Raptors, Rockets among NBA teams that will regress in 2014-15

Heading into a new NBA season, it’s always easy to make projections to pass the time. Nobody’s ever wrong during the preseason and since the playoffs were only a few months ago, we think we know what to expect next year. After all, how much could a playoff team change in the course of one offseason?

In the case of the NBA, a lot. Even if your favorite playoff squad didn’t completely fall apart during the summer of 2014, there’s a chance that with the rest of the conference improving, they’re no longer a lock to even make the postseason. The Western Conference somehow keeps getting more brutal with each passing year, and even the Eastern Conference playoff field got a little tougher this summer.

In that spirit, it’s time to take a look at the teams that either took a step backward this offseason or may not be able to keep up with their improving competition in 2014-15. These are the playoff teams from the 2013-14 season that had better bring their A-game in the upcoming season to avoid going home early and in some cases, missing the playoffs altogether.