The offseason dust has just settled and with the start of the 2024-25 NBA regular season in about two months, it’s time to get into prediction mode. Recently, the main hub here at SB Nation released the “8 NBA Teams That Can Win the NBA Championship” and the The Philadelphia 76ers were part of this group. I’ll take it!
Anyway, I thought this would be an interesting exercise to do and say what I agree with and what I disagree with, and of course, we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. I’ll quickly describe the teams chosen in the different tiers, and then give my take on each team.
Long shots: Bucks, Timberwolves
The black horses: KnicksSixers
Competitors: Nuggets, Mavericks, Thunder, The Celts
Milwaukee: The Bucks have a weaker supporting cast than previous iterations of the team, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is still capable of looking like the best player in the world at the right time, and I’m willing to give the Giannis-Damian Lillard duo a one-year grace period to find their feet. I obviously don’t trust Doc Rivers to lead a team to the promised land in the new Roaring Twenties, but the underdog status seems appropriate.
Minnesota: The Wolves just defeated the defending champion Nuggets before losing to the Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Anthony Edwards is only 23 years old and is on a rapid rise as one of the league’s most beloved stars. Honestly, I think the risky bet is too low and Minnesota should be promoted to the next level.
New York: As a huge Villanova As a basketball fan and lifelong Knicks hater, I am perpetually torn about what is happening in the Big Apple. The acquisition of Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson’s pay cut in favor of a friendship is a huge boon for the Nova Knicks, but I think they will miss Isaiah Hartenstein more than people are saying. Ultimately, though, I don’t think Thibs’ “run everyone down” style can last through four rounds of the playoffs. We just saw everyone on the Knicks collapse in the second round last spring. I understand giving them underdog status out of respect, but I would probably put the Knicks in second place.
Philadelphia: Much like getting an invite to your college birthday, it sure feels good to be included. We all know the Sixers haven’t advanced past the second round in the Joel Embiid era (or any era since 2001), and ultimately, they’re going to need the big man to stay healthy to do so. Hopefully, the continued rise of Tyrese Maxey, the arrival of Paul George, and an improved supporting cast will allow Joel to properly handle the workload, coming into the playoffs relatively fresh to take this team to previously uncharted heights.
Denver: There’s no denying that the Nuggets don’t have as deep a roster as they did when they won the title two summers ago. However, we just saw Nikola Jokic nearly defeat a generational group of American stars with nothing but Bogdan Bogdanovic, a trombone, and a rubber band. If you have the Joker still in his prime, you maintain your status as a contender.
Dallas: The Mavericks are coming off a Finals finish and Luka Doncic is only 25. Dereck Lively II should be even better in his second season and the addition of Klay Thompson is at least intriguing. I wouldn’t have argued if Dallas was a lower rung of the underdog spectrum, especially given how tough the West is, but I understand the respect for the Finals runner-up.
Oklahoma City: The Thunder have a formidable core of players 26 and under and have made some useful acquisitions in Alex Caruso and Hartenstein. With Sam Presti holding half the draft picks for the next decade and all the options that will allow the franchise to continue to build its roster, OKC should be in a contender position for the foreseeable future. That’s where Sam Hinkie’s cronies come in and say that could have been us in Philadelphia.
Boston: It pains me to say it, but the defending champion Celtics are the legitimate favorites. They have the easiest path in the Eastern Conference and their two best players continue to improve. With all the key pieces returning, Boston is once again the team to beat. I can’t talk positively about the Celtics anymore.
I don’t think they should necessarily be there, but I’m a little surprised Miami wasn’t mentioned as an underdog. I guess the Jimmy Buckets mystique is starting to fade a bit. Phoenix is the team I probably would have included as an underdog. They finished just one game behind Dallas in the regular season standings, and it seemed like the Western Conference playoffs were more about matchups than anything else, with Minnesota being a bad opponent for the Suns. I’m not ready to completely write off a team with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, and getting Tyus Jones at the minimum for a veteran was one of the great deals of the offseason.
What do you think? Are there any other teams that you think are being overlooked? Let us know below.
