Washington, Golden State and Minnesota all think a playoff trip is near. Is it? (Ball Don’t Lie)

It's hard to put these sorts of columns together without appearing unduly harsh — trust me, I've tried not to — and we're well aware that public representatives of NBA teams aren't going to sit at a podium with shrugged shoulders when asked if the playoffs are a reasonable goal for their squads in the upcoming season. What are they supposed to say? So when a coach, GM, or team president go on record as having postseason expectations for their lottery-level squads some two months before training camps even start and eight and a half months before the 2012-13 season ends, you have to give them a break. Kind of. You also have to point out that, while the Golden State Warriors (with team GM Bob Myers doing the talking), Washington Wizards (with Randy Wittman springing eternal) and Minnesota Timberwolves (David Kahn lololololol) have improved during this offseason, for each of these teams breaking into that playoff bracket will be no easy feat. Still, should they be dismissed entirely?