Playoffs
The Heat will look to rebound from a pretty dismal season in the first year sans LeBron. The trade for Goran Dragic didn’t pan out immediately, but with a full training camp and renewed health following an uncharacteristically long offseason for Wade and Bosh, the Heat should return to playoff contention next season. They’ll look to add a solid piece for the future in the draft, something they haven’t had the opportunity to do in quite some time.
19. Brooklyn Nets – Eastern Conference First Round
The Nets finished the season by falling to the top seeded Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. Brooklyn is spending an absurd amount of money for a very mediocre team, and with their aging roster combined with the looming departure of Brook Lopez it could be a long season ahead for the Nets. Still, it’s hard to imagine owner Mikhail Prokhorov allowing his team to lose, and he will spend any amount of money to ensure this. Deron Williams and Joe Johnson are in rapid decline though, and the Nets really need to rebuild rather than retool. Whether Prokhorov will accept this is to be determined.
20. Utah Jazz – Missed Playoffs
One of the season’s most pleasant surprises was found in Utah in the form of the emergence of Rudy Gobert A.K.A. the “Stifle Tower.” The Jazz have loads of promising young players like Dante Exum, Trey Burke, Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors, too. Gordon Hayward has continued to improve as well, and this team promises to be exciting next year. The only question is whether they can put it all together and make a run at the playoffs in the stacked Western Conference or whether they’ll need another year to develop.
21. Phoenix Suns – Missed Playoffs
The Suns’ roster is a bit confusing with two combo-guards in Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe, both of whom can play each guard position but neither of whom is truly fit to play either one. They need to solidify their front court and will likely look to do so through the draft. If Myles Turner from Texas falls to them they may have to snag him, but former Wisconsin star Frank Kaminsky seems like an ideal fit for the Suns.
22. Detroit Pistons – Missed Playoffs
The Pistons will likely lose Greg Monroe this offseason but will hope to replace some of his inside presence through the draft with someone (ideally someone like Willie Cauley-Stein) who can partner up with Andre Drummond, along with the recently acquired Ersan Ilyasova from Milwaukee. Detroit will hope that Reggie Jackson can show the form that he demonstrated in Oklahoma City to justify the money they’re spending on him as well. The Pistons are rebuilding, but with Drummond and the #8 pick in this draft they should be moving in the right direction.
23. Denver Nuggets – Missed Playoffs
This was an incredibly disappointing season for the Nuggets who finished under .500 at home just two seasons after going 38-3 in Denver. Ty Lawson’s future as a Nugget is questionable, and as such the Nuggets may hope that by some miracle point guard Emmanuel Mudiay falls to them at #7. Regardless of who they select, however, there will be loads of talent available. The decision to hire Mike Malone as head coach was a bit of a head-scratcher, and he wants to get the team playing up-tempo as soon as possible. We’ll see how that works out, but Nuggets fans shouldn’t be expecting too much out of this team next season. The rebuild is imminent.
24. Orlando Magic – Missed Playoffs
The Magic will essentially get two lottery picks next season in the #5 pick and in the return of Aaron Gordon from injury. Combine that with the improved Nikola Vucevic, Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton, and, despite the likely departure of Tobias Harris, the Magic have a very, very talented young core. The main focus for them this summer will be improving their outside shooting, as none of these players provides much of a punch from deep. That said, their youth and athleticism should translate into a defensive juggernaut, especially given the nature of their new head coach Scott Skiles.
25. Charlotte Hornets – Missed Playoffs
After trading Lance Stephenson just this past week to the Clippers, the Hornets will look to replace his scoring abilities with someone who can score with similar ease, but hopefully while inducing fewer headaches on and off the court. With the #9 pick they should have their choice of players such as Devin Booker, Stanley Johnson and Kelly Oubre, to name a few who could fill that role. That still it won’t be an immediate swing; it’s hard to imagine this team improving significantly over last season’s performance.
26. Sacramento Kings – Missed Playoffs
The Kings can go a number of ways in this draft with the #5 pick, but the key concern should be pleasing DeMarcus Cousins. For all his history of immaturity, he has improved immensely as of late as a leader and his skillset is matched by next-to-none in the league. Whether they bring in a point guard like Mudiay, a wing like Justise Winslow, or a big man like Cauley-Stein, Sacramento will be hoping to secure a 1-2 punch for their future. The Kings have been mired in mediocrity for a while, but if they play this pick right they just may be able to claw their way out of the hole sometime soon.
27. Minnesota Timberwolves – Missed Playoffs
Even after a terrible season, the Timberwolves are sitting pretty right now. Not only do they have the #1 pick, most likely Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky, but they will be pairing him with this year’s Rookie of the Year in Andrew Wiggins and Slam Dunk Contest champ Zach LaVine, who exceeded expectations when given significant minutes later in the season. The future looks very bright in Minnesota for the first time since Kevin Garnett left for Boston, and although it may not be this year, this team should be contending soon, and for a while, too.
28. New York Knicks – Missed Playoffs
The Knicks were hoping for the #1 pick and instead landed all the way down at #4. Not the best luck for a team whose lone household name is going to be entering the season at 31 years old and coming off knee surgery. With this high pick, however, they can take a player who fits well into Phil Jackson’s Triangle Offense, someone like D’Angelo Russell of Ohio State or the Latvian 7-footer Kristaps Porzingis. It’s hard to imagine this Knicks team being much better than last season, but if Carmelo Anthony can stay healthy this year they at least can’t be much worse. And when that’s the good news, well, you see how bad things really are for Derek Fisher and company in the Big Apple.
29. Los Angeles Lakers – Missed Playoffs
Entering into the season knowing it’s (probably) Kobe Bryant’s last is a strange thought in L.A. For this season, though, his massive contract still is on the books and will limit what they can do as far as building a team. But, with Julius Randle back and healthy (hopefully) and the #2 pick in the draft who will likely be Jahlil Okafor, the future of the Lakers shouldn’t be as daunting as it seemed previously. Nobody would’ve thought that the Lakers may actually be anxious for Kobe to retire, but that’s the point we’re currently at with the Lakers.
30. Philadelphia 76ers – Missed Playoffs
The Sixers have been mired in absolute atrocity for the past few years, leaving many shaking their heads at what the plan is in Philly. After drafting injured big men (Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid), the Sixers may finally take a player who can contribute right away in either Porzingis or Russell at #3. Embiid’s health is still a huge question mark, but Noel showed plenty of upside last season. The real question is this: will the Sixers try to make a move to actually improve, or will they essentially sit out another season as part of some master plan that nobody really understands?