2013 NBA Bad Team Power Rankings

We're at the point where the NBA Season starts getting really interesting. The playoff push is the only part of the regular season that matters the most entertaining part of the regular season, as teams jockey for playoff position and we start to find out which squads are for real. Before we all shift our attention to the top of the standings, though, let's remember that there are other teams in the league too. Bad teams. With that, the Redshirt Freshmen present the first-ever NBA Bad Team Power Rankings, featuring only teams 20+ games out of a playoff spot.

(note: I promise, after this we can stop paying attention to the bad teams until next season)

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (21-40; 12th in the East)

Kyrie Irving is a special player. As in top-5-point-guard-in-the-league special. As in just a notch below the Tony Parker/ Chris Paul/ Russel Westbrook level special. Simply by having Irving on their roster, the Cavs future looks ok, but there's more in Cleveland too: former first-round pick Tristan Thompson has substantially improved his game this season, and looks like a good big man in the making; rookie guard Dion Waiters was playing nicely before going out with an illness, and will surely improve next season; and everyone's favorite Sideshow Bob look-alike, Anderson Varejao, was having a career year, before suffering a season-ending injury in December. I'm not saying the Cavs will be a threat to the Heat next year, but with salary cap space and a young nucleus (Kyrie Irving is only 20... man, he's going to be good), the Cavs could be in the playoff mix next April.

Courtesy: Cleveland Plain Dealer

2. New Orleans Hornets (21-41; 14th in the West)

This ranking is based on two things: Anthony Davis' improvement (which I think will be substantial), and Eric Gordon's health (which I wouldn't bet on even with 20,000-to-1 odds). Davis, despite missing some time this season due to injury, has shown he could develop into one of the best two-way big men in the game. He's a major force on defense already, and the upside on his offensive production is mammoth... he's only 19-years old. Gordon, meanwhile, is one of the best shooting guards in the league, but is never healthy. Plus there's that whole "he really doesn't want to play for this team at all"-thing. Besides Davis and Gordon, New Orleans has some decent pieces: Greivis Vasquez looks like he could be a nice starting point guard (if his decision-making improves a bit), and Ryan Anderson is one of the best stretch-4s in the league. Like Cleveland, New Orleans has a bunch of money coming of the books in the next couple years, so they could also improve their team with some free agent additions. The future is looking nice in New Orleans, and I haven't even mentioned their awesome 2013-14 name-change.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves (21-37; 12th in the West)

This one is short and sweet: the T-Wolves are wholly dependent on Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio playing a full season together. It hasn't happened yet, but if Minnesota can get 75+ games out of both guys, they should be in the fight for one of the last couple Western Conference playoff spots. I mean, Love and Rubio are both top-10 at their position—when healthy. The Wolves will surely try to keep Andrei Kirilenko (he has a player option for next season) as their defensive stopper, and have to keep Nikola Pekovic, one of the most underrated bigs in the game (he's a free agent after the year).

4. Washington Wizards (19-40; 13th in the East)

I'm kind of going out on a limb with this one because, after all, it's the Wizards we're talking about. These Wizards. But Washington has actually been pretty good since John Wall came back from injury. They are over .500 since February 1, and have wins over the Clippers, Knicks, Nets, Bucks, Nuggets and Rockets—all playoff teams—over the last month. They have a promising young back court (Wall and Bradley Beal) and a couple nice bigs (Nene and Emeka Okafor) under contract next year, so I'm willing to take a bit of a flyer on them.

Getty Images

5. Orlando Magic (17-45; 14th in the East)

This ranking is less about the Magic being good than it is the 3 teams below being really bad. The Magic have Aaron Afflalo and Nikola Vucevic to build around so that's... something. Glen Davis is pretty good? I don't know what to say here, the Magic won't be good next season.

6. Phoenix Suns (21-40; 13th in the West)

I don't really get this team, to be honest. Goran Dragic is ok. Luis Scola is ok. Jared Dudley is ok. Every team needs some role players, sure. But the Dragic/ Scola/ Dudley combo are locked up until 2014/15, meaning Suns' fans have to convince themselves that these guys are building blocks for the future. Marcin Gortat is a nice big, so there's that. They have twins on their team? ... That's the extent of my analysis for this strange team.

7. Sacramento Kings (21-42; 15th in the West)

And the only team with a more confusing roster than the Suns? (Drum roll please...) The Kings! Seriously, what was general manager Geoff Petrie thinking when he put this squad together? There's a logjam of big men (DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and newly-acquired Patrick Patterson), a heap of mediocre wing players (Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton, John Salmons, James Johnson, Travis Outlaw), and they just traded the 4th overall pick from last years' draft. That's right, the Kings thought it wise to move a top-5 draft pick in his rookie season. You know, because that's the type of thing good franchises do.

8 Charlotte Bobcats (13-48; 15h in the East)

Tyrus Thomas is currently set to be the Bobcats' highest paid player next season. He plays 15.5 minutes-per-game, is shooting 31.7% from the floor and was recently asked not to accompany the team on a road trip. Thomas will almost surely be amnestied next season, which would then leave Ramon Sessions as the highest paid Bobcat. Actually.