NBA: 5 dark horse teams that could surprise you next season

2. Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers had just one major problem last season. Their bench hardly had any depth. This meant that the starters had to play 35+ minutes every game for the entire season. This resulted in them being exhausted and as the season progressed, their performance dropped. What really impressed me was the manner in which they fixed this problem.

Portland drafted C.J. McCollum, definitely a rookie who shows promise. They bought Mo Williams and Dorell Wright to keep their offense honest. To augment their frontline, they signed Robin Lopez. Their team looks solid now: Rookie of the Year Damian Lillard, Nicolas Batum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, C.J. McCollum and Mo Williams. It has both depth and skill. It would be interesting to see how they utilize these players.