The Boston Celtics completed their quest for an 18th championship in a convincing five game triumph over the Dallas Mavericks. Their success came after years of falling just short and now that they're on top, there’s talk of a potential dynasty coming into effect. While they are understandably regarded as the favorites to repeat next season, there are a fair number of teams who are poised to knock off Boston. This list will only consist of teams who may have emerged as contenders. This excludes Longtime playoff teams and frontrunners like the Nuggets and 76ers and talented teams with shrinking windows such as the Bucks and Lakers.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves Although it was Dallas who beat Minnesota in the conference finals, the Timberwolves will take the top spot in this list. Minnesota won 56 games and appeared in their first conference finals since 2004. They beat veteran playoff teams such as the Phoenix Suns and the defending champion Denver Nuggets, before ultimately running out of gas. However, it’s easy to forget that if Minnesota’s offense didn’t go ice cold at the end of the first three games, it might’ve been a different series. Shooting guard Anthony Edwards fully emerged as a superstar this season. He improved in almost every phase and made All NBA for the first time at 22 years old. Edwards shares the backcourt with Mike Conley who gives the team a veteran presence as well as a mentor for their newest draft pick Rob Dillingham. The defense was anchored by Rudy Gobert, who bounced back after a rocky 2023 season to win Defensive Player of the Year, and Jaden McDaniels who made All-Defensive Second Team. Naz Reid gave the team depth winning Sixth Man of the Year and emerged as a clutch player in the playoffs. Minnesota’s biggest roster change was trading away homegrown star Karl Anthony-Towns to the Knicks for Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. Randle has made two All-NBA appearances in three years and was well on his way toward another last season before going down with a season ending shoulder injury. DiVincenzo is coming off a career year with 15 points on 40% three point shooting. His shooting off the catch will bring more diversity to the Minnesota offense. 2. New York Knicks The Knicks’ resurgence under head coach Tom Thibodeau continued in a big way in 2024. They won 50 games for the first time in 11 years and were one win from the Conference Finals before a mountain of injuries proved to be too much. But to even be in that position was impressive, and New York now has the formula to be a championship contender. Point guard Jalen Brunson is arguably the franchise’s best player at the position since Walt Frazier in the 1960s and 70s. His toughness and creativity captured the hearts of all Knick fans as he blossomed into one of the NBA’s premier point guards. Guys such as Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson all have their own abilities that benefit the team on offense and defense. They also pushed a lot of buttons this offseason bringing in Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges. Anthony-Towns does come at the cost of giving up Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, but he’s someone who can take lots of attention off Brunson with his floor spacing. Bridges fits Thibodeau’s system thanks to his durability, offensive production without being ball-dominant, and defensive prowess on the perimeter. The team also re-signed Anunoby and inked Brunson to a four year, $156 million extension. It was a team-friendly deal that will enable the Knicks to pursue other valuable assets in the future. If this team can stay healthy and mesh well, there will be orange and blue for a while in New York. 3. Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks were one of the league’s hottest teams during the final two months and proceeded to ride that momentum into the NBA Finals. While their run quickly ended in the hands of the Celtics, Dallas figures to remain in contention. Their biggest strength lies in the backcourt where Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving had no problem meshing in their first full season. Both players took turns showing off their impeccable ball handling and amazing shot-making as they engineered Dallas’ strong finish. They only got better in the playoffs where Doncic and Irving combined for the most playoff points by a starting backcourt duo in NBA history with 1,079. Dallas has fortified their roster through various trades going back to the 2023 draft. They acquired Dereck Lively from the Oklahoma City Thunder on that night, and later traded for PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford during the trade deadline. All of them emerged as key contributors throughout Dallas’ playoff run. Their most significant offseason move was signing Klay Thompson from the Golden State Warriors. It will be interesting to see how he fits with Irving and Doncic. Thompson’s best days from the Golden State Warriors may be past him, but his ability to score off the ball could be a great compliment for ball-dominant players like Irving and Doncic. 4. Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder continued their resurgence from 2023 into last season. They claimed the number one seed in the Western Conference and won their first playoff series since 2016 before falling to the Mavericks in the semifinals. Their turnaround came on the strength of their big three, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. Each of them were impactful thanks to their own skill sets. Gilgeous-Alexander made his second straight first team All-NBA and looks like he can lead a championship team. Holmgren showed no signs of a foot injury that kept him out all of 2023, and had a strong rookie season. He can score inside or outside and is already one of the top rim protectors. Jalen Willams would be a number two or even a first option on multiple teams thanks to his playmaking and versatility. While the loss to Dallas was a bit of a letdown given the Thunder having home court advantage, the experience should only make a talented team better going forward. To help instill that mindset, they added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein who have adequate playoff experience. They additionally make numerous plays on offense that don’t show up in the statsheet, and while elevating an already stingy defense. Comments are closed.
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Date Published
February 2025
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