We’re finally about a week away from the start of the 2016-17 NBA regular season, so it’s about time for some previews at The Comeback. Our look at the upcoming season begins with five teams on the rise.
Now “on the rise” is always a relative term in the NBA, because teams are on different timetables and stages, so you’ll see a mix of contenders, rebuilders and teams in the middle among these five.
Boston Celtics
After a surprising 48 wins and a playoff spot last season, Boston is ready to make the ascent into contender status.
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Al Horford was the team’s first big free agent signing in a very long time, and his versatility on both ends and strong outside shooting touch fits in well with rising mainstays Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder. Third overall pick Jaylen Brown (thanks, Brooklyn!) joins a strong group of young players scrapping for minutes in Brad Stevens’ system.
Stevens’ group finished in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency last season and finished second in the league in turnovers, forcing 16.4 per game. Adding Horford gets them near elite territory.
Boston should at least be the third-best team in the East this season, behind Cleveland and Toronto. Atlanta lost Horford to these Celtics and Miami lost Dwyane Wade and (sadly) Chris Bosh, opening things up for this young, exciting group.
Utah Jazz
This team is a trendy rising team pick, and for good reason. After missing the playoffs by just a game last season, Utah finally has a competent point guard to add to its exciting core.
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Dante Exum’s torn ACL forced the Jazz to split their point guard duties among Trey Burke, Raul Neto and Shelvin Mack last season. George Hill came over via trade from Indiana over the offseason, and fits seamlessly into the style of play Quin Snyder employs.
With Rudy Gobert, who finished third in last year’s Defensive Player of the Year voting, and Derrick Favors protecting the paint and the rim, Utah was second in scoring defense and seventh in efficiency last season. The addition of Joe Johnson is even more important with star guard Gordon Hayward likely out a significant period of time due to a broken finger on his left hand. Rodney Hood will also continue to emerge after a breakout year last season.
As long as the team stays strong defensively — and Gobert will make sure it will — and has even average point guard play, Utah will make the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-2012 season.
Detroit Pistons
The NBA is more fun when the Pistons are relevant, and Stan Van Gundy’s shrewd and astute coaching and management has brought Detroit back.
Building around center Andre Drummond, who led the league in rebounding last season and was selected to his first career All-Star game, the Pistons are now in the conversation to be included as one of the East’s top five or six teams. Though injuries to point guard Reggie Jackson’s left knee and right thumb will likely keep him out until December — offseason signing Ish Smith will start in his place — Detroit is now deep and well-balanced enough to weather his absence.
Van Gundy traded practically nothing for Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris, who now both start and thrive for the Pistons. Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is on our team of breakout players for the coming season, and strong draft picks and signings help fortify the front line. Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson are the team’s last two first-round picks, former Spurs big men Aron Baynes and Boban Marjanovic were signed in consecutive offseasons and Jon Leuer will help space the floor after shooting over 38 percent from three last season.
Though Detroit won’t be sneaking up on anyone this season, Van Gundy’s work with this rising club has been nothing short of a masterstroke.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Just because a team isn’t going to make the playoffs doesn’t disqualify it from being a rising team. Tom Thibodeau was brought in as coach and team president to take this group of promising young players and slowly mold it into a hard-working, organically produced superteam.
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Karl-Anthony Towns was the unanimous Rookie of the Year last season and is already among the league’s top big men at just 20 years old. Andrew Wiggins, 21, averaged nearly 21 points per game in just his second NBA season and could quickly develop into one of the league’s top scorers. Combine that pair with human pogo stick Zach LaVine, late blooming big man Gorgui Dieng and third overall pick Kris Dunn — not to mention talented point guard Ricky Rubio, who turns an ancient 26 on Friday — and this team has a dizzying amount of potential.
After winning just 29 games last season under Sam Mitchell, following Flip Saunders’ tragic and untimely death, Thibs is now on the scene to convert that potential into results. The results may not come as quickly as some may like, but everyone knows these young Wolves are on their way up.
Philadelphia 76ers
It’s hard not to improve from a 10-72 season, but Philadelphia is finally giving us tangible proof that its rock-bottom tanking days are history.
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Joel “The Process” Embiid, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, is healthy after two injured seasons and is having the most promising, exciting preseason out of any player in the league. Though a broken foot will delay the start of his NBA career, 2016 top overall pick Ben Simmons has a good chance to be the transcendent player this franchise has been waiting for. And the Sixers will finally have its full stable of big men available to play, with 22-year-old Croatian Dario Saric joining Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel in Philly’s youthful, crowded frontcourt.
In a change from previous management, new GM Bryan Colangelo has surrounded his young core with competent veteran signings, most notably the backcourt trio of Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson and Sergio Rodriguez. The Sixers certainly have a very long way to go, but this year should mark the beginning of their rise.
