Six NBA teams that must rebuild
BY JASON CROSS - FAN FUEL BLOGGER
An optimist would note that if all good things must come to an end, then all bad things should as well. Unfortunately for some NBA teams, nobody has given them the word that the end needs to come sooner rather than later.
Here are six clubs that I believe need to be completely rebuilt:
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1. Milwaukee Bucks
It's often hard for small market teams like the Bucks to hit the reset button, yet after years of sub-par performances it's time that to do just that. With one playoff appearance in the last five years, it's obvious that this crop of Bucks are content to either not making the playoffs or fighting for an eighth seed.
Milwaukee wasted a lot of time waiting for Michael Redd to get healthy and become their superstar and it never happened. Now that they have moved on, it's time to get rid of everyone except Andrew Bogut.
2. Detroit Pistons
Life after Chauncey Billups has been hard. Since the trade in 2008, the once proud Pistons have managed an embarrassing 99-161 record. Struggling with leadership at the point, the team has launched into a downward spiral, missing the playoffs the last two consecutive seasons. This ugly stretch comes on the heels of six straight conference final appearances and a championship in 2004.
Currently with a core centered on defensive slackers such as Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, the team whose motto is "going to work" have succeeded in alienating many of their diehard fans who fell in love with the blue collar team. Without a drastic overhaul and a rededication to the hardnosed defence that got them to the top, the city of Detroit will be only comparable to Al Bundy; sitting on the couch telling stories about the glory days.
3. Toronto Raptors
Unfortunately, the lone Canadian team is not doing a good job of representing the country. With a collection of journeymen jumbled together calling themselves a team, these guys need to pull the plug on whatever it is they are doing. With a dismal 2010-11 season in the books, the only bright spot on the team's roster was the emergence of Ed Davis as a future dominant big man.
The Andrea Bargnani experiment has been lackluster at best, and the off-season pickup of Gary Forbes and Jamaal Magloire is not exactly enough to instill confidence in the current management's ability to rebuild. By means of a new ownership eager to bring victory to the city of Toronto, one thing is standing in their way, a total purge of everyone in the organization.
4 and 5. Washington Wizards and New Orleans Hornets
As the two current worst teams in league, both the Wizards and the Hornets have a long road ahead of them and it is best to start with a clean slate right now. Washington above all else, is a franchise that has seen its share of scandal over the last few years. Following the introduction of point guard John Wall and the removal of Gilbert Arenas, the Wizards hopefully were turning the page on a period the franchise would like to erase from the books. The attempt however did not seem to improve the work ethic of the team.
With underachieving big men like Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis simply on a quest to collect cheques, it will be a long time before the Wizards impress anyone with their tricks.
As for the Hornets, the loss of Chris Paul hit New Orleans hard. With promising support players Eric Gordon and Trevor Ariza masquerading as team stars; it is safe to say that the Hornets will not be following up last year's playoff appearance with another one in 2012.
6. Charlotte Bobcats
Michael Jordan is going to bring the city of Charlotte a lot of pain. The bargain hunting owner is taking a hands-on approach with his team and their .200 win percentage suggests the only thing he should have his hands on is a basketball. It's hard to convince a controlling owner that it is time to totally clean house. Especially one who has shown a propensity to get rid of big contracts despite the popularity or importance of the player, as was the case with Gerald Wallace. Hopefully for the city of Charlotte, Air Jordan may have something up his sleeve although it isn't recommended that they hold their breath.
With many teams stacking up on superstars, it seems unlikely that any of these teams will be making a blockbuster trade. A quick fix is not the answer. To avoid further embarrassment, a commitment needs to be made to whatever identity the team wants to take on. Then, and only then, can these teams begin to take the next step.
Related read:
More Basketball: How NBA teams got their name
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