What team has the best future?

[Austin_Toros]

The trade deadline is over and some teams have tweaked their rosters. Looking at all teams, who do you think has the best and brightest futures in terms of competing for a championship- and I'm not talking about the future as in next season, at least a few seasons on.

My pick probably goes to the Grizzlies. They have some great young talent that has the potential to form a solid team in the future.

Looking ahead, what team do you think can challenge for the title or be competitive??


:flag:

[Xylus]

Oklahoma City, if they keep Durant long-term and build around him. That guy is unguardable.

[RedsLakers24]

Memphis or Thunder

[IronMexican]

Okc

[Lakers999]

all in all i think reality says its safe to say the lakers will dominate for quite some time from here on out until kobe retires maybe even then some

[Lakers999]

other than that the BOBCATS have a helluva team

[Rogue]

Potland would be the best in 2-3 seasons if Oden was as good as Durant, it's unthinkable how good this team will be with Oden/Roy/Aldridge/Fernandez/... after D Mile's contract expires. :lol

[lil_penny]

Honestly I think as long as portland stays healthy in the next 2 or 3 years it going to be them.. they are already the youngest active team in the nba.. and 2nd youngest team in the nba due to raefs old ass who doesn't play. In 2 to 3 years I see portland and l.a. at the top until kobe retires.

[monosylab1k]

My beloved OKC Thunder

[baseline bum]

Cleveland, Seattle, Portland, and Orlando should be pretty fucking good 2-3 years down the line.

[DrHouse]

Lakers probably have the best future of any team in the next 2-3 years. Kobe, Gasol, Odom are all under 30.

Laker bench is all under 25.

[lefty]

The Spurs :D

[tomtom]

thunder, blazers and grizzlies

[Kobe™]

Short term: Lakers
Long term: Lakers

[Jmoney]

So hard to pick down the line till we see the 2010 frenzy. I'm wondering if Lebron and co plan on pulling a fast one and say look you have 40 mil on your cap to fill how about you take Myself Bosch and Wade and we will play for 11 mil each. In our contracts for each champ banner that we put up you give us a stake in the team itself.

[Stabbin' Cabin]

Cleveland, Seattle, Portland, and Orlando should be pretty fucking good 2-3 years down the line.

Orlando? They have 55 million tied into Howard/Lewis/Nelson for the next five years. Their bench is terrible now and won't get better any time soon. They're just lucky that Dwight is that damn good; they could've done a much better job of building a team around him.

[JamStone]

In the West, Blazers.

In the East, I'll say the Sixers have a chance to be serious contenders in a couple years. Good young players at every position except center, Louis Williams, Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, Mareesse Speights, Jason Smith. However, they do need better shooters or their shooters to improve.

[Jmoney]

Of the 3 big guys in Orlando I'm guessing Lewis will be traded in 2010 or 2011

[baseline bum]

Orlando? They have 55 million tied into Howard/Lewis/Nelson for the next five years. Their bench is terrible now and won't get better any time soon. They're just lucky that Dwight is that damn good; they could've done a much better job of building a team around him.

A dominant bigman + great three-point shooting has won 9 titles since '94, not even counting Garnett + Pierce + Allen last year. They have a nasty starting lineup and bench players can always be brought in with exceptions. As long as they re-sign Turkoglu, their future looks amazing.

[mystargtr34]

Lakers probably have the best future of any team in the next 2-3 years. Kobe, Gasol, Odom are all under 30.

Laker bench is all under 25.

Kobe is 30. But i agree, the Lakers because of Bynum, Gasol and Kobe. Next in the West would probably have to be Portland, followed by the Thunder, although they are further off.

[turiaf for president]

with bynum being 21 if he stays healthy, lakers will be great for the next 5-6 years. once kobe goes, im sure buss will have someone in the wing

[iggypop123]

no doubt its the lakers and 2010 decides who has a shot against them. otherwise its 5 years for the lakers

[baseline bum]

with bynum being 21 if he stays healthy, lakers will be great for the next 5-6 years. once kobe goes, im sure buss will have someone in the wing

I doubt it; Kobe Bryants don't grow on trees. You might see one new player at his level come into the league on average every 3-5 years.

[DrHouse]

Kobe Bryant is a once in a generation player. You do not see Kobe Bryant's entering the league every 3-5 years. More like once every 10 years.

[turiaf for president]

I doubt it; Kobe Bryants don't grow on trees. You might see one new player at his level come into the league on average every 3-5 years.

agreed. i think there was a mis understanding. in 5 years, bynum should be an elite center. good enough to carry the team so a decent SG should be good enough if the lakers other pieces develope. (farmar, ariza, dare i say morrison, etc.

[baseline bum]

Kobe Bryant is a once in a generation player. You do not see Kobe Bryant's entering the league every 3-5 years. More like once every 10 years.

Actually, I think I may have underestimated that number a bit

Since the early 90s, the legit franchise players to come in have been:
1. O'Neal ('92)
2. Bryant ('96)
3. Duncan ('97)
4. James ('03)
5. Wade ('03)
6. Howard ('04)
7. Paul ('05)
- and possibly Durant -

Maybe Howard hasn't yet earned his place on that 7 player franchise list, but the others cannot be argued against. Everyone else is a mortal lock for being a first-ballot HOFer unless hit by a Mack Truck or something.

[DrHouse]

I would not put anyone on that list outside of Shaq and Duncan on Kobe's level.

[venitian navigator]

I say Oklahoma.
Presti is doing a hell of a job...
Not a lot of people noticed his last steal...grabbing Sefolosha for a low draft choice (our or denver's) in a weak draft.
Thabo, I think, fits perfectly with Westbrook in the back court.

However, I'm not sold on the "Chandler's trade" stuff...
I think that they found something really really bad regarding him...because it was a hell of a trade, 'cause he, like Thabo, was perfect for the needs of the team.
The pieces they had to trade were, imho, worth the risk in any case but a potential and probable "chronic -carreer ending" injury.
Trading Wilcox for Rose make sense just for the "cash considerations"...

[mogrovejo]

I agree venitian, Thabo is a lovely pick for the Thunder. I'd kill to have him on the C's.

This is always a crap-shot (remember the Baby Bulls), but I like what Minny and OKC are doing.

[mystargtr34]

Chandler
Green
Durant
Sefolosha
Westbrook

That would have been some team.

I still cant get over the fact that the previous GM, chose Robert Swift, Johan Petro then Mohammad Sene in THREE STRAIGHT drafts.

Its dumb enough choosing 3 straight project Centers on its own, but when none of them can even play worth a shit, then you know you need a change.

[manufor3]

3 years from now look to see a bobcats thunder finals...

[Ghazi]

Thunder and Blazers in the West

Sixers in East... it's really a shame Brand's fat ass contract isn't working out for them, that could really bog them down. Maybe next year.

[Brazil]

okc, blazers if oden healthy, cleveland if they keep lbj

[Killakobe81]

Actually, I think I may have underestimated that number a bit

Since the early 90s, the legit franchise players to come in have been:
1. O'Neal ('92)
2. Bryant ('96)
3. Duncan ('97)
4. James ('03)
5. Wade ('03)
6. Howard ('04)
7. Paul ('05)
- and possibly Durant -

Maybe Howard hasn't yet earned his place on that 7 player franchise list, but the others cannot be argued against. Everyone else is a mortal lock for being a first-ballot HOFer unless hit by a Mack Truck or something.

I would include Dwill and Dhoward ...

[Killakobe81]

As far as future OKC & Portland for short-term future ...Lakers

[Ghazi]

lol, Kobe and Gasol are done in 6 years.

[JamStone]

Actually, I think I may have underestimated that number a bit

Since the early 90s, the legit franchise players to come in have been:
1. O'Neal ('92)
2. Bryant ('96)
3. Duncan ('97)
4. James ('03)
5. Wade ('03)
6. Howard ('04)
7. Paul ('05)
- and possibly Durant -

Maybe Howard hasn't yet earned his place on that 7 player franchise list, but the others cannot be argued against. Everyone else is a mortal lock for being a first-ballot HOFer unless hit by a Mack Truck or something.

I don't think a player has to lead a team to a championship in order to be a "legit franchise player."

I would add Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, and Vince Carter to that list, even though they didn't win championships and two of them are no longer franchise type players. I think they were legit franchise players because they carried their franchises for years and years and made them relevant.

[21_Blessings]

lol, Kobe and Gasol are done in 6 years.

5 years from now isn't the future then? :lol 35 years old Kobe + 26 year old Bynum = contender

Short term future: Lakers

Long term: 5-10 years from now - OKC

[Pelicans78]

I'm gonna with Detroit. I think Prince and Stuckey will be good for a long time and they're gonna have alot of good role players with Maxiell, Johnson, and Affalo. If they can make good use of that huge cap space, they could contend for a long time. Also, the Knicks will be in fantastic shape and should become heavyweights in 2010.

[Ghazi]

5 years from now isn't the future then? :lol 35 years old Kobe + 26 year old Bynum = contender

Short term future: Lakers

Long term: 5-10 years from now - OKC


I meant, no way are teh Lakers contenders in 6 years, atleast IMO. who knows what the landscape of the NBA is by then.

I'd say the Lakers are contenders for 3 more years after this, and OKC/PORT/UTAH forms a "holy trinity" in the West after that.

[monosylab1k]

I meant, no way are teh Lakers contenders in 6 years, atleast IMO. who knows what the landscape of the NBA is by then.

In 6 years I'd be willing to bet that OJ Mayo and at least one other big name player are with the Lakers. I dunno why, but I think Mayo is a lock to be a Laker.

[stretch]

doesnt matter cuz lebron is about to win the next 12 titles

[JamStone]

The future success of the Pistons and the Knicks depend largely on both of those teams being able to land a marquee player in the next couple seasons. There's no guarantee that it will happen for either. They "could" have good futures. However, right now, it's premature to think that either will.

[IronMexican]

I doubt it; Kobe Bryants don't grow on trees. You might see one new player at his level come into the league on average every 3-5 years.

Agreed. But the Lakers are always a superstar away from being contenders.

[Pelicans78]

I don't see how Utah will be great if Boozer is gone. Okur could leave as well. All they will have is Williams.

[IronMexican]

Millsap>Boozer

[Ghazi]

Miles/Brewer/Millsap/Deron are all under 25 and they have NYK's draft pick to work with next year, which they can probably package in a trade w/ Okur or AK47.

Boozer fucking sucks.

[gaKNOW!blee]

I would not put anyone on that list outside of Shaq and Duncan on Kobe's level.


Kobe hasnt done shit as the franchise player. He's done a lot as the second option, the sidekick, but not as the franchise player.

[gaKNOW!blee]

Its Cleveland, Lebron is only 24.

[Ghazi]

Kobe hasnt done shit as the franchise player. He's done a lot as the second option, the sidekick, but not as the franchise player.

Duncan and Shaq wouldn't have done shit either with the 04-07 Laker squads.

[Rapper]

The San Antonio Spurs

You never know what will happen tomorrow

[Ghazi]

Interesting that nobody mentions the Hornets.

But I don't think they have a future (except in muthafuckin Seattle) cause their roster is old as fuck outside of CP3. So they won't infuse talent via the draft and their FO is too cheap/dimwitted to make a good trade or spend.

[Pelicans78]

Interesting that nobody mentions the Hornets.

But I don't think they have a future (except in muthafuckin Seattle) cause their roster is old as fuck outside of CP3. So they won't infuse talent via the draft and their FO is too cheap/dimwitted to make a good trade or spend.

Why would anyone mention the Hornets? You're just trying to be an ass. Besides, our FO is better than your FO.

[Ghazi]

^ No it isn't.

And because they have a young superstar.

[Pelicans78]

^ No it isn't.

And because they have a young superstar.

Well we have West for a few more years. The key is our last two lottery picks in Hilton Armstrong and Julian Wright. I think Armstrong will end up being a stiff, but Wright has alot of potential. Hopefully he can put it all together and take over at SF once Peja is gone.

[Ghazi]

He's green and getting no PT. if he has potential it's being limited by the coach.

[Pelicans78]

He's green and getting no PT. if he has potential it's being limited by the coach.

That's a big complaint from alot of the Hornet fans. I guess Scott feels the pressure to win now so he's playing guys like Peja, Posey, Butler, and Devin Brown. Guys who will run the offense, make solid plays, not alot of mistakes. The weird thing was when West was out, Scott started Wright at PF against Philly and Denver and we won both of those games pretty easily since Wright opened up the floor for Peja and his long arms caused problems defensively. Ever since West came back, Wright has not played much.

[turiaf for president]

lakers are the new spurs in the making. bynum = duncan, farmar = parker, ariza = bowen, sasha = manu.

and in 5 years kobe = finley, barry, horry, udoka all into one, gasol = david robinson in 99, and odom will be the x factor

lil bit of humor there but all the young lakers resemble the older spurs counterparts in alot of ways

[gaKNOW!blee]

lakers are the new spurs in the making. bynum = duncan, farmar = parker, ariza = bowen, sasha = manu.

lil bit of humor there but all the young lakers resemble the older spurs counterparts in alot of ways


I know you said a little bit of humor, but Ariza is the only comparison that is even close what so ever.

[turiaf for president]

I know you said a little bit of humor, but Ariza is the only comparison that is even close what so ever.

i did say "in the making". not there yet but they can get there.

it may be homer goggles but im telling you guys watch out for farmar. he plays with so much confidence, he's like a TP with a 3 point shot. sasha is yea just a jump shooter but if he works on his takes, he can be a nice 15 ppg player if he starts.

[Pelicans78]

The hornets bench and Peja are old, but Chandler, West, Wright, and Paul are pretty young. Only question I have is who will be our shooting guard.

[Ghazi]

West is 28, that's old in the NBA.

Chandler's a scrub.

Wright can't even get PT on a garbage team.

CP3 has hit his ceiling, too

[Pelicans78]

West is 28, that's old in the NBA.

Chandler's a scrub.

Wright can't even get PT on a garbage team.

CP3 has hit his ceiling, too

How are we a garbage team? Besides, Wright is behind more experienced guys. Brandon Bass couldn't sniff any minutes on our team yet gets major minutes for you guys.

Secondly, CP3 is still improving as a scorer. He's getting better every season.

Chandler is only 26 and when healthy is an automatic double-double.

[Ghazi]

Garbage

[JamStone]

Kobe hasnt done shit as the franchise player. He's done a lot as the second option, the sidekick, but not as the franchise player.

Leading his team to the NBA Finals and garnering the League MVP might not be the same as winning a championship, but it's more than "shit."

[Pelicans78]

I wish we had a real superstar CP3 instead of Dirk. Dirk doesn't dominate his position like CP3 can

Well, Devin Harris was a really nice player. You guys had a decent nucleus plus some 1st round picks to work with.

[Pelicans78]

Leading his team to the NBA Finals and garnering the League MVP might not be the same as winning a championship, but it's more than "shit."

Basically he's Iverson part two :p:

[Ghazi]

Such a great superstar CPWhistle is, deferring to Jannero muthafuckin Pargo in the 4th quarter of a crucial game 7.

[21_Blessings]

i did say "in the making". not there yet but they can get there.

it may be homer goggles but im telling you guys watch out for farmar. he plays with so much confidence, he's like a TP with a 3 point shot. sasha is yea just a jump shooter but if he works on his takes, he can be a nice 15 ppg player if he starts.

Sasha sucks. Manu has more basketball talent in his left big toe than Sasha has in his entire body

But I agree that Farmar is very young Parker-esque. Long way to go though.

[ManuTP9]

The Spurs :D

+1
:lol

[hater]

:lol

Sasha is gonna be a never was in a couple of years