 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.  Last Friday, the New York Knicks traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo among others to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl Anthony-Towns in a blockbuster move. The timing of the trade is surprising given that most moves happen in July, and the NBA season starts in less than a month. As for the players involved, it seems like a decent trade on paper. The Knicks still are among the league’s contenders, but they are rolling the dice in more ways than one.
On the positive side, Towns is very talented. He possesses a unique skill set for a big man thanks to his ability to score in the paint and beyond the three point arc. He has averaged over 20 points in the last eight seasons to go along with a career average 10 rebounds. Towns’ skills on the perimeter particularly separate him from other big men. His 39.8% three point shooting is the best among all centers in NBA history, which should benefit the Knicks who will now have even more floor spacing. Towns gave fans a preview of that skillset in their opening preseason game when he drained a 27 foot three pointer for his first points. https://x.com/CourtsideBuzzX/status/1843038325764149598 He also began to embrace the role of a number two option in Minnesota, which bodes well for Jalen Brunson. The Knicks clearly want to maximize Brunson’s skills and Towns gives them a legitimate scoring threat who can space the floor. Both of their skill sets give them the potential to be a dangerous offense duo. I attended their preseason game against the Washington Wizards and was already impressed by the two-man game between both players. Towns' floor spacing allows him to succeed on the pick and roll or pick and pop. He's also capable of setting up Brunson to score as Towns is a decent passer for his position. From a lineup standpoint, the Knicks likely felt they had a surplus of guys who play both shooting guard and small forward. When they traded for Mikal Bridges back in June, it meant that DiVincenzo and Josh Hart would be playing reduced minutes. While the Knicks could’ve used a committee to give Bridges, DiVincenzo, and Hart similar minutes, this trade helps give them more stability in that area. Bridges and Hart will be playing the same range of minutes from around 30-35 a game which gives them more chances to be impactful. More importantly, Towns has helped turn the Timberwolves into a regular playoff team. They’ve made three straight playoff appearances with this past season being their deepest playoff run in 20 years. His growing playoff experience fits well with a Knicks team that has also made the playoffs three times in the last four years. However, there are also multiple risks that come with this trade. Towns hasn’t exactly been healthy in recent years. Since 2019, Towns has played 250 out of 382 games, which is a vast comparison to Randle who only missed 17 games in four seasons before suffering a season ending shoulder injury in January. Discipline is also a problem for Towns. He has gotten in foul trouble in each of his last three playoff appearances, which ultimately affected his minutes down the stretch. Given that discipline is a huge component of the Knicks defense, Towns doesn’t have to be an elite rim protector like Dikembe Mutombo, but he has to play smarter on that end. Even if he does happen to be everything the Knicks hope, they need his production to be sustainable in the long term. Towns has a large contract that will kick in starting this season. Whereas Randle was eligible for a four year, $181 million extension, Towns’ salary will be four years and $220 million. The lowest the Knicks will have to pay in a single season will be the $49 million he’s owed this year. Finally, there’s the fact that Randle and DiVincenzo have already proved to be critical pieces for the Knicks. Randle is one of the prime reasons why the Knicks have become a winning team. When the Knicks signed Randle, they were coming off a 17 win season. Since then, Randle has made the Knicks into a regular playoff team. Each year, he’s gotten better and has three all star appearances and two All-NBA selections to back it up. He was well on his way to another All-NBA appearance before injuring his shoulder in January. DiVincenzo blossomed into an essential contributor in his lone season with the Knicks. A fiery competitor, DiVincenzo averaged a career high 15.5 points on 40% three-point shooting. He was one of the few Knicks who was healthy the entire season and he only got better as the season went on. In the playoffs, DiVincenzo relished big moments, hitting multiple go-ahead shots under the final minute. This is the definition of a blockbuster move. Towns gives the Knicks a player that is talented and capable of complementing Brunson. If he can stay healthy, Towns will thrive on the offensive end and give New York another threat to close out games. However, the Knicks are risking the chemistry on the team. Despite the injuries, the Knicks were a very tight-knit team that embraced all of their responsibilities. Lots of Knicks fans anticipate what a healthier version would look like, and there’s still plenty of reason to be excited. However, team chemistry will be another thing to watch more than last year. |
Date Published
October 2024
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