By NBA insiders | ESPN, 2025-01-02 21:00:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
新年新气象，对于一些球队来说，这意味着下半赛季的重新开始。而对于像俄克拉荷马雷霆和波士顿凯尔特人这样的球队来说，这意味着有更多机会稳步迈向季后赛。
2024年，密尔沃基雄鹿加冕NBA杯赛冠军，克利夫兰骑士队以15胜0负的意外开局开启赛季，而二年级新秀维克多·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在圣安东尼奥马刺的表现更加强劲。2025年，联盟又将迎来哪些精彩？
苦苦挣扎的明尼苏达森林狼和费城76人能否迎头赶上？是否会出现一鸣惊人的球星？在萨克拉门托国王于12月27日解雇迈克·布朗后，哪位教练的帅位岌岌可危？
我们的NBA内部人士将解答新年前的一些最大悬念。
哪支挣扎的竞争者有望在下半赛季强势反弹？
Ohm Youngmisuk: 雄鹿在赛季初表现不稳定，胜率略高于50%。但如果他们能够保持健康——扬尼斯·阿德托昆博(Giannis Antetokounmpo)一直在与疾病作斗争，达米安·利拉德(Damian Lillard)最近才从缺席四场比赛的状态中恢复过来，而克里斯·米德尔顿(Khris Middleton)仍在努力恢复状态——他们肯定能在东部联盟中提升排名。他们在NBA杯赛冠军赛中的胜利展现了他们的潜力。雄鹿也可能成为交易截止日期前的积极买家，希望尽可能地让他们的当家球星满意。
Jamal Collier: 森林狼认为他们可以在交易走球星卡尔-安东尼·唐斯(Karl-Anthony Towns)后依然保持在西部顶级球队的行列，事实证明这是错误的。但以目前的阵容来看，森林狼的实力要比他们在前两个月大部分时间里取得的50%胜率所反映的更好。明尼苏达可能会冲进前六，但他们似乎很可能在首轮对决中以较低的种子排名落败。
Chris Herring: 即使在最初两个月的挣扎和无法保持健康之后，76人仍然是这个问题的明确答案——尤其是在他们在圣诞大战中战胜凯尔特人之后。乔尔·恩比德(Joel Embiid)和保罗·乔治(Paul George)已经回归阵容，球队在过去一个月里也开始逐渐找到节奏。76人在接下来的赛程中也拥有联盟中最轻松的赛程之一，这应该能让他们积累胜利并建立信心。
Dave McMenamin: 在他们进入西部决赛以及安东尼·爱德华兹(Anthony Edwards)似乎准备接管联盟（基于美国男篮的夏季比赛如何提升新星的表现）之后，森林狼在西部排名第八的现状令人有些费解。他们也有一些复苏的迹象，在过去的13场比赛中赢下了9场，而爱德华兹也表明他愿意为了球队的利益进行一些令人不舒服的对话。此外，现在与纽约尼克斯的交易带来的最初冲击已经消退，朱利叶斯·兰德尔(Julius Randle)和丹特·迪温琴佐(Donte DiVincenzo)有望在最后阶段做出更稳定的贡献。
Tim MacMahon: 毫无疑问，76人将在下半赛季强势反弹，但就目前而言，他们还算不上是竞争者。在费城在休赛期完美地招募了自由球员保罗·乔治并给予泰瑞斯·马克西(Tyrese Maxey)一份顶薪合同之后，人们对他们的期望值很高。从纸面上看，这是乔尔·恩比德时代最好的球队。希望76人最糟糕的伤病潮已经过去，但他们缺乏整个赛季的场上凝聚力将阻碍球队在季后赛中走得更远，他们很难突破第二轮。
2025年的突破球员是___?
Youngmisuk: 每个人都在期待文班亚马开始展现实力后会发生什么。马刺的这位天才球员本赛季每个月的得分都在提高，12月份场均得到28.6分、10.1个篮板、4.8次助攻和4.5次盖帽，三分球命中率为38.9%。他还在11月的一场比赛中砍下50分，并在12月有两场42分的表现。如果马刺能够在西部附加赛的竞争中保持下去，文班亚马将能够参加一些有意义的比赛并获得宝贵的经验。
Collier: 保罗·班凯罗(Paolo Banchero)在赛季初看起来已经准备好将他的比赛提升到一个新的水平，但在10月份一次斜肌受伤打乱了他的势头，但他正朝着很快回归的方向努力。期待班凯罗能从他离开的地方重新开始，带领这支正在崛起的魔术队进入季后赛，这位2022年的状元秀可以在那里巩固自己作为联盟年轻球星的地位。
Herring: 迪温琴佐最近几周的表现要好得多，在经历了在森林狼糟糕的开局之后，他终于似乎找到了自己的立足点。在过去的六场比赛中，他场均得到近17分，三分球命中率为48%。他在去年这个时候开始在尼克斯队大放异彩，最终以联盟第三多的三分球命中数结束赛季。
McMenamin: 亚特兰大老鹰队的控球后卫特雷·杨(Trae Young)一直在吹捧贾伦·约翰逊(Jalen Johnson)的全明星实力，而且理由很充分。这位来自杜克大学的四年级前锋在很多方面都能影响比赛，他为一支在12月份取得8胜4负的老鹰队场均贡献19.9分、10.2个篮板、5.4次助攻、1.5次盖帽和1.1次抢断。此外，他场均15.5次出手中只有4.2次来自三分线外，这使得这位身高6英尺8英寸的扣将的比赛在油漆区和篮筐上方更加精彩。
MacMahon: 文班亚马已经是一位超级巨星，但他仍处于发展的早期阶段，尤其是在进攻端。他刚刚度过了职业生涯中最好的一个月，场均得到28.6分，真实命中率为62.5%。这只是这位踏上篮球场的最具独特天赋的球员之一未来发展的一个暗示。在未来名人堂控球后卫克里斯·保罗(Chris Paul)的帮助下，文班亚马才刚刚开始驾驭他不可思议的天赋。
哪支新晋的竞争者最有可能在季后赛中走得更远？
Youngmisuk: 骑士队以联盟最佳战绩进入新年，他们看起来已经准备好迎接东部联盟的深度竞争。他们看起来拥有一切所需：一位多产的明星得分手、一个高得分的後場组合、令人难以置信的身高和臂展、经验丰富的射手和防守。多诺万·米切尔(Donovan Mitchell)已经证明，在健康的情况下，他可以在季后赛中大放异彩。尽管赛季开始前所有的讨论都围绕着凯尔特人、尼克斯和76人展开，但骑士队正在东部积分榜上建立领先优势，并且几乎没有显示出放缓的迹象。
Collier: 我仍然看好奥兰多魔术。他们是联盟中最好的防守球队之一（排名第三），尽管班凯罗受伤，但他们仍然是本赛季最顽强的球队之一。奥兰多上赛季打进了季后赛首轮，这给了魔术宝贵的季后赛经验，这将使他们成为东部联盟中一个难缠的对手。去年在七场首轮系列赛中击败奥兰多的克利夫兰可能不会那么渴望连续第二个季后赛再次面对奥兰多。
Herring: 休斯顿火箭队仍然有一些进攻问题，但他们拥有坚固的防守（排名第二），可能会在季后赛中制造一些噪音。伊梅·乌多卡(Ime Udoka)的球队拥有明确的定位和令人羡慕的球员多功能性，这会给对手的进攻造成很大困难。即使出现进攻荒，中锋阿尔佩伦·申京(Alperen Sengun)和球队的侧翼球员之间也有足够的内外线配合，使火箭队的进攻变得强劲。
McMenamin: 骑士队并非侥幸成功，他们在比西部更弱的东部联盟中一路过关斩将。他们在后场（多诺万·米切尔和达柳斯·加兰(Darius Garland)）和前场（埃文·莫布里(Evan Mobley)和贾莱特·阿伦(Jarrett Allen)）都拥有明星球员。他们可以排出10人轮换，这还不包括精英角色球员马克斯·斯特鲁斯(Max Strus)，他因为脚踝受伤缺席了大部分比赛。他们拥有联盟第二好的净胜分，仅次于俄克拉荷马城。他们的教练肯尼·阿特金森(Kenny Atkinson)自从在凯文·杜兰特-凯里·欧文失败的实验中被布鲁克林篮网 unceremoniously ousted 后，就一直在等待一个证明自己的机会。再加上充满活力的球迷基础带来的绝佳季后赛主场优势，东部通往总决赛之路可能会经过克利夫兰。
MacMahon: 雷霆队上赛季就以西部第一种子的身份成为了竞争者，现在克利夫兰正走在同样的道路上。人们似乎理所当然地认为凯尔特人重返总决赛是板上钉钉的事情，但将骑士队视为一个严重的威胁而不予理会是愚蠢的。克利夫兰29胜4负的联盟最佳战绩绝非侥幸。骑士队的净效率高达+11.6，这在过去十年中仅次于本赛季的雷霆队（11.9）和上赛季的凯尔特人队（11.7）。
哪位教练在下半赛季的帅位岌岌可危？
Youngmisuk: 一位拉斯维加斯的赔率制定者认为昌西·比卢普斯(Chauncey Billups)是下一个被解雇的NBA教练的最佳人选。但开拓者并没有给比卢普斯一个准备好争夺季后赛席位的阵容。他不得不带领波特兰经历一个充满伤病和仍在学习比赛的年轻球员的重建时代。是的，比卢普斯有安芬尼·西蒙斯(Anfernee Simons)和杰拉米·格兰特(Jerami Grant)这样的老将。但球队已经押注后卫斯科特·亨德森(Scoot Henderson)和谢顿·夏普(Shaedon Sharpe)成为他们未来的球星，以德安德烈·艾顿(Deandre Ayton)和德尼·阿夫迪亚(Deni Avdija)作为补充。比卢普斯需要更多的时间和更多老将。
Collier: 只要尼古拉·约基奇(Nikola Jokic)处于巅峰期，迈克尔·马龙(Michael Malone)就会面临保持丹佛掘金在西部精英球队行列的压力。掘金有很多缺陷，目前将不得不通过附加赛才能进入季后赛。尽管距离他们的总冠军只有两个赛季，但NBA球队已经一次又一次地表明，他们在教练决策上行动迅速。
Herring: 威利·格林(Willie Green)上赛季带领新奥尔良鹈鹕队取得了49胜，2022-23赛季取得了42胜，但本赛季只赢了5场。新奥尔良在本赛季遭受了比其他任何NBA球队都严重的伤病困扰，无论是缺席的比赛还是损失的薪水。鹈鹕队前八名球员在前两个月都曾缺席过比赛，锡安·威廉姆森(Zion Williamson)和布兰登·英格拉姆(Brandon Ingram)仍然缺席。但这种程度的整个赛季的失败通常会导致有人被解雇。
McMenamin: 尼克·纳斯(Nick Nurse)的帅位已经大大降温，76人在赛季初3胜14负的糟糕开局后，在12月份赢下了12场比赛中的9场。但期望的重担仍然压在纳斯的肩上，他曾在2019年带领多伦多猛龙队夺冠。费城在乔尔·恩比德和泰瑞斯·马克西的二人组中加入了保罗·乔治，这被认为可以让渴望自1983年以来再次夺冠的76人球迷有机会为一支冠军争夺者加油助威。如果费城不能继续爬出他们的困境并在东部竞争中占据一席之地，纳斯可能会首当其冲地承担后果。
MacMahon: 鹈鹕队的威利·格林进一步证明了NBA教练是一个艰难的职业。新奥尔良拥有联盟最差的战绩，但很难将此归咎于一位球队的教练，因为他的两位高薪球星通常都因伤缺阵。如果格林被解雇，他应该会立即成为夏天其他空缺职位的候选人。
本赛季剩余时间最值得关注的故事情节是___?
McMenamin: 克利夫兰是一个了不起的故事。谁不喜欢骑士蛙作为主赛事的附带节目带来的古怪乐趣呢？但因为我们已经把骑士队作为一个新晋的竞争者进行了报道，我将把我的注意力集中在本地，并表示洛杉矶湖人队和洛杉矶快船队可能终于要上演所谓的“洛杉矶之战”了，这是科怀·伦纳德(Kawhi Leonard)在安东尼·戴维斯(Anthony Davis)被交易到湖人的同一个夏天与快船队签约时所承诺的。两支球队在前30场比赛中的表现都超出了预期。随着伦纳德即将复出，以及湖人队交易得到了多里安·芬尼·史密斯(Dorian Finney-Smith)，后者可以在伦纳德复出后帮助他们防守伦纳德，剩下的四场常规赛将是重量级的篮球对决。
Collier: 孟菲斯灰熊和贾·莫兰特(Ja Morant)。几年前，灰熊是联盟中一支冉冉升起的年轻球队，而莫兰特是其中最优秀的年轻球星之一。现在，尽管伤病缠身，孟菲斯仍然排在西部第二。如果每个人都能保持健康并专注于篮球，灰熊将是西部一个合法的竞争者，并将成为一支有趣的季后赛球队。
Herring: 如果魔术队在失去两名最好的球员几个月的情况下——并且是联盟中三分球命中率最低的球队——还能获得主场优势，那将是一个非常酷的故事。与火箭队类似，他们知道自己的定位，并且在每场比赛中都打得极其强硬。这帮助他们在没有班凯罗和弗朗茨·瓦格纳(Franz Wagner)的情况下仍然保持竞争力。这对组合的得分在一支进攻火力不足的球队中是极其缺乏的。贾马尔·莫斯利(Jamahl Mosley)的执教非常出色，他应该与乌多卡和阿特金森一起成为年度最佳教练的有力竞争者。
Youngmisuk: 第二个奢侈税线将如何影响这个交易赛季？哪些有竞争力的球队会在华盛顿、布鲁克林和鹈鹕等球队更倾向于明年夏天预计会非常深厚的选秀大会的情况下采取行动？也许在截止日期前不会有任何大牌球员被交易，但像湖人和勇士这样的球队已经进行了交易——并且可能会继续保持活跃。
MacMahon: 小市场球队雷霆队可能没有太多吸引力，但NBA的下一个王朝可能正在砖城(Bricktown)绽放。我们以前也听过这样的说法，未来的MVP三人组——凯文·杜兰特(Kevin Durant)、拉塞尔·威斯布鲁克(Russell Westbrook)和詹姆斯·哈登(James Harden)——没能为俄克拉荷马城带来总冠军。所有迹象都表明，谢伊·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大(Shai Gilgeous-Alexander)和一支阵容深厚的年轻球员已经准备好冲击总冠军，并将拥有一个长期的竞争者窗口期。
点击查看原文：NBA Roundtable: Biggest questions for the second half of the season
NBA Roundtable: Biggest questions for the second half of the season
A new year means fresh starts, and for some teams, that means a reset for the second half of the NBA season. For others, such as the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics, it means more opportunities to steadily climb toward the postseason.
In 2024, the Milwaukee Bucks were crowned NBA Cup champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers went on an unexpected 15-0 start to the season and rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama came out even stronger in Year 2 for the San Antonio Spurs. What will 2025 have in store for the league?
Can the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves and Philadelphia 76ers make up ground? Will there be a surprise breakout star? And which coach is on the hot seat after the Sacramento Kings fired Mike Brown on Dec. 27?
Our NBA insiders answer some of the biggest questions heading into the new year.
Which struggling contender is poised for a second-half surge?
Ohm Youngmisuk: The Bucks might be slightly above .500 after an inconsistent start to the season. But if they can get healthy – Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dealing with an illness, Damian Lillard recently returned from a four-game absence and Khris Middleton is still working his way back to form – they certainly can move up the Eastern Conference. Their win in the NBA Cup championship shows their potential. The Bucks could also be a motivated buyer at the trade deadline, hoping to keep their franchise star as happy as possible.
Jamal Collier: The Timberwolves’ assumption that it could trade away star Karl-Anthony Towns and remain at the top of the West has proven false. But with the current roster, the Wolves are better than the .500 record they compiled for most of the first two months of the season. Minnesota could surge into the top six, but it appears likely the Wolves will fall short of a higher seed in their first-round matchup.
Chris Herring: Even after their struggles and inability to stay healthy over the first two months, the Sixers are the clear answer here – especially after their Christmas Day victory over the Celtics. Joel Embiid and Paul George are back in the lineup, and the club has begun to develop a rhythm over the past month. The Sixers also have one of the league’s easiest schedules the rest of the way, which should allow them to stack wins and build confidence.
Dave McMenamin: After their conference finals berth and Anthony Edwards seemingly poised to take over the league based on how Team USA summers have boosted budding stars in the past, the Wolves’ No. 8 spot in the West has been a bit of a head-scratcher. There are some signs of life, winning nine out of their past 13 games, and Edwards has shown he is willing to lead an uncomfortable conversation for the good of the team. Plus, now that the initial shock from the swap with the New York Knicks has worn off, look for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to contribute more consistently down the stretch.
Tim MacMahon: There’s no doubt that the 76ers will surge in the second half of the season, but as of now, they don’t qualify as a contender. Those were the expectations after a perfectly executed summer in which Philadelphia recruited Paul George as a free agent and awarded Tyrese Maxey a maximum contract. On paper, it’s the best team in the Joel Embiid era. Hopefully, the worst of the Sixers’ medical drama is done, but their lack of season-long, on-court cohesion will hinder the squad from advancing further than the second round of the playoffs.
The breakout player for 2025 is___?
Youngmisuk: Everyone has been waiting to see what will happen when Wembanyama begins to figure things out. The Spurs’ phenom has increased his scoring each month this season and averaged 28.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 4.5 blocks while making 38.9% of his 3s in December. He also scored 50 points in a game in November and had two 42-point performances in December. If the Spurs can stick around in the West play-in conversation, Wembanyama will play meaningful games and get valuable experience.
Collier: Paolo Banchero looked ready to take his game to the next level at the start of the season before an oblique injury derailed his momentum in October, but he is ramping up toward a return soon. Look for Banchero to pick up where he left off and lead the up-and-coming Magic into the postseason, where the 2022 No. 1 pick can cement himself as one of the league’s young stars.
Herring: DiVincenzo has played much better in recent weeks, and finally seems to be finding his footing with Minnesota. He averaged almost 17 points on 48% shooting from 3-point range over his past six games after an ugly start to his tenure with the Wolves. He started flourishing with the Knicks around this time last season, eventually finishing with the third-most triples in the league.
McMenamin: Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young has already been touting Jalen Johnson’s All-Star credentials and with good reason. The fourth-year forward out of Duke impacts the game in so many ways, averaging 19.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals for an Atlanta team that went 8-4 in December. Plus, only 4.2 of his 15.5 field goal attempts per game come from beyond the 3-point arc, making the 6-foot-8 slasher’s game even more exciting in the paint and above the rim.
MacMahon: Wembanyama is already a superstar, but he’s in the early stages of his development, especially on the offensive end. He just had the best month of his career, averaging 28.6 points on 62.5% true shooting. That’s just a hint of what’s on the horizon for one of the most uniquely talented players to step foot on the hardwood. With the help of future Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul, Wembanyama is only beginning to harness his incredible gifts.
Which newcomer contender is best positioned for a deep postseason run?
Youngmisuk: The Cavaliers have the league’s best record heading into the new year and they look poised for a deep run in the East. They look like they have everything they need: a prolific star scorer, a high-scoring backcourt, incredible size and length, veteran shooters and defense. Donovan Mitchell has proven he can get hot in the playoffs when healthy. Though all the talk entering the season revolved around the Celtics, Knicks and Sixers, the Cavs are building a cushion atop the East standings and have shown little signs of slowing down.
Collier: I’ll stick with the Orlando Magic. They have one of the best defenses in the league (No. 3) and have been one of the toughest teams this season, despite Banchero’s injury. Orlando made it to the first round of the playoffs last season, giving the Magic valuable postseason experience that will make them a tough matchup in the East. Cleveland, which beat Orlando in a seven-game first-round series last year, might not be so eager to see Orlando for a second straight postseason.
Herring: The Houston Rockets still have some offensive issues but feature a stout defense (No. 2) and could make postseason noise. Ime Udoka’s group has a firm identity and enviable versatility to make life difficult for opposing offenses. And even if there are offensive droughts, there’s enough of an inside-out game between center Alperen Sengun and the club’s wings to make the Rockets’ offense potent.
McMenamin: The Cavaliers are no fluke, beating up on an Eastern Conference that’s weaker than the West. They have star power in the backcourt (Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland) and frontcourt (Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen). They can go 10 deep, and that’s not counting Max Strus, an elite role player who has missed most of the season because of an ankle injury. They have the second-best point differential in the league behind Oklahoma City. Their coach, Kenny Atkinson, has been waiting for a chance to prove himself since being unceremoniously ousted by the Brooklyn Nets during the Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving failed experiment. Add in a great postseason home-court advantage thanks to an electric fan base, and the road to the Finals in the East could go through Cleveland.
MacMahon: The Thunder arrived as a contender last season, when Oklahoma City was the No. 1 seed in the West. Cleveland is on that path now. There seems to be an assumption that the Celtics’ return to the Finals is a certainty, but it’d be foolish to dismiss the Cavaliers as a serious threat. There is nothing fluky about Cleveland’s league-best 29-4 record. The Cavaliers are in rare air with a net rating of plus-11.6, which ranks behind only this season’s Thunder (11.9) and last season’s Celtics (11.7) among teams in the past decade.
Which coach is in the hot seat for the second half of the season?
Youngmisuk: One Las Vegas oddsmaker gives Chauncey Billups the best odds as the next NBA coach to be fired. But the Blazers have not given Billups a roster ready to contend for a playoff spot. He has had to oversee a rebuilding era in Portland filled with injuries and young players still learning the game. Yes, Billups has vets in Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant. But the franchise has bet on guards Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe to be their stars of the future with Deandre Ayton and Deni Avdija as complementary pieces. Billups needs more time and more vets.
Collier: There’s going to be pressure on Michael Malone to keep the Denver Nuggets among the elite teams in the West as long as Nikola Jokic is in his prime. The Nuggets have a lot of flaws, and currently would have to go through the play-in tournament to make the playoffs. Despite being only two seasons removed from their title, NBA teams have shown time and again that they move swiftly on coaching decisions.
Herring: Willie Green led the New Orleans Pelicans to 49 wins last season and 42 victories in 2022-23 but has just five victories this season. New Orleans has been ravaged by injuries, both in terms of games missed and salary lost, more than any other NBA team this season. Every member of the Pelicans’ top eight was out at some point during the first two months, and Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram remain out. But season-long failures of this magnitude generally result in someone being let go.
McMenamin: Nick Nurse’s seat has cooled considerably after the 76ers won nine of 12 games in December following an anemic 3-14 start to the season. But the weight of expectations are still on the shoulders of Nurse, who coached the Toronto Raptors to a championship in 2019. Philadelphia’s addition of Paul George to the duo of Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey was expected to give Sixers fans – hungry for a championship since 1983 – a chance to cheer on a title contender. If Philly can’t continue to climb its hole and factor into the East race, Nurse could bear the brunt of the fallout.
MacMahon: The Pelicans’ Willie Green is further proof that NBA coaching is a tough business. New Orleans has the league’s worst record, but it’s hard to blame that on the coach of a team that usually has its two high-priced stars sitting out due to injuries. If Green gets let go, he should immediately be a candidate for other openings over the summer.
The best storyline to follow for the rest of the season is___?
McMenamin: Cleveland is a tremendous story. Who doesn’t love the weird joy the Cavs Frog brings as a sideshow to the main event? But because we already covered the Cavs as a newcomer contender, I’ll keep my focus local and say that the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers might finally deliver the so-called “Battle for L.A.” that was promised when Kawhi Leonard signed with the Clips the same summer Anthony Davis was traded to the Lakers. Both teams have been better than expected through the first 30 games of the season. With Leonard nearing a comeback and the Lakers trading for Dorian Finney-Smith, who could help them guard Leonard when he returns, the four remaining regular-season games should be big-time basketball.
Collier: The Memphis Grizzlies and Ja Morant. A few years ago, the Grizzlies were one of the league’s ascendant young teams and Morant was one of its best young stars. Now, Memphis is second in the West despite a plethora of injuries. If everyone can stay healthy and focused on basketball, the Grizzlies are a legit contender in the West and will be a fun playoff team to add to the mix.
Herring: If the Magic earn home-court advantage despite losing their two best players for months – and being last in the league in 3-point shooting – they would be a very cool story. Similar to the Rockets, they know their identity and play extremely physically in each game. It’s what has helped them stay in contention despite not having Banchero and Franz Wagner. The duo’s scoring is desperately missed on a team with minimal offense. Jamahl Mosley’s coaching has been fantastic, and he should be right in contention for coach of the year with Udoka and Atkinson.
Youngmisuk: How will the second apron impact this trade season? Which contending teams will make a move as teams such as Washington, Brooklyn and the Pelicans lean more into what is expected to be a very deep draft next summer. Perhaps there won’t be any big-name players moved before the deadline, but teams such as the Lakers and Warriors have made trades already – and could remain busy.
MacMahon: The small-market Thunder might not have much sizzle, but the NBA’s next dynasty could be blossoming in Bricktown. We’ve heard that before, and the trio of future MVPs – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden – couldn’t bring a championship to Oklahoma City. All indications are that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a deep, young supporting cast are ready to make a run at a title and will have an extended window as contenders.
By NBA insiders | ESPN, via ESPN