By Zach Kram | ESPN, 2025-04-16 20:00:00
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。
每到这个时节，所有人的目光都会聚焦在NBA积分榜的上游和中游。
哪些高顺位种子队是夺冠热门？谁可能爆冷？附加赛的对阵形势如何？
这种过度关注榜首的现象，很容易让人忽略排名垫底的10支球队，它们的赛季在附加赛开始前就已经结束，只有在5月12日的选秀抽签仪式上才会再次引起关注。但即便这些联盟中最大的失意者，也值得在赛季结束时得到一次告别。
让我们最后一次审视这10支被淘汰的球队，为了避免以苦涩的心情结束，我们为每支球队的赛季都提供了一个希望之光。对于这群球队来说，糟糕的事情有很多，但在经历了超过六个月的82场比赛后，至少每支球队都有一个积极的收获。
多伦多猛龙
从球队层面来说，这个赛季猛龙队没有任何值得庆祝的地方。但从个人层面来说，多伦多的一些关键球员取得了进步。RJ·巴雷特展现了新的组织能力，他的场均助攻数达到了5.4次，超过了之前3.3次的职业生涯最高纪录。
年轻球员格雷迪·迪克和奥查·阿巴吉场均得分都达到了两位数。雅各布·珀尔特尔悄然成为了联盟中最好的攻防兼备的中锋之一。克里斯·布歇和新秀贾马尔·谢德在替补席上贡献了出色的赛季表现。
再加上斯科蒂·巴恩斯、伊曼纽尔·奎克利以及新近续约的布兰登·英格拉姆（在赛季中期交易后没有为多伦多出战一场比赛），猛龙队可以说是所有非季后赛球队中天赋储备最深厚的球队。这并没有帮助他们在本赛季有所作为。
但由于这个基础以及猛龙队在实力相对较弱的东部联盟中的位置，他们可能是这份名单中最有可能在下赛季进入季后赛的球队。
布鲁克林篮网
在他们持续多年的重建过程中，篮网队在过去一年中完成了一系列出色的交易。他们交易了米卡尔·布里奇斯，得到了五个未来的首轮选秀权和一个角色球员的互换权，并且重新获得了对自己在2025年和2026年首轮选秀权的控制权。（布鲁克林现在在2025年选秀大会中拥有四个首轮选秀权，该届新秀成材率被广泛看好。）
篮网队进一步增加了他们的选择性，为自己争取到了今年夏天联盟中最高的薪资空间。他们还聘请了一位优秀的教练——乔迪·费尔南德斯。现在他们只需要利用所有这些资源来打造一支有竞争力的阵容，因为目前还不清楚有多少篮网球员适合球队的长期发展计划。但这些因素都为篮网队在未来几年内的重大转变奠定了基础。
费城76人
我本月早些时候写了一篇关于76人队糟糕透顶的赛季的文章。但在那场苦难中，出现了两个绝对成功的球员培养案例：贾里德·麦凯恩和昆汀·格里姆斯。麦凯恩在因伤赛季报销之前只打了23场比赛，但他以场均15.3分领跑所有新秀，而格里姆斯在赛季中期从达拉斯小牛队交易过来后，场均得到21.9分，并创下了职业生涯最高的篮板和助攻数据。
麦凯恩、格里姆斯和泰雷斯·马克西应该会在下赛季组成费城的三后卫组合，球队也会试图重返争冠行列。76人队提供了一个最清晰的“希望之光”现象的例子，即使是21世纪最令人失望的球队之一，仍然可以找到一些值得期待的理由。
夏洛特黄蜂
以下是本赛季全明星球迷投票中，东西部联盟前五名的后卫：
- 杰·吉尔杰斯-亚历山大
- 拉梅洛·鲍尔
- 斯蒂芬·库里
- 卢卡·东契奇
- 多诺万·米切尔
鲍尔最终没有入选全明星阵容，因为米切尔和杰伦·布伦森在媒体和球员投票中击败了他。但这位黄蜂队后卫显然是NBA中最受欢迎的球员之一，即使他的发展似乎停滞不前，但预计他的正负值仍然会将他列为联盟中最优秀的十几个进攻球员之一。
鲍尔并没有帮助黄蜂队赢得很多比赛，但他让他们重新变得令人兴奋，这是自90年代中期巅峰时期以来从未有过的。对于一个自2004年在夏洛特重建以来从未赢得过季后赛系列赛的球队来说，这种短暂的力量可能暂时就足够了。
华盛顿奇才
榜眼秀亚历克斯·萨尔是奇才队自2013年（奥托·波特）以来第一位前五顺位的球员。虽然这位19岁的萨尔在迈出他的NBA第一步时显得非常稚嫩，尤其是在夏季联赛的一场比赛中15投0中，但随着经验的积累，他表现得越来越出色。
在全明星赛后，萨尔场均得到15.6分，同时承担了对于一位新秀来说非常沉重的进攻负担（28%的回合占有率）。萨尔本赛季得分最高的六场比赛都发生在全明星赛后。在防守端，根据NBA高级数据统计，在全明星赛前，身高7英尺的萨尔让对手在篮筐附近的投篮命中率达到64%，但这个数字在下半赛季下降到了58%。
菲尼克斯太阳
太阳队是这份名单中最难考虑的球队，因为在采取了极端的“立即争冠”策略后却错过了附加赛，这绝对是一场灾难。在菲尼克斯找到一丝希望之光就像大海捞针。瑞安·邓恩和奥索·伊格霍达罗作为新秀看起来还不错？科林·吉莱斯皮在双向合同期间作为替补控卫打出了一段有趣的表现？他们成功摆脱了优素福·努尔基奇的合同？
最终，对于菲尼克斯来说，最好的希望之光可能是凯文·杜兰特仍然是一位极具爆发力的得分手，即使在他36岁的年纪。在场均至少得到20分的50名球员中，杜兰特的真实投篮命中率排名第二，仅次于尼古拉·约基奇。这意味着如果（当？）他们今年夏天交易杜兰特时，太阳队可以获得丰厚的回报，帮助他们弥补在2023年为了得到杜兰特而几乎交易了所有选秀权的损失。
波特兰开拓者
自从韦斯利·马修斯-尼古拉斯·巴图姆二人组解体以来，在过去的十年里，波特兰一直在寻找可靠的攻防兼备的侧翼球员。达米安·利拉德的开拓者队经常在季后赛中失利，因为他们不得不依靠像艾尔-法鲁克·阿米奴、莫里斯·哈克莱斯和阿伦·克拉布这样的球员。
但现在，开拓者队找到了他们的未来锋线球员：德尼·阿夫迪亚和图马尼·卡马拉。为了得到阿夫迪亚，开拓者队付出了高昂的代价——马尔科姆·布罗格登和两个首轮选秀权——但他非常值得，场均得到17分、7个篮板和4次助攻，同时还提供了强大的防守。卡马拉看起来像是一个典型的3D球员，对于开拓者来说简直是捡了个大便宜，他们在2023-24赛季前利拉德/德安德烈·艾顿/朱·霍勒迪的大型交易中，成功地将他从菲尼克斯争取了过来。
再加上2023年第三顺位新秀斯库特·亨德森的成长，以及球队在开局13胜28负之后以23胜18负结束了赛季，开拓者队看起来像是西部联盟一支冉冉升起的季后赛竞争者。
圣安东尼奥马刺
上个月，ESPN的蒂姆·邦坦普斯将马刺队评为NBA最佳重建球队——这是有充分理由的。维克托·文班亚马(Victor Wembanyama)在他的第二个赛季取得了有意义的进步，他本该锁定一个全NBA阵容席位并赢得年度最佳防守球员奖，直到他的赛季因右肩深静脉血栓而突然中断。假设文班亚马在下个赛季完全恢复状态，马刺队将会对他们的未来充满乐观。
他的一些队友也是如此，最引人注目的是极有可能获得年度最佳新秀的斯蒂芬·卡斯尔(Stephon Castle)，以及新来的控球后卫德阿隆·福克斯，他将会为文班亚马提供多年的挡拆搭档。福克斯要求被交易到一支排名低于他的萨克拉门托国王队的球队是有原因的：他知道马刺队看起来像是NBA最有希望崛起的年轻球队。
新奥尔良鹈鹕
对于鹈鹕队来说，这是一个灾难性的赛季，他们失去了每一位重要的球员，他们都遭遇了伤病。但特雷·墨菲三世在10月份签署了一份为期四年的续约合同后，继续进步。墨菲的得分（场均21.2分，高于上赛季的14.8分）和助攻（3.5次，高于2.2次）都大幅增加，同时在使用率增加的情况下保持了稳定的效率。在他的职业生涯至今的每个赛季中，他都在不断进步。
当然，墨菲的赛季也因他自己的伤病而提前结束。但随着鹈鹕队接近一个充满不确定性的休赛期，有一件事是可以肯定的：无论今年夏天在新奥尔良做出什么样的阵容决定，这位24岁的墨菲都是他们核心阵容的关键成员。
犹他爵士
爵士队在本赛季实现了他们最重要的目标：在过去两年都在乐透区中游徘徊之后，他们获得了最高的乐透抽签概率。这已经是球队的一线希望了。
然而，在他们所有的失利中，爵士队也享受了年轻球员的几次意外爆发。1月4日之后，以赛亚·科利尔场均贡献7.8次助攻。在这个时间段内，他的助攻数排名联盟第六，刚好排在凯德·坎宁安和勒布朗·詹姆斯之间。随着他获得了更多的持球机会，这位新秀后卫在本赛季逐渐提高了他的组织能力。
二年级前锋布莱斯·森萨博也看起来像一个值得培养的球员。他以至少5次出手且三分命中率达到40%的球员的身份结束了本赛季。爵士队仍然非常需要从乐透区的前端位置选中一位奠基性的球星，但至少他们正在首轮选秀的末尾找到一些有用的补充角色球员。（科利尔是2024年的第29顺位新秀，而森萨博是2023年的第28顺位新秀。中锋凯尔·菲利波夫斯基在2024年选秀中以第32顺位被选中后，也表现出了一些潜力。）
点击查看原文：Why the NBA's 10 lottery-bound teams have reasons for hope
Why the NBA’s 10 lottery-bound teams have reasons for hope
Around this time of year, all eyes turn to the top and middle of the NBA standings.
Which high seeds are championship favorites? Who might pull an upset? What are the play-in matchups?
All of that top-heavy attention means it can be easy to ignore the 10 teams at the bottom of the standings, whose seasons ended before the play-in tournament and won’t matter again until the draft lottery on May 12. But even the league’s largest losers are still worthy of a final farewell.
Let’s take one last look at the 10 eliminated teams and – to avoid ending on a sour note – offer one silver lining from each of their seasons. Plenty went wrong for this group, but across six-plus months and 82 games, there’s at least one positive takeaway for each team.
Toronto Raptors
On the team level, there wasn’t any reason to celebrate this Raptors season. But on an individual level, a number of Toronto’s key players made strides. RJ Barrett flashed newfound playmaking skills; he averaged 5.4 assists, up from a previous career high of 3.3.
Youngsters Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji averaged double-digit points. Jakob Poeltl quietly became one of the best two-way centers in the league. Chris Boucher and rookie Jamal Shead contributed strong seasons off the bench.
Add in Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and newly extended Brandon Ingram – who didn’t play a game for Toronto after a midseason trade – and the Raptors have arguably the deepest collection of talent for any non-playoff team. That didn’t help them contend this season.
But due to that base and the Raptors’ position in the shallower Eastern Conference, they might be the most likely team on this list to reach the playoffs next season.
Brooklyn Nets
As they continue a multiseason rebuild, the Nets nailed a bunch of transactions over the last year. They traded Mikal Bridges, landing five future first-round picks and a swap for a role player and also reacquired control of their own 2025 and 2026 first-round picks. (Brooklyn now boasts four first-round picks in a deep 2025 draft.)
The Nets further increased their optionality by setting themselves up for by far the most cap space in the league this summer. They also hired a strong coach in Jordi Fernandez. Now they just have to use all those resources to build a winning roster, because it’s unclear how many current Nets are long-term fits. But the pieces are in place for a big Nets turnaround in the years to come.
Philadelphia 76ers
I wrote about the 76ers’ terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season earlier this month. But in the midst of that misery came two slam dunk developmental success stories: Jared McCain and Quentin Grimes. McCain – who was limited to 23 games before an injury ended his season – led all rookies with 15.3 points per game, while Grimes averaged 21.9 points and career-best rebound and assist numbers after a midseason trade from the Dallas Mavericks.
McCain, Grimes and Tyrese Maxey should form a three-headed backcourt monster for Philadelphia next season, as the team attempts to return to contention. The 76ers offer the clearest example of the silver linings phenomenon, as even one of the most disappointing teams of the 21st century can still find some reasons for hope.
Charlotte Hornets
Here were the top five guards in All-Star fan votes this season, across both conferences:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- LaMelo Ball
- Stephen Curry
- Luka Doncic
- Donovan Mitchell
Ball didn’t end up making an All-Star team because Mitchell and Jalen Brunson beat him in the media and player votes. But the Hornets point guard is clearly one of the most popular players in the NBA, and even if his development seems to have stalled, estimated plus-minus still projects him as one of the dozen best offensive players in the league going forward.
Ball hasn’t helped the Hornets win many games, but he makes them exciting for the first time since their mid-90s peak. For a franchise that still hasn’t won a playoff series since its Charlotte rebirth in 2004, that ephemeral strength might have to suffice for now.
Washington Wizards
No. 2 pick Alex Sarr was the Wizards’ first top-five selection since 2013 (Otto Porter Jr.). And while the 19-year-old Sarr looked incredibly raw while taking his first NBA steps – most notably when missing all 15 shot attempts in a Summer League game – he came on much stronger as he gained experience.
After the All-Star break, Sarr averaged 15.6 points while assuming a tremendous offensive burden for a rookie (28% usage rate). The six highest-scoring efforts of Sarr’s season came after the break. On the defensive end, while the 7-foot Sarr allowed opponents to shoot 64% at the rim before the All-Star break, that number dropped to 58% in the second half, according to NBA Advanced Stats.
Phoenix Suns
The Suns are the most difficult team on this list to consider, as missing the play-in tournament after taking an extreme win-now approach is such an abject disaster. Finding a silver lining in Phoenix is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro looked decent as rookies? Collin Gillespie had a fun run as a fill-in point guard on a two-way deal? They managed to shed Jusuf Nurkic’s contract?
Ultimately, the best answer for Phoenix’s silver lining might be that Kevin Durant remained an absolutely dynamite scorer, even in his age-36 season. Among 50 players who averaged at least 20 points, Durant ranked second in true shooting percentage, behind only Nikola Jokic. That means the Suns could fetch a haul for Durant if (when?) they trade him this summer, helping to replenish their barren draft cupboard after they traded almost everything for Durant in 2023.
Portland Trail Blazers
For the last decade, ever since the breakup of the Wesley Matthews-Nicolas Batum duo, Portland has been searching for reliable two-way wings. Damian Lillard’s Blazers teams often faltered in the playoffs because they had to rely on the likes of Al-Farouq Aminu, Maurice Harkless and Allen Crabbe.
But now the Trail Blazers have found their forwards of the future in Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara. It took a high price to get Avdija to Portland – Malcolm Brogdon and two first-round picks – but he has been well worth it, averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists per game while adding strong defense. Camara looks like a prototypical 3-and-D prospect, and a steal for Portland, which finagled his inclusion from Phoenix in the Lillard/Deandre Ayton/Jrue Holiday blockbuster trade ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Toss in the development of 2023 No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson and the team’s 23-18 finish after a 13-28 start, and the Trail Blazers look like a budding playoff contender in the Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs
Last month, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps ranked the Spurs as the NBA’s best rebuilding situation – and for good reason. Victor Wembanyama took meaningful steps forward in his second season, and he was a lock to make an All-NBA team and win Defensive Player of the Year until his season was abruptly cut short due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Assuming Wembanyama returns at full strength next season, the Spurs will have immense optimism for their future.
So do a few of his teammates, most notably Stephon Castle, the likely Rookie of the Year winner, and new point guard De’Aaron Fox, who offers Wemby a prime pick-and-roll partner for years to come. There’s a reason Fox requested a trade to a team that ranked below his Sacramento Kings in the standings: He knew the Spurs looked like the NBA’s brightest young team on the rise.
New Orleans Pelicans
This was a disastrous season for the Pelicans, who lost every important player to injury at some point. But Trey Murphy III continued his ascent, after signing a four-year extension in October. Murphy enjoyed major increases in points (21.2 per game, up from 14.8 last season) and assists (3.5, up from 2.2), while maintaining solid efficiency on increased usage. He has improved every season of his career to date.
Murphy’s season ended prematurely, of course, because of his own injury. But as the Pelicans approach an offseason laden with tremendous uncertainty, one thing is for sure: The 24-year-old Murphy is a key member of their core no matter what other roster decisions are made in New Orleans this summer.
Utah Jazz
The Jazz achieved their most important goal this season: landing the best lottery odds, after finishing in the middle of the lottery standings the past two years. That’s already a silver lining for the franchise.
Yet amid all their losing, the Jazz also enjoyed a couple sneaky breakouts from young players. After Jan. 4, Isaiah Collier averaged 7.8 assists. That ranked sixth in the league during that span, sandwiching him between Cade Cunningham and LeBron James. The rookie guard improved rapidly as a creator over the course of the season, as he was given meaningful on-ball opportunities.
Second-year forward Brice Sensabaugh also looks like a keeper. He finished the season as one of 22 players to make at least 40% of his 3s on five or more attempts per game. The Jazz are still in desperate need of a foundational star from the top of the lottery, but at least they’re finding some useful supplementary role players toward the end of the first round. (Collier was the 29th pick in 2024, while Sensabaugh went 28th in 2023. Center Kyle Filipowski also showed flashes after going 32nd in the 2024 draft.)
By Zach Kram | ESPN, via ESPN