Believe it or not, the NBA season begins tonight with the Boston Celtics celebrating their banner night when they host the New York Knicks at TD Garden. It should be an interesting matchup because the two top Eastern contenders will face off in an early test. At the starting point of the season, every team dreams of lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy. In the past, only five teams had the realistic possibility of challenging for the title despite the league-wide aspirations. However, in the era of parity, we have at least ten teams who can be considered contenders for the chip. The parity exists because there have been no repeat champions in the past six seasons. So, Who will make the playoffs? Who will win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year? And which team will win and have a parade after lifting the trophy? In this article, we make five bold predictions for the 2024-25 season.
1. East Playoff Seeds-Last season, it felt like there was a disparity between the Boston Celtics and every other team in the conference. The Celtics finished with a 64-18 record and lapping the field by 14 games ahead of the New York Knicks, who won the second seed. However, only four games separated the Knicks and the 8th-seeded Miami Heat. I think the Celtics’ advantage over the field has shrunk based on the Knicks’ acquisition of Karl Anthony-Towns and Mikal Bridges, while the Sixers improved by signing Paul George and retooling the supporting cast. I have the Celtics grabbing the best record, but they will do so with a 61-21. I have the Knicks grabbing the second seed, followed by the Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, and Philadelphia 76ers. I think the uncertainty surrounding Joel Embiid and the propensity of Paul George to get injured will prevent the 76ers from challenging for home-court advantage. It will be interesting to see whether the Dame Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combination will fare better in year two. Also, the Magic and Pacers were the young teams that surprised, and the expectations will be much higher after good seasons. In the play-in, I have the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors.
2. West Playoff Seeds- last season, the Oklahoma City Thunder shocked the NBA World by being the number one seed and making it to the Western Conference Finals. It felt like the Thunder were ahead of schedule with one of the youngest rosters in the league. I think the experience last season and the talent at their disposal will make this team hard. The front office improved the roster by acquiring Alex Caruso and signing Isaiah Hartenstein from the Chicago Bulls and the Knicks. I have them retaining the number one seed in the conference. I have the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, and New Orleans Pelicans avoiding the tournament. In the Play-in tournament, I have the Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and the San Antonio Spurs. I think the Pelicans will be an automatic seed rather than being in the tournament because the acquisition of Dejante Murray without losing a key player is an underrated move this off-season. Also, I think the Spurs will take a leap because Chris Paul will have Victor Wembanyama in the right position to dominate.
3. Team to Under Achieve-my prediction for the team to under-achieve is the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers were the fourth seed last season and lost in the first round to the Mavericks in six games. However, the team lost perennial All-Star Paul George in the off-season and recently received devastating news that Kawhi Leonard will be out indefinitely to start the season. Leonard has missed over 50% of his games while under contract with the Clippers and cannot be relied upon to deliver due to his injury record. It means that James Harden will be the high-profile franchise player when they open the Intuit Dome this season. James Harden is no longer the All-Star player when compared to his days in Houston playing in Mike Dantoni’s system. It will be an underwhelming season, and it could get ugly because I have them missing the playoffs.
4. Under the Radar Team- the team I predict will overachieve after flying under the radar is the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies struggled last season by finishing with a 27-55 record after Ja Morant was suspended for the first 25 games and then suffered major injuries to key players. However, I expect Memphis to play with a chip on their shoulder and return to the form of their 2022 and 2023 seasons when they won 56 and 51 games. The Grizzlies will have a healthy and motivated Ja Morant, and Marcus Smart will return to his best after seeing his former team win the title. Jaren Jackson Jr will consider his snub last season in the All-Defense team as disrespectful. Desmond Bane and Brandon Clarke will be better as young players, while Zach Edey’s size and skill are what they need. I have them as a top-four seed.
5. MVP and D-POY-my pick to win MVP is Luka Doncic. The Slovenian averaged 30.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds last season. However, I think he will be more motivated to dominate this season because many questioned his greatness after struggling defensively in the NBA Finals. Luka is uniquely primed to achieve the landmark award because he will have the ball in his hand whether to score or set up his teammates. As for the Defensive Player of the Year, I have Victor Wenbanyama winning this award. At 7 feet 4 inches, Victor is an intimidating player by protecting the paint, blocking jumpers, and initiating fast break opportunities. Wembanyama will be so good as a defender, it might result in the first unanimous selection.
6. Conference and Finals Winner- I have the Boston Celtics defeating the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Final. I think the Knicks will be worthy foes in this hard-fought matchup, but the Celtics balance between attack and defense will give them an edge in this series. In the West, my pick to win the conference is the Denver Nuggets over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Nuggets underwhelmed in the defense of their title last season, but I think Mike Malone is a good coach, and Jokic and Murray will thrive in the role of being the hunter rather than the hunted. I have the Celtics winning back-to-back in a classic matchup of the last two champions. The duo of Brown and Tatum will feel slighted by the non-selection and benching by the Olympic team and the criticism that they enjoyed an easy path to the title. Kristaps Porzingis remains a key component and makes this team hard to beat. Celtics win banner 19.