Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics
New York Knicks
Milwaukee Bucks
Orlando Magic
Cleveland Cavaliers
Philadelphia 76ers
Miami Heat
Indiana Pacers
Chicago Bulls
Brooklyn Nets
The Celtics return last year’s core, and their starting five is elite on both ends. Kristaps Porzingis underwent foot surgery on June 27, and has a timeline of 5-6 months. That means that he will return around December or January. The team will only get stronger upon his return, benefiting from his shooting ability and presence as a shot blocker. In adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks are elite on both sides and deep at the wing. The team lost perimeter shooting from the guard spot with Donte DiVincenzo going to Minnesota as part of the Towns trade, but Towns is one of the best shooting big men in the game. Bridges will need to break out of his preseason shooting slump. Khris Middleton will miss the Bucks’ season opener as he recovers from ankle surgery, and the team will no doubt be taking a cautious approach with the veteran. He has appeared in 88 games (starting 74) in the last two seasons. Damian Lillard is getting older, and he and Giannis Antetokounmpo are hungry to prove that their pairing can work. Gary Trent Jr. provides their lineup with additional shooting. The Magic and the Cavaliers both gained valuable experience from last year’s playoffs. Youth is a plus for both teams (Evan Mobley and Darius Garland around veteran Donovan Mitchell; Orlando has a young core and did obtain veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this off-season), in contrast to their conference counterparts Philadelphia and Miami. With Paul George having a hyperextended knee (he will be re-evaluated later this week) and Joel Embiid recently saying that he will not play in back-to-back games (Embiid will also miss opening week), both are sure to be dealt with cautiously throughout the season. Who knows how many times we will see George, Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey take the floor together during the regular season. Championship is the goal for the 76ers. The same goes for the Heat. Who knows how many games Jimmy Butler will play. A lot of the onus will be on Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. A healthy Terry Rozier will help. Rookie big man Kel’el Ware impressed in the preseason. Jaime Jaquez is sure to take the next step in his progression. The Heat are a team that year in and year out are built for the playoffs and have good veteran leadership and great coaching. The Pacers, who made the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, are very good and have a quality bench with T.J. McConnell, Benedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin. They finished 2023-2024’s regular season sixth in the conference, and are getting a healthy Mathurin back. Improvements in the other teams though will make it tough for them to return to the Conference Finals. The Bulls lost Demar Derozan but have two really good playmakers in Josh Giddey and Lonzo Ball (health is a big concern for Ball), and Coby White is up and coming. Rookie Matas Buzelis impressed in the Summer League and can play. If they keep Zach Lavine, they will be in the play-in mix. The Nets have perimeter shooting (Cam Thomas, Cam Johnson), some perimeter defense (Dennis Schroder, Dorian Finney-Smith), and a very good young inside presence in Nic Claxton. They are young, but it is the type of they don’t know any better attitude that could make them one of the surprise teams of 2024-2025. Thomas is a pure scorer who could use an increase in his efficiency. Ben Simmons can be a defensive asset if (the theme of his career thus far) he can stay on the court. Both the Bulls and Nets are young and their talent is intriguing. The Atlanta Hawks are in a soft rebuild, and though the Charlotte Hornets are talented and could get a play-in spot, there are health concerns with Lamelo Ball as he comes back from leg injuries. He has played just 58 games total in the last two seasons combined. If healthy though, he and Brandon Miller could make some noise. Big man Mark Williams will need to return and stay healthy as well.
Western Conference
Oklahoma City
Minnesota Timberwolves
Dallas Mavericks
Denver Nuggets
Sacramento Kings
Memphis Grizzlies
New Orleans Pelicans
Phoenix Suns
Los Angeles Lakers
Houston Rockets
The Western Conference is definitely the more competitive of the two conferences - it will be tight right through to the completion of the season. The Thunder will be without big man Isaiah Hartenstein for at least one month with a hand injury, but when he returns he will have shored up the one weakness of the Thunder from last season. The acquisition of Alex Caruso (for Giddey) gives the team a great defensive wing group along with Lu Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as well as Cason Wallace off the bench. Isaiah Joe can shoot the three. Julius Randle gives the Timberwolves a different dynamic than Karl-Anthony Towns did, quicker off the dribble and a better ball handler. He figures to fit well with Rudy Gobert. DiVincenzo also gives the Wolves additional shooting. The team’s perimeter defense remains strong. Klay Thompson should benefit greatly from ultra playmakers Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, and big men Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively will continue to be a presence inside. Former New Orleans Pelicans' wing Naji Marshall was a quality pickup in the off-season as a replacement for the departed Derrick Jones Jr., who landed with the Clippers. The Nuggets do not have the depth that they had when they won the championship in 2023 (this year’s bench will be reliant on young guys Julian Strawther and Peyton Watson) but Russell Westbrook will be a great fit with Nikola Jokic. The team’s ball movement will be even better, though Jamal Murray is a concern with his injury history. Offensively-inclined Dario Saric was a good veteran pick up to play behind Jokic. With Derozan, the Kings now have a wealth of scorers and playmakers with De’Aaron Fox, Domantas Sabonis, Malik Monk and Keegan Murray. Monk is one of the league’s best sixth men but is coming off knee issues. Murray is a sniper from long range, as is Kevin Huerter. The Grizzlies at full health are great on both sides of the ball. Ja Morant when healthy and engaged is one of the top players in the game. Marcus Smart is one of the best wing defenders, and Desmond Bane and Luke Kennard (the latter needs to get healthy) can both shoot it. Santi Aldama is a good stretch forward and Brandon Clarke, who himself has dealt with injuries, is a great athlete at the five position. Dejounte Murray gives the Pelicans the point guard that they needed, and while they have great perimeter defense and solid shooting, they are thin on the interior. Tyus Jones will give the Suns’ big name wings easy looks. Bradley Beal playing the three position still presents an issue of size and perimeter defense. With Beal, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Grayson Allen, the team has a wealth of shooting. The Lakers are built for the playoffs and as long as they get there, will have a good chance of advancing. The Rockets are young with quality defense, very good athletes and good interior play. The team signed Jalen Green (three-years, $106 million) and Alperen Sengun (five-years, $185 million) to extensions on Monday. The Los Angeles Clippers, with the uncertainty surrounding Kawhi Leonard, are a tough team to get a read on. They have some talent obviously, but the health concerns especially in a stacked Western Conference are troublesome.
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