NBA Teams that Need to Make the Lottery

In every sport there are certain teams that you can look at and come to the conclusion that they have no shot at all of making the post-season. In the NBA the only way for bad teams to improve is through the NBA Draft Lottery. In the last draft Portland was able to get C Greg Oden and Seattle drafted Kevin Durant. Durant and Oden were clearly the two best players in the Draft. Portland and Seattle will not improve drastically this season, but in two too three years Oden and Durant will have their teams headed for the Playoffs. Some teams whether it is a lack of talent or injuries are headed to the NBA Lottery before the season begins. These teams should use the 2007-08 NBA season to develop their young talent and get rid of players that do not provide the effort they are looking for.

Charlotte Bobcats

Last season the Bobcats were not that far away from making the Playoffs in the Eastern Conference. In 2006 NBA Draft Lottery the Bobcats added SF Adam Morrison and Morrison had a decent rookie season. Morrison averaged 11.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG and he shot 71% from the free throw line. After getting his feet wet in 2006 Morrison was expected to improve this season. Unfortunately for Charlotte Morrison sustained an ACL injury and will be lost for the entire season. PF Sean May will also miss the entire season. May provided the Bobcats with a big body that helped control the boards. With May on the floor Okafor could have slid over to the C position and that would have provided the Bobcats with one of the best PF/C combinations in the NBA. Last season May averaged 11.9 PPG and 6.7 RPG. The Bobcats were looking to make a Playoff push in the East with the addition of SG Jason Richardson to their roster and Charlotte kept SF Gerald Wallace in Free Agency. The loss of Morrison and May will be too much for the Bobcats to overcome even in the East. By finishing in the Lottery again Charlotte will be able to draft a young talent at the C or SF position that will enable the Bobcats to compete for a Playoff position in 2008-09.

Portland Trail Blazers