[SealioParticipant]

Can someone with ESPN Insider post the teams?

Thanks

[kings674Participant]

21. Golden State Warriors | Future Power Rating: 450
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
190 (18th) 40 (27th) 127 (8th) 42 (19th) 51 (14th)

Rejoice, Warriors fans. After spending a year near the very bottom of our Future Power Rankings, thanks to a terrible management rating, Golden State is moving up. Chris Cohan is selling the team, and while we don’t know what the new owners will do, we’re confident they can’t make as big a mess as Cohan, GM Larry Riley and coach Don Nelson have made.

Still, the Warriors aren’t ready to join the NBA’s elite. Stephen Curry is a terrific talent, and he’ll have a solid new pick-and-roll partner in David Lee. But the Warriors gave up promising youngster Anthony Randolph to get Lee, whose new $80 million contract is also a big one for the team to carry. And lottery pick Ekpe Udoh, out for five months with a wrist injury, will be an unproven 23-year-old rookie when he finally suits up with the Warriors.

In part, Golden State’s future depends on how things go with Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins, who appear to be available. Whether they are Warriors building blocks or can be traded for players that help the team fill its many holes, they are important young assets. That will be a big test for the new management team, when that team is in place.

(Previous rank: 28)

22. Detroit Pistons | Future Power Rating: 444
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
103 (26th) 113 (13th) 111 (11th) 38 (20th) 79 (5th)

Add the Pistons to the ever-growing list of problems in Detroit. After an amazing run last decade, Detroit fans can no longer be confident in the franchise’s future.

Owner Bill Davidson has passed away and the team is up for sale. The Pistons lack a legitimate star, are stuck with a couple of bad contracts on their books, have no long-term solutions in the middle and have been plagued by injuries and apathy. And fans are no longer flocking to the Palace like they used to.

One problem is that they don’t have much to rally around, and team president Joe Dumars didn’t shake things up this summer, either. Greg Monroe is a rookie with potential, but Pistons fans will need to be patient after his up-and-down performance in summer league. Among the youngsters, Austin Daye has shown promise and Jonas Jerebko should be a good role player. Veterans Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon are solid building blocks. But none of them is enough to get fans excited.

For the Pistons to progress further than we’ve projected here, they’ll need to get Richard Hamilton off the books, trade Tayshaun Prince for something of value before his contract expires after the 2010-11 season and get strong development from their young players. That adds up to a lot of ifs for a franchise that once seemed the steadiest in the NBA.

(Previous rank: 20)

23. New Orleans Hornets | Future Power Rating: 434
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
198 (16th) 52 (25th) 93 (18th) 26 (25th) 65 (11th)

It’s a good-news, bad-news situation in New Orleans. The good news is that the Hornets’ disastrous cap situation will ease after this season, especially if they can pay somebody to take James Posey off their hands. Alas, New Orleans could be facing an even worse problem. Point guard Chris Paul appears to be trying to force his way out of town, taking with him the Hornets’ lone source of star power.

Even with the superstar guard, it’s hard to get excited about the team’s future. They have two good young guards in Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton and a minor star in power forward David West. The ownership is in flux while George Shinn negotiates a sale to Gary Chouest; the threadbare front office is now under the control of Dell Demps, who was fourth on the totem pole in San Antonio until his recent hiring; and the market is one of the least appealing for free agents. And while it’s possible the Hornets could be well under the cap next summer, it’s also possible West could leave as a free agent.

(Previous rank: 24)

24. Memphis Grizzlies | Future Power Rating: 428
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
204 (14th) 39 (28th) 113 (10th) 13 (30th) 59 (13th)

Memphis has some pretty decent players, even if Zach Randolph doesn’t stick around, and the fact the Grizzlies actually paid one of them to stay (Rudy Gay) is a positive sign going forward — even if the deal wasn’t terribly sensible. Memphis is in a good position cap-wise going forward, too, so its rating in the “money” category improved significantly from last time.

Unfortunately, the negatives still strongly outweigh the positives. Owner Michael Heisley has largely usurped the GM role from Chris Wallace, with disastrous consequences — most recently the selection of center Hasheem Thabeet — and that’s why the Grizzlies’ management ranks 28th. And it’s hard to get too giddy about the money when they’re locked in a salary tussle with first-round pick Xavier Henry. Regardless of Randolph’s future, the Gay-O.J. Mayo-Marc Gasol nucleus will prevent the Grizzlies from being terrible, but it’s also hard to see them taking many steps forward.

(Previous rank: 23)

25. Philadelphia 76ers | Future Power Rating: 404
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
164 (21st) 77 (18th) 62 (27th) 36 (23rd) 65 (12th)

The Sixers, coming off a 27-win season, will probably continue to struggle for a while. But the addition of college player of the year Evan Turner and the potential of second-year point guard Jrue Holiday provide hope. With Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams returning as well, Philly fans can be somewhat optimistic.

The problem, as Sixers fans are well aware, is that GM Ed Stefanski’s plan for the team is still a mystery. In recent years Philadelphia has signed Elton Brand to a huge contract, let Andre Miller walk to save money, brought in another expensive veteran in Andres Nocioni, traded away center Samuel Dalembert, hired and fired coach Eddie Jordan, hired a new coach in Doug Collins and made other moves that demonstrate no particular direction. So while the Sixers have an interesting young core, the team is also bogged down by players with bad contracts, is overloaded with overlapping talents and lacks shooting and an inside defensive presence.

Philly also has no real ability to spend until the summer of 2013 and will be just good enough to pick in the late lottery (or lower) each year, significantly hindering its chances of becoming any better in the short term.

(Previous rank: 22)

26. Toronto Raptors | Future Power Rating: 402
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
94 (28th) 81 (17th) 110 (12th) 47 (16th) 70 (9th)

These are pretty depressing times to be a Raptors fan. Team president Bryan Colangelo miscalculated with the team he put around Chris Bosh, failed to move the power forward when he had the chance last year and then lost him for relatively nothing this offseason. Now Toronto is in worse shape than when Colangelo arrived on the scene in 2006.

Losing Bosh didn’t have the same devastating effect that losing LeBron James had on the Cavs, but the Raptors still fell a whopping nine spots in our Future Power Rankings, a drop-off topped only by Cleveland’s.

A bolting Bosh wasn’t the only factor contributing to Toronto’s slide. 2009 free-agent signing Hedo Turkoglu was a major disappointment and was jettisoned to Phoenix after only one season. Meanwhile, the Raptors continue to shop starting point guard Jose Calderon, whom at this point they would be happy to get rid of for salary-cap relief.

Furthermore, the Raptors ate up all their potential cap space by overpaying role players — in a moment of apparent panic after Bosh’s departure, Colangelo inexplicably gave Amir Johnson $34 million. Although the other summer additions, Leandro Barbosa and Linas Kleiza, will contribute, they won’t save this sinking ship.

The only good news comes from a couple of young players who appear to have bright futures based on their talent and performances in the 2010 Las Vegas summer league. DeMar DeRozan had a breakout summer and has star ability if he puts it together. Toronto also lucked out when Ed Davis slipped to it at No. 13 in the draft, as he eventually could help fill Bosh’s shoes.

(Previous rank: 17)

27. Phoenix Suns | Future Power Rating: 399
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
136 (24th) 55 (23rd) 95 (17th) 63 (9th) 50 (15th)

The enthusiasm over the Suns’ terrific run to the Western Conference finals was seriously dampened by a pretty crappy June and July.

When team president and GM Steve Kerr resigned, owner Robert Sarver took over front-office operations and managed to do a great deal of damage in just a few weeks.

First he lost Amare Stoudemire in free agency, and then he took on Hedo Turkoglu’s huge contract while also overpaying Josh Childress (who plays the same position as Turkoglu), Channing Frye and Hakim Warrick. Sarver eventually brought on respected player agent Lon Babby as the team’s new president, but at that point, most of the damage had been done.

Sarver’s moves will help keep the Suns respectable for the moment, but for the future, the picture is bleak. As Steve Nash ages, it’s hard to imagine how the role players Phoenix has put around him will be able to prevent a Suns slide into irrelevance.

(Previous rank: 25)

28. Cleveland Cavaliers | Future Power Rating: 331
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
45 (29th) 45 (26th) 133 (7th) 22 (27th) 86 (2nd)

We hate to pour salt on the wound, but LeBron’s “Decision” destroyed his hometown franchise now and for the foreseeable future. Cavaliers fans continue to insist that it’s the way LeBron ditched them that has caused so much anger, but over time, the real pain will be watching this Cavs team without him.

In his open letter condemning LeBron, owner Dan Gilbert guaranteed the Cavs would win a championship without their former star, but that’s easier said than done. Cleveland traditionally has not been a top free-agent destination. Now, the team has another problem: Gilbert’s heat-of-the-moment diatribe against LeBron was read by players around the league, and a number of player agents have told us their clients don’t want to play there after seeing how Gilbert treated a guy who made him hundreds of millions during the past several years. In any case, as we’ve seen this summer, players just won’t flock to Cleveland without the lure of LeBron.

The roster itself is another weak point. Mo Williams, Ramon Sessions, Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson are good pieces but not the kind of young talent that could carry the franchise forward in future seasons. The Cavs lack trade assets as well.

Cleveland did get a bounty of draft picks from Miami in the LeBron sign-and-trade. But given how stacked the Heat are right now, those picks likely will be the worst in the first round — and the Cavs aren’t going to replace LeBron with a series of No. 30 draft picks.

(Previous rank: 8)

29. Minnesota Timberwolves | Future Power Rating: 326
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
101 (27th) 6 (30th) 140 (5th) 13 (29th) 66 (10th)

The baffling tenure of general manager David Kahn and the long-running incompetence of owner Glen Taylor combine to give the Timberwolves the lowest score for management in our ratings. A $20 million deal to Darko Milicic, a bizarre infatuation with Milwaukee point guards and a sweetheart of a trade that sent out Al Jefferson are the major points of contention, but there are plenty of others. In short, nobody is quite sure whether he’s coming or going.

Minnesota has two other negatives. The first is a built-in one called winter, which helps make it one of the least favorable markets. But the second was inflicted by the previous and equally disastrous regime of Kevin McHale: There’s a good chance the Timberwolves will owe the Clippers a completely unprotected first-round draft pick in 2012.

The Wolves aren’t devoid of talent; Kevin Love, Michael Beasley and, if he ever arrives, Ricky Rubio, are three nice pieces. Additionally, they’ll have as much cap room as anyone, and Taylor has shown he’s willing to spend. But the structure isn’t in place for success.

(Previous rank: 27)

30. Charlotte Bobcats | Future Power Rating: 176
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
40 (30th) 25 (29th) 40 (30th) 26 (26th) 45 (19th)

Despite the Bobcats’ first playoff appearance last season, we remain more bearish on their future than on any other team’s. In fact, Charlotte not only came in last in our ratings, it also achieved barely half the score of the No. 29 Timberwolves. (How’s that for a slogan: “Our future is twice as bleak as Minnesota’s!”)

The Bobcats continue to accumulate veteran players with bad contracts and lack the financial resources to get out of the hole that awaits them. They have one decent young player (Tyrus Thomas) but still owe a future first-round pick to the Bulls for him, and they already have started stripping the roster, losing point guard Raymond Felton without a fight and swapping Tyson Chandler in a deal that hardly saved any money and dashed any hope of having significant cap space in 2011.

Unfortunately, the short-term mindset of both new majority owner Michael Jordan and coach Larry Brown is likely to make matters worse. Brown’s draft input has been particularly disastrous — instead of grabbing Ty Lawson, Brook Lopez and Nicolas Batum, the Bobcats’ past three first-rounders were Alexis Ajinca, D.J. Augustin and Gerald Henderson. In that sense, perhaps it’s a good thing they already traded away next year’s pick.

(Previous rank: 30)

This is all they have so far

[SubZeroParticipant]

I like that they had the Suns down there. They don’t have much of a future

[OhCanada-Participant]

This post is garbage. Phoenix at 27 and Charlotte at 30. Thats just wrong.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Oh I see what this means Power Rankings in the sense of how each team will look in a couple oif years. I thought it was Future as in opening for the season…In that case Detroit should be much further down the list.

[JNixonParticipant]

I knew me and llperez couldn’t be the only people that think Charlotte would suck next year. I really do think they’ll be in the running for the top pick next year in the lotto.

[kings674Participant]

HOW FUTURE POWER RATING IS DETERMINED

PLAYERS (0 to 400 points): Current players and their potential for the future, factoring in expected departures
MANAGEMENT (0 to 200 points): Quality and stability of front office, ownership, coaching
MONEY (0 to 200 points): Projected salary-cap situation; ability and willingness to exceed cap and pay luxury tax
MARKET (0 to 100 points): Appeal to future acquisitions based on team quality, franchise reputation, city’s desirability as a destination, market size, taxes, business and entertainment opportunities, arena quality, fans
DRAFT (0 to 100 points): Future draft picks; draft positioning

From ESPN

[dipt1982Participant]

I agree with this list pretty much…the 76ers are gonna be in the bottom for a while, along with the Hornets (if they lose Paul), and Detroit…

[Toronto16Participant]

Raptors have the 16th biggest market in the NBA? That’s not horrible I guess. But this list is impossible to really predict, it is always going to be a little flawed. For example, lets say the Raptors and Cavs have horrible seasons, they receive top picks in the draft, and they select Harrison Barnes or Perry Jones or Kyle Irving, then those guys turn out to be superstars and the turn the fortunes of that franchise in an instant.

[darkisrising19Participant]

New part up:

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-4-100803&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2finsider%2fnews%2fstory%3fpage%3dFuturePowerRankings-4-100803

Insiders?

[rtbtParticipant]

Let me preface my comments by stating things can change quickly before the season starts. You never know what will happen in terms of NBA trades.

I agree with the Robert Sarver comment who is one of the worst owners in the league.

I can’t figure out David Kahn. One moment I think he’s a moron and an hour later I keep asking myself if he’s actually a lot smarter than we give him credit for. Anyway, I predict Minnesota will be this year’s version of Sacramento, a team on the rise.

The Pistons? How can you rank them ahead of anyone? Greg Monroe is a very nice addition but not enough.

New Orleans is in trouble.

Golden State is going nowhere as long as Don Nelson is the coach.

I think Toronto will surprise a lot of people as Ed Davis competes for ROY which will of course go to John Wall.

I don’t know where he ranked the Wizards but any team with John Wall must be on the rise.

Doug Collins is a great coach when he’s in his first or second year with a new team. Therefore, I expect Philly to play above their talent level.

Unless there is a surprise trade on the horizon, I think the Knicks will have another terrible season.

Memphis is a mystery team. I don’t expect them to improve or deteriorate. I think they’re doomed to mediocrity.

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