21. Los Angeles Clippers – All nine of the Clippers’ wins this season have been by two players: Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. If they stay together, the they are going to be one of the best one-two-punches for the next decade and the Clippers will reap the benefits. They are likely not playoff-bound this season, but like Baron Davis said earlier this week, they will be one of the team’s highly talked about going into 2011-12.
22. Golden State Warriors – Their 6-2 start was obviously a fluke, however, their offense is not. With injuries hampering Roy and Joe Johnson, Monta Ellis might be the third-best shooting guard in the NBA behind Kobe and Wade. Right now, they are 11-18, but if David Lee and Andris Biedrins can find a way to effectively coexist down low, they could be one of the teams that goes on a post all-star break surge.
23. Detroit Pistons – There are no bright spots on this Pistons team, who is simply just playing for another spot in the lottery. What’s more anticipated than the Pistons shot at the No. 1 pick in 2011, is the release date of Rip and Tayshaun’s trade announcement. Until then, this team is going to remain at the bottom of the barrel.
24. Toronto Raptors – Andrea Bargnani is proving his worth as the top pick from the 2006 draft and fellow young guns Jerryd Bayless, DeMar DeRozan, Ed Davis and Sonny Weems have been a bright spot for this team, but past that, the Raptors remain in the worst position possible: not a playoff team, but they don’t have a great shot at the top pick in 2011 either.
25. New Jersey Nets – The Nets are closing in on their win total from 2010, but all Nets fans can think about is Carmelo Anthony. Until the day Melo is dealt (whether to the Nets or another team), don’t expect any other noteworthy story lines to come out of Jersey.
Next: 26-30