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Rebuilding a team in the NBA is a daunting task; it’s the reluctant acceptance that your beloved franchise is on a downward slope and it needs to pick itself up before it turns into a perennial disaster (cc: 76’ers).
Teams such as the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves have shown that going through the growing pains of the rebuilding process is worth more than subjecting themselves to the consistent mediocrity that claims so many teams around the Association.
The Timberwolves improved their regular season record by 13 games last season with the addition of their #1 overall pick, Karl-Anthony Towns. But the major leap for this team is expected this approaching season as they look to be the new up-and-coming team.
The Celtics went from a 25-win team to a 48-win team in just a matter of a couple seasons. They made the playoffs in the last two seasons but lost in the first round with both attempts. But, the 2016-2017 season should hold a different outcome for the C’s.
The young, fiery core of the Celtics attracted free agent prize, Al Horford, while the Wolves team with many of the same qualities reeled in coach Tom Thibodeau, an impressive free agent acquisition of their own. The Celtics are now poised to hold a top seed in the East, while the Wolves are ready to emerge and make a serious playoff push in the West.
Putting together teams that genuinely want to win and have great coaching are underrated in today’s NBA. The age of super teams has surpassed the grit and toughness that us millennials claim to know about. These teams built strategically through the draft by bringing in young, eager players that they developed into their respective systems.
The Celtics were getting bounced in the opening round of the playoffs, while the T’wolves were perennially hoping for the lottery balls to fall in their favor. Now, both of these squads look to make the leap in their conferences and show other teams that they have indeed arrived. Their rebuilding processes may have been strenuous, but the payoff should be bountiful.