NBA: Five Teams Most Likely To Win The NBA Championship
By Issacc Cearc
It can be argued that the hardest team sport to win a championship in is basketball. Since 1980 there have been nine franchises who won a NBA title. The main reason for the difficulty in winning a championship are that having a transcendent player such as Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant make it much easier. A franchise with a strong commitment to winning is essential as can be seen by Mark Cuban’s transformation of the Mavericks. With that said, let’s put the spotlight on teams that haven’t won recently. These five teams are the teams that are most likely to break through and win a title in the next five years.
Oklahoma City Thunder – One of the blueprint franchises in the NBA today featuring the key ingredients necessary to win a title. The Thunder have strong committed ownership, with a passionate fan base, and a great GM in Sam Presti. The Thunder feature young transcendent stars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook who are still getting better. Barring injury, the Thunder are a near lock to win a title in the next five years.
L.A. Clippers – After years of the being laughingstock of the NBA, things are finally turning around for the Clips. The team possesses two of the top 10 players in the NBA under 30 in Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. With the combination of playing in a top market and young stars, the Clippers are one of the top destinations in free agent market. The things holding back the Clippers are questionable coaching, and the possibility Donald Sterling will mess up things again.
Memphis Grizzlies – The Grizzlies came out of nowhere in 2011 as a No. 1 seed to shock the No. 1 seed Spurs in the 1st round. The Grizzlies own arguably the best frontcourt in the NBA with Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol. In a game trending to a smaller and quicker style, the Grizzlies show size still matters in the NBA. The Grizzlies title hopes are hampered by playing in a tough Western Conference.
New York Knicks – Led by Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks raced out early to the East’s best record in 2012. From devastating shooting to lockdown defense, the Knicks have been excellent, but aren’t without some flaws. One major obstacle in the Knicks path is a short title window due to the advanced age of many of the team’s key players. The Knicks other problem is having to deal with the Miami Heat. As Jordan’s Bulls stood in front of the Knicks in the 1990’s, Miami could do the same during this decade.
Minnesota Timberwolves – One of the more underrated teams in the league currently are the Wolves. With a devastating one-two punch in Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, the Wolves have dynamic players at key positions (PG and PF). The key obstacle to this team’s title hopes is making sure they lock up Kevin Love for the long-term and he doesn’t walk when his option year arrives.
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