There are only six teams that are genuine title contenders in the NBA this season. When I look at the landscape of both conferences and consider all the factors that affects teams making title runs, I see two teams in the East and four in the West that have all the components necessary for a championship title run.
These teams include the Miami Heat and New York Knicks in the East and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies in the West.
To become a member of this small group of teams that have a realistic shot at bringing home a championship trophy is not always easy. It may require anything from very little roster changes to drastic measures being taken by an organization’s front office.
Often what is needed is to bring in that one difference-making player who will take a team to the next level. That player must have the ability to blow a game wide open in the blink of an eye, whether it be in a starting role or off the bench.
That player must commit to the team and take advantage of every minute he sees on the court. That player has to be willing to do the small things that go unnoticed in some instances, and in others, grab the headlines with an astonishing performance.
This is the type of player that can take an average, middle-of-the-pack team from a first-round playoff exit, or even missing the playoffs, to a prospective Finals contender.
There are many teams that have had promising seasons thus far but still are lacking what it takes to reach the Finals. I find it exciting to see teams only a player away from joining the highest level of competition in the league.
I will focus on these five teams that I believe can be title contenders at the end of this year if each of them find a way to acquire the player I firmly believe they need.
Houston Rockets: Rudy Gay
The Rockets had a successful off-season, to say the least. They finally achieved their goal of bringing in a star player to headline the team, signed an improving big man to solidify their frontcourt and they also managed to keep a good portion of the young talent they already had on the roster.
All this work was done on top of signing Jeremy Lin himself away from the New York Knicks. But this is not enough.
The Rockets, as they stand today, are still only a fringe playoff-team in the West. They have yet to prove they can compete with the four best teams in the West, one of which will be their opponent in the first round of the playoffs most likely.
What they need is an instant game-changer, someone who can be introduced into the equation without interrupting the growth and developing chemistry already in place. This team is built to compete for years if they make one significant move.
Houston's top priority before the trade deadline should be to engage the Grizzlies in trade talks in an all-out attempt to acquire forward Rudy Gay. Gay is what most would consider a "B-level" star in the NBA, meaning he is not a superstar or even a franchise-player anymore, but he is still a stud player who will be near the top of the league in scoring.
His skill-set matches up perfectly with the needs of the Rockets now. He is young (26 years old), he is long (6-8) and he is more than capable of scoring (17.9 career PPG average). He has played with Memphis his entire career and maybe a change of scenery would allow him to expand his game even more.
With Gay in the fold, opposing teams would not be able to commit as much focus to James Harden, opening up the floor for more easy buckets from the deceptively fast shooting guard.
This team would be a force in the West if this move were to be made. The Rockets would be more dynamic as a team and experienced on the wing. They could then look to re-sign him long term when his contract is up after next season, creating a nucleus rivaling any NBA squad.
Milwaukee Bucks: Al Jefferson
The Bucks have one of the most talented and high-octane backcourts in the league. Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis provide a great one-two punch as both are able to shoot from all spots on the court and get to the rim with ease.
Jennings is a young point guard with a knack for scoring and getting into passing lanes. Ellis is a bit more experienced and is one of those players that either fills it up for a high-scoring performance or will be cold as ice.
As energetic and highly touted of a backcourt as they are, the Bucks will not succeed on these two players’ achievements alone. The role-players on this team do not offer enough offensively or defensively to help make them serious contenders. Larry Sanders, Ersan Ilyasova and Luc Mbah a Moute are all solid players but they are not the type of players that will allow Milwaukee to compete with the likes of the Heat, Knicks or Pacers in the East.
The biggest piece missing from this team is a post-player who can score down low and also be a big body defender in the middle on defense. For this reason, I suggest that if the Bucks want to become contenders, they find a way to acquire Al Jefferson from the Utah Jazz.
Not only have the Jazz made it known that either Jefferson or power forward Paul Millsapwill be traded by the deadline, but the Bucks clearly are in need and have the assets to pull such a trade off. Jefferson would be well worth whatever the cost might be.
He is averaging over 17 points and right around 10 rebounds in just over 32 minutes per game this season. At 27 years old, he is in the prime of his career and has many productive years left in the NBA.
For the Bucks, this move makes sense because they do not know what the future holds for Jennings or Ellis with the team. Jennings has expressed a desire to play in a big market when his rookie contract expires and Ellis will be a hot commodity when his is up because of the lack of effective shooting guards in the league right now.
Bringing in Jefferson gives the Bucks a shot at competing this season and betters the team’s odds of retaining at least one of their backcourt stars. In pairing his scoring ability and defensive presence with two star guards, Milwaukee have now created a team that matches up very well with the elite teams of the East.
The Bucks need to move now if they ever want to cross the threshold towards becoming a relevant team again.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Paul Pierce
For this to work, we need to assume that the Timberwolves will return towards being 100-percent healthy at some point in the second half of the season.
I understand the T-Wolves are in last place in their division and currently are not a playoff team in the West. I also understand that they have some proven talent in Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Andrei Kirilenko. Incorporating a veteran forward in Paul Pierce into the mix in Minnesota would instantly solidify this team as one to watch come playoff time.
I must also preface this proposition by stating that this trade would be very, very difficult to pull off. Pierce would not be easy to pry away from Boston even if he is supposedly available by trade.
Minnesota would have to include some incentive in the deal to get Boston to bite and I am not exactly sure what that incentive would be. It comes down to whether or not Minnesota is willing to do whatever it takes to win and take the franchise further than it’s been in many years.
Pierce would be the best option as opposed to other star forwards because Minnesota must realize that their window to even reach contention is slim. This may not make sense because of the young players they currently have.
But however, Love has already voiced frustration with the Timberwolves organization because they have played poorly this year and have not been run to their full potential the last few years. I do not see him staying for the full-time term on his contract, as he will soon request a trade.
Minnesota has to start thinking in win-now mode instead of biding their time, waiting to add a third star component via the draft or free agency in years to come. The move needs to happen now when they have these young stars on their roster; otherwise, they will continue to bring up the rear in the West and never become a significant franchise.
In Pierce, you get an experienced, confident scorer who knows how to lead a team in close games. Rubio would have no trouble setting him up for wide-open shots much like Rajon Rondo currently has done in Boston, so he would not have to make any major adjustments in his style of play.
This move makes sense and the T-Wolves would be wise to get on the phones and initiate the conversation. The West is too talented for Minnesota to not go after a playoff-berth and contention when the opportunity is right in front of them.
Indiana Pacers: Eric Gordon
Rumored to have interest in signing Gordon this past off-season when he hit restricted free agency, the Pacers should renew their efforts to attain the New Orleans Hornets shooting guard.
Gordon is a career 18.2 points-per-game player with limitless potential. He is a smooth player who has struggled with injuries throughout most of his professional career, but in his minutes played he has been one of the best shooting guards in the league.
He would be a huge upgrade over current starting shooting guard Lance Stephenson, who averages just over seven points per game. The Pacers have come alive in recent weeks and now find themselves with the third best record in the East, steadily gaining in on the Knicks and Heat.
They have brought up their intensity and gotten superb play out of their budding young star swingman Paul George. Adding Gordon to the existing lineup of Roy Hibbert, David West, George and George Hill would automatically make this one of the best starting line-ups around. Teams would have to pick their poison when deciding who they want to try and shut down.
What also helps the Pacers' cause is that Gordon was disgruntled last summer when the Hornets decided to match the maximum contract offer put on the table by the Phoenix Suns. This indicates that Gordon would be open to a change of scenery, especially if it meant moving to a team that has the components in place to make a run now.
The Pacers could make it happen on their end with a package centered on Danny Granger, who has become the odd man out with the emergence of Paul George on the wing.
Gordon would also be moving back to his home state. He shows a lot of love for Indiana even when he is in season with the Hornets. This would also make sense for Granger, who is from New Orleans.
Out of my five proposed additions to make these teams contenders, I believe this is the one most likely one to happen.
Boston Celtics: DeMarcus Cousins
The Celtics are a good team that has managed to survive its schedule thus far by relying on the play of its three stars: Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
But how far will these three be able to take a team without much bench talent or depth? Not very far, unless a new ingredient is added into the recipe. The Celtics need to make every attempt to acquire DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings to lead this team alongside Rondo for the next half-decade.
Cousins seems to have turned over a new leaf since his bouts with the organization in December. He has posted some serious numbers, including a triple-double against the Celtics on Dec. 30 and a masterful 31 point, 20-rebound performance in a win over the Toronto Raptors.
He currently averages over 17 points and 10 rebounds per game so far on the season. He has also been called the best center in the NBA by many people, including former NBA star Jalen Rose.
Adding Cousins to the Celtics would be significant because it would allow KG to slide over into the power forward position. He plays more efficiently in this spot and with those two on the court, the paint would never be an area teams could exploit.
He is a very young player as well and is still on his rookie contract, With that, he has years of improvement ahead of him as long as he is introduced into the right culture to enhance his abilities. I believe Boston to be that location because of the presence of Garnett and the guiding hand of Doc Rivers would contribute to Cousins’ life.
