The New Jersey Nets began their existence in the American Basketball Association (ABA) as the New Jersey Americans. They only spent one season (1967-68) under that name before becoming the New York Nets. The Nets moved to New Jersey in 1977, after they joined the NBA as part of the merger.

The Nets now play their home games at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, but they are slated to move to Brooklyn, New York, in 2011.

The Nets’ head coach is Lawrence Frank. Rap mogul Jay-Z is a member of the ownership group.

Early Years

As the New Jersey Americans, the team failed to make the playoffs. However, they began making the ABA playoffs by their second season as the New York Nets. Led by Rick Barry, they made it to the ABA Finals in 1972, but lost.

In 1973, the Nets acquired forward Julius Erving from the Virginia Squires. Erving, nicknamed “Dr. J,” was a high-flying, above-the-rim basketball artist who helped the Nets win games and gave the team — and the league — a certain cache. The NBA had more teams, and more money, but the ABA had “The Doctor.”

Erving led the Nets to two ABA titles in three years, including the last title in the history of the defunct league.

NBA Finals Appearances

While the Nets made three ABA Finals appearances, winning the title twice, they are still looking for their first NBA title. The closest they have come are the two Finals appearances they made in 2002 and 2003.

In 2001, the Nets traded point guard Stephon Marbury to the Phoenix Suns for Jason Kidd. Kidd, a perennial league leader in assists and one of the league’s best defensive point guards, immediately changed the team chemistry. The Nets finished 52-30 and beat Indiana, Charlotte (Hornets, not Bobcats) and Boston en route to the Finals, where they faced the L.A. Lakers. They were no match for Shaq, Kobe and company, however, and were swept in four games.

The Kidd-led Nets proved the 2001-02 season was no fluke, winning 49 games the following season and getting to the Finals again, this time facing the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs beat the Nets, four games to two.

Since 2003, the Nets have yet to get past the Eastern Conference semifinals.

2007-08 Season

The most significant thing to happen to the Nets in 2007-08 was the trading of Jason Kidd to the team that drafted him, the Dallas Mavericks. In return, the Nets got speedy point guard Devin Harris, gaining youth and quickness but giving away rebounding, passing, and savvy veteran leadership. The team went 34-48, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001 (the season before the Kidd acquisition).

2008-09 Outlook

The Nets will begin 2008-09 with a wholly different look from the start of last season. Harris replaces the departed Kidd. Richard Jefferson was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for Yi Jianlian. The Nets picked Stanford big man Brook Lopez with the 10th pick in the 2008 draft, and drafted Memphis shooting guard Chris Douglas-Roberts in the second round. Lawrence Frank will have to get these players on the same page in a hurry if the Nets wish to leave the state of New Jersey on a winning note.

Greatest Players

Nate Archibald, Rick Barry, Derrick Coleman, Julius Erving, Jason Kidd, Buck Williams

The Charlotte Bobcats are the NBA’s newest team, founded in 2004. The team was established after the city’s previous NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, departed the city for New Orleans, La., and the Western Conference.

The Bobcats play their home games at Time Warner Cable Arena. Their head coach is Larry Brown, and their general manager is Rod Higgins. Michael Jordan is part of the ownership group.

Birth of a team

When the Bobcats were established in place of the departed Hornets, several ownership groups bid for the team. The franchise was awarded to a group led by Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET). Michael Jordan, former All-American guard at the University of North Carolina, became a majority owner and head of basketball operations in 2006.

Early Years

Since the Bobcats have only played four seasons, one could argue that they are still in their early years. Their first season was 2004-05. After drafting Connecticut forward-center Emeka Okafor, the Bobcats went 18-64. Okafor was one of the few bright spots, averaging 15 points and nearly 11 rebounds per game and earning the Rookie of the Year Award.

In the offseason, the Bobcats drafted guard Raymond Felton and forward Sean May, who were both North Carolina Tar Heel standouts. The team improved to 26-56, and Felton made the All-Rookie Second Team.

The Bobcats picked Gonzaga scoring machine Adam Morrison with the third pick in the 2006 draft. Morrison averaged nearly 12 points a game and made the All-Rookie Second Team as the Bobcats went 33-49.

In 2007, head coach Bernie Bickerstaff was fired and Sam Vincent was tapped to take his place. The team drafted another Tar Heel, Brandan Wright, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for Jason Richardson.

2007-08 Season

Disaster struck the Bobcats during preseason when Morrison tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, ending his 2007-08 season. Head coach Vincent began his first season without one of his top scorers, which may have led to his early and abrupt downfall. Expansion teams are generally expected to make a climb from the division basement in the third or fourth year of their existence, and when this doesn’t happen, everyone, from the fan base to the front office, begins to lose patience.

The Bobcats struggled yet again in 2007-08, winning only 32 games and placing 11th in the East. Vincent was fired in April, and legendary coach Larry Brown (himself a former UNC Tar Heel) was hired. He is the third head coach in the four-year history of the franchise.

2008-09 Outlook

Larry Brown is famous for immediately improving his teams (with the ignominious exception of the New York Knicks, a team not even a consummate teacher like Brown could improve). Brown has a solid young nucleus to work with. Morrison is expected to make a full recovery from last season’s knee injury. Felton is a steadily improving point guard. Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson add scoring punch. Texas standout D.J. Augustin was picked 9th in the 2008 draft. These ingredients, in the hands of Brown the master chef, could make for an interesting 2008-09 campaign. A forty-win season would be considered a success — and would comprise a franchise record.

The Orlando Magic is one of the fastest rising teams in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. They boast one of the league’s best big men in Slam Dunk champion Dwight Howard, and they are coming fresh off a 52-win season.

The Magic play their home games at the Amway Arena. Their head coach is Stan Van Gundy, and their general manager is former Magic player Otis Smith.

Early Years

The Magic entered the NBA in 1989 as part of a four-team expansion effort with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets. Their first coach was Matt Guokas, and their first draft pick was shooting guard Nick Anderson. The expansion draft, which allowed certain players to be chosen from each team in the league, brought players like Reggie Theus and Scott Skiles (who would later set a league record for assists in a game with 30). The first team went 18-64.

After drafting forward Dennis Scott out of Georgia Tech in 1990, the Magic improved rapidly. In their second season, they put up 31 wins and served notice as a promising young team.

Between 1989 and 1992, the Magic averaged 23 wins. But thing were about to change.

The Shaq Draft

In 1992, the Magic won the first pick in the draft lottery and selected seven-foot center Shaquille O’Neal out of Louisiana State University. O’Neal, a powerful, agile center, paid immediate dividends, and the Magic improved from 21 wins to 41 wins. Shaq was named an All-Star starter as a rookie, the first player in NBA history to be so honored.

Picking up a Penny

The Magic lucked out again the following year, winning the first pick in the lottery in spite of a .500 record. They selected forward Chris Webber out of Michigan, and traded him to the Golden State Warriors for Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway.

The combination of a dynamic point guard and a bruising center turned the Magic into one of the NBA’s best teams nearly overnight. They won 50 games in the 1993-94 season and placed second in the division, losing to the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.

The following season, the Orlando Magic were considered a contender for the title. They placed first in the Atlantic Division with 57 wins and beat the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls (minus the retired Michael Jordan) before exacting revenge against the Pacers in the conference finals.

In the NBA Finals, the Orlando Magic faced Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. Shaq was no match for the wily veteran center, and the Magic were no match for the Rockets, who swept Orlando in four games.

The 1995 season saw the championship window begin to close for the Magic. The team was intact, but Jordan was back from his first retirement. Despite 60 wins and another division title, the Magic lost to the Bulls in the conference finals, 4-0.

Thus ended the dynamic duo of Shaq and Penny.

Shaq leaves for La-La Land

In 1996, Shaquille O’Neal left the Magic as a free agent and joined the L. A. Lakers. The Magic were still a playoff team even without O’Neal, but they were no longer a title contender. The team traded Hardaway to the Phoenix Suns in 1999.

2007-08 Season

The Orlando Magic have re-established themselves as one of the most dangerous teams in the East. Led by high school phenom Dwight Howard, the team won 52 games and the Southeast Division title. They beat the Toronto Raptors in the first round before falling to the Detroit Pistons in five games.

2008-09 Outlook

With Howard, point guard Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and J.J. Redick, the Magic have a talented young nucleus and figure to be a favorite to repeat as Southeast Division champs. Whether or not that translates to a deep playoff run remains to be seen.

Greatest Players

Nick Anderson, Grant Hill, Dwight Howard, Penny Hardaway, Tracy McGrady, Shaquille O’Neal

Given the Miami Heat’s recent struggles, it’s difficult to believe the team won an NBA championship just two seasons ago. Since then, a shoulder injury to star guard Dwayne Wade and the Shaquille O’Neal trade have helped turn a champion into a lottery team.

The Miami Heat play their home games at the American Airlines Arena. Their head coach is Erik Spoelstra, and their general manager is former head coach (and former NBA player) Pat Riley.

Early Years

The Miami Heat joined the NBA (along with the Charlotte Hornets) in 1988. A ragtag group of rookies and veteran castoffs, they did what new expansion teams do — they lost, to the tune of 17 straight to begin the 1988-89 season.

In their first three seasons, the Heat averaged 19 wins, but their win totals grew steadily each year. In the 1991-92 season, they won 38 games and made the playoffs. The Heat had the misfortune of drawing the Chicago Bulls, and fell to them in a three-game sweep.

The Heat made the playoffs twice more in the next four seasons, but could not get out of the first round, losing to the Atlanta Hawks in 1994 and the Bulls again in 1996. The Heat got to the Eastern Conference finals in 1997, only to lose to the Bulls once again.

The Shaq Acquisition

In 2004, buoyed by the success of 2003 draftee Dwyane Wade, the Heat made a move destined to make or break the team. They traded Lamar Odom, Brian Grant, and Caron Butler to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Shaquille O’Neal. The superstar big man was given a huge public welcome, during which he promised to deliver a championship to the city of Miami. (He will probably be remembered as delivering on his promise, but Shaq had more than a little help.)

The Heat responded immediately. They won 59 games in 2004-05 and made it to the conference finals, where they lost to the Detroit Pistons in seven games. Pat Riley, who had resigned his coaching post to concentrate on his GM role, resumed his coaching duties in 2005. It has been speculated that Riley, intrigued with the prospect of coaching O’Neal, engineered the departure of coach Stan Van Gundy and took Van Gundy’s place on the floor.

The Championship Season

The 2005-06 season saw a slight decrease in regular season wins — from 59 to 52 — but the Heat were finally able to get over the hump. After beating the Bulls, the New Jersey Nets, and the Detroit Pistons, respectively, the Heat went to their first-ever NBA Finals, where they met Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks (who were also in their first Finals).

Dallas took the first two games at home and were winning Game 3 in the fourth quarter when Wade took over. The Heat came back to win Game 3 and never lost another game in the series, winning the NBA title, four games to two. Dwyane Wade was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

It was a fourth championship ring for O’Neal, and the first ring for veterans like Alonzo Mourning, Antoine Walker, and Gary Payton.

2007-08 Season

Injuries hit the 2007-08 Heat. Wade had badly injured his left shoulder the season before, and wasn’t back to his dominant self yet. Mourning suffered a season-ending knee injury. Shaq was in and out of the lineup with chronic hip problems. In February of 2008, Shaq was traded to the Phoenix Suns for forward Shawn Marion. The Heat won only 15 games.

2008-09 Outlook

The Heat drafted power forward Michael Beasley and NCAA title game hero Mario Chalmers in 2008, and moved assistant coach Erik Spoelstra up to head coach after Riley decided to return to the front office.

Spoelstra has his work cut out for him, but Wade has returned to form. If he can get a contribution from Beasley, plus some unexpected help, the Heat may begin the long return to playoff contention.

Greatest Players

Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Glen Rice, Dwayne Wade

Technically speaking, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the newest team in the NBA. Until 2008, they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics. In a hotly contested move, owner Clay Bennett bought out the SuperSonics’ lease with Seattle’s Key Arena, and moved the team to Oklahoma City. The Thunder will play their home games at the Ford Center. Their head coach is P.J. Carlesimo.

Early Years in Seattle

The Seattle SuperSonics were born in 1967. They suffered the typical growing pains of an NBA expansion franchise, winning only 23 games in their inaugural year. Led by future Hall of Fame point guard Lenny Wilkens, the team averaged 33 wins in its first seven seasons. Their best season during that stretch was the 1971-72 season, in which they won 47 games but failed to make the playoffs.

The Seattle SuperSonics made their first playoff appearance in the 1974-75 season, Bill Russell’s first as head coach. They beat Detroit in the first round before losing to the Golden State Warriors in the second round.

Championship

The Seattle SuperSonics posted a 52-30 record in the 1978-79 season. Led by Gus Williams, Dennis Johnson and center Jack Sikma, they beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs, four games to one. In the Western Conference finals, they beat the Phoenix Suns in seven games, advancing to the NBA Finals. The Sonics faced the Washington Bullets (now known as the Wizards) in the Finals, defeating them four games to one. It is, so far, the franchise’s only championship.

Karl, and Payton, and Kemp — oh, my!

After enjoying moderate success during the 1980s the Seattle SuperSonics developed into one of the NBA’s best teams for much of the 1990s. Three factors are largely credited for this development: the drafting of forward Shawn Kemp in 1989, the drafting of point guard Gary Payton in 1990, and the hiring of head coach George Karl in 1992.

Karl’s hiring boosted the Sonics from a playoff contender to a Western Conference powerhouse. In the 1992-93 season, the team posted 55 regular season wins and made it to the conference finals, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns, four games to three.

After first round losses in the following two seasons, the Sonics came roaring back. In 1995-96, the team won 64 regular season games. In the playoffs, they beat the Sacramento Kings, the Houston Rockets, and the Utah Jazz en route to their first NBA Finals appearance since the 1978-79 season.

Like the Utah Jazz and the Portland Trail Blazers, the Sonics had the misfortune of going against the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls. The Bulls won the series, four games to two, and despite continued success, the Sonics never made it to another Finals.

Shawn Kemp was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1997, George Karl left after the 1997-98 season, and Payton was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in the middle of the 2002-03 season.

2007-08 Season

In 2007, Sonics star shooting guard Ray Allen was traded to the Boston Celtics for three minor players. The Sonics drafted Texas scoring machine Kevin Durant the same year. Led by Durant, the Sonics won only 20 games in their last season in Seattle.

2008-09 Outlook

The Oklahoma City Thunder may have moved east, but they are still a member of the Western Conference. As such, a playoff berth is not a feasible goal for the Thunder. Rather, a 30- to 35-win season would be considered a successful campaign for the former Seattle SuperSonics.

Greatest Players

Fred Brown, Tom Chambers, Spencer Haywood,  Shawn Kemp, Gary Payton, Jack Sikma, Lenny Wilkens, Gus Williams

The Sacramento Kings’ journey has taken them across the continental United States, beginning in Rochester, New York as the Rochester Royals. Since 1957, they have moved to Cincinnati and Kansas City before settling in Sacramento in 1985. They play their home games at the ARCO Arena. Their general manager is former NBA player Geoff Petrie, and their head coach is former player Reggie Theus.

Maurice Stokes

During the team’s time in Rochester, one of the their best players was forward Maurice Stokes. He was NBA Rookie of the Year in 1956, and was considered one of the league’s most promising young players.

In 1958, Stokes hit his head on the floor during a game and was knocked unconscious. He later fell into a coma, suffering a brain injury from which he would never fully recover. The paralyzed Stokes was cared for, in part, by his friend and teammate Jack Wyman. Stokes died in 1970 at the age of 36.

The Cincinnati Years

The Rochester Royals (who won the 1950-51 NBA title) moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1957. During their 15 seasons in Cincinnati, they made the playoffs seven times. Their best players were Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas. Robertson is considered by some to be the greatest point guard of all time. He once averaged a triple-double for an entire season.

Despite Robertson’s success, the team never got far in the playoffs, and after a five-season stretch without a postseason berth, the Royals underwent a move — and a name change — in 1972.

The Kansas City/Omaha Kings

When the Kings first moved to Kansas City, the team split their home games between Kansas City and Omaha, Neb., hence the name Kansas City/Omaha Kings. They stopped playing in Omaha in 1975.

During their time in Kansas City, their best player was point guard Nate “Tiny” Archibald. An adept scorer and passer, Archibald once led the NBA in scoring and assists for a season.

The Kings enjoyed moderate success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but as their fortunes took a downturn, so did their attendance, and in 1985 the team moved to Sacramento, Calif.

Playoff battles

In the early part of the 21st century, the Sacramento Kings were legitimate NBA title contenders. They were led by Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac and defensive stalwart Doug Christie. From 2001 to 2004, the Kings posted win totals of 55, 61, 59, and 55 games. They went through some epic battles with the Los Angeles Lakers, who were then led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

In the 2001-02 playoffs, the Kings faced the two-time defending champion Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. They got out to a 3-2 series lead before losing the final two games. The Lakers went on to win a third title. The Kings would never advance as far in the playoffs.

2007-08 Season

The 2007-08 season was a rough one for the Kings. Ron Artest, who was acquired in 2005-06, was unable to lead the team to the playoffs as they finished with a 38-44 regular season record. In January they traded Mike Bibby to the Atlanta Hawks. In July they traded Artest to Houston.

2008-09 Outlook

With so many tough teams in the Western Conference, and new players being integrated into the team, the Sacramento Kings have their work cut out for them this season. They are a long shot for a playoff berth.

Greatest Players

Nate Archibald, Bob Davies, Jerry Lucas, Mitch Richmond, Oscar Robertson, Maurice Stokes, Chris Webber

The Portland Trail Blazers joined the National Basketball Association in 1970.  They play their home games at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, and are the state’s only major professional sports franchise. Their head coach is former NBA player Nate McMillan, and their owner is Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Early Years

The early years of the Portland basketball franchise were painful, even for an expansion team. Although their two best players, Sidney Wicks and Geoff Petrie, were decent NBA professionals, the team posted dismal records during their first six years of existence. Of those seasons, their worst was 1971-72, when they went 18-64 (the lowest win total in team history). The best of those early seasons was 1974-75, when the Blazers went 38-44. During that time, they went through three head coaches.

Although the team (and its fans) suffered during those early seasons, better times were ahead.

That Championship Season

In 1976, the Trail Blazers hired Jack Ramsay as their head coach and acquired Maurice Lucas. Lucas and young center Bill Walton led Portland to a 49-33 regular season record (the team’s first winning record) and a playoff berth.

The Trail Blazers beat the Chicago Bulls in the first round, the Denver Nuggets in the second round, and swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. In the NBA Finals, they played the Philadelphia 76ers and won, four games to two. It remains the only NBA championship in team history.

The following season, the team’s fortunes took a downturn when Walton suffered a season-ending foot injury. They would not appear in the NBA Finals again until 1990.

The Curse of Sam Bowie

In the 1984 Draft, the Trail Blazers had the #2 pick. This was a deep draft, and the Blazers had the opportunity to use it to fortify their team and possibly return to championship glory. Instead, they made what is widely considered the worst draft mistake in NBA history.

The Houston Rockets selected University of Houston center Akeem Olajuwon (who later added an “H” to his first name), giving the Blazers the chance to draft North Carolina shooting guard Michael Jordan. Because they had drafted a shooting guard the year before (Olajuwon’s college teammate Clyde Drexler), the Trail Blazers addressed their need for front-line size and picked center Sam Bowie. Jordan turned out to be an NBA great (perhaps the premier NBA great), while the injury-prone Bowie never fulfilled his promise.

1990s Finals appearances

The Trail Blazers, led by Drexler and point guard Terry Porter, were a playoff regular in the late 1980s. In the 1989-90 season, they made it to the NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons in five games.

Two season later, the Blazers found themselves in the Finals again, but ironically, they faced Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls won, four games to two.

2007-08 Season

After suffering a playoff drought (no playoff appearances since 2003), the Blazers were looking to return to the postseason. Their 2006 draft pick, Brandon Roy, was Rookie of the Year, and their 2007 pick, center Greg Oden (#1 overall), evoked memories of defensive stalwarts like Patrick Ewing and Bill Russell. However, Oden underwent microfracture surgery and did not play in the 2007-08 season.

Even without their center, the Blazers went 41-41.

2008-09 Season Outlook

With some smart personnel moves, the Blazers have been able to shed the “Jail Blazers” moniker they earned in the early part of this decade. The Trail Blazers now look forward to the return of center Greg Oden, who appears to be recovered. If Oden can provide tough defense and some inside scoring, and Roy continues to excel, the Trail Blazers have a chance to make some noise in the Western Conference.

Greatest Players

Bill Walton, Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Maurice Lucas, Rasheed Wallace

The Denver Nuggets first existed in the American Basketball Association, as the Denver Rockets. The ABA went under in 1976, and Denver was one of the four teams assimilated into the NBA. The Denver team name was changed to the Nuggets because Houston already had the Rockets.

The team now plays its home games at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. Their head coach is George Karl.

Early NBA Years

The Denver Nuggets had a successful beginning in the NBA, finishing with a regular season record of 50-32 and making the playoffs. They lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in six games, but they had quickly established themselves as a team to reckon with.

The 1977-78 season saw 48 regular season wins and another trip to the playoffs. This time they got all the way to the conference finals before bowing to the Seattle Supersonics, four games to two.

The Nuggets made the playoffs again in 1978-79, only to fall to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round. The Nuggets failed to make the playoffs the following two seasons, but made it back in 1981-82, losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round.

More playoff appearances

The Nuggets were a perennial playoff team in the 1980s, but rarely got past the second round. In 1984-85 they got past the Utah Jazz in the second round, only to run into the Lakers in the Conference Finals. The Lakers beat the Nuggets in five games.

The Nuggets played a part in playoff history in the 1993-94 season. As the 8th seed, they drew the Seattle Supersonics in the first round of the playoffs. The Sonics were heavily favored, with some “experts” predicting a sweep. When Seattle won the first two games in the five-game series, it looked like the “experts” might be right. But the Nuggets, led by a young Dikembe Mutombo and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf (formerly Chris Jackson), tied the series at two apiece by winning both home games. That set up a finale in Seattle.

The Nuggets were on a mission, and they won the final game in overtime, 98-94, beating the Sonics three games to two. It was the first time in league history that an 8th seeded team defeated a number one seed.

Denver went seven games with the Utah Jazz in the following round, losing 4-3.

2007-08 Season

The Nuggets won 50 games in 2007-08, guided by smooth-shooting small forward Carmelo Anthony (drafted out of Syracuse in 2003) and high-scoring Allen Iverson (acquired via trade in 2006). The 8th-seeded Nuggets took on the eventual Western Conference champion L.A. Lakers, who swept the Nuggets in four games.

2008-09 Outlook

The Denver Nuggets find themselves looking up at the higher-tier teams in the West (Lakers, Spurs, Hornets, Suns, Mavericks). However, Anthony and Iverson are such great scorers that they are rarely out of games. If they can acquire a reliable third scoring option (preferably a big man), the Nuggets could open some eyes in the West this season.

Greatest Players

Mahmoud Abdul Rauf (Chris Jackson), Michael Adams, Carmelo Anthony, Alex English, Allen Iverson, Lafayette “Fat” Lever, Dikembe Mutombo, David Thompson, Kiki Vandeweghe

For a team that always seems to be around at playoff time, the Phoenix Suns have precious little to show for it. Despite being one of the NBA’s most successful regular-season teams (and one of the most entertaining to watch), the Suns have yet to win an NBA title.

The Suns, who play their home games at the US Airways Center, enter the 2008-09 season with a new coach (Terry Porter) and renewed hopes for that ever-elusive championship ring.

Early Years

The Phoenix Suns were born in 1968 as an NBA expansion franchise. They only won 16 games in their first season, but expansion teams are expected to struggle, and fans of new teams tend to be patient with them — as long as they show steady improvement.

In their second season, led by coach Cotton Fitzsimmons,they made their first playoff appearance by posting a 39-43 record. The Suns lost to the L.A. Lakers in seven games.

The next few years were up and down for the Suns; they didn’t make the playoffs again until the 1975-76 season. That year, they made a spectacular run.

NBA Finals Appearances

Although they were only two games above .500 in the 1975-76 season, the Phoenix Suns hit the ground running in the playoffs. They beat the Seattle Supersonics and the defending champion Golden State Warriors before losing to the Boston Celtics in six games.

In spite of their perennial playoff status, the Finals would elude the Suns until 1993 — the season of Charles Barkley.

Barkley was in his prime at the time of his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers. He had arguably the best season of his career, garnering his first and only Most Valuable Player Award.

Guided by Barkley, the Suns won 62 regular-season games before beating the Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Supersonics to win the Western Conference title. But they ran into Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, who beat the Suns, four games to two.

2007-08 Season

The 2007-08 season was marked by blockbuster midseason trades in the Western Conference, starting with the Lakers’ acquisition of Pau Gasol. The Gasol trade immediately made the Lakers title contenders, and other teams made trades in an attempt to put themselves back on the map. This is how the Suns ended up trading forward Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat for Shaquille O’Neal.

In his prime, O’Neal was the most unstoppable big man in the league and one of the most dominant in NBA history. At 36, though, Shaq is far from his “Superman” incarnation. Still, general manager Steve Kerr was convinced that Shaq made them title contenders.

While trying to work Shaq into the team framework, the Suns went 55-27 and drew the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Spurs beat the Suns handily, four games to one.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni left the Suns after the season, signing with the New York Knicks. Terry Porter was named the Suns’ head coach in June.

2008-09 Season Outlook

The Phoenix Suns are built to win now. Their best player — point guard Steve Nash — is 34 years old. Shaq is 36. Grant Hill, too, is 36. The Suns look ready to win, but their window is closing rapidly. In fact, by trading away their best defender in Marion, the window may be shut. But if Nash and Shaq can remain healthy, and the team can play cohesively under new coach Porter, the Suns should be around at playoff time, as usual.

Greatest Players

Charles Barkley, Tom Chambers, Connie Hawkins, Dennis Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Dan Majerle, Shawn Marion, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Paul Westphal

The Memphis Grizzlies were born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1995. They, along with the Toronto Raptors, were part of both a National Basketball Association (NBA) expansion effort and an endeavor to spread professional hoops past its U.S. borders. While basketball seems to have taken hold in Toronto, it did not succeed in Vancover, and the Grizzlies moved to Memphis, Tenn., in 2001. They play their home games at the FedEx Forum. The team’s head coach is former NBA player Marc Iavaroni.

Early Years

The Vancouver Grizzlies entered the league at the same time as their brethren to the east (Toronto Raptors), but have never found similar success. As is the case with expansion teams, the Grizzlies were put together using two processes: the expansion draft (where players are chosen from various teams in the league) and the standard draft. The team’s first pick was Bryant “Big Country” Reeves, a big, classic back-to-the-basket center out of Oklahoma State. Although Reeves was a star in college, he was never better than average as a pro, and retired from the game in 2001. The Vancouver Grizzlies first season was typical for an expansion franchise; their 15-67 record was the worst in the NBA for the 1995-1996 season. They actually fared worse the following year, posting a 14-68 record. Things appeared to be looking up in 1997-98, when the team won 19 games, but the Vancouver Grizzlies only won eight games in the following lockout-shortened season. The Grizzlies drafted Maryland point guard Steve Francis in 1999, despite Francis repeatedly saying he would not go there. The guard forced the Grizzlies to make a three-team deal that sent Francis to the Houston Rockets. The team’s popularity dropped after the lockout, and this led to the Vancouver Grizzlies being moved to Memphis, Tenn., in 2001.

The Memphis Grizzlies

Several factors helped change the fortunes of the Memphis Grizzlies. First was the acquisition of star Spanish forward Pau Gasol, who had been drafted by the Atlanta Hawks. Next was the hiring of general manager Jerry West. A Hall-of-Fame player for the L.A. Lakers (the NBA logo bears his silhouette), West went on to enjoy a highly successful career as a personnel man for the Lakers. He was considered one of the league’s smartest judges of talent and a major coup for the Grizzlies, who were still seeking their first playoff appearance. Gasol’s acquisition and West’s hiring paid almost immediate dividends. In the 2002-03 season, the Memphis Grizzlies racked up 28 wins, the highest total in franchise history. They destroyed that record in the following campaign, winning 50 games and making their first playoff appearance. Had they been moved to the Eastern Conference, they might have had a better chance at advancing. But they faced the San Antonio Spurs in the first round and lost in four games. The following season, the Grizzlies posted a 45-37 record, good enough to make it to the playoffs again. This time they lost to the Phoenix Suns, in another four-game sweep. In the 2005-06 season, the Memphis Grizzlies won 49 games en route to a third straight playoff appearance. However, they ran into the Dallas Mavericks, who sent the Grizz to a third straight first round sweep. The Grizzlies finished 22-60 the following season, after which Jerry West resigned as general manager. Not only have the Memphis Grizzlies yet to win a first-round series, they have yet to win a single first round game.

2007-08 Season

The Trade That Shook The West took place during the 2007-08 season. Pau Gasol, the only All-Star in the history of the Memphis Grizzlies, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for center Kwame Brown (considered a bust by most NBA personnel people) and other lower-tier players. While other Western Conference contenders scrambled to make trades of their own, the Grizzlies limped along to another 22-win season.

2008-09 Outlook

With so many competitive teams in the West, a successful season for the Grizzlies would be a record at or near .500. Without their best player, even 42 wins seems beyond their reach. The Grizzlies hope some high-flying offense from rookie O.J. Mayo will bring fans to the FedEx forum and add some wins to their record.

The Houston Rockets got their start in 1967, when they joined the NBA as an expansion team. The club was originally based in San Diego, Calif., but moved to Houston in 1971. The team’s first coach was Jack McMahon, and the team’s first draft pick, in 1967, was Pat Riley (who went on to play for the L.A. Lakers before enjoying a Hall of Fame career as a coach).

The Rockets’ first playoff appearance came in 1969. Led by Elvin Hayes, the team made it to the Western Conference semifinals before being eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in six games. The following year, the team drafted Calvin Hayes and Rudy Tomjanovich (who would later coach the team).

The Early Years

The 1970s started off roughly for the Rockets, perhaps because they were essentially homeless during their early years in Houston. They had no home arena, so they played in the Astrodome and other venues.
In 1975 the team moved to The Summit. Having their own home court may have helped the team’s cohesiveness; in the 1975-76 season, the Rockets made the playoffs for the first time since moving to Houston. They made it to the semifinals before losing to the Boston Celtics.

The Rockets didn’t make the playoffs in 1975-76, but their fortunes took a turn for the better when they acquired former ABA star Moses Malone. Malone led the team in rebounding and led the league in offensive rebounds as the Rockets posted a franchise-high 49 wins and made the playoffs. This time they made it to the conference final before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

Championships

The Rockets were the beneficiaries of Michael Jordan’s first retirement, in 1993. Led by center Hakeem Olajuwon (and coach Rudy Tomjanovich), Houston won its first 15 games on their way to a playoff appearance and a championship showdown with the Patrick Ewing-led New York Knicks. The Rockets came back from a 3-2 deficit to win the NBA title in seven games.

The following year, the team acquired shooting guard Clyde Drexler. Drexler, who was Olajuwon’s college teammate at University of Houston, had reached the NBA Finals with the Portland Trail Blazers, but never got over the hump. Houston was Drexler’s last and best shot at a title.

After playing their way to a sixth seed in the playoffs, the Rockets beat the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and the San Antonio Spurs to earn a Finals appearance against the Orlando Magic. The Magic were led by center Shaquille O’Neal and point guard Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, and they were expected to give the Rockets a run for their money. But the Rockets won four consecutive games and swept the Magic for a second straight title.

2007-2008 season

This past season, the Rockets were expected to make a deep run in the playoffs. An injury to their star center, Yao Ming, appeared to derail those hopes. Without their best player, the team turned to shooting guard Tracy McGrady to help salvage the season. He did more than that. The team ripped off a 22-game winning streak (12 of which were won with Yao Ming), the second-longest in NBA history, and finished the season with a 55-27 record.

The Rockets lost in the first round of the 2007-08 playoffs, four games to two, to the Utah Jazz.

2008-2009 Outlook
Assuming Yao Ming fully recovers, things look good for the Rockets. Steve Francis returns after an injury-plagued season, and the Rockets acquired Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings. If McGrady and Yao can stay healthy, and Artest can blend into the team’s framework, the Rockets could be a threat to the Western Conference champion L.A. Lakers.

Longtime fans of the NBA may still think of the Dallas Mavericks as an expansion franchise, but in fact, they have been a part of the league for nearly 30 years now.
Donald Carter petitioned the NBA for a new basketball team in 1979, and the other league owners approved the move over the 1980 All-Star weekend. The Mavericks’ name was the result of a radio station Name the Team contest. The winner was the name “Mavericks,” after the TV western from the 1950’s and 1960’s starring James Garner.

The first head coach in the history of the Dallas Mavericks was Dick Motta. The first draft pick was Kiki Vandeweghe (number 11 overall) in the 1980 Draft.

Like nearly all expansion teams, the Mavericks had a tough first season. Unlike most expansion teams, the Mavs won their first game ever, a 103-92 stunner over the San Antonio Spurs. The young team’s euphoria soon faded, though, as they went on to finish the season at 15-67.

In 1981, the Mavs drafted the bedrock of their team when they picked up Mark Aguirre, Jay Vincent and Rolando Blackman. Guided by these young stars, the Mavericks steadily improved over the next two seasons, winning 28 and 38 games, respectively.

The Mavs drafted point guard Derek Harper in 1983, and in the following season Dallas posted their first winning season (43-39) and first-ever playoff berth. The fledgling playoff team from the Lone Star State won a five-game series with the Seattle Supersonics before falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in five.
The 1980s saw the Mavericks score points by the bucketload, and they always seemed to be in the playoff picture, but something always caused them to fall short. Despite the performances of players like Sam Perkins and Detlef Schrempf, they couldn’t to get past the Lakers, who owned the Western Conference in the ‘80s.

In 1988, the Mavericks finished second in the Midwest Division and charged into the playoffs with a vengeance. They swept the Houston Rockets in four games and dispatched the Denver Nuggets, four games to two. Then they faced the dreaded Lakers. Determined to beat their arch-nemesis, they took the Lakers to seven games, but lost the seventh.

The following season was a messy one for the Mavs, and after a 38-44 record they sat out the playoffs. Roy Tarpley, a talented but troubled forward, violated the league’s substance abuse policy and was suspended. This would be a pattern for Tarpley throughout his career. Other internal problems did little to help the team’s situation, and it was obvious some changes needed to be made.

In the 1989-90 season, Dallas returned with a new look, having traded away Aguirre for Adrian Dantley and Schrempf for Herb Williams. The revamped team went 47-35 and returned to the playoffs, but was swept in the first round by the eventual Western Champion Portland Trail Blazers.

The 1990-91 and 91-92 seasons saw the Mavericks return to the bottom of the NBA barrel. In 1992 the team drafted Jim Jackson, a highly-regarded scorer out of Ohio State. The following year, they picked Kentucky forward Jamal Mashburn, and in 1994 they drafted point guard Jason Kidd out of California. The arrival of Kidd began a new era in Dallas – the ill-fated Three J’s era.

Kidd led the league in triple doubles in the 1994-95 season and helped the Mavs post 36 wins – a 23-game improvement over the previous season. Things were looking up.

But in the 1995-96 season, Mashburn suffered a season-ending knee injury, Tarpley was suspended (again) and Jackson and Kidd refused to get along. Despite some individual successes, the Mavs finished 26-56, and Dick Motta was fired.

The 1996-97 season saw a compete revamping of the team. The Three J’s all went their separate ways, and Don Nelson took over as head coach.

The Mavs continued to struggle in the late 90s, but guard Michael Finley was excelling individually, and would play a part in the team’s future fortunes. Mark Cuban, who purchased the team in 2000, would also figure prominently.

Finley and Dirk Nowitzki led the team to a 53-29 record in 2000-01.

In the 2000-01 playoffs, the Mavs came back from an 0-2 deficit to beat the Utah Jazz in five games. The San Antonio Spurs were the class of the West by then, though, and they beat the Mavs in five games.
In 2001-02, the Mavericks moved from Reunion Arena to the new American Airlines Center. The team enjoyed much regular-season success, but little playoff success, in the ensuing three seasons. In 2004-05, the Mavs added new pieces, bringing in Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse and drafting point guard Devin Harris. This nucleus (led by Avery Johnson, Don Nelson’s hand-picked successor) advanced to the NBA Finals in 2006, where they seemed to have victory in hand. But after winning the first two games against the Miami Heat, they lost the next four.

The Mavericks began the following season on a mission to prove that they, not the Heat, were the league’s best team. They posted a scorching 67-15 record, and Nowitzki was named the league’s MVP. However, by the time NBA commissioner David Stern gave Nowitzki the award, the star and his team had been eliminated in the first round by the 8^th-seeded Golden State Warriors.

Still convinced that they were capable of a title run, the Mavericks traded Devin Harris for former Mavs’ draft pick Jason Kidd in the 2007-08 season. But even Kidd couldn’t help them advance, as they were beaten four games to one by the upstart New Orleans Hornets. Coach Avery Johnson was fired after the season, to be replaced by Rick Carlisle.

With a team built to win now, and an owner who wants to win now, the time for the 2008-09 Dallas Mavericks seems to be…now.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the National Basketball Association’s highest-profile teams. Like the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, the Lakers are synonymous with glamour. The purple-and-gold uniforms, the hordes of celebrity spectators regularly found in the stands, the “Showtime” teams of the 1980s – all add to the glamorous mystique of the team. When you’re blinded by the glitz of L.A.’s primary hoops team, it’s difficult to remember that the Lakers’ roots go back to the Midwest.

The team we now know as the Lakers began in 1944 when a National Basketball League team in Detroit was purchased and relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The state is known as the land of 10,000 lakes, hence the name Minneapolis Lakers.

The Lakers have a long-standing tradition of great big men, including the man generally regarded as the league’s first great big man, George Mikan.

At 6 feet, 10 inches tall, George Mikan moved with the agility of a much smaller man, and with the paucity of very tall players in the league, Mikan dominated for years. Led by Mikan, the new Minneapolis Lakers won the NBL championship in the 1947-1948 season.

The Lakers moved to the Basketball Association of America (the precursor to the NBA), along with three other NBL teams, in 1948. They won the BAA championship in 1949, led, once again, by Mikan, who played in the Finals series with a broken wrist. When the BAA merged with the NBL to form the NBA, the Lakers won the first NBA Finals.

Predictably, the Minneapolis domination of the league ended when George Mikan retired in 1954. Six years later, the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, becoming the first west coast team in the NBA. The L.A. Lakers were good but not dominant, until they acquired their next great big man, Wilt Chamberlain, in 1968.

Chamberlain, considered by many to be the most dominant big man in history, brought L.A. its first title, in a five-game defeat of the New York Knicks in the 1971-71 season. The next season, the Knicks returned the favor, beating the Lakers in five.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, formerly known as Lew Alcindor, was the Lakers’ third great big man, acquired from Milwaukee in 1975. He had several promising seasons in L.A., but they didn’t become the Showtime Lakers until the Lakers drafted Earvin Johnson in the 1979 draft.

Johnson had an immediate impact on the Lakers. Together with Abdul-Jabbar, he led L.A. to the 1980 NBA title with a six-game win over the Philadelphia 76ers. During that series, Abdul-Jabbar was injured, and Magic played center in Game Six. Johnson scored 42 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

The Lakers of the 1980s – dubbed “Showtime” for their flashy style of play – won five NBA titles while engaged in a fierce rivalry with the Boston Celtics. For their part, the Celtics, led by Larry Bird, won three titles during that time span.

The Lakers’ fortunes took a downward turn in 1989 when Abdul-Jabbar retired after 20 years in the league. Magic Johnson led the Lakers to a Finals appearance in 1991, only to be beaten by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Johnson was diagnosed with HIV later that year, and retired in November.

In 1996, the Lakers traded for their next great big man, Shaquille O’Neal, and traded Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for the rights to rookie Kobe Bryant.

O’Neal and Bryant immediately made the Lakers a Western Conference contender, but they weren’t able to get over the championship hump until the 1999-2000 season, when the team hired Phil Jackson. The team immediately responded to Jackson’s offbeat coaching style and his championship pedigree (he had won six titles with the Chicago Bulls), winning the NBA title the next three seasons.

A loss to the Detroit Pistons in the 2004 Finals, coupled with personality conflicts between Bryant, O’Neal, and Jackson, caused a breakup of the mini-dynasty. Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat and Jackson did not return to the team for the next season.

Jackson soon returned replacing Rudy Tomjanovich, but the Lakers did not return to title contention until the 2007-08 season, when they acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant and Gasol led the Lakers to the 2008 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.

The Lakers enter the 2008-09 season filled with optimism. Their two top players, Bryant and Gasol, squared off against each other in the 2008 Olympics gold-medal game, but they return as teammates, hoping to accomplish what they very nearly achieved last season.

The San Antonio Spurs began their existence in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and are one of the four ABA teams that survived the 1976 merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Spurs, who play at the AT&T Center, are the closest thing the modern NBA has to a dynasty, having won four league championships since 1979. One of the league’s all-time winningest franchises, they have only missed the playoffs four times since joining the NBA. That, plus 15 division titles, makes San Antonio one of the most consistently successful franchises in any sport.

The Early Years
The San Antonio Spurs began their existence as the ABA’s Dallas Chaparrals in 1967. They were moved to San Antonio in 1973 and were renamed the Spurs.

In 1974, the Spurs made one of the biggest deals in team history when they acquired George Gervin from the Virginia Squires. Gervin, nicknamed “The Iceman” for his coolness under pressure, was a scoring machine who would lead the Spurs to five division titles on his way to becoming one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players.

The Spurs were considered one of the ABA’s best teams, and when the league went under in 1976, the Spurs were brought into the NBA intact.

Led by Gervin in the 1970s and 1980s, the Spurs were a perennial playoff contender, but couldn’t get past the great teams of that era to win a title. That would have to wait nearly 20 years.

Championships

In the 1990s, with David “The Admiral” Robinson at the helm, the Spurs enjoyed great success, but like Gervin’s team, they couldn’t quite make it to the top of the NBA heap, until two things happened in 1997: the hiring of head coach Gregg Popovich, and the drafting of Tim Duncan.

Duncan, a power forward out of Wake Forest, had an immediate impact on the Spurs, and two years after his arrival, they won their first-ever NBA title, beating the New York Knicks in five games.

Injuries and the dominance of the Los Angeles Lakers caused a championship drought for the Spurs, but in 2003, bolstered by Duncan and newly-acquired point guard Tony Parker, they won their second title, beating the New Jersey Nets in six games. After the season, Robinson retired.

The Spurs returned to the Finals in the 2004-2005 season. Led by Duncan, Parker and Argentinian shooting guard Manu Ginobili, they beat the defending champion Detroit Pistons in seven games.

The 2005-06 season saw the Spurs go down to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round, but in 2006-07 they came back with a vengeance, sweeping the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals.

2007-08 Season

The Spurs went 56-26 in the 2007-08 season and advanced to the conference finals despite several Western teams making huge mid-season trades to try to offset the Lakers’ acquisition of Pau Gasol. They met the Lakers in the conference final, where they lost in five games.

2008-2009 Outlook

The Spurs’ nucleus remains intact and appears to be primed for championship contention again. At 32, Duncan remains one of the game’s finest big men. Parker and Ginobili round out the “Big Three” and form one of the league’s most formidable backcourts. The Boston Celtics may be the defending champs, but no one in their right mind can count out the San Antonio Spurs.

The Utah Jazz is, quite possibly, the most oddly juxtaposed team name in sports (the mention of the state of Utah does not inspire visions of jazz bands). The team is also one of the most consistently successful franchises in the NBA. In the late 1980s and 1990s, they were playoff perennials, and they have recently regained their status as a tough Western Conference contender. They play their home games at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City.

Early Years

The Jazz began their NBA life in New Orleans, La., in 1974. As an expansion team, they didn’t win many games, but with high-scoring, flamboyant guard “Pistol” Pete Maravich, they were always entertaining to watch.

The team moved to Salt Lake City in 1979 and decided to keep the name “Jazz” even though the region was hardly known for its jazz music.

John Stockton and Karl Malone

Two draft picks in the mid-1980s helped cement the Jazz’ success for years to come. The team drafted point guard John Stockton out of Gonzaga University in 1984, followed by brick-solid power forward Karl Malone (Louisiana Tech) in 1985. Together, they ran one of the game’s oldest offensive plays, the pick and roll, to such perfection that it was nearly impossible to stop. Teams knew the pick and roll was coming, because it was the basis of the Utah offense. But try as they might, they could not shut it down. The names “Stockton and Malone” became a package deal; you didn’t hear one name without the other. The two greats would both go on to join the list of the “NBA’s 50 Greatest Players.” Though some might debate the whether certain names belong on that list, no one can dispute Stockton and Malone, who are considered by some to be the best point guard and power forward in the history of professional basketball.

NBA Finals Appearances

Several teams – in both the Eastern and Western conferences – have had the misfortune of playing in the Michael Jordan era. The Jazz, who were one of the best teams in the West for much of the 1990s, can rightfully claim such misfortune. During their two NBA Finals seasons, they could arguably have beaten any other team in the league except Jordan’s Chicago Bulls.

In 1996-97, the Jazz were dominant, posting a 64-18 record and breezing through the Eastern Conference playoffs. They only lost three games in beating the L.A. Clippers, L.A. Lakers, and Houston Rockets. Malone won the regular-season MVP, but he couldn’t get his team past the Bulls and Jordan, the Finals MVP. The Bulls won in six games, two of which went down to the final seconds.

In the 1997-98 season, the Jazz were dominant again despite losing John Stockton to a knee injury for nearly 20 games. Again they only lost three games on their way to the Finals, beating the Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Lakers. Again they lost to the Bulls in six games. Game Six of that Finals series is remembered for Jordan’s game-winning shot in the final seconds. The Bulls won that game, 87-86. The Jazz have not appeared in the NBA Finals since.

2007-08 Season

The roster is new, but the coach, Jerry Sloan, remains the same. The team’s hard-nosed approach to the game has not changed, either.

Stockton and Malone, both retired, have given way to Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer. Andrei Kirilenko and sharpshooter Kyle Korver help round out the roster.

After a 54-28 regular season, the Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets, 4-2, in the first round of the playoffs. They lost the conference semifinals in six games to the eventual West champion L.A. Lakers.

2008-09 Outlook

With the nucleus of Olympians Williams and Boozer, along with Kirilenko, the Jazz have high expectations entering the 2008-09 season. They were just a couple of victories away from defeating the Lakers in the playoffs, and in Williams and Boozer they boast two of the NBA’s best young players. If that duo continues to evolve, the Utah Jazz will make noise on the playoffs for years to come.