Where the teams stand in the 2024-25 season – NBC10 Philadelphia

A new NBA season is just around the corner and a lot has happened since confetti fell at TD Garden following the Boston Celtics’ NBA Finals triumph over the Dallas Mavericks.

Free agency saw some familiar faces land in new places. In Paris, some of the NBA’s biggest stars joined forces to win a gold medal with the red, white and blue. Then there was a blockbuster in the Big Apple that caused a stir just weeks before the premiere.

Who will emerge as the winner this season? Here’s a look at how each team performs in the new campaign.

30. Detroit Pistons

2023-24 record: 14-68, missed playoffs

Come on, Cade. Get this team moving in the right direction.

29. Brooklyn Nets

2023-24 record: 32-50, missed playoffs

Life comes at you fast. The Nets went from a KD-Kyrie-Harden Big 3 to the Cam Thomas Show in just a few years. At least they can finally look forward to a lottery.

28. Portland Trail Blazers

2023-24 record: 21-61, missed playoffs

Meet the Western Conference doormat.

27.Washington Wizards

2023-24 record: 15-67, missed playoffs

Alex Sarr is in the nation’s capital and can now experience the second year of the Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole experiment up close.

26. Charlotte Hornets

2023-24 record: 21-61, missed playoffs

If LaMelo Ball stays healthy, the Hornets could be in contention for a chance at another play-in loss. Worst case scenario, it could be another lost season in Charlotte.

25. Chicago Bulls

2023-24 record: 39-43, lost in play-in tournament

Lonzo Ball is back! However, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso are not. This could be the beginning of the end in Chicago.

24. Toronto Raptors

2023-24 record: 25-57, missed playoffs

The Raptors finally put their fire sale behind them last season. Now it’s time to see which players will stay alongside Scottie Barnes in the future.

23. Utah Jazz

2023-24 record: 31-51, missed playoffs

Are the Jazz closer to the .500 team from the first half of 2023-24 or the one that slipped in the second half? Even if Will Hardy coaches this team, it’s probably the latter.

22. Atlanta Hawks

2023-24 record: 36-46, lost in play-in tournament

The Hawks ended up sharing the backcourt between Trae Young and Dejounte Murray and got a lucky draw in the lottery, even if this was a year after the Victor Wembanyama sweep. Top pick Zaccharie Risacher is causing some intrigue in Atlanta.

21. San Antonio Spurs

2023-24 record: 22-60, missed playoffs

Speaking of Wembanyama, Spurs’ prized phenom is truly one of a kind. However, it could be another year before fans get to see the play-offs at Wemby.

20. Houston Rockets

2023-24 record: 41-41, missed playoffs

The Rockets ran out of gas last season en route to a potential play-in berth. If Ime Udoka’s side doesn’t get there this time, it might be time to move some of their young guys into a proven product.

19. Los Angeles Clippers

2023-24 record: 51-31, lost in first round

The Clippers are entering a new era in LA that won’t include Paul George. The burden will still be on the shoulders of Kawhi Leonard, who is already sidelined with a lingering knee injury, and things could go downhill quickly if he isn’t on the court soon.

18. Golden State Warriors

2023-24 record: 46-36, lost in play-in tournament

The Warriors are another team entering 2024-25 without one of the faces of their franchise. Her other Splash brother, Steph Curry, showed at the Olympics that he is still capable of putting a team on his back.

Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Steve Kerr discuss winning gold in men’s basketball at the Paris Olympics.

17. New Orleans Pelicans

2023-24 record: 49-33, lost in first round

The Pelicans can reach an elite ceiling in spurts. It’s about making everything fit together – and keeping Zion Williamson on the court. After a 70-game season in 2023-24, the NBA’s strongest overachiever may have finally turned things around.

16. Orlando Magic

2023-24 record: 47-35, lost in first round

I fully agree that this is too low for Orlando and could very well be the lowest place the team finishes in any power rankings for the foreseeable future. Paolo Banchero will be even better, as will Franz Wagner when he rediscovers his shooting style. The other teams ahead of them are just further along on their path to the championship.

15. Miami Heat

2023-24 record: 46-36, lost in first round

The Heat seemed bored with the regular season last year and had to settle for the No. 8 seed in the East. They need to increase the intensity to avoid settling for the play-in again.

14. Los Angeles Lakers

2023-24 record: 47-35, lost in first round

LeBron James and Anthony Davis proved in Paris that they are still among the best players in the world. With the addition of JJ Redick and Bronny James, will the team be more of a LakeShow or a Sideshow?

The father-son duo made NBA history when Bronny James entered the Suns-Lakers preseason game with his father, LeBron James, also on the court.

13. Sacramento Kings

2023-24 record: 46-36, lost in play-in tournament

Sacramento needs DeMar DeRozan to be a difference-maker to keep up with West. By putting him alongside De’Aaron Fox, the Kings now have two of the most reliable closers in the league.

12. Indiana Pacers

2023-24 record: 47-35, lost in Eastern Conference finals

They may not have won a game in the series, but the undermanned Pacers opened some eyes with their performance in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Unless they make major improvements on defense, it’s hard to imagine them making it this far in this year’s playoffs.

11. Memphis Grizzlies

2023-24 record: 27-55, missed playoffs

Memphis is one of the biggest wild cards in the entire NBA. Just like Ja Morant’s vertical, the Grizzlies have an incredibly high ceiling when their superstar is available. After a turbulent 2023/24 season, can he recapture the magic of two seasons ago?

10. Cleveland Cavaliers

2023-24 record: 48-34, lost in second round

Donovan Mitchell may have signed a contract extension this summer, but the Cavs’ core four is once again on the line. If Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen encounter any more chemistry issues, expect the same old questions after the season.

9. Phoenix Suns

2023-24 record: 49-33, lost in first round

The Suns posted a 26-15 record in regular season games last season when Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal played. However, that didn’t stop them from being eliminated from the playoffs. For the trio, it’s now or never.

8. Milwaukee Bucks

2023-24 record: 49-33, lost in first round

The Bucks need this to be the year Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard make it. If not, the East could well bypass them.

7. Philadelphia 76ers

2023-24 record: 47-35, lost in first round

Another year, another superstar teammate for Joel Embiid. Tyrese Maxey reached this level last season, and Paul George is along for the ride. The biggest win the Sixers can achieve in the regular season is a healthy Embiid and George in April.

Paul George sat down with Amy Fadool and Marc Jackson during Sixers Media Day and discussed his decision to sign with the Sixers and how he believes he will handle the pressure of playing against Philadelphia.

6. Minnesota Timberwolves

2023-24 record: 56-26, lost in second round

The Timberwolves received a wake-up call in the Western Conference Finals and responded by trading one of their best players in Karl-Anthony Towns. Anthony Edwards enjoyed a rapid rise between the 2024-25 season and the Olympics, and he will continue to rise with a new supporting cast.

5. New York Knicks

2023-24 record: 50-32, lost in second round

New York decided to abandon the entire Nova Knicks experiment and instead turned Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo into Towns. The Knicks are clearly aiming for the Eastern Conference championship and are strong enough to make a real attempt.

4. Denver Nuggets

2023-24 record: 57-25, lost in second round

The Joker’s title defense turned into a Folie à Deux after the Nuggets blew a 20-point lead in a home Game 7 in the second round. However, this is a three-time MVP, so we can expect Nikola Jokic to pull even more greatness up his sleeve.

3. Dallas Mavericks

2023-24 record: 50-32, lost in NBA Finals

The Mavericks dominated the team that eliminated the defending champions last season. If Luka Doncic can learn from his 2024 Finals failure and Klay Thompson can restart his career in a new environment, this team is poised to be the best in the West once again.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder

2023-24 record: 57-25, lost in second round

OKC was ahead of schedule when it captured the top spot in the West last season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are more experienced, while the team added even more defensive strength with Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein.

1. Boston Celtics

2023-24 record: 64-18, won NBA Finals

The 2023-24 NBA champions take “run it back” to a new level. With the Celtics’ top nine coming off their dominant, title-winning season – and some extra motivation for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – they are the clear team to beat in the NBA.

Jayson Tatum is excited to be back with his team after the offseason. At media day he spoke with Chris Forsberg about the Celtics’ team chemistry.