Riser: Brooklyn Nets

I was hoping the Nets would get Dwight Howard because that would have made them the Miami Heat all over again. They would not have been as hated as the Heat -- though I'm sure Howard would've heard his share of boos -- but with Deron Williams, Howard and Joe Johnson, not to mention Gerald Wallace, the Nets would have been a veritable Dream Team, just like Miami. Except, I believe, the Nets' trio would have fit together better than the Heat's. Plus, Brooklyn's greatest positions of strength -- point guard and center -- would have lined up well with Miami's weakest positions.

Throw in the Nets' move to their incredible new arena in Brooklyn, and oh, the drama. But even without Howard, the formerly woebegone Nets should improve more than any team in the league.

Faller: Dallas Mavericks

A season after voluntarily surrendering defense of their 2011 NBA championship, the Mavericks will be fortunate just to make the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference. With coach Rick Carlisle at the helm, Dallas will probably squeak into the postseason, but it'll be a short stay. Last season's throwing in of the towel was supposed to yield Deron Williams and possibly Dwight Howard. Instead, the Mavericks have brought in O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand and Darren Collison. On top of that, they lost locker room stalwarts Jason Kidd and Jason Terry.

The good news is that the Mavericks will be positioned to go after big-name free agents (perhaps even Howard) again next summer. The bad news is that there's a season to be played between now and then, and the Mavericks, for the first time in years, won't be a factor at all.

Check out the rest of Broussard's Risers and Fallers at ESPN Insider