Several teams made improvements during the 2020-21 NBA season. While only one team, the Milwaukee Bucks, ultimately won the NBA Finals, there were still a lot of positives to take away for other teams around the league.
Some organizations, such as the Atlanta Hawks, made unexpected postseason runs. After moving on from Llyod Pierce and having Nate McMillan coach the team, Atlanta took off. They finished the regular season 27-11 with McMillan at the helm, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.
They pushed the Bucks to six games but were ultimately undone by Trae Young injuring his ankle early in the series. Their first-round opponent, the New York Knicks, also came out of nowhere to surprise the league last season.
The Bucks’ opponents in the finals, the Phoenix Suns, surprised the league with how fast they came on. Phoenix was expected to improve with the addition of Chris Paul, but winning the Western Conference was a shock.
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In addition to the Suns, the Denver Nuggets pushed closer to becoming contenders and the Memphis Grizzlies announced their presence by earning the No. 8 seed in the NBA Play-In Tournament, defeating the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors.
Which teams could make a jump like that next? Here are four teams primed to take the next step during the 2021-22 season.
