The NBA can be a cruel world. One year you’re in the NBA playoffs, the next year you’re near the bottom of the league. Just ask Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. And this year, there should be more teams to ask. With the Oklahoma City Thunder healthy and back in the playoff mix, the Western Conference especially could see a team or two slip out of the playoff picture. The same goes for the East, here the Miami Heat should rise from the ashes and could play a hand in sending one or more teams crashing back down to earth.
Who are the teams destined to drop out of playoff contention? That’s anyone’s guess, but if you ask us, it’s quite clear:
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland went through quite the roster overhaul this summer. Not only did big man LaMarcus Aldridge opt to chase a title with the San Antonio Spurs, but the team also said goodbye to Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Nicolas Batum thanks to trades or free agency. Portland isn’t completely without talent, as star point guard Damian Lillard still leads a team that boasts Gerald Henderson, Mason Plumlee and Al-Farouq Aminu. The talent is a serious downgrade across the board, though, and may no longer be good enough to lock up a playoff seed.
Brooklyn Nets
The Nets are certain to regress this year, as they did well to re-sign big men Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, but didn’t do much else. They even let point guard Deron Williams leave, which crushed their point guard depth. With no real answer beyond Joe Johnson on the wings, the Nets could starve for offense. Last year’s eight seed has teams like the Heat, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic and even New York Knicks breathing down their necks. They’ll need to surprise to make the playoffs again.
Boston Celtics
Boston snagged the seventh seed a year ago thanks to terrific coaching and a team-first mentality. They actually did a solid job bringing in a defensive big man in Amir Johnson, as well as a solid scoring big in David Lee. The team drafted solid depth pieces and intends to build from within, as Marcus Smart’s improvement could help them in their efforts. Of course, there are better built teams behind them and sneaking into the playoffs won’t be nearly as easy this time around. It may take a huge jump from Smart or a big trade to upgrade this roster for Boston to make it back-to-back stops in post-season play.
Dallas Mavericks
Last, but absolutely not least, are the Dallas Mavericks. Mark Cuban’s crew was soooo close to becoming a top shelf force out West, but DeAndre Jordan opted to go back to L.A. at the last second in free agency. Instead of steadily working their way up the ranks, Dallas is at best looking at a 7th or 8th seed placement in the playoffs. With the Oklahoma City Thunder sending the Blazers out, the Mavs will have to hold off the likes of the Jazz, Suns and other rising Western Conference teams trying to squirm into the bottom seeds. Dallas definitely still has the pieces to be a solid, competitive team, as adding Deron Williams, Wesley Matthews and Zaza Pachulia shouldn’t go unnoticed. But Dirk Nowitzki is aging and Monta Ellis and Tyson Chandler are both gone. It shouldn’t shock anyone if the Mavs don’t make the playoffs this year.
Got another team that’s destined to slide out of the playoff race? Hate one of the teams we have on our list? Tell us in the comments below!
