The end goal of every lottery team is the playoffs, and if things go right, an NBA title. For some teams, just getting there is going to take a while.
Maybe last season didn’t go as planned, or maybe a rebuilding project is in full swing. Maybe, getting further away from winning a championship was how it was supposed to happen. Whatever the case, the following teams will not be in contention for an NBA championship this season and probably for a few years after that.
Milwaukee Bucks
Last offseason, the Bucks had to shake things up after finishing eighth in the East but only winning 38 games. They traded away Brandon Jennings, let Monta Ellis walk and signed Larry Sanders to a $44-million extension. Replacing Jennings and Ellis were Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo. Oh, and they traded for Caron Butler. The moves signaled an attempt to re-up with a new set of players and make another run at the playoffs.
It would all go wrong. Sanders got himself in trouble and couldn’t stay healthy (nor could Butler), and while Knight showed promise, Mayo got hurt, gained some weight, and as Rudy Gay suggested, probably indulged a little too much in Wisconsin’s eateries.
So the Bucks shut it down, won 15 games, and are looking to build for the future with Jabari Parker. Despite last season, Bucks fans should be pretty ecstatic about their team’s future. Well, mostly. Parker is a great piece to build around, he wanted to play for the Bucks, and he’s already inspired some pretty sweet shirts. Knight’s aforementioned potential bodes well, along with the excitment that comes with Giannis Antetokounmpo, even if his development has a ways to go. Off the court, the team was sold by longtime owner Herb Kohl to hedge fund billionaries Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry, who will keep the team in Milwaukee.
Still, there’s some cause for concern. Sanders’ future is still up in the air, O.J. Mayo is still on the roster, and after Jason Kidd failed to conquer the Iron Throne of Brooklyn he settled for the Bucks’ head-coaching gig, kicking out Larry Drew in the process. Kidd was a great player, but he doesn’t look ready to be an NBA head coach despite making the playoffs, and that’s probably because he’s only coached basketball at any level or position for one season. He’s in Milwaukee because he’s friends with the owners, and while he failed to convince Brooklyn to make him head of basketball operations, I’m not sure Bucks ownership will be as resistant somewhere down the line.
Maybe I’m being too critical, or maybe I’m just not sold on Kidd’s ability to not only coach but to lead a team that’s virtually the opposite of the one he coached in Brooklyn. Is Kidd prepared to develop the young core on this Bucks roster? I wasn’t high on Larry Drew, but this hire just stinks a little too much for me, and if the Bucks were going to make such a move I’d much rather look for someone who has been well regarded for player development.
Point being, the Bucks have a nice core to build around, but it’s going to take time for them to figure it all out. And while it’s great the Bucks will be staying in Milwaukee, Jason Kidd better be prepared to handle the losses, because there will be more than a few of them.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz have built themselves a nice core. Trey Burke, Dante Exum, Gordon Hayward (after the Jazz match), Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Alec Burks and Rodney Hood. They’ve also hired Quin Snyder, a coach with an impressive pedigree, and one known for player development (looking at you, Milwaukee). That said, Snyder has ample developing to do.
Burke showed promise last season when he wasn’t hurt, and should build off a strong rookie season. Exum is a wild card since we don’t quite know how he’ll adjust, but his strengths are noteworthy. Hayward regressed in shooting efficiency last season, but as the team develops other scoring options he’ll have less pressure to be the primary option.
The biggest question marks surround Favors and Kanter. As Amar of SLC Dunk pointed out on our latest podcast, their first season as starters wasn’t convincing enough for Jazz fans. At this point, they haven’t solidified themselves as the frontcourt pairing of the future, which makes this season incredibly important. If Favors doesn’t show improvement, his $12 million per year might start to sour. Similarly, if Kanter doesn’t improve, he may cost himself a big extension. Moving into this season, these two should be the focal point of the team.
The Jazz are rebuilding, but they have the foundation. And although this analogy is cliche, the key for the Utah is making sure the foundation doesn’t fall apart (I’ll see myself out).
Philadelphia 76ers
While Milwaukee and Utah are looking to get better, Philadelphia might be looking to get worse. They own about every second-round pick for the next three years and spent this draft taking two players, Joel Embiid, and Dario Saric, who aren’t likely to play in the NBA this season (though Embiid could be back before season’s end). The moves Sam Hinkie have made suggest they are sucking to suck, acquiring asset after asset in what will ultimately manifest itself into a championship-winning team (they hope).
They are also looking to add Jeremy Lin and possibly Amar’e Stoudemire, because both have expiring deals that will clear up even more cap space next offseason. I hope Hinkie knows that at some point he’ll have to construct a roster that knows how to win. Yes, they have 2014-14 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, and Nerlens Noel has a ton of potential, as does Joel Embiid. Saric could be pretty good when (if) he comes over, and K.J. McDaniels could turn out to be their best rookie this year.
Problem is they aren’t establishing a winning mentality, and instead are suggesting that in two, three years’ time, all wrongs will be righted and the winning will start. Last season, Cleveland thought the same thing, but you can’t just decide to start winning and expect the wins to come. Philadelphia is banking on the assumption that current and future drafted players will shape into an NBA title-contending roster. Some of these guys have the potential to be good, but individual talents aren’t enough. The fit of the team, and how the pieces play within the system developed by the coaching staff are important, as well. Most dangerous, however, is that none of these players want to lose; they are after all doing this to make a living. The players and staff want to win, but are working with a front office that doesn’t, and that can be at tricky situation. There’s always the chance Hinkie’s plan could go virtually as planned, but there’s so much at stake, and he’s gambling on a lot of uncertainties.
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