How do Wolves stack up against teams with no NBA Championship
By Bret Stuter
IV: Brooklyn Nets
The Brooklyn Nets have been a team that was thought to be oh-so-close to an NBA Championship, but the team opted to part ways with disgruntled SG James Harden in exchange for PF Ben Simmons, and the decline began. The problem is that any team that has a player on the roster who has lost their self-confidence to compete at the NBA level will struggle. It just so happens that the player is on the Brooklyn Nets roster.
What will the Nets do this year? They no longer boast the dynamic duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. While the team did get some solid firepower in Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddle, and future draft picks to try to compete in the future.
If not for the presence of Ben Simmons, the Nets would be ranked higher on this list. But Simmons will earn $37 million this season, and over $40 million next season, all to put up 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. Until the Nets purge that contract, they are shackled to almost contenders.
III: LA Clippers
The LA Clippers have been another perennial NBA Power House that has yet to turn the corner from contender to champion. The Clippers are a team that has not suffered a losing season since the 2010-11 NBA season. But over time, the team had peaked with 57 wins in the 2013-14 NBA season and has since been on a slow but steady decline.
The reason for their appearing as the number three team is simply the fact that the Clippers have added a demure Russell Westbrook for an insanely team-friendly $3+ million contract to compete in the 2023-24 NBA season. The reason that the Clippers are no higher on this list is the fact that seven of their players are 10 or more years of experience in the NBA. An 82-game season is a long and grueling affair that carries a team through have of the year. Seasoned veterans are valuable players to have on a roster, but they will need plenty of rest days to stay fresh for the NBA Playoffs.
The Clippers are banking on savvy veteran leaders to get them across the finish line. But evidence suggests that by the time the NBA Playoffs arrive, the Clippers are nearly spent from the long season.