Plenty of potential contenders or playoff groups are coping with accidents. Which franchises do you suppose will endure essentially the most early within the season?
Marilin Dubinski: Boston and Indiana instantly come to thoughts as a result of in contrast to different groups talked about, they misplaced their finest participant AND have the farthest to fall, having gained or been to the final two finals. Now, with every lacking their finest gamers whereas struggling some vital losses in free company, it’s wanting like they’ll fall from contenders to lower-seeded playoff groups (the East continues to be that unhealthy). We’ve already seen playoff groups like Philly and Memphis wrestle with accidents, in order that isn’t new. Houston is the wildcard. Fred VanVleet isn’t a celebrity, however he’s by far their finest flooring normal, and irrespective of how good or star-studded a staff is total, it may be a wrestle with out one.
Mark Barrington: The Celtics aren’t the identical staff with out Jayson Tatum, however they’re nonetheless good. I believe they’ll miss Horford greater than they count on to, as a result of he’s not only a stable participant, he’s an emotional anchor and chief within the locker room.
I believe the most important query mark is the Sixers. I’ll imagine that Joel Embiid can play an entire season after I see it. I’ve no doubts about how powerful the man is and the way onerous he works, however I simply don’t know if his physique can maintain up for a complete season. And he’s about as wholesome as he ever is to begin the season this 12 months. Paul George is one other participant who’s nice in concept, however whose physique isn’t holding up effectively at this level in his profession.
The Rockets are going to be nice. They’ve a lot expertise that they’re going to have the ability to do very well within the common season with out VanVleet. I don’t know in the event that they’ll maintain up within the playoffs with out his management and psychological toughness, however they weren’t going to have the ability to beat the Thunder in a playoff sequence anyway, even with Fred. Extra enjoying time for the younger guys will profit their staff in the long term. They will be good for some time.
With Eric Spoelstra, the Warmth are by no means out of the hunt. Herro will miss the primary couple of months of the season, however the Warmth might be within the playoff image come spring, and Tyler must be a key a part of them advancing within the playoffs. They in all probability gained’t be within the high 4, however they don’t must be to make a run at profitable the Japanese Convention.
Devon Birdsong: The Pacers and Celtics have balanced sufficient staff make-up and savvy sufficient coaches + group stability that I believe they’ll be surprisingly good regardless of their lacking stars. Houston is stacked sufficient that they need to be capable of climate their harm, even when they wrestle a bit out of the gate (including Durant was already going to pressure some changes anyway). I’d forged my vote for the 76ers, as they appear to be in a state of near-constant turmoil/uncertainty and harm issues. If sufficient little issues go fallacious along with every thing else, I believe they could possibly be a bottom-5 document. Even Memphis feels unlikely to fall that far, although the shine appears to be off the apple there for the primary time in a few seasons. Don’t sleep on issues trending the fallacious path for Milwaukee as effectively, as their roster appears extremely skinny. All it could take is a month or two with out Giannis to sink their season, as their margin for error feels slender at finest.
Jesus Gomez: I can undoubtedly see the Grizzlies struggling. Most of their bigs are injured they usually misplaced a stable depth piece in Jay Huff. Jaren Jackson Jr. is a star, however he’s not rebounder and would possibly really feel the bodily toll of enjoying middle full-time. Santi Aldama is feisty, however he doesn’t have the energy to protect conventional large males. Possibly they swap every thing to outlive on protection and Morant has a resurgence on offense, however I might see Memphis having a troublesome time early on. The Pelicans are additionally a franchise that might fall off as a consequence of harm and nobody can be shocked. Within the East, the 76ers are a big query mark and the Warmth appear one main harm away from catastrophe, however the convention is so weak that each groups might make the postseason.
Somebody within the West is sure to disappoint. How doubtless do you suppose the Spurs would be the ones to underperform offseason expectations? What must occur?
Dubinski: Not making the play-in at a naked minimal will surely make this season an enormous disappointment, and I believe, regardless of how deep the West is, the overall expectation is that they make the playoffs, even when it’s as a decrease seed by means of the play-in. As they confirmed by means of the primary a part of final season, when wholesome and clicking, they had been aggressive each night time, posting an 18-16 document earlier than the schedule received more durable and accidents took over. I imagine accidents to key gamers (like Wemby) can be the one factor that might derail them as a result of they’re so deep at each different place.
Barrington: It’s all about well being. We nonetheless haven’t seen Wembanyama play a full season within the league, so, pretty or not, his sturdiness is in query. I really feel actually good in regards to the type of preparation he’s carried out within the offseason, and the way he and the staff are caring for his physique. If Wembanyama performs 60 or extra video games, the Spurs are going to the playoffs, and I don’t imply the play-in match. E-book it.
Birdsong: Until the harm bug that’s bedeviled the Spurs over the past half-decade or so rears its head once more, I wouldn’t predict it as being very doubtless. Then once more, outdoors of San Antonio, expectations usually are not as excessive as they’re across the Alamo Metropolis. Most outdoors media members appear to count on the Spurs to fall someplace between the play-in and sixth seed, and that appears fairly achievable even with some accidents sprinkled in right here and there. I believe it could take a major season-ending harm and/or the collapse of the revamped teaching workers to fall in need of that.
Gomez: Chemistry points might actually torpedo the Spurs’ season, however they must be main ones. Mitch Johnson would possibly nonetheless must show he’s a tactical genius, however he did job of holding the locker room copacetic final season. The problem this 12 months comes from managing the guards and doubtlessly having to cut back the position of 1 or two pre-Wemby veterans, however he ought to be capable of do it. Aside from that, accidents appear to be the one main issues proper now.
Finest-case situation: How far do you suppose they will go this season? Play-in? Playoffs? Profitable no less than one sequence?
Dubinski: If every thing falls into place and the matchups are favorable, I imagine this staff could make the second spherical of the playoffs. Whereas they may all the time break that ceiling, it’s uncommon {that a} staff with little or no playoff expertise amongst its key gamers advances additional. (Keep in mind, even the “younger and inexperienced” Thunder, who gained the championship this 12 months, had been upset within the second spherical in 2024 regardless of being the highest seed, and that was a label they needed to shake.) As appears to be the case in each faucet these days, I imagine the Spurs will proceed to comply with the Thunder’s trajectory and get some playoff “expertise” this season earlier than breaking out in 2027.
Barrington: On the finish of final season, my opinion was that the Spurs had been a rebuilding staff with an extended technique to go, and had been a ceiling of play-in this season. After seeing the entire low season additions, and I’m counting gamers and training workers, I’m inspired sufficient to boost my expectations. This staff has nearly infinite potential. There are tons of fine groups within the west, however I really feel assured sufficient to say that the Spurs are one in all them. I can see them going to the second spherical and probably even making it to the convention finals. They’d want a ton of luck and growth to make it that far, however I’m beginning to imagine. And as excessive as my expectations are for 2025-2026, I believe that it’s just the start. This staff has the possibility to develop into a traditionally nice squad over the following decade.
Birdsong: Previous to Wemby’s season ending, the Spurs had been on tempo to win 45+ video games final season, and that was regardless of Pop’s medical scenario and Fox’s busted hand. If the teaching is pretty much as good as all of us hope, and accidents are minor, I don’t see any purpose why this staff can’t win 50+ video games and narrowly keep away from the play-in video games. Memphis, Dallas, and Sacramento might all find yourself very middling as a consequence of a mix of harm, teaching, and roster match. The Warriors had been additionally wanting fairly susceptible and haven’t made vital enhancements. And who even is aware of what’s going to occur with the Clippers, whose destiny appears tied to Kawhi Leonard in numerous methods. If chaos reigns, every thing goes proper for the Spurs, and a serious harm hits no less than one Western contender, I might see them making it so far as the Western Convention Finals. A loss within the 2nd spherical of playoffs appears extra doubtless, although, as this staff has treasured little postseason expertise.
Gomez: There’s a universe through which the Spurs determine their rotation, make one large commerce, and develop into a second-round staff with Convention Finals potential. It’s unlikely we stay in that universe, so I’ll go together with a high six document and a puncher’s probability to advance to the second spherical, which might imply a major step ahead for the franchise.
