The group of NBA teams that are on the rise entering 2016-17 is not a concrete list. Supposedly being "on the rise" doesn't just mean that a team is predicted to grow its win total from the previous year, and there's more than a few ways to characterize a team as rising up. The ones we'll focus on have trajectories that aren't likely to trend downward for some time and won't likely do so until they've done some damage.
The three teams featured here are not yet the best versions of themselves—they're still plotting their attacks on the rest of league, but their arsenals aren't fully stocked and developed yet. Still, I expect all three to be playoff teams this spring.
Before we get to those upcoming beasts, there's business to discuss regarding our power rankings.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the defending champions, and yes, it was as odd typing that as I'm sure it was reading it. However, given that the 73-win Golden State Warriors added Kevin Freaking Durant, retained their entire untouchable core and brought in some solid bench depth to replace those who left town, they get the top spot.
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Article written by Brett Klein
NBA Power Rankings: Breaking Down Teams on the Rise Entering 2016-17
October 3rd, 2016 by Brett Klein Leave a reply »
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