5 NBA teams with the most to prove in the 2021-22 season
NBA basketball is right around the corner, and most front offices will be feeling good about the moves they made this off-season. From teams who missed out on the play-in tournament to those who fell earlier in the playoffs than they would have liked, every roster around the league has seen some changes.
We've also seen almost 33% of teams make a head coaching change during the summer, giving us more to ponder upon as we wait for the opening tip.
However, making changes doesn't always equate to success, which means there will be an array of teams looking to prove themselves once the season gets underway. From teams who believe they're playoff caliber to those who feel they're legitimate contenders.
NBA teams who are on "Proving Grounds" this season
#5 Miami Heat
The Miami Heat doubled down on their roster this off-season, extending Jimmy Butler and inking Kyle Lowry to a three-year $85 million deal. Pat Riley and the Heat front office must feel incredibly confident in their roster to spend such sums on two aging stars, and will be expecting a deep post-season run at the bare minimum.
Erik Spoelstra is one of the league's best coaches, which means the Miami Heat will be a tough opponent every night. The Heat also do a great job of developing younger talent within their system - Duncan Robinson, Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo - and even Victor Oladipo as he bids to reignite his career.
When spending so much on new talent, without losing any of your core rotation, expectations are bound to be high. Now the Heat players and coaching staff will have to prove that it's money well spent, especially with their championship window being so small.
#4 Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal wanted out - or at least that was the media narrative heading into the summer. Unlike most franchises whose star players are disgruntled (see the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers for example), the Washington Wizards got to work on providing Beal with a more competitive roster.
They say winning solves everything, and the Wizards will be hoping that's true. Adding role players such as Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell will ensure the rotation is far deeper than last season.
Throw in the addition of a highly rated, but injury-wise concerning Spencer Dinwiddie, and you can see what the Wizard's plan is - make the playoffs and convince Beal to sign an extension next season.
Led by one of the NBA's best scorers in Beal, the Wizards will be looking to prove the doubters wrong this year, and in turn convince their young players such as Rui Hachimura they're in the right spot. But most importantly, they want to keep Beal because having him on the roster makes them a desirable destination for any stars in free agency.
Whether contending or rebuilding, the Wizards have a lot riding on being a competitive team this year.