Why the NBA's 10 lottery-bound teams have reasons for hope - ESPN

Around this time of year, all eyes turn to the top and middle of the NBA standings.

Which high seeds are championship favorites? Who might pull an upset? What are the play-in matchups?

All of that top-heavy attention means it can be easy to ignore the 10 teams at the bottom of the standings, whose seasons ended before the play-in tournament and won't matter again until the draft lottery on May 12. But even the league's largest losers are still worthy of a final farewell.

Let's take one last look at the 10 eliminated teams and — to avoid ending on a sour note — offer one silver lining from each of their seasons. Plenty went wrong for this group, but across six-plus months and 82 games, there's at least one positive takeaway for each team.

On the team level, there wasn't any reason to celebrate this Raptors season. But on an individual level, a number of Toronto's key players made strides. RJ Barrett flashed newfound playmaking skills; he averaged 5.4 assists, up from a previous career high of 3.3.

Youngsters Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji averaged double-digit points. Jakob Poeltl quietly became one of the best two-way centers in the league. Chris Boucher and rookie Jamal Shead contributed strong seasons off the bench.

Add in Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and newly extended Brandon Ingram — who didn't play a game for Toronto after a midseason trade — and the Raptors have arguably the deepest collection of talent for any non-playoff team. That didn't help them contend this season.

But due to that base and the Raptors' position in the shallower Eastern Conference, they might be the most likely team on this list to reach the playoffs next season.

As they continue a multiseason rebuild, the Nets nailed a bunch of