But for the Raptors, is another two or three seasons of not making the post-season something that everyone's completely cool with? That question isn't rhetorical. I'm very partial to the idea of avoiding mediocrity, particularly when it comes to teams like the Celtics and Lakers-teams that have had success in the past, are big, secure players in their respective markets, and to whom finishing eighth and getting swept by the first seed is an exercise in futility.īut what about a team like the Raptors, a team that has only made the playoffs 5 times in 19 seasons, the last time being the 2007-08 season? If, for example, the Lakers decide to gut their team and miss the playoffs for a couple seasons, their fans (if the plan is articulated clearly) probably won't mind too much. (Well, maybe you don't quite want to be the Bobcats, but you get the point). In theory you'd much rather be the Bobcats - acquiring high drafts picks and with tons of cap room-than the consistently mediocre Milwaukee Bucks. Whatever your opinion is on Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan, in that duo the Raptors possess enough scoring in a weak Eastern Conference to fight for the seventh or eighth seed.įor many people, fans and executives alike, the thought of their team being stuck in basketball no-man's land - not good enough to seriously challenge for a title, or even get out of the first round of the playoffs - and not bad enough to improve through the draft, is extremely frustrating. They won't be a good team either-again, as currently constructed, their ceiling might be 35 or so wins, and potentially not bad enough to end up in the draft lottery. Of course, every NBA season features its fair share of teams that are going to lose a lot of games, but in 2013/14, mostly because the 2014 draft is projected to be the most stacked since 2003, there appears to be more teams than usual content to gut their core, let expensive free-agents walk, and retool with a high draft pick in the summer.Īs Braedon Clark recently pointed out, however, the Raptors, as currently constructed, won't be one of those rebuilding/tanking teams. As well as the usual suspects of ineptitude-the Bobcats (even with Big Al) and Kings-you can add the Celtics, Magic, Jazz, Suns, Sixers, and Lakers (if they're smart) into the mix of general awfulness.
If we can project one thing about next season with certainty it's that there are going to be some really bad teams in the NBA.