Enjoy Basketball: Predicting the Best NBA Teams Half a Decade from Now

Welcome back to another offseason edition of the Enjoy Basketball Newsletter! Today we'll try and do something that is almost certainly impossible, predict the future of the NBA, but we're gonna give it our best shot. So enjoy a sneak peak at who the best teams of 2027 might be. A big shout out to Nathan Herr (@bballbystander) for suggesting today's topic!

But before we dive in, let us know who you think the greatest fictional basketball player of all time is!

Houston Rockets

What puts the Rockets a step above some other rebuilding teams like the Thunder and Magic is that they have the best of both worlds. They have a well-balanced current squad with high potential players at every position like Orlando, and a war chest of valuable draft picks like OKC.

Their explosive backcourt of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. had growing pains last season, but perhaps no guard duo in the league shows more promise, especially on the offensive side of the ball. After the all-star break, the two put up an offensive rating of 114.0 when they shared the court and combined to score over 41 points per game, which would have put them among the five best scoring backcourts in the league over the full season.

On the wing, the Rockets didn’t have as many promising options last year. But what they do have are two rookies who should be a near-seamless fit into Houston's system. 3rd overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. and 17th pick Tari Eason were two of the best defensive prospects in last year's draft. As long wings who can shoot and defend multiple positions, Eason and Smith are the model archetype for what teams look for in a modern wing, and it would be no surprise to see one or both of them making all-defensive teams a few years from now.

And at center the Rockets have one of the league's most interesting young players. Alperen Sengun isn’t your average big man. He has a low post game reminiscent of the footwork artists of old like Hakeem Olajuwon and court vision that seemed almost Jokic-esque at times. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be as good as those two legends, but Sengun could definitely be a force to be reckoned with in five years time.

While they might not have as many first rounders as the Thunder over the next few years, the ones they do have project to be insanely valuable. The Brooklyn Nets are teetering on the brink of collapse, and the Rockets control Brooklyns picks from 2023 to 2027. They’re in prime position to either use those picks to accrue more top-shelf prospects, or flip them in a trade for a star once their window to contend opens.

And that’s not even to mention their own picks, especially next season. This Rockets team might be young and promising, but they’ll still most likely be in the basement of a stacked Western Conference in 2022-23 and end up with a top five pick. Just imagine this squad with Victor Wembanyama controlling the paint, GG Jackson working on the wing, or Scoot Henderson running the offense.

They might not be among the NBA’s worst teams now but, just like a rocket, Houston's rise over the next few seasons will be rapid and impossible to ignore.

And if you need any more convincing, watch this 

New Orleans Pelicans

In last season's playoffs, the New Orleans Pelicans showed us the start of something special.

A six game series loss in the first round might not look incredible on paper, but anybody who watched those games knew how close the Pelicans were to pulling off only the fourth ever 1-8 upset in NBA playoff history. Whether it was the silky cerebral offense of Brandon Ingram or the in-your-face aggressive defense of Jose Alvarado and Herb Jones, this New Orleans team established an identity for themselves, and put the league on notice in the process.

And the best part? They did it all without their best player. Zion Williamson was touted as a once-in-a-generation prospect coming out of Duke and, when he’s been available, he’s been proven to be just that, no matter how many times people seem to forget. His transcendent interior efficiency as a scorer hasn’t been seen on such high volume since prime Charles Barkley nearly 35 years ago. If the Pelicans are to be one of the NBA’s five best teams in half a decade, he’ll have to be at the focal point of it.

The squad around him isn’t half bad either, and should be quite good, if not better, in a few years time. CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas might be on the way out by that point, but guys like Brandon Ingram, Herb Jones, Jose Alvarado, and Dyson Daniels will all be in or nearing their prime.

What really pushes New Orleans over the edge though as a possible force to be reckoned with in the future is their horde of first round picks, 11 over the next five years to be exact. If a star becomes available in the near future who would pair well with Ingram and Zion, the Pelicans are in great position to grab them with plenty of picks and prospects to spare.

The combination of young defensive-minded role players, two stars who are yet to hit their prime already on the roster, and the future picks needed to make big moves makes the Pelicans an easy pick to be one of the NBA’s best teams in five years time. That is, if they play their cards right.

And if you don't want to wait that long to find out, watch Kenny give you look at what a future Pelicans squad might look like. 

Boston Celtics

Back in June, the Celtics fell just two games short of getting back to the promised land for “only” the 18th time in franchise history. But luckily for them, they have a team led by two young stars and a front office that has shown for the most part excellent decision-making when building a squad around them.

It all starts with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It’s hard to find a pair of stars who get it done on both ends of the court better than them, and at 29 and 30 years old five years from now, they'll be right in the middle of their primes. With those two in town, the C’s have their volume scoring locked up.

Tatum and Brown are a great duo to start with, but what makes the Celtics truly shine is the team they’ve built around their two top five picks. Players like Marcus Smart, Robert Williams and Al Horford form the backbone of Boston's strong defense-oriented approach. And, while it’s unlikely that all of them will be in town five years ago, their front office has proven more than effective at putting together a great cast of role players in recent years.

Whether it was Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins in the late 2000s or Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and Gerald Green in the mid 2010s, time and time again the Celtics have found ways to get the perfect players around their stars. The Celtics squad five years from now might contain some of the same role players as this years finals team, most likely Robert and Grant Williams, but even if they don’t, their track record of being able to build contending teams around stars 

Honorable Mentions

Dallas Mavericks

The short answer, Luka Doncic. The long answer, Luka Doncic.

As long as the Slovenian superstar is in town, the Mavericks are sure to be among the NBA’s premier teams. But what kept them off the list is Lukas supporting cast. It’s certainly a solid bunch, but with no all-stars and every other starter being 28 or over, Dallas will certainly have to do some remodeling around Luka to remain at the top.

Milwaukee Bucks

I mean… how much is there to really explain?

Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best player in basketball, hands down. And at 27, there's a chance his best years might still be ahead of him. The Bucks have been a top three seed in the Eastern Conference every year of his prime

That’s not to say there aren’t plenty of question marks for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo’s two running mates in Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday will be 35 and 37 respectively, they traded away most of their future picks to build their current roster, and don’t have any super promising prospects under the age of 25.

But it goes to show just how individually dominant Giannis is that the Bucks still deserve to make this list. He’s one of a rare breed of players that’s able to carry his team on both sides of the ball, and should keep the Bucks in the conversation among the NBA’s best for years to come.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Sam Presti draft pick factory has to start paying off at some point right?

The Thunder have gone on a legendary stretch of acquiring every first round pick under the sun, and the next few years are when they should start reaping the results. It’s difficult to say much about what this OKC team will look like, especially since quite a few of their best players most likely haven’t even been drafted yet. But with solid building blocks in place like Shai-Gilgious Alexander and Chet Holmgren, the Thunders front office can finally start to mold their ideal roster, one that should ideally start to come into its own a half decade from now.

Draymomd Green rumored to want a max contract extension from Golden State

After helping the Golden State Warriors win four NBA championshipz over the past eight seasons, Draymond Green is looking to cash out big time. The former Defensive Player of the Year is rumored to want a max contract extension from the Warriors once his current deal runs out next summer (or in two years if he accepts his $27.5 million player option).

The reactions on social media have been about what you expect, with many fans mocking Green for apparently overvaluing himself. But there's no disputing that he was (and still is) a pivotal member of one of the greatest dynasties the NBA has ever seen. Without Greens spectacular defense and playmaking, the Warriors wouldn't be the same on both sides of the ball. Is he worth a max in a vacuum with his age and injury history? Maybe not, but to Golden State, he's been nearly priceless.

Dwight Howard Attends WWE Tryout

You know it's peak offseason when this is some of the biggest news of the past two days but hey, there's far less entertaing headlines to write about

Dwight Howard hasn't been able to find a new team after entering free agency this summer, and it looks like his next career move isn't to the coaches bench or the broadcast booth. Instead, you're reading this right, Dwight is trying out for the WWE.

He was a surprise participant at a WWE event in tryout in front of Triple H and other top wrestling executives. According to Dwight, he's serious about going into wrestling after his basketball career is over, but his main priority remains getting back on an NBA roster.

It remains to be seen whether he'll end up on an NBA team next year, but Batista bombing other men on national television isn't a bad backup option.

Every NBA Team's Biggest Win and Loss of the 2022 Offseason - Grant Hughes (Bleacher Report)

Looking back on 12 notable Drew League performances from NBA stars - Brian Martin (NBA.com)

Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija are quietly giving the Wizards hope - Ethan Fuller (Basketball News)

That's all for today everyone! Thanks for sticking with us thrh another week in the depths of the offseason. Now it's only *checks calendar* 82 days away from the regular season. Hey, at least it's not triple digits.

Until next time,- Spencer Poole

Trivia Answer:The answer to Wednesday's trivia question is Mark Eaton! He blocked an incredible 456 shots during the 1984-85 season.

Trivia Question: This former NBA player scored more than 19,000 career points without making All-Star team, more than anyone in history to have not made one. Who is he?