A Full NBA Preview - Power Rankings, Award Winners, and Playoff Predictions for the 2024-25 Season

Oct 24

37 min read

An Olympic summer blessed us with an offseason full of outstanding competition and iconic moments, if anything building up even more excitement and intrigue for the 2024-25 season just hours from tipping off. After a quiet free agency and even more faint NBA Draft, most teams enter this season looking more similar and not to what they rolled with a year ago. The Celtics are the clear favorites after rolling to a title this past season, but as the East gets healthier and the West reloads, they should have plenty of challengers hungry to take their throne. Between a top-heavy East and a jam-packed West, this season is going to be a lot of fun. Let's preview it all, beginning with power rankings, moving to award winners and hot takes, and finishing with a deep dive into how I see the postseason playing out. Buckle in.

Power Rankings

1. Boston Celtics

The Celtics return everyone from one of the more dominant playoff runs in recent memory, leaving zero doubt on the preseason favorite entering the new season. Nobody was on this team's level last season, and even with Porzingis set to miss the first few months of the season, I don't expect that to change. Tatum and Brown lead the way while the guard duo of Holiday and White will never not give opposing guards fits, and Porzingis adds another element to this team that they didn't even appear to need over the course of last postseason. 38-year-old Al Horford is still the reliable center the Celtics were surprised to have scooped up three years ago, and things are just fine with him holding down the fort when KP is down. The bench didn't prove to be all too necessary over the course of last season for Boston, but it's always been a capabale unit that can do their job when called upon. The only thing that can really bring the Celtics down this season is injury, or age finally catching up to Al Horford and exposing a lack of true big man depth. But as things stand now, nobody is slowing down Boston. The chemistry is unmatched, both sides of the ball are some of the best in the league, and everyone single guy on the roster knows and embraces their role. And Joe Mazzulla seems to have his team right where he wants them to be. The Knicks are angling to challenge their rivals while a few teams out West might think they have what it takes, but the Celtics go into this season as the clear-cut best team and the definitive title favorites coming off banner 18.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

We knew Oklahoma City was on the rise, but they arrived far earlier than expected with a 57-win 2023-24 and the West's No. 1 seed. Now, it seems they have fully entered their championship window. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, now a back-to-back All-NBA First Team guy, has shown he can be the guy. Jalen Williams, his right-hand man, is only going to get better, and Holmgren lived up to the billing his rookie year while Lou Dort continued to wreack havoc defensively. Giddey wasn't adding much to this group, and swapping him for Caruso this offseason gave them a guy that goes a long way on a contending team and one of the league's best overall defenders. And the only real weakness for this team a year ago was the rebounding, and all they did was scoop up perhaps the best rebounder on the market in Isaiah Hartenstein. So yeah, this team continues to pull all the right strings. While Hartenstein will miss the first few weeks of the season, OKC is still going to win a ton of games without him and make it all the more scarier when he does make his team debut. The bench only got better and has depth at every position, and Cason Wallace and Aaron Wiggins are still improving, 20-year-old Wallace in particular. There's just nothing not to like about this team, and now having witnessed the postseason already, not much will phase these guys entering this season. This team has a terrific chance at being the league's best regular season team, and I think they'll be the favorites to win the West all season long. The future is now in Oklahoma City.

3. New York Knicks

The Knicks sensed a window and pounced this offseason, adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns and forming one of the strongest starting fives this team has seen in recent memory. Brunson is a solidified superstar after his incredible 2023-24, and the lineup fills out nicely with a strong balance of shooting, defense, and playmaking. The trio of Hart, Bridges, and Anunoby will make life miserable for perimeter players, and Towns solves the big man crisis in an emphatic way. Even with all the turnover there's not much worry about the five fitting on the floor together - these are all adaptable guys that seem content in their roles and, aside from Brunson, largely maintain the flow of the offense, though Thibodeau might take these heavy starter minutes to a whole new level with the issues off the bench. DiVincenzo and Hartenstein are both irreplaceable losses, and a bench unit now led by Miles McBride and the always injured Mitchell Robinson is a pretty significant cause for concern. Achiuwa is a serviceable option but there's major question marks past that, and one of Cameron Payne, Tyler Kolek, or Jericho Sims may have to step into a role way past what they're comfortable with. Pre-KAT trade, this was a team I thought could win 56+ games. Now, I view these guys as more built for a playoff run than to be a regular season wagon given the lack of depth, but that's a fine place for them to be still seeking their first conference finals appearance in forever. I don't have many questions regarding their first five, with the exception of whatever weird development is going on with Bridges' shot. But if these teams stays healthy all year, even logging their major minutes, this is the biggest threat in the East to Boston and a legitimate title contender.

4. Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks' run to the Finals last season was a surprise to almost everyone, even with how well they looked down the stretch of the regular season. The Luka-Kyrie duo finally hit its top gear, and that shouldn't go anywhere this season. It didn't take much to realize what a reliable shooter would have done for the Mavs during those Finals as a slew of role players missed good look after good look from deep, and they couldn't really have solved that issue any better than adding Klay Thompson this summer. His time in Golden State didn't end very pretty, but getting fed for spot-up open threes on a contender is about as good a fit for Klay as he could've gotten. And for all the bashing Klay took a year ago, he still averaged 18 on 39% from three. The notion he's lost his touch simply is not the case. The big men duo of Lively and Gafford solidified itself over the second half of last year and deep into the postseason, and expect Lively to take another leap into one of the game's most valuable bigs. P.J. Washington was another breakthrough player from last season's playoffs, another reliable option for Dallas, while Naji Marshall is a big addition to the bench from a defensive perspective. If Lively and Marshall can help keep this defense in check, the Mavs don't enter this season with much weakness. And in what I'm predicting to be Luka Doncic's long-awaited first MVP season, Dallas will be right back into the thick of contention.

5. Denver Nuggets

Up until their blown 20-point lead and season-ending Game 7 loss to Minnesota, the Nuggets were still in the eyes of the many the team to beat in the entire NBA. Oh how quickly they forget. People, bafflingly enough, aren't entering this season viewing Denver as one of the league's biggest contenders, with a lot of it stemming from the loss of KCP. Christian Braun, who directly steps into KCP's role, has always delivered for the Nuggets when they've needed it and has been a terrific spark on both ends of the floor, yet people are treating this like it's a move knocking them out of serious contention. Jokic is still, by any estimate, the best player in the world. Between the end of last postseason and these past Olympics, the Jamal Murray stock has plummeted. It was only last postseason he hit two game-winners in one series, and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt he re-discovers his shot over the course of this season. And MPJ and Aaron Gordon remain the critical assets they've always been, and who knows, maybe one of them takes another leap with Caldwell-Pope now out of the picture. The Westbrook addition doesn't help their title chances, but it gives them another playable veteran that could give them a boost now and then. Aside from Westbrook there's not much established off this bench, as rather than add to it they've grown content pushing these unproven young players into bigger roles when a hole arises. Over these last two offseasons the theme has been the rest of the West loading up while the Nuggets get a little bit worse, but that's not to say the reigning MVP can't lead this team to a ton of success. But in order for a title to really be a possibility, we're going to need to see the best version of Murray and some unlikely breakthroughs off the bench.

6. Philadephia 76ers

Health is going to be a concern, and a key point of frustration for this Sixers team all year long, but a fully healthy crew might be the best shot at a title this franchise has had this era. Embiid feels like he'll be questionable every night, but there's no denying the production when he's on the floor. And after a fantastic breakthrough year from Tyrese Maxey, he's evolved into Embiid's best second option yet and one of the game's best scoring point guards. They had all that last year, and turning Tobias Harris into Paul George might move the needle just far enough to where they'd like to be. This team flooded its roster with depth this offseason, maybe their distinguishing trait against a team like Milwaukee, and it's a bench this team can and will have to rely on on any given night. Oubre Jr. is a talented scorer and between Eric Gordon, Caleb Martin, and rookie Jared McCain fighting for minutes at the 2, one of those three is a good bet to have a hot hand from three on any given night. And with veterans Lowry and Drummond able to hold it down as well, not many teams will have the versatility off the bench that Philly does. While staying healthy for the postseason is the most important thing for this Sixers team always ravaged by injuries, they can't sleepwalk through the regular season and end up with a first-round series like, say, the Knicks like they did a year ago. There's a balance between resting players and still entering the playoffs in a position to win, and I do have my doubts whether Embiid is willing to accept that. The odds he plays 60 games don't strike me as very high, and PG is already dealing with injury problems of his own. And back-to-backs are already off limits for the Sixers' franchise player that just turned 30. Between the playoff struggles, untimely injuries, and flat-out bad luck between Embiid, Paul George, and the Philadelphia 76ers as a whole over the years, I just don't see the stars aligning and this being the Sixers team that finally breaks through. But the talent is there, as much as any roster Embiid has ever been a part of, and that much can't be disputed.

7. Milwaukee Bucks

In what's quietly become a theme for Giannis and co., the Bucks again weren't healthy last season in a heavily disappointing first-round exit, a difficult start to the Damian Lillard era no matter how you view it. They're largely running it back from last season even while their bench took some major hits, with the only real addition to the roster Gary Trent Jr. replacing Malik Beasley. Giannis will be one of the league's top players once again, while Middleton should be a solid third option but as always is not a great bet to stay consistently healthy. How far this team goes comes down to Damian Lillard. His first season with the Bucks wasn't great, but there was a lot working against him after spending his whole career in Portland, having issues in his personal life, and seeing the Bucks bounce coaches mid-season, and I'm confidently optimistic he's going to put together a much better year this time around. With Dame back to his Trail Blazers self, this is a bonafide contender. The lineup won't look very different, but this team is a whole lot more dangerous with an improved Lillard, though the bench will be thin aside from one of the best sixth men in the game in Bobby Portis. This Bucks team can never be counted out as long as Giannis is around, and it wouldn't be crazy to see he and Lillard evolve into the best duo in the game over the course of this season.

8. Phoenix Suns

The Suns, with the deck stacked against them, albeit from their own doing, had a pretty decent offseason. Point guard was probably the biggest problem for them last season, and while adding Tyus Jones and Monte Morris doesn't make them serious contenders, it at least rounds out the offense in a way they just didn't have a year ago. Durant and Booker remain one of the league's elite duos and regardless how you feel about Bradley Beal, a full season out of him would go a long way for this team. Even with Beal only playing 53 games this was a 49-win team and while his health is never a given, this team would've at the very least had home-court advantage in the first round with him. Budenholzer is going to leave Nurkic on the perimeter far more than he ever has, and even if he doesn't evolve into a major three-point threat, it'll go a long way for the spacing of the offense. The bench is really solid and rookie Ryan Dunn could be very useful in helping this team figure out their defense, and there's a very high ceiling for this offense as a whole with a true point guard added and a new head coach with a strong offensive track record. This team, if it can stay healthy, has no excuse not to be a really good team. It's very possible that the high expectations raised in Phoenix came just a year early in 2023-24, and this year is the real chance to put it together. While the West is already jam-packed with contenders, don't sleep on the ceiling of these new-look Suns, who had a lot working against them last season that they seem ready and equipped to fix.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves

The franchise's best season in two decades wasn't enough for the T-Wolves to stay content, making a blockbuster deal late in the offseason to swap longtime center Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Everything clicked for Minnesota with a 56-win season and a trip to the Conference Finals last season, but they're now left looking to re-discover their own identity rather than building on their breakthrough year. The Ant-Julius Randle fit is an awkward one. Both need the ball in their hands, neither are the most optimal for an offense that wants to flow, and both pretty definitively think they're the best scorer on the court at all times. The track record for duos like that aren't promising, and this will certainly take some time to materialize into anything positive. The DiVincenzo addition is great, however, and I think he'll be a major piece all year long for this team, and let us know about it the entire time. Conley is still a strong floor general while Gobert mans the paint better than maybe anyone else, and the defense should still be strong if Randle invests more consistently than we've seen. And between DiVincenzo and Naz Reid, they've got great fall-back options to come off the bench, not to mention high-ceiling rookies in Rob Dillingham and Terrance Shannon Jr. This team took as big a risk as any this offseason with the KAT trade, and I'd be lying if I said I think they came away from this a better team. This team still has a superstar in Anthony Edwards and should be near the top of the league defensively, but I just don't see Randle at his best in this new role, and I think Minnesota regresses a decent bit from their huge 2023-24.

10. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavs, somewhat surprisingly, are running back the same core once again, only this time with Kenny Atkinson calling the shots. It's once again a good regular season team that can put together some stretches to make you think they've got something, but they're yet again a tier below the real powers in the East after a very quiet offseason. Nevertheless, this team can stack up a lot of wins, especially if Garland bounces back from injury and Evan Mobley takes the step we're still waiting on. Mitchell is the obvious alpha of the group, and the roster as a whole won't look much different than what we've gotten in years past. This Cavaliers team came awfully close to a 2-seed in the East a year ago, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in a similar spot this time around, especially since I only expect Garland and Mobley to get better. The bench is a serviceable unit, and I think the team's ceiling raises just a but with Atkinson replacing J.B. Bickerstaff. But this team committed to this roster for at least one more year, but with no real additions this offseason it's just hard to see them jumping into the top tier of Eastern Conference teams. With that being said, this is a borderline 50-win team, and an All-Star esque breakthrough from Mobley makes their outlook a whole lot different.

11. Memphis Grizzlies

As far as throwaway seasons go, you won't find many better examples than this past year in Memphis. There's no excuses this time around with their core back and ready to go, and I expect a return at least close to the Grizzlies team we saw two years ago. This team has an identity again. It won't take long for Ja to put the league back on notice, and he, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. are quietly one of the best all-around big threes the league has to offer. Smart steps in as the enforcer on a potential contender, and Edey is a ferocious rim protector most offensive players will shy away from dealing with .And with so much roster turnover all throughout last season, it gave way to a lot of young talent getting invaluable reps as well as their chance to make their mark and earn big roles on this year's roster. Santi Aldama, GG Jackson, and Vince Williams are all now NBA-ready, and they should grow into big contributors on this team's second unit. And Brandon Clarke's return helps. I don't see much reason why this Grizzlies team wouldn't return to its spot right in the thick of the Western Conference, with Bane and JJJ now established as stars and Ja hungry to prove. While the supporting cast isn't as strong as it once was, it's a group with serious upside. Memphis should return to the mix as a legitimate playoff team out West, and it won't take long for us to remember what makes this team so dangerous.

12. Orlando Magic

The Magic broke through last season a team built on defense and young talent, and that's a recipe that could work for a long time. The offense wasn't there for this team, particularly shooting from deep, but adding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope both fills the need and fits the mantra this team has developed. Banchero is a star and remains the guy for this franchise, while the No. 2 option, Franz Wagner, desperately needs a bounce-back season from three. He shot just 28.1% from behind the arc last season, a significant drop from his first two years, and this team's ceiling maxes out about where it was last season if that number doesn't rise. The hounding defensive presence remains between Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, and now KCP, and Wendell Carter Jr. is a good enough option as their primary big. The bench is a weak spot unless Cole Anthony or Anthony Black make a notable leap, though it's got some veteran assets that can at least hold it down throughout the regular season. And while Banchero should be an all-star again, and quite possibly an All-NBA player, who in the East do these guys jump? This team needs another star if they want to make another leap - Franz could be that guy, but they're still waiting for it to fully materialize. This Magic team is going to play hard every night and should stack up a lot of wins once again, though Banchero might still be a year away from the elevation that would take them into legitimate Eastern Conference contention.

13. Indiana Pacers

The Pacers' run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season was a decent story, but it doesn't take long to notice the opposing injuries that helped get them there. This is still a very solid team, and one that should make a return to the postseason, but we can't let that flukey playoff run delude us from what this team really is. Once again this Pacers team is going to score a ton of points, and once again they'll allow a ton. Haliburton, when at full strength, is an elite point guard, and Siakam is an established No. 2 who now gets his first full season in Indiana. The roster as a whole is nearly identical to last season's, with Bennedict Mathurin now back in the mix after a season-ending injury, with the Pacers running back a team that went 47-35, good for 6th in the East before a pair of playoff series wins. But there's no sugar-coating just how awful this defense has been, and probably will be this season, and it really limits what this Pacers team will realistically be able to do. Even while the offensive fire-power is there, my belief in this team only goes so far after a year allowing over 120 points per 100 possessions. If Rick Carlisle shows any signs he was able to figure that out this offseason, another deep postseason run might not be the craziest thing.

14. Los Angeles Lakers

It's always amazing to me when the Lakers go through a full season looking bang-average and then do nothing about it the entire offseason but, well, here we are again. The story is the exact same going into 2024-25 for Los Angeles, now one more year closer to LeBron's inevitable end. This team obviously wasn't good enough last season even with two bonafide superstars in LeBron and AD, yet they won't have any new faces to help their efforts this time around. D'Lo is obviously a hit-or-miss every night while Reaves is, as always, a decent option who can have his moments from time to time. Hachimura is the guy I'm looking at to step up into that much-needed third option, a player whose shooting and defense gives him a real shot at helping close the gap between LA and the rest of the conference. And after a promising preseason, there's reason to believe Dalton Knecht's shooting could be of use right away. I think J.J. Redick can be a really good coach and a clear upgrade from Darvin Ham, but the Lakers' front office continues to let done all the parties involved with their repeatedly stagnant offseasons. It's as simple as this - this team can't beat Denver, and now there's new players in the West just as, if not more dangerous. And even with two superstars that will continue to do their thing, we've seen time and time again that just isn't quite enough. Nearly full seasons out of their two go-to guys in 2023-24 had them fighting to the death for the 7-seed, and can you expect 76 games out of Anthony Davis again? And 71 out of LeBron, who will be 40 years old for half this season? The guys upstairs don't seem to notice the urgency everyone else does, and without some major breakthroughs up and down the roster, there's nothing to tell me this Lakers team does anything different to escape their fate of these last few years.

15. Sacramento Kings

After a 2023-24 that didn't really go according to plan, Sacramento took a big swing on DeMar DeRozan in one of the big free agency moves of the summer. For a fast-paced offense built around spacing that relies a lot on Fox's quickness and Sabonis within the perimeter, there's reasonable doubt on the fit with this new trio. It'll certainly get crowded, with DeMar doing so much of his work on the mid-range and with the ball in his hand, and this will at the very least take a good bit of time to really work itself out. But these are three All-NBA caliber players at the end of the day, and they'll all find ways to score. Huerter and Monk back healthy is crucial, and Keegan Murray is an effective 4 for the style this team works best at. And while Monk is among the best reserves in the game, the options behind him are slim as ever. This team isn't built to withstand much wear and tear, not the greatest feat for one of the most up-tempo styles in the entire NBA. The defense, which made some strides last season, figures to regress with DeRozan entering the fold. It's a sacrifice Sacramento was willing to make for an All-Star that certainly ups their ceiling in such a difficult conference, and DeRozan's value in the clutch should go a long way, with he and Fox now the best crunch time duo in the game. But while the sheer talent is there, the clashing of these play-styles is the obvious concern. There's not much room for error in this conference, so the slow start I'm expecting may prove even more detrimental than in most years. Even with all the negative spin here, this team will still compete for a playoff spot if they can stay healthy.

16. Houston Rockets

The Rockets had to be pleased with how their young core developed last season, exceeding expectations and competing for a play-in spot while answering a lot of questions about their young talent. Sengun is this team's best player, and they saw Jalen Green put together the best stretch of his young career in his absence late last season. Green had struggled with efficiency and wasn't a clear fit with this group prior to the injury, so keeping that same level of play up with Sengun back in the mix is critical for Houston's future. And this team has a ton of depth, both young and old, and the always reliable Fred VanVleet is a pretty good bet to keep this team stable. Between new head coach Ime Udoka and the additions of FVV and Dillon Brooks last season, this team made a leap defensively I think they'll be able to maintain. Jabari Smith Jr. is the x-factor to me, and if he can take that step forward the franchise drafted him expecting, this team might jump all the way into contention as soon as this year. Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Tari Eason should all get their chances at breaking through, and rookie Reed Sheppard could add the sharp-shooting this team really could've used throughout last season. There's a lot to be excited about with the Rockets this upcoming season, and a lot of young talent that if it falls into place, this team will turn a lot of heads. With Green and Sengun meshing and breakthroughs from some young pieces, this is suddenly a legitimate playoff team. That's still a lot to ask for, I see this team at the least grabbing a play-in spot.

17. Miami Heat

Miami is never a team you want to see on the other side come postseason time, but this might be the final shot this core has to really compete. Butler is still really good, and we know what he can become once the playoffs roll around, but now 35 years old it begs the question if he'll be able to make it through a full season given his recent injury history. And Tyler Herro, who's 11 years younger, raises the same concern. Bam is a star that should continue to do his thing, but he's the only one of the three you can really count on to give you a full season. The trio of Butler, Bam, and Herro played all of 27 games last season, and it's a massive reason why this team limped into the play-in to be stuck with a first round date with Boston. The Heat always seem to find role players that work, but the options are as slim as ever entering this season. The unlikely heroes from the 2023 run are pretty much gone, and it's now a bench highlighted by Jaime Jacquez Jr., Josh Richardson, Alec Burks, Duncan Robinson, Kevin Love, and Haywood Highsmith. And with all the injury history their top guys have faced, that could haunt them more than you think. Rozier was a forgettable addition to Miami last season, and they'll need consistent production from him to have any real shot at a higher seed. And Nikola Jovic probably isn't a starter on a team that's really going to compete. I've learned to never say never with Jimmy Butler, but the deck is stacked against Miami this season between the injury concerns, weakened bench, and aging star. I just don't see a way this team keeps up with the major powers on the East, and Pat Riley doesn't seem too opposed to blowing this thing up. If they sneak into the playoffs again, though, this is not a team you're going to want to see.

18. Golden State Warriors

As their dynastic big three continued to age, last season marked the first year since their early days where all three were healthy where it really felt like they just could not compete for a title. Klay is now out of the picture, a move that likely needed to happen, but not much has changed in terms of Golden State's position entering this season. Stephen Curry remains incredible, but as he enters his age-36 season the chances of him putting the team on his back as he has in years past continues to grow slimmer. And despite giving it their best shot this offseason, there just isn't the talent around him to make up for the gap out West. The rest of the roster is flooded with role players, guys that might be helpful at times but max out pretty quickly in the impact they'll have on winning. Podziemski should play a big role coming off a strong rookie year, and there's a real chance he's the No. 2 option on this team for most of this year. That doesn't stack up promisingly in this loaded Western Conference. Wiggins, Hield, and Draymond Green are all wild-cards in their own special way, though I'm a big fan of Kuminga and am excited to see his growth entering year four. Of everyone not named Curry on this roster, he's the guy I think has the best shot at elevating this team. But the reality is the star-power just isn't there outside of Steph for this team to make any sort of leap last season, and while they have enough solid pieces to likely compete for the play-in, I'd be surprised to see much more barring some major breakthroughs coming from their young talent.

19. New Orleans Pelicans

Zion is entering this season healthy, a good omen for a New Orleans team still patiently waiting for his postseason debut even as he somehow enters his 6th NBA season. They've always been a winning team with him in the mix, and while he's close to it, I'm not ready yet to give him the I'm just assming you're out treatment I'm giving Kawhi. New Orleans might have to play a lot of small-ball with Valanciunas gone and no real center replacement grabbed this offseason, but all you can do is hold out hope they;ve got a trick up their sleeve to solve it. Zion may be strong, but well, he's 6'6", and 6'7" Herb Jones, Daniel Thies, and rookie Yves Missi aren't the solutions to the position for a winning team. Dejounte Murray is a good addition in theory, but winning hasn't traveled with him, and the advanced stats didn't do his presence on the court any favors in Atlanta. I don't see overwhelming evidence this experiment will be much different. People are looking past the track records with teams and situations he's been a part of. McCollum is getting deeper into his 30s and even after an efficient year scoring the basketball, it's only natural his role might continue to get a little smaller with each year. And with Brandon Ingram, who it feels has been in trade talks forever now, is this realistically a guy that's going to enter this season ready to take charge as one of the leaders of this team? It looks like a fun mesh of talent in New Orleans, but when you dig deep into what's going on with this roster it's not as great as it seems. And Zion's health is never not a significant issue. The bench, however, is a strength for this team, offering up four legitimate guys any rotation could use in Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jordan Hawkins, Jose Alvarado. But I just don't love the flow of this core, nor do I want to rely on Zion's health. I have my reserves with every key player in this starting lineup, all of which feel legitimate. It's hard to imagine it working out when that's the case. I'm certainly lower on this Pelicans team than most, and a healthy year from Zion could prove me very wrong, but there's just too many concerns on this roster for me to really buy in.

20. Los Angeles Clippers

Nothing ever seems to go as planned for the Clippers, and they enter this season with their lowest expectations in quite some time. Like clockwork, Kawhi is already sidelined. And with no Paul George to try and keep them afloat, dark days could be ahead for this team. This is about to be one of the most interesting years of James Harden's career - his 35-year-old self now forced to lead this team just about on his own only a year after joining in hopes of building some form of superteam. I suppose Kawhi might come back eventually, but it'll be tough to hang around without him, and nothing is guaranteed even if he does make a return. Aside from Harden, who is closer than not to the twilight of his career, who is going to step up for this team? There's solid pieces all around, a roster stockpiled with 6/10s, but where does that get a team that largely lacks a superstar to work around? Sure, I like Powell as a scorer, Mann and Zubac are established players, and the bench has its depth, but where does that work into this loaded Western Conference? How many teams is this Clippers team really better than? I've gotten past the point of anticipating Kawhi is ever going to be available - at this point my expectation will always be he's not - and there's no world where this team competes without him. If he does, maybe this team can dodge the play-in, which would still be a challenge in itself, but nothing about what we've seen from him makes me think he'll give them many games this season. And these Clippers are average at best if that's what happens.

21. Atlanta Hawks

Like the Bulls, who landed a spot ahead of these Atlanta Hawks, they lost a star this offseason yet find themselves stuck in neutral, uncommitted to a true direction and likely trapped competing for a play-in spot and nothing more in 2024-25. Atlanta just has to live with Trae Young at this point, love him or hate him, and he should fill the stats yet again. Murray just wasn't a fit alongside him - that was clear - and he was always going to be the odd man out. Is Jalen Johnson due for another breakthrough year? Fresh off the $150M extension, another big year and a proven good fit in the Trae Young-led offense would be enough to make this season a success for Atlanta. The miraculous No. 1 pick landing couldn't have come in a worse year for the Hawks, though they'll at the least expect Zaccharie Richaser to be making a real impact by the second half of the season. And there's an archetype that I think Young works really well with - De'Andre Hunter fits it too - athletic, lengthy shooters, and the Hawks are making a clear concerted effort to fill the roster with such. We know what we're getting out of Bogdanovic and Capela at this point in their careers, who both remain solid options with plenty of experience alongisde Young, but this bench gets thin quick and is going to leave them particularly reliant on this core logging major minutes. This Hawks team is probably better off without Murray clogging the offense up, but it might only be a marginal difference. What do they have to offer that puts them above the real playoff teams in the East? Unless Richaser makes a stunning leap his rookie year, this team is likely headed for the play-in yet again and a low-end playoff berth at best.

22. San Antonio Spurs

Even while Victor Wembanyama's supporting cast his rookie year was even worse than we expected, Wemby did everything San Antonio could've asked for, and then some. There's no debate here - the Spurs have a superstar on their hands - it's just a matter of how fast he can turn this franchise back into a winning team. Insert 39-year-old Chris Paul into the mix, obviously an intriguing addition and a potentially fantastic mentor and distributor to Wembanyama, but after his first year coming off the bench and the impact not where it was even two years ago, there's a firm ceiling there. Nevertheless, Wemby was going to make another big jump on his own, and CP3 only expedites that. The Spurs were noticeably better with Tre Jones running the point as opposed to the Jeremy Sochan experiment - shocker - so even if Paul isn't logging major minutes, this team is going to look a lot better. 4th overall pick Stephon Castle adds a great perimeter defender that saw its defense improve drastically in the second half of last season, but questions surround most of the roster we're yet to touch on. Devin Vassell's foot injury will keep him out to start the year, and Keldon Johnson admittedly wasn't a great fit alongside Wemby. And in one of the most random transactions of the offseason, Harrison Barnes found a way onto this roster. I guess that's stability at the position, but it's a low-end 3 in today's NBA after a quiet time in Sacramento. The bench is an obvious issue as well, but all eyes will be on Wemby anyways. I fully expect him to leap into All-NBA territory this season and there doesn't seem to be a world where this team isn't well improved from a year ago. But realistically speaking, even with the offseason improvements, they just don't have the cast around him yet to seriously push for contention in this Western Conference. But who's really to say - maybe Wemby is THAT good, and San Antonio arrives way earlier than anyone expected.

23. Chicago Bulls

For years the Bulls were stuck in a dark place called no-man's land, but this offseason answered more questions with them than most had in years past. With that being said, so long as Zach LaVine remains on this roster, this team is still more in the in-between than they'd like to be. He's finally healthy again, with the Bulls desperately hoping he can play himself into some trade value after how badly things had gotten with him, though that'd likely be at the expense of a full-on tank. But the losses of DeRozan and Alex Caruso simply cannot be replicated. DeRozan was as good as it gets in crunch time, while Caruso is a +/- wizard. Lonzo Ball finally re-joins the team and will ease his way back to impactful play, and the newly added Josh Giddey will look to carve out a long-term role in Chicago's plan. And if there's any Bull really worth getting excited about, it's Coby White. At this point you know exactly what you're getting out of Vucevic - it just about epitomizes where the Bulls are at as a franchise, and Patrick Williams is the more intriguing frontcourt option, still just 23 years old and a promising two-way player. Outside of the aforementioned guard depth, plus rookie Matas Buzelis coming off a nice Summer League, this bench doesn't offer much of anything. The Bulls remain stuck in about as difficult a spot as you could be, but with no DeRozan the path to throwing in the towel and deferring to the young talent gets a whole lot easier. Chicago has the sheer talent to linger around the play-in like they have for years now, especially in a weaker East, but the best thing for this team to do would be ripping the bandaid off and letting whatever happens happen with the youth movement.

24. Utah Jazz

The other obvious bottom-feeder out West lands here at No. 24 - the Utah Jazz. After hovering around .500 for more than half of last season, the Jazz impressively flipped a switch so aggressively that a 26-26 start turned into a 5-25 finish. Even while opting to hold onto Lauri Markkanen despite fierce trade interest all offseason, expect more of that late-season Jazz than what we saw those first 52 games. There's no place for this team in the West even with some talent on the roster, and a rough first 50 games would certainly be grounds to spend the final two months of the season similar to the last one. Markkanen is the franchise player, the somewhat unexpected gem of the Donovan Mitchell trade, and Sexton and John Collins have the capability to put up good numbers even in losing efforts. The young talent isn't quite there yet - they've only been this bad for a year. Keyontae George is certainly promising, and adding Cody Williams and Isaiah Collier to the bench makes that unit at least a little intriguing with some youth entering the mix. Clarkson will score his points as always and Walker Kessler is a decent rim protector, but not much else on this roster is established. Looking at this group as a whole ,there's no reason to expect much improvement from the last-ranked defense in the NBA last season. We've seen how bad Utah can look when they really set their sights on it, and in a West more unforgiving than last season, they're likely to go down that path once again, perhaps earlier.

25. Detroit Pistons

The Pistons were hoping 2023-24 was the year they'd begin to push forward and out of their rebuild, only for it to spiral into about as disastrous a season as you could've imagined. They ripped the band-aid off with Monty Williams, but there's still a ways to go. Cade Cunningham puts up numbers but still hasn't given us any reason to think those stats can contribute to wins, and despite years of accumulating top picks because of their struggles, there's still so much uncertainty around what this core really is. Jaden Ivey was objectively used poorly last season - Bickerstaff cannot let that happen again - and all Detroit can do is hope and pray for big leaps out of Ivey and Ausar Thompson. 19-year-old Ron Holland probably won't find his footing in the NBA right away but is at the least an intriguing asset while Jalen Duren, still just 20, shouldn't be overlooked with a career double-double over his first two seasons. The Pistons clearly approached this offseason aiming to mix in some veterans to contribute to wins and avoid something as bad as last season, but it was evidently slim pickings with Tobias Harris, Malik Beasley, and Tim Hardaway Jr. the names they came away with. Knowing Harris he'll probably thrive in an environment with zero expectations, and while these aren't the ideal veterans to surround your young core with, it'll probably keep them from historically bad stretches like they fell into last season. All the Pistons can hope for this season is to leave with some sort of identity, and this feels like a team that would be a bit more hesitant to throw in the towel as early as some others, at least considering how bad these recent years have been. It still won't be pretty.

26. Toronto Raptors

This Raptors built up and paid a core they seem to feel comfortable with, probably the first team to be ranked thus far. The problem? It's just not a core I believe in. For years the Knicks waited patiently for R.J. Barrett to really take that next step into a star, and it never came. They had no issue trading him, and while he looked a lot better with Toronto, after all those years in New York I'm just not sold he can be a top option on a competitive team. And as for Quickley, the other NY acquisition, I think he's a great piece to have adding a boost off the bench, but the marquee role Toronto is trying to push him into is not something that will translate to wins. Scottie Barnes is the top dawg on this team, and the Raptors are loosely trying to build around him. The jury's still out whether that can be done, and I've got serious doubts on what a future with those three at the forefront looks like. Is Barrett's ceiling that much higher than what we've already seen, and is Quickly rounded out enough as a player to play this role? And outside of the key guys, the supporting cast isn't there, at least quite yet. Gradey Dick is going to be thrust into a major role this season, and while the two-guard duo of he and rookie Ja'Kobe Walter is intriguing down the line, these guys obviously aren't where they'd need to be for this team to compete. The froncourt as a whole just isn't very intimidating, and this bench has a lot to prove and too much reason to believe they're moving any needles. Most of my issues with Toronto stem from an overall distrust in the core they're building around. They'll win enough games to escape the cellar, but this is still a low-end team in the East that is at best competing for a low play-in spot.

27. Portland Trail Blazers

In as crowded a Western Conference I can ever remember, there's only two teams i the conference that are entering this season as clear-cut bottom-feeders. Portland is one of them. Looking back, this team didn't get much out of Damian Lillard, and they're largely stuck with a core not quite complete enough to rebuild around yet being paid enough to give fans the wrong idea about what they're capable of. Anfernee Simons can score, yes, but he's not leading the charge for a team winning any games. It'll all come down to Scoot Henderson this season - if he takes another step after a strong finish to last year - Portland should see this as a win. This team is going to be towards the bottom either way but between the brutal contracts of Simons, Jerami Grant, and De'Andre Ayton, Scoot living up to the billing might be the only way to leave this season with much direction. They'll try to shop Grant and Ayton as long as they can, and likely Robert Williams too, while Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and rookie Donovan Clingan are the guys worth centering around. Deni Avdija, who they were fortunate to land the way they did, is another solid piece. There is some actual talent on this Trail Blazers roster, but in a Western Conference that'll leave them as big underdogs almost every night, there's just no place for this team winning many games. Expect the guys like Grant, Ayton, and Williams to be in the news with trade talks more often than not, while Portland's young nucleus tries to at the least give these fans something to be excited about.

28. Charlotte Hornets

This Hornets team obviously needs a full season out of La'Melo Ball to have any hopes of even competing for the play-in, and that just hasn't been something he's looked capable of reaching. The roster is in an interesting spot so many years into this rebuild but without the young talent to really show for it, though Brandon Miller was all they could've asked for last season. If everything works out, Ball and Miller is a legitimate backcourt that could eventually compete in the East. But Ball's 58 games over the last two seasons just don't give me much reason to believe, though it's still enough to push them a little bit above some of these other uninspiring teams in the East. Miles Bridges is a decent option at the 3, but outside of the trio we've discussed things really get bleak. Mark Williams remains injured and this team just doesn't have any depth, and it's going to be Nick Richards, Josh Green, and Grant Williams fighting for two of this team's three starting spots. Not great. And the rest of the bench, highlighted by Tre Mann, Seth Curry, and Vasilije Micic is as rough as it gets. This team needs La'Melo Ball to stay healthy for their own sanity. Even if he does, this team just doesn't have enough outside of he, Miller, and Bridges to be taken very seriously. It'd just be nice for the franchise to see a full year of what young pieces they do have on the floor together.

29. Brooklyn Nets

It became clear early last season that Mikal Bridges wasn't the No. 1 option some fans thought he might be capable of being, so the Nets have to be fortunate with the haul of five first-round picks they snagged from their in-state rival. And with Bridges out of the picture, the tank is officially on in Brooklyn. Cam Thomas has the chance to put up major scoring numbers in what should be his biggest offensive role yet, but we know his limitations outside of that will seriously hinder what those offensive contributions really mean. Nic Claxton is a solid starting center and who knows, maybe Ben Simmons' workout videos might translate to something this time around, but that's something I'll need to see to believe - even getting on the floor is far from a guarantee with him. This team, at least for now, has some legitimate options, but none that'll move the needle for very many wins. Schroder is a solid player but as far as starting point guards in this league go, he's near the very bottom. Cam Johnson is a good scorer but an obvious trade candidate, and this team just doesn't have much young talent that might make a tank a little less ugly. Assuming things go south quick, this roster might look a whole lot worse once tank season reaches its full effect. If they fully abandon the veterans, given what little talent worth developing exists there right now, this could very well be the worst team in basketball. And that trajectory really doesn't seem too crazy. This The Nets finally have some control of their destiny with a real chance at landing a top pick next season, and expect this to be one of the many East teams playing Capture the Flagg late this season.

30. Washington Wizards

The Wizards still haven't figured it out, or anything close to it, and they're on their way to another brutal year that would only be salvaged with some good fortunes come lottery time. Kuzma and Poole will spend much of this season with the ball in their hands, a recipe for a comparable number of bloopers as highlights. Kuzma is a solid third option, but he's the Wizards' best player, and none of their dozens of high draft picks over the years have stepped up to even somewhat challenge that. Poole was largely a disaster last season and even if he's a bit more efficient, which is likely given how low the bar has gotten, it's a pretty hopeless cause. Alex Sarr had a rough Summer League and may have a tough time early on adjusting to the NBA, so I wouldn't set my expectations too high right away for a guy that just shot 9/47 this summer. He should improve the defense over the long run, but the defense in 2024-25 is going to look brutal once again They inexplicably traded away Deni Avdija and saw Tyus Jones walk in free agency, two of their more capable and composed players, and the additions of Malcolm Brogdon and Jonas Valanciunas seem more likely than not to be traded away by the deadline. Coulibaly and Kispert are two of their most promising pieces, and the hope is they can give first-round pick Bub Carrington enough exposure to be a long-term asset as well. This is as good a year as any to be this bad with Cooper Flagg's entrance on the horizon, but the problem with Washington is this is far from their first rodeo here in the cellar. There's a handful of teams I could see taking the throne as the NBA's worst team, but this Wizards roster separates itself as the least enticing of the bunch.

Award Winners

MVP - Luka Doncic

Doncic has been in the MVP mix for a number of years, but it hadn't been his time quite yet. Now, with Dallas coming off their unexpected trip to the Finals, this is the year for Luka. He's consistently put up MVP-caliber numbers but the Mavs hadn't seeded high enough to really justify the title, but the regular season I expect out them should be enough. The stats will be there, and he'll have the benefit of the doubt from the media coming off their deep playoff run. And looking around the league, voter fatigue will hurt Jokic, Doncic will put up better numbers than SGA, and Giannis has been just a tier just below the most deserving candidates these last few years. Oh, and Embiid won't play enough games. This is Luka's year, and I'm really confident with this one.

Defensive Player of the Year - Victor Wembanyama

Wemby seems like the clear-cut favorite to take this one home in 2024-25, entering the year at - odds and looking like a guy that has a chance to win five before this decade comes to an end. He led the league in blocks by a massive margin last season and will do the same this year, and players are already going to be entering games fearful of even challenging Wemby anywhere close to the rim. The Spurs' defense as a team might be the only thing in Wembanyama's way for this award, but they improved a lot as last season went on and should be competent enough to hold it down outside of him. Health permitted, Wemby might retire with 10 of these.

Rookie of the Year - Zach Edey

It's by no measurement a glamorous rookie class, making this one as tough a pick as any ROY in years past. Much of it comes down to who's going to get their shot right away. Edey will be the starting center right away for a Grizzlies team that is going to make the postseason, and with a big-friendly point guard in Ja Morant and his size giving way for his usual high rebound totals, a rookie year double-double is a very legitimate possibility here. His size alone makes him a strong defensive presence inside, and he's one of the few rookies whose contributions may hold some real significance on how the NBA season plays out. He's my pick, and he's got the best odds for a reason.

Coach of the Year - Taylor Jenkins

No team is going to improve on their win total more than these Grizzlies, and Jenkins is going to get a ton of the credit for that turnaround. Memphis' big three will obviously lead the way, but the young talent like GG Jackson, Vince Williams, and Santi Aldama all developed into capable players under Jenkins last season, and seeing them inserted into real roles on a contending team would be a terrific look for the head coach. I think this Grizzlies team has a chance to win 50+ games, and in a year where the tiers in both conferences look more predictable than most, I think a big year from Memphis lands Jenkins the nod.

Sixth Man of the Year - Donte DiVincenzo

The Timberwolves had the Sixth Man of the Year last season in Naz Reid, who is still very much around, but I think DiVincenzo swoops in and makes it two in a row for Minnesota. He's grown into one of the best high-volume shooters in the game plus strong defense and now a chip on his shoulder after the trade from New York. And if there's anything we've seen already from him, he's going to carry that chip all the way throughout this season. I think this becomes DiVincenzo's biggest role yet with a lack of shooters on the roster and an aging Mike Conley ahead of him, and he'll be crucial for Minnesota all season and, in my eyes, at least a 17 PPG guy in easily his biggest role yet.

Most Improved Player - Jalen Williams

If Jalen Williams' trajectory keeps up, he'll be an All-Star and have a strong case to be the No. 2 option on a championship team. Williams had a great regular season but struggled with consistency in the playoffs, so he enters his age-23 season with something to prove and a great situation to do it. There's so much on this roster for defenses to keep up with, particularly his backcourt running mate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, so there will be plenty of chances for J-Dot to shine. He bumped his rookie average 14.1 PPG to 19.1 PPG this season, and I think he's due for another big jump this season. And the Thunder's team success won't hurt his case either.

All-NBA First Team

Luka Doncic - Mavericks

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Thunder

Anthony Edwards - Timberwolves

Giannis Antetokounmpo - Bucks

Nikola Jokic - Nuggets

All-NBA Second Team

Jalen Brunson - Knicks

Ja Morant - Grizzlies

Jayson Tatum - Celtics

Anthony Davis - Lakers

Victor Wembanyama - Spurs