Picking A Pro Team

If you’re at all like me – and by the very nature of being a UK fan, you probably are – you find yourself trying to figure out what to do now that basketball season is over.  Football is starting to pick up, and with Mark Stoops running things, that is going to be worth paying attention to – but there are no games right now and Fall seems a long way off.  Don’t try to get me in to baseball, either, that sport is more boring than the traditional Wisconsin Offense.  (I’m told if you actually know what’s going on from a strategy perspective baseball is fun, so I will be the first to admit that’s on me.  But it’s on me, and I don’t care enough.)

So what is there to do?  The natural next step seems to be investing in an NBA team, right?  According to the major talking heads, the regular season has been pretty boring – but we’re just about past that now, and they playoffs are fixing to start.  With that, I want to find a team to start caring about.  Maybe you can join me, maybe you can help me decide, or maybe you can leave angry messages about my disrespect of baseball in the comment section.  All I know is that we’re doing this post, whether you like it or not.

Before we get to specific teams, I think there are a couple requirements we should iron out.

1.)  Whomever we pick can’t be a front runner.  This rules out the Heat, Thunder, arguably the Pacers and Spurs (though I really admire both of those systems).  Let’s face it, we already have the best team in college basketball to root for, who wants to always pull for the favorite?  Let’s make things interesting by picking someone we can be surprised about when they win, not relieved.  Think more 2014/2011 Cats, less 2012.

2.)  That said, they shouldn’t be a bottom feeder either.  As not-fun as it is to root for a team that is too much a lock for a championship, it’s equally not fun to root for a team that has NO SHOT at a championship.  So that rules out the Cavaliers, Knicks, Hawks, Magic, Timberwolves, Nuggets, and the Jazz.  Leaving out a few more questionable teams due to Kentucky ties, which brings us to…

3.)   Ideally there will be some type of local tie.  The reason Kentucky fans have trouble finding a team in the pros to root for often comes down to a combination of “no local team” meets “the closest teams suck”.  But now with so many UK players in the pro’s, the teams don’t have to be local to have local ties.  So teams with a prominent Kentucky player?  Raptors, Bobcats, Bucks, Wizards, Pistons, Celtics, Grizzlies, 76ers, Rockets, Suns, Pelicans, Kings and Lakers.

4.)  That’s it!  Let’s do a quick run down on each team in regards to the three previous points and see who’s left standing at the end.

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Philadelphia 76ers – The 76ers are probably the most intriguing of the bunch, simply because their future is so uncertain.  They accumulated approximately 100 draft picks (like the Suns) over a season of tanking.  They have one of the UK fan favorites in Nerlens Noel and a young core of players that could be dangerous in a few years.  That said, they are absolutely dreadful right now.  The sixers would be a long term investment – wait until the draft settles before you buy your Noel jersey’s.

Charlotte Bobcats – The Bobcats could be a fun team to take.  MKG hasn’t had the strongest of sophomore seasons (see: Davis, Anthony), but he is a solid contributor and sets the tone for one of the top defenses in the league.  They made it to the playoffs this year thanks to a putrid Eastern conference and the aforementioned defense, but with how shaky an owner MJ is, throwing your allegiances behind the Bobcats seems risky.  Had they taken Noel last year in the draft, things would be different… that said, they are about to revert to the Hornets, so they’ve got that going for them.

Milwaukee Bucks – I’m sorry Brandon Knight.  You were awesome.  The Bucks are not.  If it weren’t for Knight, they would fall squarely in to the ‘bottom feeder’ category.  That said, the Bucks have the highest chance at landing Andrew Wiggins right now… so who knows.  They are a team to watch, but I wouldn’t invest much emotionally in to them.

Boston Celtics – An interesting choice.  Many UK fans never warmed to Rajon Rondo, the same way it is rumored many of his team mates in Boston never have.  For the longest time though, Rondo was the best UK alum in the NBA, and at the very least the most exciting to watch.  There is a very real possibility that Julius Randle ends up in Boston (and a longer shot that WCS goes to the Celtics with Brooklyn’s pick), combined with Rondo and a coach to root for, Green could become a second favorite color in Kentucky.  Or they could finally pull the trigger on all the rumored Rondo trades, draft Dante Exum and Montrezl Harrell, and the Celtics would be just another team.

Sacramento Kings – The team I have always wanted to love.  It goes without saying that Boogie is one of THE favorites for Kentucky fans.  Unfortunately that organization just feels too disorganized to ever really pull it together.  If it were up to me, the Kings would trade Boogie to Washington to get the band back together with John Wall.  You know you want Nene and Otto Porter Sacramento, don’t tell me you don’t.

Los Angeles Lakers – I live in Los Angeles now.  I love Jodie Meeks.  Steve Nash is awesome, and Kobe Bryant once put up 81 points in game.   Also awesome.  I just can not get myself to root for the Lakers.  Maybe it’s because all of the things I just listed.

New Orleans Pelicans – If you want a potential contender lead by a former Kentucky player, this might be the one to watch.  The Pelican’s made a few dumb moves in the off season, opting to play for the playoffs this year, trading away draft picks (and Noel), but still not being competitive enough in the West to pull it off, but to their credit they were hampered with injuries.  That said, Anthony Davis played like a future MVP, if the Pelicans can stay healthy and surround him with at least one more all star, we could be looking at the next big thing after KD and LeBron have their run.  That and ‘Pelicans’ is actually a pretty cool mascot, when you think about it.

Detroit Pistons – I would imagine of all NBA teams, the Pistons have the most crossover fans with Kentucky fans.  Tayshaun played an integral role in their title run, and continued to star on that team for years.  They traded him, had Brandon Knight for a bit but traded him, and now have Jorts on their roster.  A great team to want to root for, but they are kind of stuck in no man’s land right now.  Not bad enough to get a franchise player in the lottery (unless they luck out), not good enough to make the playoffs.

Toronto Raptors – Second to the Rockets, the team with the best chance to go far in the playoffs this year.  They also have PPat, who jumped around the league for a while before finally finding a place to call home in Toronto.  He has been an integral part to this years Raps.  Add a little Chuck Hayes to that while we’re at it.  That said, this Raptors team came as a surprise to many, with Kyle Lowry turning in an amazing season.  That said, the Raptors are justifiably wary about resigning a 27 year old Lowry to a big money contract… and some other team most likely won’t be.  If he stays with the Raps, they could be fun to watch for the next few years, but it’s hard to see them taking the leap to the championship level.

Houston Rockets – A dark horse team to win the title over the next few years. Terrence Jones has become one of the x factors for the Rockets.  If you can get past cheering for Dwight Howard and Chandler Parsons, Jones will likely be involved in any playoff success the Rockets have.  He dropped 33 on the Lakers a few nights ago, and is averaging 12 points and just shy of 7 rebounds in about 28 minutes per game.  If you want a team that has a chance to win it all, and win it all right now?  Houston is your team.

Phoenix Suns – The Suns have been a shock to most NBA fans.  They are currently fighting to make the playoffs in the West, and this was a team that most picked to be right at the bottom of the standings with the Sixers.  They have a number of draft picks right now – and in at least one mock draft are in the range to nab James Young.  With Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic leading a fast paced, two headed monster on offense, Young could be an exciting addition.  The Suns, like the Sixers, have a lot riding on making the right picks or trades this draft.  But if they do, they could become a contender in the west in a few years.

Washington Wizards – My personal favorite.   John Wall, the guy that brought cool back to Kentucky, teaming up with another SEC player in Bradley Beal to lead the back court for the Wizards.  Unfortunately I just don’t like most of the other players as a casual fan.  Had they taken Noel last year instead of Otto Porter things would be different, but with only one pick in this years draft, despite finally making it back to the playoffs, the Wizards have a ways to go before they can challenge the top teams in the East.  Or maybe they just need to bring Kevin Durant back home…

With apologies to Doron Lamb and Marquis Teague on the Magic and Nets respectively, those are the teams to look at if you want a Kentucky player contributing in the near future.  (Detroit squeaks in, because even without huge minutes from Jorts, they have a Kentucky history.)

So what’s that leave?  Rockets if you want a winner soon, Suns if you want exciting basketball with a chance to blow up via the draft, Pelicans if you want to get on the A-Train before it leaves the station, the Wizards for when they find a way to acquire Boogie, or the 76ers assuming you trust management.

I’m going with the Suns – who you got?