Going Up?

Approaching the halfway point of the NBA season, the feel-good story of the league is most definitely the New York Knicks. The addition of Amare Stoudemire (and in a slightly lesser manner, Raymond Felton) has brought results to Mike D'Antoni's East Coast replication of his Phoenix tenure. It just proves, even the Knicks can come back to relevancy. There is hope for the down-trodden.

At this point, I'd say that there are four tiers of teams in each conference: elite, playoff-caliber, postseason contenders, and also-rans.

The elite teams out East are Boston, Miami, and Orlando. The next level includes Chicago, Atlanta, and, at this point, New York. The contenders for the lower spots include Milwaukee, Charlotte, and maybe Indiana.

West of the Mississippi, the elite teams are the L.A. Lakers, San Antonio, and Dallas. The playoff teams right now are Oklahoma City, Utah, Denver, and New Orleans. The contenders are Phoenix, Houston, and Portland.

This leaves 11 teams (12 if you include the possibility of Indiana) that could be considered also-rans. But which of these cellar dwellers can turn it around like the Knicks appear to have done strolling into 2011?

Minnesota Timberwolves

That's right, I said the T-Wolves. Maybe it's the Mississippi river water. Maybe it's the brutal cold. Maybe it's the piles of snow all around the city. For some reason, the team that plays just blocks from where I work seems to be the next candidate in line to make a major leap.

Reasons why I like them — The team seems to be getting more of the Triangle offense that Kurt Rambis is trying to install. Kevin Love, like Blake Griffin, is a double-double already in progress. Michael Beasley has shown spurts of promise in his second year in the Association. And wouldn't you know it? This team might be displaying that Darko Milicic could actually have something resembling basketball skills. Right now, these guys are the team that can't close. They've blown eight fourth-quarter leads as of Sunday. If they can learn to hold on late in games, 35 wins is a very reachable goal. Maybe I'm just starting to buy what GM David Kann is doing (man, that's a scary thought).

Reasons that could derail it — The biggest one off the top of my head would be letting Love go. He's been rumored to be trade bait near the deadline, which would take away a big time low-post threat. It actually seems that getting rid of Al Jefferson helped the Wolves last year, but getting rid of their supposed best player again might throw them back into a rebuilding mode.

New Jersey Nets

The team with the worst record last year might not seem like the best candidate for a turnaround. Usually, they're young, bereft of talent, and possibly not in the best financial state. I believe the Nets are achieving 1.5 out of the 3. They're a little less talented and pretty young (seventh youngest team in the Association), but the green funding the project has now been replenished.

Reasons why I like them — The biggest one are their new deep pockets in the form of rookie owner Mikhail Prokhorov. With no hard salary cap, the Russian billionaire can sink a little more income into his roster. A bit closer to the court, I like the head of the program on the bench. Say what you will about Avery Johnson, but he took a group of Dallas Maverick players that mainly underachieved and at least got them to the NBA Finals, something Don Nelson couldn't do before and Rick Carlisle hasn't done since. The team also has some talent on the court in the form of co-captains Devin Harris and Brook Lopez.

Reason that could derail it — To be honest, Carmelo Anthony might do more harm than good if this team can pull off the trade to get him. At this point, I've heard that any trade offer would include Derrick Favors (this year's third overall pick) and future draft picks. I know Favors is basically a project right now, but I think there's a better chance of Favors growing into a good compliment for Lopez than Anthony being the "cornerstone" piece that would vault the squad into playoff contention.

Sacramento Kings

The Kings have the sixth-youngest and third-most inexperienced squad in the league. It's been a struggle for the central Cali organization since their heyday back in the early part of the last decade. However, some pieces are in place to make a bit of a resurgence.

Reasons why I like them — Those pieces are there in the form of last year's Rookie of the Year, Tyreke Evans, and a candidate for this season's fourth overall pick, DeMarcus Cousins. If healthy and on the court (see "derail"), these two have the talent to be the inside-outside punch that can start the "revival to playoff royalty."

Reasons that could derail it — Even with the talent Cousins showed in his one year at Kentucky and in lapses with the Kings, he's as notorious for his immaturity as for his play. Cousins wants to prove the teams that passed him up wrong (all three of them). Will coach Paul Westphal get Cousins to focus his energy? If Westphal isn't around that long, can the next coach make the big man hone it on his skill set?

Sidenote: Could this be the next Thunder? Could the Kings move out of the California capital, then realize their potential in a fresh air situation of another locale? Should be interesting to follow.

Washington Wizards

Gilbert Arenas is now gone from Chocolate City. It was an interesting courtship between the shooting guard and the Wizards organization. But with the former "Hibachi" now residing in Orlando, this team has truly seen a shift of foundation.

Reasons why I like them — John Wall was the consensus number one pick. And he could be reminiscent of another John Calipari revelation, former number one pick Derek Rose. It might take a couple of years, just the the current Chicago point man, but the potential is there. A couple other nice pieces of the puzzle are available in power forward Andray Blatche (who came on strong late last season) and lanky guard Nick Young (who showed glimpses of promise in year two of his career). The new owner, Ted Leonsis doesn't hurt, either. His Capitals are using that same building to become one of the best teams in the NHL's Eastern Conference.

Reasons that could derail them — They're in the same division as Miami, Orlando, and Atlanta. Even though the Hawks aren't the most dependable playoff squad, they have figured out how to get there consistently. The other two, well, they're possible championship contenders. Having them in your own division doesn't really help matters that much.

Golden State Warriors

For my money, this is the most exciting team in the league. They can put up 120 on any given night. They used this formula a few years back to stun Dallas in the opening round of the postseason. But can they regain that magic and make another run deep into April?

Reasons why I like them — Three keys: Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, and David Lee. These guys, along with Andris Biedrins clogging the middle, possibly expand the model that Run TMC set in the early 1990s. They might be more potent than the Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson squad that took down the top-seeded Mavs. And to add to the enforcers on the inside, rookie Ekpe Udoh should continue to grow and provide toughness on the interior.

Reasons that could derail them — The coaching factor has now become a question mark. Everyone knew that Don Nelson's time was short, but I'm not sure how his replacement, Keith Smart, will fare on the bench. He could turn out to be a hidden gem. But time will tell. If he can get this team to play a little D now and again, that would go quite a ways in establishing some credibility.

The seeds have been planted. Now bury them under the snowfall and wait. We'll find how long it takes the results to bloom, whether they sprout to flourish or wilt and wither.