5 NBA teams with the most to prove in the 2021-22 season

NBA basketball is right around the corner, and most front offices will be feeling good about the moves they made this off-season. From teams who missed out on the play-in tournament to those who fell earlier in the playoffs than they would have liked, every roster around the league has seen some changes.

We've also seen almost 33% of teams make a head coaching change during the summer, giving us more to ponder upon as we wait for the opening tip.

However, making changes doesn't always equate to success, which means there will be an array of teams looking to prove themselves once the season gets underway. From teams who believe they're playoff caliber to those who feel they're legitimate contenders.

NBA teams who are on "Proving Grounds" this season

#5 Miami Heat

The Miami Heat doubled down on their roster this off-season, extending Jimmy Butler and inking Kyle Lowry to a three-year $85 million deal. Pat Riley and the Heat front office must feel incredibly confident in their roster to spend such sums on two aging stars, and will be expecting a deep post-season run at the bare minimum.

Erik Spoelstra is one of the league's best coaches, which means the Miami Heat will be a tough opponent every night. The Heat also do a great job of developing younger talent within their system - Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo - and even Victor Oladipo as he bids to reignite his career.

When spending so much on new talent, without losing any of your core rotation, expectations are bound to be high. Now the Heat players and coaching staff will have to prove that it's money well spent, especially with their championship window being so small.

#4 Washington Wizards

New Orleans Pelicans v Washington Wizards

Bradley Beal wanted out - or at least that was the media narrative heading into the summer. Unlike most franchises whose star players are disgruntled (see the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers for example), the Washington Wizards got to work on providing Beal with a more competitive roster.

They say winning solves everything, and the Wizards will be hoping that's true. Adding role players such as Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell will ensure the rotation is far deeper than last season.

Throw in the addition of a highly rated, but injury-wise concerning Spencer Dinwiddie, and you can see what the Wizard's plan is - make the playoffs and convince Beal to sign an extension next season.

Led by one of the NBA's best scorers in Beal, the Wizards will be looking to prove the doubters wrong this year, and in turn convince their young players such as Rui Hachimura they're in the right spot. But most importantly, they want to keep Beal because having him on the roster makes them a desirable destination for any stars in free agency.

Whether contending or rebuilding, the Wizards have a lot riding on being a competitive team this year.

#3 Boston Celtics

A sea of change swept through the Boston Celtics organization like a tsunami this summer. Long-time President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge, has stepped down from his role, with former head coach Brad Stevens now occupying the position. Ime Udoka filled the open seat, and began to establish his own coaching staff shortly after.

On the playing side, Kemba Walker was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in return for Al Horford and Moses Brown - (Walker is now with the New York Knicks and Moses Brown is with the Dallas Mavericks). Brad Stevens also added Josh Richardson, Enes Kanter, Dennis Schroder and a couple of Exhibit 10 deals to round out the training camp roster.

Now, the Celtics will be hoping their deeper, more versatile roster can help expel the memories of their tumultuous 2020-21 NBA season as they bid to challenge for the championship.

After two disappointing seasons in the last three years, the Celtics will be out to prove their star wing duo is capable of becoming a star pairing in the league, especially now they have such a talented supporting cast around them.

#2 Brooklyn Nets

Arguably the most talented team in NBA history, the Brooklyn Nets are under immense pressure to win the NBA championship this season. Led by Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden, only spells of poor health can derail this juggernaught on its way to the promised land.

But having the best roster doesn't always guarantee success - even the Golden State Warriors have fallen short a couple of times. Now, Steve Nash, who can no longer rely on Mike D'Antoni to draw up his offense, will need to lean on all of his playing experience to help guide this roster through the regular season unscathed.

Nothing short of finals success will be acceptable for the Nets this year, and with questions still surrounding their defensive ability, they're going to have a lot of people to prove wrong!

#1 Los Angeles Lakers

Phoenix Suns v Los Angeles Lakers - Game Six

Similar to the Brooklyn Nets, it's championship or bust for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Frank Vogel has some of the game's biggest names on his roster, the problem is that most of them are past their prime, meaning he will need to get creative with his minutes distribution to keep all those aging legs fresh.

Currently there are two vocal crowds discussing the Lakers, one crowd believe their the favorites to win it all, while the other thinks this is a disaster waiting to happen.

Nostalgia will play a part, as many would like to see Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook win a ring, but the team needs to prove it can sustain a lack of spacing and youthfulness before many consider them a legitimate threat.

Furthermore, LeBron James is likely to be a man on a mission this season, after watching the Lakers get bounced in the first round of last season's playoffs. Frank Vogel and his aging team of stars have the potential to decimate all in front of them, but they're also capable of imploding if things don't go well.

Now all we can do is wait and see if the Lakers can prove their doubters wrong and dominate the NBA the way their roster suggests they should.