<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>NBA 2010: Which Top-10 team will fall to lottery?Q: Which one the Top 10 teams (Pistons, Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Heat, Cavs, Nets, Grizzlies, Clippers, Lakers) could wind up near the top of the lottery in the next couple of years? <span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Chris Sheridan</span>, ESPN Insider: Again, another question that assumes a drastic change in fortune, not just into the lottery, a la the recent Wolves, but all the way to the top of the lottery. Whew. The only way I could see that happening to any of these teams is through a devastating early-season injury to a superstar with a fragile supporting cast. The Lakers with Kobe Bryant and the Cavs with LeBron James obviously fit that bill, same for the Heat and Dwyane Wade a year or two from now when Shaq's decline will be even more pronounced than it was in the Finals. But if healthy, all 10 of those teams should be in the playoffs for at least the next couple of years.__________________________________________________________________________ ________<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">John Denton</span>, Florida Today: New Jersey had to sweat out the summer of 2003 when star point guard Jason Kidd toyed with the idea of leaving via free agency for the San Antonio Spurs. The franchise will likely have to go through a similar scenario next summer when Vince Carter can opt out of his contract and become a free agent.And the circumstances seem to be aligned for Carter to bolt. A native of Daytona Beach, Fla., and a resident of Orlando's ritzy Isleworth community in the offseason, Carter might want to get closer to home when he becomes a free agent. And it just so happens that the Magic will have the cap space (approximately $13 million) and opening (no proven shooting guard) to offer Carter next July. And playing alongside rising youngsters Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson might make the option even more appealing.In the meantime, Nets fans are probably still trying to figure out what happened last spring after New Jersey jumped ahead of Miami in the second round of the playoffs. The Nets lost the next four games, offering little resistance against the hard-charging Heat.Help is on the way in the form of 7-foot-2 center Mile Ilic, a 2005 draft pick the Nets have resisted trading despite several overtures. And playing in the NBA's weakest division should help the Nets coast into the playoffs again.But the franchise's future seems to rest with Carter. And the guess here is that he's gone next summer._________________________________________________________________________ __________<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Marc J. Spears</span>, The Denver Post: Expect the Miami Heat to go from NBA kings to lottery in a couple years. NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Dwyane Wade will be a free agent in 2010. By then, superstar center Shaquille O'Neal will be retired, as will several other key Heat players in Alonzo Mourning, Gary Payton and possibly Antoine Walker. Pat Riley will be retired for a couple seasons by the time Wade's contract is up. So with all the key teammates gone, his franchise in rebuilding mode and a championship ring in hand, it will be time and also fair for Wade to be selfish in 2010 and go sign a contract with one of the NBA's premier teams. For what Wade has given to the franchise thus far and will give by 2010, it wouldn't be fair to ask the perennial All-Star to stick around during a rebuilding period. Moreover, since the Heat have been an NBA power in recent years, they haven't been adding big-time draft picks to complement Wade. What the Heat should do is figure out a way to get Wade to convince LeBron James to come to Miami once he becomes a free agent in 2010, too. Hey, South Beach is a lot warmer than Cleveland.______________________________________________________________________ ____________<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">David Thorpe</span>, Pro Training Center: I know that we are all supposed to hail Bron Bron. That he is "next" -- the guy who can carry his team to great heights. I know that he has already been anointed by the vast majority of experts to be the true superstar of the next decade, and I know that it is not a question of if he will win a ring, but how many. But here's what else I know; unless he gets some serious help in the next two years, the Cavs have as much of a chance to get a lottery pick as they do a berth in the Finals.I don't doubt LeBron's talent and drive to win. In fact, I place his 2005-06 season among the all-time best we have ever seen from any player. He averaged more points than any two of his teammates combined, and had 2.4 more assists per game than the starting point guard. On the other end of the floor, he led the Cavs in steals per game and defensive rebounds! Asking him to keep performing the miraculous is a recipe for failure (read: lottery). Consider that the Cavs added nobody who can be considered a lock to contribute, they lost super-sub Flip Murray to the Pistons in free agency, their incumbent super-sub Anderson Varejao has a mysterious leg fatigue problem, Drew Gooden just signed a new contract (not often a good omen for increased production), and it is easy to see how the Cavs can fall back to the pack in the improved East. And don't overlook the loss of Murray. The Cavs were 18-6 in the final 24 regular-season games with him, 32-26 before. The Cavs are just one ankle twist away from a certain lottery slot. ________________________________________________________________________________ ____<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Brian Windhorst</span>, Akron Beacon Journal: The most fragile of the top teams in the NBA seems to be the Suns, largely because their frantic style of play appears to rely heavily on the talents of Steve Nash, who is 32 and is already battling some back issues. Also, nobody is sure at the moment what Amare Stoudemire's future holds, though most seem to believe he'll never fully return to his previous form.Phoenix has sold off three first-round draft picks over the last three years and instead stocked the bench with cheap but aging players. Given how top-heavy the Suns' payroll is, especially if they eventually sign Boris Diaw to the type of extension he wants, they'll miss those young contributors who aren't making huge dollars and have the upside to step in.The Suns have shown the ability to identify players who fit their system, but that was when Bryan Colangelo was running the team. Mike D'Antoni is one of the best coaches in the league, but nobody is sure how he'll perform as the general manager. Already some are questioning his first major acquisition, signing somewhat erratic Marcus Banks to a five-year deal. ________________________________________________________________________________ ____<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Ian Whittell</span>, The (London) Times: Simple answer: the Memphis Grizzlies -- but through no fault of their own.Not only do the Grizz play in the West, which is a huge disadvantage in any of these discussions, but the injury suffered by Pau Gasol in the World Championship in Japan this month is going to decimate a team that was hardly a Western power to begin with.The Grizzlies may not have been a one-man band last season, but any time your second-best player, by a wide margin, is Mike Miller, you're not far from that status. Who is going to come up with the 20.9 points, 8.9 boards and 4.6 assists Gasol was good for last season? Rudy Gay? Without Pau for as many as four months after foot surgery, Memphis could be heading for the lottery as early as next year.For a more controversial response, looking ahead a couple of years, how about the Los Angeles Lakers? As much as we love Kobe here in the UK, even we non-savvy Brits know one guy can't do it all on his own in any team sport.With the hopes of adding a big-name free agent looking distant, and Bryant coming off knee surgery this season, the Lakers are going to have to hope there is no fall-off in Kobe's output, or that they get extremely lucky with a trade. Otherwise, they may slip in the competitive West.</div>Link
Cool article, I dont think Wade will ever be in the lottery though.This explains which lottery team will contend for a title.Q: Which one of the Bottom 10 teams (Blazers, Knicks, Hawks, Wolves, Bobcats, Warriors, Raptors, Rockets, Celtics, Sonics) can win a championship in the next couple of years?Chris Sheridan, ESPN Insider: First of all, this is somewhat of a loaded question. Any answer invites ridicule. You want a CHAMPIONSHIP out of one of these dregs, not just a conference finals appearance? The Rockets are easily the closest, so I'll exclude them and take a chance on one of the others the Bobcats.A year from now, they could have a starting front line of Emeka Okafor, Adam Morrison and Gerald Wallace or Walter Herrmann with a backcourt of Ray Felton and Vince Carter only, of course, if Carter decides to hit the road when he can become a free agent at the end of next season.Charlotte will be one of the few teams (Orlando is a big other) with the cap room to lure him away from the Nets. We've already seen how good of a player Felton can be, and point guards usually don't even come close to peaking until after their third year.Obviously another major piece is needed here (and no, I'm not going to take the easy way out and say Michael Jordan's input will fill that need), but the 'Cats have been trying to build their team slowly and correctly, and sooner or later all those high lottery picks working together could form a formidable team.John Denton, Florida Today: It was rare that Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming were healthy and on the court together last season, but when they were, they proved why the Rockets aren't that far away from being a contender.When the two were dominating together on the inside and outside, the Rockets were a stellar 21-10. And just before McGrady's back failed him yet again, the Rockets seemed poised to make a serious run at getting back into contention. They were 12-4 before McGrady called it a season because of the pain in his back.But with one or the other out, the Rockets looked like one of the dregs of the league. At one point in the season, Houston was 0-16 in the games that McGrady either missed or left because of injury. And things weren't much better when Yao was out with an infected toe and later a broken foot.McGrady's back injury is nothing new, and has to be of great concern to the Rockets. It dogged him throughout his time in Orlando, and played a big role in the star guard never making it out of the first round of the playoffs. But after an offseason spent strengthening his core muscles with trainer Wayne Hall, McGrady is claiming to be as healthy as he's been in years.Yao proved in the World Championship that his foot is fine, and he's ready to build off his strong play late last season. He was arguably the game's best big man late last season, scoring at least 30 points eight times down the stretch.The addition of Shane Battier should give head coach Jeff Van Gundy a gritty defender, and McGrady and Yao another 3-point shooter when defenses collapse.Make no mistake about it, Van Gundy is under fire to win big or his job could soon be gone. Trading away Rudy Gay's enormous potential for Battier was proof that the Rockets are under the gun this season to make a significant jump.Marc J. Spears, The Denver Post: As odd as it may sound, keep an eye in the coming years on the New York Knicks. Why the Knicks? Because either LeBron James or Dwyane Wade will be wearing a Knicks uniform after his contract ends following the 2009-10 season.James has long been rumored to be interested in playing under the bright lights on the Madison Square Garden floor in New York City with the Knicks. While Wade has never been rumored to play in New York, there definitely will be temptation to go there once he becomes a free agent. The allure for both James and Wade will also be much deeper than just playing in the Big Apple. Endorsement money will be at a career-high for either if he plays in the world's greatest city.The Knicks would need a sign-and-trade or a mid-level exception to make a deal happen because they will be over the salary cap. Trust me. The long line of multi-million dollar endorsement opportunities, however, would be so ridiculous in New York that it could make up for some of the shortcomings on the Knicks' contract. Just imagine the jersey sales.Who knows? Maybe James and Wade can even figure out a way to play there together. But don't expect Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony to join them since his contract extension doesn't end until 2012. With either James, Wade or both, the Knicks will be an NBA power in a couple years.David Thorpe, Pro Training Center: Just three years ago, the Miami Heat came off a bad year and started the new season with a rookie coach, losing their first seven games.Yet, less than two seasons later, that franchise lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, and then won the title the next year. I think the Minnesota Timberwolves can build a similar team.The Heat added Shaq, giving them an All-Star post player to go along with Dwyane Wade. The Wolves already have Kevin Garnett, a dominant scorer/rebounder/defender, and they drafted Randy Foye, who showed this summer (and in college) that he has a real chance to be Wade-like very soon.Eddie Jones and Damon Jones provided perimeter scoring and leadership that proved pivotal to the Heat, while the Wolves now have Mike James, coming off a career year (20 ppg and 44 percent from 3) and Ricky Davis (19.4 ppg).Udonis Haslem and Eddie Jones were great defenders and knew how to play their roles to perfection. Trenton Hassell and Justin Reed can play similar roles in Minnesota.Mark Blount had his two best rebounding months in March and April last year. KG will continue to influence him toward playing to his potential. The Wolves need some additional help inside, and they need Foye to develop rapidly, so a trade involving Ricky Davis could help on both accounts.Now, if Coach Dwane Casey can go to school as fast as Coach Van Gundy did in Miami, and Foye can "be like Dwayne," the Wolves just may pull a Miami and contend for the title in 2008.Brian Windhorst, Akron Beacon Journal: It's the team with the best player from that group, the Timberwolves. Kevin Garnett's still in his prime and is still just two years removed from being the NBA's MVP. There is no questioning his motivation or management's position -- progress must be made fast or it will be time to start over.The Wolves appear to have significantly upgraded their backcourt over the summer, convincing Mike James to turn down the Rockets and Mavericks and drafting Randy Foye, who will start the season as a favorite for Rookie of the Year.More help is needed, of course. The roster has assets for Kevin McHale to work with and using them wisely is the best way for Minnesota to get back to elite status. When the Wolves had the West's best record in 2003-04, they were buoyed when McHale pulled off trades to pick up Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell.So the challenge at hand is to create a package involving one or more of the following: Mark Blount, Ricky Davis, Marko Jaric, Trenton Hassell and Troy Hudson. All are semi-talented players with somewhat burdensome contracts who have value to someone.The other big issue is the head coach. If the Wolves don't get off to a good start, every insider in the league feels Dwane Casey will be on the hot seat, especially with Randy Wittman imported to his staff over the summer. Getting behind Casey or making a prudent switch will be vital.Ian Whittell, The (London) Times: If you're looking for a team to rise from the cellar to win a championship - a championship - in the next couple of years, then look no further than the Raptors.With a non-U.S. address and new faces Andrea Bargnani, Jorge Garbajosa, Anthony Parker, Rasho Nesterovic and Uros Slokar all European-born or with European experience, new Italian assistant G.M. Maurizio Gherardini should move the team into the EuroLeague and battle the likes of Maccabi Tel Aviv and CSKA Moscow for a title.A more serious answer still brings you back to the Eastern Conference, purely based on the fact it is still easier to win out East night in, night out. On that basis, an Atlanta trade for Allen Iverson might be the best way for the Hawks to move forward, giving up some young prospects or future picks in return. An AI-Joe Johnson backcourt? That's got to be a winning prospect with Josh Smith the third cog around which general manager Billy Knight can build a contender.Alright, we're clutching at straws here, and even that trade would not make up for the Boris Diaw/Chris Paul disasters of recent times. But the Hawks' summer upgrades of Speedy Claxton, Lorenzen Wright and Shelden Williams have given long-suffering Atlanta folk hope and, if Toronto isn't going to make the move I suggest, then this
as for the top 10 teams in the lottery, I would go with the almost surefire pick and say the Clippers. they always seem to find one way or another to somehow be involved in the lottery.
My pick would be the Pacers. Jermaine O'Neal likely isnt staying there much longer, they have gotten worse every year for 3 straight seasons, their pg is always injured, and they just wont be able to keep their playoff spot in the future.
I would have to agree with CB4, the pacers really don't have anything more than JO, you could consider AL but he really isen't that go to guy the pacers would need if JO ever gets traded or goes somewere else VIA free agency. Unless if they acquie another go to guy I dont see this team being in the playoff hunt much longer after this year or next.
I also think the Indiana Pacers will fall off. They made the playoffs barely due to the Peja-JO duo. That wasn't even that great of a duo neither. Imagine the Pacers without JO. I think they'll have fallen off this up-coming season because Jermaine will become the only player the Pacers can rely on.
In 2010 I don't think the heat will be in to much trouble. I mean hopefully they will have wade still and hopefully players like dwright and earl baron improve and they could probaly get 1 or 2 big name players come to their team since a lot of players would probaly love to play in Miami.
eh, I don't know about the pacers. shawne williams, danny granger, david harrison, marquis daniels. I can't see them being the worst team. it's tough to tell who will be last tho.
I agree, I don't see the Pacers falling off. They've got a few good young players and imo, one of the best coaches in the league. They'll find a way to stay on top.
The Clippers will be the team to land back in the lottery. The lottery is the Clippers' home. Right now they are homesick and Elgin Baylor misses his seat in the draft lottery.
Well, I don't really see the Los Angeles Clippers falling off any time soon. I think the Los Angeles Lakers have a better chance of falling into the Lottery Pick because they don't really have much team chemistry. It's "see-Kobe, give-Kobe-ball" plays that remain in the Lakers' mind. I don't guarantee they'll fall off, but I guarantee that the Clippers won't fall off any time soon. If they do, they'll find a way to get back into the Play-Offs.Also, my pick still goes to the Indiana Pacers. They'll die as soon as Jermaine O' Neal leaves. End of discussion.
