1.Philadelhpia 76ers
Trust The Process. The process looks to be nearing its completion with the drafting of Markelle Fultz. Fultz will be paired with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to form a possibly star-studded big 3. Philly also has some solid contributors around their big 3 in Robert Covington, Jahlil Okafor, and Dario Saric.
The 76ers have a deep roster, three potential superstars, and tons of cap space. While the 76ers may not be as proven as the Timberwolves per se, their future is much brighter.
This past season, the 76ers showed almost no improvement from last year as their rookies Simmons and Embiid played little to none due to injuries. Embiid played in 31 games on limited minutes and was the focal point on a great stretch for Philly in January.
Embiid was sensational in his small sample size posting 20.2 PPG and 7.8 RPG. However, the Sixers found themselves picking in the top 3 again this season. They did something unprecedented though, they traded away some of their beloved picks to move up from No. 3 to No. 1 to select Fultz.
The process has been kicked into overdrive and we may see results as soon as this season.
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There are many teams that will be contending in addition to these teams, but these five will be the teams to beat. Look out, Warriors and Cavs, your run may be coming to an end sooner than you think.