Russell Conference: Voltron Division

For most of the past five seasons, Voltron has sent only one representative to the playoffs. Last season was the first time they had to double digit winners, as both So Buckets and Super Ninja (now Fighting Dragons) made it to the post-season. This year, Voltron will be out to close the gap between them and fellow Russell Conference division mates, the ultra-competitive Thundercats. [2014 Preview]

#4: MoRRie’s Pogiboys (6-13, 8-10-1)
Three franchises have yet to sniff the playoffs. Unfortunately, Pogiboys is one of them. After two years of stellar drafts, netting Anthony Davis and Victor Oladipo, this team should be finally able to climb out of the gutter. Right? On the surface, Pogiboys looks like a perfectly balanced team with three nice guards (Oladipo, Mike Conley, Brandon Jennings) to pair with three good big men (Davis, Roy Hibbert, Brook Lopez). The problem is, injuries tend to strike this team hard. Last year it was Davis and Lopez, and Hibbert might as well have been injured. This year it’s already Oladipo with at least one month out. It’s been a very slow rebuild for Pogiboy and the fan base is starting to get restless...

Coming on board this season? More youth! With the sixth overall pick, Alvin opted for Elfrid Payton’s Basquiat-like locks. Payton is being touted as a R.O.Y. candidate and here’s hoping he lives up to that promise. Third rounder Gorgui Dieng is looking like a potential beast, and he should slot right in among the other bigs on this roster. Alec Burks will have another year of experience under his belt and Draymond Green can contribute in many categories, given the playing time. Rookie fifth rounder James Ennis is a long shot but Pogiboys clearly is into upside potential. Note: Last seaon’s pre-draft trade of Brook Lopez turned out to cost 2014 Patrick Beverly and 2015 D.J. Augustin, not bad? Here’s hoping Pogiboys gets a full season of health on their way to a competitive season!

#5: Inept Henchmen (6-12-1)
Last year’s first three dispersal draft picks, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, and Eric Gordon are already gone. Traded for essentially Dwight Howard, Tony Parker, Jeff Green, and Derrick Favors. Not a bad haul for a player that didn’t play all season, an injury prone shooter, and a slowly declining superstar in Dallas. Those four new faces will have Kenneth Faried and Andrew Bogut alongside them as they push to make Henchmen a team to fear in a soft division. Previous ownership blitzed toward a title in 2011 under the “Human Amoebas” moniker, but it’s been loss after loss since then. New owner Trevor has already equaled the win totals from 2012-13 with his six win 2014 debut season.

The new look Henchmen are decidedly front court heavy, with Howard, Bogut, Favors, and Faried. Thus they used the draft to scoop up Jose Calderon, Kyle Korver, rookie Nik Stauskas, and Rodney Stuckey, who could lead Indiana in scoring this year by default. (The trade for Dwight Howard meant that Inept moved their 2015 RD1, which turned out to be Marcus Smart.) Everyone is high on scorer T.J. Warren, even if it takes him awhile to get healthy and minutes. Last rounder Tony Wroten actually could start because he’ll have plenty of shots and opportunity in Philadelphia as they purse another tanking season. Overall, this team is looking much better after one year of new ownership than at any point before, and fans are excited that the team now seems to have a direction and a vision. And again, best logo in the game!

#10: Fighting Dragons (10-8-1, 9-9-1)
On paper, Fighting Dragons has had a lot of success. Two division titles, three playoff appearances, no losing seasons, and even a Toilet Bowl win in 2010. But somehow it all means that they’ve been mostly slightly above middle of the pack. At no point have they been true championship contenders, as they’ve never even been to the Conference Finals. Good but not great, is that enough? One thing for sure, GM Thien has been very active in looking for solutions, and his coaching has driven his team to many victories that maybe they wouldn’t have had on talent alone. Now, with his two point guard attack, John Wall and mid-season trade acquisition Damian Lillard, full engaged and ready for a full season together, Fighting Dragons might better be called “Double Dragons.”

Wall and Lillard both had outstanding seasons last year. And Brandon Knight was quietly superb last year too. Old man Dwayne Wade will be counted on for a lot, but he’s only playing 70% of the Heat’s games now, and it’s clear that he’s no longer this team’s go-to guy. After a few draft day trades, Thien emerged with Trevor Ariza and Tyreke Evans as keepers, which represent an upgrade over likely keepers Robin Lopez and Khris Middleton. The Dragons haven’t drafted high in quite some time, so they must be ecstatic to have Julius Randle drop to them at #12 overall. Besides being a Laker, Randle will likely be able to contribute immediately as he’s said to be one of the most NBA ready prospects from this draft class. New center Steven Adams will take over Kendrick Perkins’ starting gig in OKC, while Omer Asik will contribute stiff interior defense. It’s a shame Nick Young will be out for a few weeks because this team could use some more outside shooting. There was talk that Evan Turner could start at point guard this season, but instead he’ll probably serve as an intriguing boom/bust type from the bench. Fighting Dragons are likely always going to be a threat for a division title, but they’ll need to step up their game one notch to finally be contenders.

#12: So Buckets (11-8, 10-9)
Despite an injury plagued season, So Buckets fought back from a rough early season to capture their second straight division title. We asked the question if Buckets were true championship contenders last year, and while they were upset in the playoffs, they are clearly trending upwards while continually gathering new talent. Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner, and Moe Harkless have been replaced by NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Pekovic, and Jared “Kevin Love-lite” Sullinger. Kyrie Irving is still the franchise here, and while his scoring may take a dip, his FG% and AST will certainly go up with his new glamour teammates. Pau Gasol is in nice new red digs, and there’s no way Larry Sanders plays as poorly as he did last year. So yeah, this team is looking young while at the same time experienced.

And how about Josh's draft? We love the grab for Joel Embiid at the bottom of round one. Embiid represents potential star quality that wouldn’t normally be available so far down. Even if he doesn’t hit the court until next year, Embiid is a value pick worth of stashing. And second rounder Josh McRoberts is going to get every shot he can chuck out in Miami. After that, the bench gets a little iffier. Iguodala makes a return, and if expectations for a non-scorer are in line, he’s still a useable piece. Rudy Gobert is a mystery but maybe he could put some nice BLK numbers up. And here’s value if you like it: Ben McLemore, last year’s #1 overall SlamNation pick, scooped up in the fifth round. And as an unabashed Iman Shumpert believer, I can safely say that he’ll tease and then be hurt very soon. So Buckets is looking to make the leap to championship status, and if a few things break right, this could be the year they finally do it.