THE Kings 2024-25 NBA Season Schedule is out, which means the games are just around the corner and the predictions and power rankings can begin in earnest.
A lot can change in a year, as Sacramento has proven over the past two seasons. end 17-year playoff drought In 2022-23, with a 48-34 record and third place in the Western Conference, the Kings finished last season with a 46-36 record and ninth place in the conference. Two fewer wins dropped them six spots and out of a playoff spot — and it won’t get any easier in the 2024-25 campaign.
The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics may seem like the beasts of the East, but that’s not so evident in the Wild West.
Teams have been busy this offseason, with some making franchise moves in hopes of reaching the playoffs next year. Sacramento acquired DeMar DeRozanPaul George is no longer in Los Angeles, and Klay Thompson left behind a dynasty in Golden State for a promise in Dallas.
So who’s the best in the West, and who will have a hard time escaping the draft lottery? Here’s a projected ranking of where each team will be in the conference, in four distinct tiers.
Level 4: Bottom of the Barrel
15. Portland Trail Blazers
14. San Antonio Spurs
13. Utah Jazz
12. Houston Rockets
There’s not much to say about the Trail Blazers, who finished last in the West last season with a 21-61 record. Anfernee Simons is coming off a breakout year and will look to replicate it in his seventh season with the Blazers, and Jerami Grant has proven he still has plenty of fuel in his tank as he enters his 11th NBA season. They also have some exciting young players on the rise to watch in Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, but their time isn’t here. Honestly, it probably isn’t anytime soon, either.
The Spurs, led by the defending champion Victor Wembanyama, NBA Rookie of the Yearare undoubtedly on the rise. They finished 14th in the West last season but made some key offseason additions, including the signing of Hall of Fame point guard Chris Paul and the trade for forward Harrison Barnes from the Kings, in addition to UConn drafts exciting guard Stephon Castle No. 4 overall. But like most things in life, great things take time. It won’t be long before Wemby becomes the face of the league, but that time has not yet come.
The only interesting thing about the Jazz is 7-foot-4 Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen, who has been the subject of trade rumors all offseason. After months of conflicting reports and trade efforts by interested teams, Markkanen signed a $100 million deal. five-year, $238 million contract to stay in Utah, which means that until the Jazz make more massive additions to their roster, Markkanen will continue to be the one thing to watch in Salt Lake City for the next few years.
The Rockets (41-41) finished 11th in the West last season but have made an inspiring surge, with a 10-game winning streak that puts them just one game behind the Warriors for the final spot in the play-in tournament. That prompted the Rockets forward Tari Eason Makes Odd Poke Fun at Warriors Before their last game, however, Houston had caught up, and until it can do what it believes is the way Eason, Dillon Brooks and other Rockets players so often do, the team will only continue to show its potential in successive waves.
Level 3: Wild Cards
11. Golden State Warriors
10. Los Angeles Clippers
9. The New Orleans Pelicans
This time, it was tough. The only reason the Pelicans are here and not in the sleeper category is for one reason only: LeBron James. The Pelicans are a better team on paper than the Lakers, but it’s hard to completely rule out a James-led team.
And like the Lakers, the Pelicans have a tough time relying on their star(s). Former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson missed just 12 games last season but has played just 114 games overall over a four-season span. Additionally, Brandon Ingram’s future with the franchise is uncertain, as he’s been linked to trade rumors all offseason. New Orleans added Dejounte Murray, which on paper looks dangerous and gives the team a reliable playmaker. But the reality is that there’s only one ball to share between Murray, Zion, Ingram and CJ McCollum. It’s just not an ideal situation in The Big Easy.
The Clippers won’t be able to escape the “little brother” label in Los Angeles until they win an NBA title. They haven’t even managed to reach the NBA Finals – to this day, they are the oldest North American professional sports franchise to have never played in a championship game. the loss of paul georgewho joined Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers in the East, their championship destiny now rests on aging stars Kawhi Leonard (33) and James Harden (34).
As with James and the Lakers, it’s hard to rule out a team with Steph Curry, but the Warriors have yet to find a reliable second option to back him up. They missed their two biggest targets of the offseason The Warriors lost their team in George and Markkanen, and they lost franchise icon Thompson. Golden State made some notable additions — signing De’Anthony Melton and acquiring Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield — but it’s unclear whether those additions made the team better or worse. The youngsters — Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis — will lead the franchise in the post-Curry years. But until the Warriors find a true second scorer, the West is too loaded for Curry’s exploits.
Level 2: The Sleepers
8. The Los Angeles Lakers
7. Sacramento Kings
6. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Phoenix Suns
If the Olympics have shown us anything, it’s that time has no effect on James. While his greatness cannot be questioned, his reliability as a a man of almost 40 years old Sometimes he can. He played 71 games last season, but only 45, 56 and 55 respectively in the three previous campaigns. His star teammate, Anthony Daviswas fairly reliable last season, missing just six games (his 76 games played were the most in a season during his 12-year NBA career), but like James, he wasn’t as reliable in the previous three seasons, being available for just 56, 40 and 36 games, respectively.
Additionally, the Lakers’ most talked-about offseason changes include hiring JJ Redick as coach and selecting Bronny James — two people who won’t be on the court with James and Davis when the going gets tough and the playoff race tightens. But these are the Lakers, and if recent history is any indication, they’ll start slow and ragged, but somehow manage to claw their way into one of the final playoff spots in the West.
By adding DeRozan, the Kings are looking to prove that their fairytale 2022-23 season wasn’t just a short-lived, feel-good story. They’re serious about competing with the best of the best, and the DeRozan-De’Aaron Fox backcourt duo, alongside versatile center Domantas Sabonis, should be dangerous. Add in Keegan Murray, who’s set for a crucial third year, and Malik Monk, who saw just enough potential in Sacramento’s future accept a pay cut this offseason to remain a king. Maybe one day the rest of the NBA world will see that potential too.
Two seasons ago, the Grizzlies were the No. 2 seed in the West and as fun to watch on the court as their viral tunnel dances. But their greatest strength was also their greatest flaw: being young. Mistakes were made and lessons (hopefully) were learned. But Memphis now has veteran leaders in Derrick Rose and Marcus Smart, and after a year of the absolute worst injury luck, signs point to Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson Jr. being hungrier than ever to return to relevance.
No one can single-handedly fix the Suns franchise, but if there’s one coach who can lead it in the right direction, it’s Mike Budenholzer. The new Phoenix coach has plenty of talent to work with in Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and company, who finished sixth in the Western Conference playoffs last season but were eliminated afterward. swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. As embarrassing as the Suns organization has been over the years, I think last season will motivate them for the new campaign.
Level 1: Best of the West
4. Denver Nuggets
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Dallas Mavericks
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Nuggets aren’t the same team they were when they won their first NBA title two seasons ago. While Denver still relies on three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and point guard Jamal Murray, the loss of veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the Orlando Magic in free agency has dropped them from the undisputed No. 1 seed to, well, not at all. But Jokić is still Jokić, and the Nuggets aren’t about to disappear completely.
As with OKC, it’s hard to pick on the Timberwolves. Well, maybe not if you’re Draymond Green, aka the team president. anti-Rudy Gobert fan club. But Anthony Edwards has captured the hearts of many basketball fans, with his charismatic personality, breathtaking athleticism and undeniable talent. Oh, and his confidence is next level. While playing with the NBA’s best on Team USA at the Paris Olympics, Edwards confidently proclaimed that he was the “No. 1 pick.” And for most of the tournament, he was, leading the Americans in points. Edwards and the Timberwolves can only go from strength to strength.
Sure, the defending conference champion Mavs disappointed in the Finals, but this is the West. There was a lot of talk about how well Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving would mesh together, and while it took a while, once they figured it out, it was like magic. Add in four-time NBA champion Thompson, and this dominant duo has become a transcendent trio that could be hard to dethrone.
If the Thunder aren’t your favorite to win the West Division, what do you do? They were the No. 1 seed last season after winning 57 games, and even though they fell in the second round of the playoffs to the Mavericks, they’re young and fun, and their chemistry is admirable because they play good team basketball. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished second in the 2023-24 NBA MVP voting, averaged 30.1 points per game last season, and a double-double (or near-double) season could be in the cards for center Chet Holmgren. OKC also drafted everyone’s favorite guard Alex Caruso and signed 7-foot-4 big man Isaiah Hartenstein. Their viral postgame interviews captivated the NBA world last season, and they could do so again as they represent the West Division in the Finals.
