Kevin Durant’s decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors completely changed the complexion of the NBA this offseason. The Warriors were already the obvious betting favorite to win a championship in 2016-17 and the addition of the 2014 MVP and one of the top players in the entire association pushed them over the top even more. Meanwhile, the transactions made by the league’s other 29 teams flew under the radar to an extent based in large part to Golden State’s power move. Even with Durant, the Warriors will have a tough time topping last year’s NBA record-73 wins but there are a handful of other teams that are primed to make major improvements. Here is a look at the four NBA teams that will make the biggest jumps in wins for the 2016-17 season.
Philadelphia 76ers
2015-16 Record: 10-72
Projected 2016-17 Record: 30-52
Sam Hinkie didn’t get his chance to see his “process” through but the reality is that he left the 76ers in the best possible position to become a perennial contender under new general manager Bryan Colangelo. Their offseason moves have them primed for a major step forward in 2015-16. Philadelphia added the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft in Ben Simmons and will welcome a couple of other first round picks to the fold with Dario Saric on his way and Joel Embiid ready to begin his NBA career. They should have a loaded frontcourt with quality talent with Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Embiid. Then they have Saric and Simmons, plus talent from last year.
The 76ers didn’t land any veteran star power but they did bring in some experience with Jerryd Bayless, Gerald Henderson and Sergio Rodriguez on the perimeter. The combination of offseason additions and the improvement of young players on the roster should lead to Philadelphia improving from the 10 wins they recorded a year ago and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they hit the 30-win mark.
Memphis Grizzlies
2015-16 Record: 42-40
Projected 2016-17 Record: 57-25
Memphis made the right decision paying Mike Conley a ton of money to come back and they brought in some talent to help carry the load with the additions of Chandler Parsons as well as first round picks Wade Baldwin IV and Deyonta Davis. The Grizzlies would be a much better team with a healthy Conley, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol on the floor together and when you factor in Parsons’ scoring and the depth that Baldwin and Davis bring it’s clear this team should drastically improve its win total in 2016-17.
Boston Celtics
2015-16 Record: 48-34
Projected 2016-17 Record: 60-22
The Celtics will have the benefit of playing in the Eastern Conference where they will once again have an excellent opportunity to increase their win total from the previous season. Boston made a jump from 25 wins to 48 wins a year ago and while it’s unreasonable to expect a similar bump there is every reason to think this team can record 60 wins. Free agent addition Al Horford is the perfect fit on Brad Stevens’ team and he will elevate the play of everybody around him at both ends of the floor. The Celtics also hit with the third-overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft in Jaylen Brown. When you combine the additions of Horford and Brown with the development of the talented young core that Boston has assembled it’s clear the Celtics need to be considered a true contender in the Eastern Conference.
Minnesota Timberwolves
2015-16 Record: 29-53
Projected 2016-17 Record: 41-41
The Timberwolves have done an excellent job building a team that could eventually become a perennial contender from the ground up led by back-to-back Rookie of the Year award winners in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Minnesota added an outstanding head coach in Tom Thibodeau this offseason along with No. 5 overall pick Kris Dunn and veterans Brandon Rush and Cole Aldrich to compliment their young core. Thibodeau has plenty of talent to work with as he develops a formidable young team and while the Timberwolves might not be ready for the playoffs just yet there is every reason to expect them to substantially improve their win mark in 2016-17.
