ESPN's NBA Future Power Rankings: Teams 11 to 15

Chad Ford and John Hollinger

Mar 2, 2010, 03:00 AM ET

Note: This is a new, updated version of ESPN's Future Power Rankings of NBA teams. The previous edition ran on Dec. 15, 2009, and the first edition launched on Nov. 10, 2009.

Consider this a convenient way to see in what direction your favorite team is headed.

Each of the NBA's 30 teams received an overall Future Power Rating of 0 to 1,000, based on how well we expected each team to perform in the three seasons following this season.

To determine the Future Power Rating, we rated each team in five categories (see table at right).

As you can see, we determined that the most important category was a team's current players and the future potential of those players -- that category accounted for 40 percent of each team's overall Future Power Rating.

At the same time, we looked at many other factors, such as management, ownership, coaching, a team's spending habits, its cap situation, the reputation of the city and the franchise, and what kind of draft picks we expected the team to have in the future.

To reach our ratings in each category, we talked to teams to get a handle on their future strategies, we looked at their contractual commitments and we carefully broke down each roster to figure out which players would improve, which would decline and which would likely depart.

These rankings will evolve as the season moves along, transactions are made, injuries occur, strategies shift and so on. Return from time to time as we update the rankings.

Here are our current rankings, from 1 to 30:

Future Power Rankings: "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-1-100302">1-5 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-2-100302">6-10 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-3-100302">11-15 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-4-100302">16-20 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-5-100302">21-25 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-6-100302">26-30

11. Dallas Mavericks | Future Power Rating: 533

In the last edition of the Future Power Rankings, we noted, "The good news is that the Mavs have a dynamic, popular owner, and his management team has proved to be creative in handling the roster and the Mavs' perpetual lack of salary-cap space. And the franchise has some assets (including Erick Dampier's non-guaranteed contract) that we expect it to use aggressively."

Those are exactly the qualities that shaped the Mavericks' trade for Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood (in exchange for essentially expiring contracts) and permitted them to hang on to Dampier as a contributor for this season's title chase and a trade asset for next season's, opening their championship window a bit wider.

While some speculate that Mark Cuban's most spectacular trick -- acquiring LeBron James or Chris Bosh via sign-and-trade for Dampier and Butler -- has yet to come, the Mavs' owner might have to settle for less miraculous maneuvers. And given that 22-year-old point guard Rodrigue Beaubois is the only youngster of note, while Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Marion will hit 32 this spring and Jason Kidd is almost 37, it seems inevitable that the Dallas decline will set in at some point in the next three seasons.

The Mavs are on pace to win 50 games for an amazing 10th straight season. Can they keep the streak going for three more seasons? We doubt it, but we can't count them out.

(Previous rank: 18)

12. San Antonio Spurs | Future Power Rating: 532

As noted in previous editions of the Future Power Rankings, San Antonio's strong suit is that it has been the league's model franchise for years. While the Spurs have slipped a bit between the lines, their top-rated front office should keep them in or near contention.

Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili aren't getting any younger (and Ginobili is a free agent to be), but they can still play, and the Spurs aren't devoid of young talent: Tony Parker is still just 27, George Hill is 23, DeJuan Blair is 20 and recent first-round draft pick Tiago Splitter is 24.

The Spurs should have significant salary cap space in 2011, and they've shown their smarts in the past, both in talent evaluation and in financial prudence. If they continue in that vein, the future should remain bright.

(Previous rank: 7)

13. Atlanta Hawks | Future Power Rating: 516

With no major moves to speak of since the last time we checked in, the Hawks held steady in this edition of the Future Power Rankings.

Atlanta has two powerful positives going forward -- 23-year-old frontcourt mates Josh Smith and Al Horford -- and some further potential in Marvin Williams and Jeff Teague. Atlanta also owns a valuable trade chip in the rights to Josh Childress.

Beyond those assets, we have enough uncertainty to keep the Hawks out of the top 10. Star guard Joe Johnson could be a goner as a free agent this summer, and so may coach Mike Woodson. Ownership is another question mark, as it has yet to prove whether it will pay to keep a winning team together. And the rest of the cast members are at a point in their careers where their production should diminish.

(Previous rank: 14)

14. Los Angeles Clippers | Future Power Rating: 506

Though the Clippers have made some moves to improve their future, they dropped from their top-10 perch in our rankings. Los Angeles replaced coach Mike Dunleavy, but left him in the GM chair, where he sent out Al Thornton at the trade deadline and created enough salary cap room to position the Clips to bring in a marquee free agent.

Unfortunately, there are several issues hurting the Clips' ranking.

For one thing, they're not the only ones in pursuit of high-profile free agents -- at least seven teams should have enough space this summer to lure a free agent with a max contract. While the L.A. market works in the Clippers' favor, the reputation of owner Donald Sterling looms as a huge drawback that will likely require them to overpay to win the rights of a second-tier free agent -- and if Sterling can't overcome his reluctance to pay top dollar, the Clips might have difficulty finding quality players to take their offers.

Also, the Clippers slipped several notches in our draft rating, as their sporadic success this season makes them increasingly unlikely to win the lottery again this year and a first-round pick from Minnesota likely won't be theirs until 2012, at which point the Wolves may be respectable.

Finally, Blake Griffin's season-eliminating knee injury and Baron Davis's continued inconsistency has us less bullish on L.A.'s current roster than we were before, as the team appears to need a big score in free agency just to contend for a playoff spot.

(Previous rank: 10)

15. Boston Celtics | Future Power Rating: 494

In the present, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo are keeping Boston among the East's elite, but age and injuries are, more and more, catching up with the Celtics. Of the team's famed Big Three, Garnett will be 34 when next season starts; Pierce will be 33; and Allen will be 35, presuming he returns.

Boston's lack of action at the trade deadline, particularly its inability to move Allen's expiring contract for assets to carry the franchise forward, puts into serious question whether the Celtics will be able to stay near the top and keep their championship hopes alive in future seasons. The addition of spark plug Nate Robinson in place of Eddie House isn't a difference maker.

Among the key players, only Rondo -- age 24, now an All-Star and probably the Celts' best player -- and Perkins (25) are young enough to build a bridge to the future. That's why the Celtics have a mediocre Future Power Rating despite being a storied franchise and still a contender with deep pockets and good management.

(Previous rank: 12)

Future Power Rankings: "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-1-100302">1-5 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-2-100302">6-10 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-3-100302">11-15 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-4-100302">16-20 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-5-100302">21-25 | "http://insider.espn.com/nba/news/story?page=FuturePowerRankings-6-100302">26-30