Predict the future-- Contenders and superstars in 5 years

[played0ut]

Lebron will be 35-- he'll have had a good run but he won't be in his prime anymore. Ditto Dwight Howard. Wade may be retired by then. Kobe definitely would be retired. Spur's big 3 will probably be gone and so ends their dynasty.

Obviously, anything can happen in 5 years with trades/injuries and watnot, but who do you think will be the superstars of the league then?

Durant and Westbrook should be peaking in terms of skills/athleticism. If they're still together and improved mentally (durantwise) and BBIQ wise (westbrook) they may be the next unstoppable dynasty.

Embiid dominating the league? Wiggins? Maybe Leonard will blossom into a real superstar.


What do you guys think

[JohnFreeman]

Boogie

[Yankstar]

Bucks/Cavaliers.... :roll:

No but seriously Celtics/76ers/Lakers (via a Shaq like trade). :rockon:

[Milbuck]

Contenders:

Thunder
Sixers
Magic
Bucks
Lakers

Superstars

KD
Westbrook
Wall
Davis
Jabari


Bucks.... :roll:
:rolleyes:

[outbreak]

Contenders:

Thunder
Sixers
Magic
Bucks
Lakers

Superstars

KD
Westbrook
Wall
Davis
Jabari

I would add celtics and pelicans (provided Davis doesn't bolt) to contenders

[buddha]

Superstars

C - Joel Embiid
PF - Anthony Davis
SF - Kevin Durant
SG - James Harden
PG - Russell Westbrook

Contenders

- LAL (It wouldn't be the NBA if LA didn't contend)
- OKC (Still got Westbrook and Durant)
- NO (Anthony Davis is the best player in the NBA)
- CLE (after Cleveland gets the 1st overall pick in '15 for the 4th time in 5 years they finally have a good team, Bran shamelessly signs for the MLE to ring chase in '16)

[Milbuck]

I would add celtics and pelicans (provided Davis doesn't bolt) to contenders
Totally forgot about the Pelicans, yeah I'd put them there as well. The Celtics have a good shot, but I want to see what they do in the offseason and through next year's draft. Smart and Young are good pieces, but I don't think they alone can carry that franchise.

[rhowen4]

Contenders: thunder, sixers, pelis, cavs

Superstars: durant, Westbrook, Davis, embiid, wiggins, parker

[Johnny Jones]

I may sound homerish but I really think the Pelicans will be contending. Dell may have put the roster together strangely but as of right now our core is ****ing legit. Jrue/Reke was our best 2 man combo for us last year because Jrue can play off-ball and their quickness and length really caused problems for opposing guards. And Jrue/Reke/Davis already had the potential to be a great defensive team and you add Asik do that? And let Davis free roam around the paint like he did when he was in college and put up legendary defensive numbers?

And I don't think our offense will be bad either. Have Asik run PnR with Jrue and Reke and let AD find the open holes of the defense (which he is elite at it)...


http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/347/402/f6f.gif

[DMAVS41]

Thunder should own this league for the next 7 years.

Only thing that prevents this is ****ing Presti sitting on his ass over there and not filling out the roster.

There is absolutely no core in the league that can match

Durant/WB/Ibaka/Reggie/Adams...and they are all 25 or younger.

That is also not counting the likes of Lamb and Jones and Roberson...all seem to be real NBA players age 22 or under.


The Pelicans could be in this as well depending on what happens with the roster, but most likely they won't contend for some time given the mess of contracts they have. Oh the possibilities if they hadn't panicked and forked overpaid the **** out of Gordon and then made one of the worst trades in NBA history for Jrue Holiday. 2 ****ing top 10 picks for Jrue Holiday?

[T_L_P]

Whether the Spurs will be contending or not will depend on the direction we decide to go post-Duncan/Pop.

We can groom this foreign coach, then hope to sign a big name free agent. If that happens, I see no reason why we can't contend.

Hopefully Davis is running the league by that time. When was the last time a big was the best player in the league? Duncan and Garnett in the mid 2000s?

[DMAVS41]

Whether the Spurs will be contending or not will depend on the direction we decide to go post-Duncan/Pop.

We can groom this foreign coach, then hope to sign a big name free agent. If that happens, I see no reason why we can't contend.

Hopefully Davis is running the league by that time. When was the last time a big was the best player in the league? Duncan and Garnett in the mid 2000s?

Dirk 2011.

[T_L_P]

Dirk 2011.

I meant more in terms of running the league. It has been Kobe's and LeBron's league for nearly a decade.

But yes, Dirk was the best player in 2011.

[Johnny Jones]

Dirk 2011.
Dirk wasn't even the best big in the league in 2011..

[dubeta]

Still havent seen that next big superstar to carry the league

[BrownEye007]

He won't be a superstar but Anthony Bennett will be an all star in 5 years.

[Aussie Dunker]

He won't be a superstar but Anthony Bennett will be an all star in 5 years.

:eek:

Wow - goodluck with that prediction, he has a long way to go...

Perhaps my guy Drummond might be in this conversation - in 5 years he will still only be 25...

Also Curry,

Also Griffin,

Also Lillard,

Also George,

Just trying to think of some guys who are slightly outside the favorites to be superstars...

[ImKobe]

in 5 years? probably Philly, Cleveland, Boston, Thunder and possibly the Lakers if Randle pans out and Love/KD/Westbrook (any of them) join us.

[LA Lakers]

Portland if they aren't already. Whichever team has Kevin Durant, obviously. It'd be interesting to see if Golden State can put a truly balanced squad together. If Chicago gets Carmelo and Rose can stay healthy even at a quarter of the player he was, that could really shake things up out east. I like the moves New Orleans has made. I think they can have a good front line, I expect very big things from Anthony Davis. Wade is on the decline and Miami's bench isn't the same, so things could be very different in five years. Obviously the disparity in conferences is troubling. Hope that changes. Also, free agency might get too out of control. We shall see. The CBA is crazy. I dont get it, how come baseball players still make so much more than basketball players? No one has been able to explain it. There is revenue sharing in NBA just like MLB. I still always hear about teams always bitching about not being able to fork out enough cash to pay someone. No matter what, we are gonna have some exciting seasons. Go Lakers!

[Sportal]

Still havent seen that next big superstar to carry the league

What do you think of Davis..?

Pelicans will be finishing top6 after next season and constantly a dark horse and cause some upsets.

Contenders:

OKC - With Durant and Co.
Unknown team - that has Westbrook.
Bulls - They'll get it all back together soon.
Lakers - Same with them, even with Kobe retiring.
76ers - Embiid will turn into all the top range hype.
Cavs - Will finally make another ECF, probably Finals two years in a row.
Utah - After 3 seasons will make it into a few WSF, will make WCF but always lose.

Superstars:

Davis, Durant, Embiid and Rose will be the players on the front of NB2k series'.

Another league dominating SF will come in as well as another amazing Center.

[BoutPractice]

OKC should still be a contender due to their roster, but you shouldn't underestimate the power of franchises and competent management...

Other potential contenders:

San Antonio: why not? It's the best run franchise in professional sports, with the best culture. That's not going to change anytime soon.

Los Angeles: the Lakers somehow always end up back in contention. They will either land a prized free agent, draft a superstar, or both.

Sixers: The next OKC success story, but in a bigger market. Sam Hinkie looks like he knows what he's doing. If everything falls into place, a Big 5 of MCW, Saric, Noel, Embiid and another lottery pick he'll draft after tanking the 2014-2015 season should be insane.

New York: With Phil Jackson running things New York should become relevant again (that's a strangely bold prediction given their recent past...).

Boston: Somewhat similar to the Lakers in that they tend to "find a way", although they did have a long drought in the 90s and 00s. What makes me optimistic for their future is a combination of good management and an absurd collection of assets they mostly acquired from the Brooklyn trade.

Darkhorses: Miami, Chicago, Atlanta

[aj1987]

Dirk wasn't even the best big in the league in 2011..
Damn! DMAVS gonna have a meltdown now.

[turnaroundJ]

He won't be a superstar but Anthony Bennett will be an all star in 5 years.

25 14 3 2 2 for AB. :pimp:

Meanwhile, Wiggins is gonna average something like 15 5 3.

[Lebron23]

Still havent seen that next big superstar to carry the league


In 8 years. http://ballislife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/LBJjrSS.jpg

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=316810

[Lebron23]

So you think his first year in the league he'll be a superstar? Damn.. if that's the case, he'll surpass LeBron. :eek:


:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown:

I think LBJ Jr. at 9 is better than his dad at the same age. I think he might even be better than his dad because he has the proper training, and he already has a better jumper than his dad.