5 Teams who will not compete for a Playoff spot this season

Michael Kidd Gilchrist-the player the Bobcats should build around for a bright future

On the run-up to opening night almost everyone has read numerous articles, posts and predictions regarding the Finalists or the Top 5 contenders for the title or each conference and so on.

I get it; it’s interesting to know few facts of the best teams there in the league and the writer’s views and opinion on the team’s chances this season.

But there are those teams in the NBA for whom things are not going their way. They have failed to find a winning formula whether it is to do with the players on their roster, the coaching staff or simply the lack of players on their roster.

Each season has teams at the bottom struggling to garner wins. This season is no different.

Charlotte Bobcats

They have had consecutive disappointing seasons with 7-59 followed by 21-61, yet there seems to be no direction to this franchise. They have a potential franchise player in Michael Kidd Gilchrist, around whom they can build their team to be a competitive Playoff contender but that is not going to happen for the next 3-4 years for sure.

Cody Zeller could be another building block but he joins a team who already has a former lottery pick in Bismack Biyombo at the same position, then they sign Al Jefferson at the same position. They also have good young solid players in Kemba Walker and Ramon Sessions.

Despite the positive signs it’s going to be a while before this team makes the Playoffs, maybe in 3-4 years if the management makes smart decisions.

Orlando Magic

Nikola Vucevic would be looking to lead the Orlando Magic with continued stellar perfomances.

Following the departure of center Dwight Howard, the Magic went into rebuilding mode immediately. Although they finished at 14^th the past season, the positive signs that this team is showing so early into the rebuilding is amazing.

With a new head coach and two young players in Victor Oladipo, 6^th overall pick in this years Draft, and Nikola Vucevic, the Magic have found the players around whom a successful team can be built. With an increase in his playing minutes, Vucevic had a very successful year with the Magic averaging a double-double for the season.

With experienced players from the 2009 Finals team in Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu to guide the youngsters, we should expect nothing but steady growth from the Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Nerlens Noel – Will the Philadelphia 76ers’ gamble pay off in the long run?

They took a huge gamble by trading away All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday to New Orleans in order to get Nerlens Noel. Michael Carter-Williams and Noel are both very high ceiling, very low floor prospects. This scheme of Philly’s may work and they could get Andrew Wiggins next year.

The 76ers are presumably looking to tank in order to grab one of the top prospects from the 2014 Draft. But if that does not work, it could be quite some before the franchise is competitive once again.

All in all it’s a disappointing season for the fans to look forward to and expecting the 76ers to finish above 13th would be a distant dream.

Phoenix suns

The Phoenix Suns acquired Bledsoe this offseason after trading Louis Scola and Jared Dudley.

Phoenix added cornerstone pieces with huge potential in Len and Bledsoe this summer, but that’s what they mostly leave them with is potential. Phoenix’s future is bright, but this season won’t be an easy one to watch.

If finishing at the bottom of the table previous season wasn’t enough, the Suns traded Luis Scola and Jared Dudley this off-season to the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Clippers respectively.

The Suns are another team who would look forward to tanking this season, especially with the talented prospects up for grabs in the 2014 Draft.

Sacramento kings

Demarcus Cousins- the new face of the Sacramento Kings

They lose Tyreke Evans to the New Orleans Pelicans, but added McLemore, the 7th overall pick in this year’s draft and a high potential athlete from Kansas, and the city of Sacramento could be seeing better seasons in a couple of years.

McLemore and Cousins are the only real prospects they have for the future, but they do have Greivis Vasquez and Carl Landry now. Sacramento has never been known as a consistent Playoff contender, well that might change if the franchise continues to build around these young stars.

However expecting these stars to get everything right in their first season together and that’s why I believe the Kings could be another team who could be staring at a pick in the Draft next year.