He NBA season We’re already a quarter of the way through the books and things are starting to take shape.
The Eastern Conference appears to have three teams that can compete for the right to play in the NBA Finalswhile the Western Conference has new blood at the top.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, left, and Joel Embiid of the 76ers talk during their game, Nov. 27, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
The Los Angeles Lakers, phoenix suns and the Golden State Warriors are outside the top 6, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder are two of the top three teams in the West.
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Let’s dive into the 12 teams that would currently be locked in for a spot in the NBA playoffs if they started today and what to look for as the calendar turns to 2024.
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics: Keep Kristaps Porzingis healthy
The Celtics have been to the Eastern Conference Finals five of the last seven years and reached the NBA Finals in 2022. And yet, success has yet to lead them to a championship.
Boston hasn’t won a title since 2008, but made moves in the offseason in hopes of taking the final step.
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis on December 28, 2023 in Boston. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Kristaps Porzingis He’ll need to stay healthy – something the big man hasn’t been able to do throughout his career – for the Celtics to stay atop the Eastern Conference and get over the hump in June.
Milwaukee Bucks: Improve defense
Milwaukee needed to make a move after losing as the sole favorite in the first round of the 2022-23 NBA Playoffs. The Bucks went out and acquired Damian Lillard in exchange for Jrue Holiday, adding much-needed firepower to the offense but having a negative impact on their defense.
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The Bucks rank 20th in the NBA in defensive rating after finishing last season with the fourth-best defensive rating in the league.
Philadelphia 76ers: Find a third star?
It was a strange offseason for the Sixers as James Harden he left the city by force.
Despite no longer having the 10-time All-Star, the Sixers have not missed a beat, with a 22-10 record and the third-best record in the East. Philadelphia is just 3.5 games out of first place in the Eastern Conference, a third of the way through the NBA season.
Despite the good start, Philadelphia does seem to be one player away from being on the same level as the Celtics.
Joel Embiid of the 76ers shoots over Precious Achiuwa of the Toronto Raptors at the Wells Fargo Center on December 22, 2023 in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
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“I think we’re good enough,” Joel Embiid told ESPN earlier this month. “[Boston and Milwaukee], those teams are great. They have good players on paper. like you guys [in the media] Like I said, they’re better than us,” he continued, ironically.
“Whatever happens, happens. If we add whoever, that’s good. If we don’t, we’ll still go out and fight and try to win. But I believe in what we have. And we’re going to do what we can.” the best possible job.”
The NBA trade deadline is February 8.
Miami Heat: Prove people wrong again
He Miami Heat They continually make the NBA “experts” eat their words.
Last year, the Heat snuck into the NBA Playoffs via the Play-In Tournament, only to defeat the top-seeded Bucks in the first round.
After defeating The New York KnicksMiami managed to win a Game 7 on the road in the Eastern Conference Finals after blowing a 3-0 lead.
The Heat just won’t die, and after striking out Lillard and Jrue Holiday over the summer, the Heat are 19-13 and tied for fourth in the East.
Orlando Magic: ahead of schedule
It was just two years ago when the Magic went 22-60 and secured the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Orlando selected Paulo Banchero first overall and now have a true franchise player going forward, along with a legitimate second option in Franz Wagner.
The Magic’s Paolo Banchero grabs a defensive rebound against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Kia Center on December 27, 2023 in Orlando, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images))
The Magic are ahead of schedule and looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Find out what to do with Donovan Mitchell
When the Cavaliers made the big trade for David Mitchell Before last season, they were taking a calculated risk.
Cleveland was never Mitchell’s first choice, but the Cavaliers gave him a chance to compete for a championship. Through the first 32 games of the 2023-24 season, it is evident that the Cavaliers are not a championship-caliber team as they have dealt with numerous injuries.
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With Mitchell set to be a free agent in 2025, many have floated the idea of the four-time All-Star being traded before this year’s deadline or during the offseason. However, the Cavs have “maintained a commitment to this core of four All-Star talents,” according to Yahoo Sports.
Western Conference
Minnesota Timberwolves: Translating regular season success to the postseason
When the minnesota wolves traded for Rudy Gobert ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season, most felt they gave up too much for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Last season, the combination with Karl-Anthony Towns was difficult as Minnesota was eliminated from the playoffs in the first round.
So far in 2023, the Timberwolves sit atop the Western Conference with a 24-7 record.
Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the Grizzlies game at FedExForum on December 8, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Minnesota ranks first in defensive rating (108.1) and has a legitimate star in Antonio Edwards. Getting the top seed and home field advantage would be huge for Minnesota.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Add a piece or stay?
He Oklahoma City Thunder They are really good.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate and Chet Holmgren will likely be Rookie of the Year.
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While the Thunder are certainly ahead of schedule, they are very young, which could be shown come playoff time.
With a treasure trove of draft picks at their disposal, the question is whether OKC adds a piece or decides to stay put.
Denver Nuggets: only coming to April
The Nuggets are defending NBA champions and remain the team to beat come the playoffs.
Denver could very well end up without the best record in the West, but the only thing that matters is that they are healthy for the playoffs. The Nuggets know who they are.
Los Angeles Clippers: Pray for the Big Three to be healthy come playoff time
The James Harden trade is working. The Clippers have won nine straight games to start December and are fourth in the West.
As is always the case with the Clippers, the health of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George will determine how far they can go in the spring.
Kawhi Leonard of the LA Clippers drives to the basket against Derrick Jones Jr. of the Mavericks at the American Airlines Center on December 20, 2023 in Dallas. (Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Leonard has missed the last few games with a hip contusion, but has played in 27 of 31 games this season.
Sacramento Kings: Making a move?
The Kings were the best story in the league last season, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 season, “turning on the lightning” after each victory.
The Kings finished with the league’s best offensive rating last season, but took a step back in 2023 and now sit 12th in the league.
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The Athletic’s Sam Amick jumped to Sactown Sports 1140 after a recent loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and said the Kings must be open to making a move in order to be considered contenders.
The NBA logo on a backboard before the game between the Denver Nuggets and the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena on October 30, 2023 in Denver. (C. Morgan Engel/Getty Images)
“I’ve said for a while, if this team wants to compete, it has to be pretty open to significant moves at the trade deadline,” Amick said. “That was the kind of loss, to me that’s it, now you know. And if something’s not there, you can’t force it. So that doesn’t mean something is definitely going to happen. But as far as the ceiling of this team, I thought which was a very bad sign.”
Dallas Mavericks: See how far Luka Doncic can take it
Luka Doncic has somehow taken things up a notch in his sixth NBA season.
The four-time All-Star is averaging 33.7 points (career-high) and 9.2 assists (also career-high) while the Mavericks have been without Kyrie Irving since the beginning of December.
Doncic left on Christmas Day, scoring 50 points and adding 15 assists, six rebounds and four steals.
