We’re a couple of month into the 2024-25 NBA season, and a lot has occurred already. We’re seeing groups traverse the ebbs and flows of their expectations throughout lulls and excessive factors. Gamers have stepped up within the absence of stars. There have been gamers we’d forgotten about getting signed simply to assist area a rotation. We’re already seeing groups disintegrate proper in entrance of our eyes. That huge gulf between the East and West? It’s nonetheless there! All of this, and a extremely enjoyable second 12 months of the NBA Cup, is occurring thus far.
Right here’s your newest NBA Rewind!
Inventory Report prolonged
Groups just like the Milwaukee Bucks and LA Clippers have been written off due to accidents or poor teaching (Doc Rivers, not Ty Lue) or simply poor consideration to element. The Orlando Magic have been briefly written off after Paolo Banchero went down. Now, we’re singing their praises whereas questioning what’s flawed with an Jap Convention finalist and two groups now coping with massive accidents to main gamers. It’s the NBA Inventory Report, prolonged addition!
📈 Milwaukee Bucks (8-9): Do not forget that one-point Bucks loss to Charlotte that Doc Rivers blamed solely on the refs as a result of accountability is a fantasy? That’s the one factor conserving the Bucks from having received seven straight video games. As a substitute, they’re at 4 straight wins and nearly even on the season after beginning 2-8. This can be a massive step ahead for the Bucks, who’ve wins over Houston, Chicago and Indiana throughout this streak. Over the past seven video games, the Bucks are ninth in offense and seventh in protection. The schedule doesn’t seem like the hardest, however Milwaukee remains to be at the moment beating the groups in entrance of it. Throughout this stretch, Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 33.4 factors. 10.9 rebounds, 7.9 assists and capturing 60.8 p.c from the sphere.
GO DEEPER
Antetokounmpo-Lillard combo discovering its groove as ‘vibes … are excessive’ after Bucks high Pacers
📉 Indiana Pacers (7-10): The Pacers usually are not in a great place. Do not forget that free-wheeling, traditionally high-powered offense from final season? It was the second-best offense in NBA historical past, solely bested by final 12 months’s Celtics. Keep in mind Tyrese Haliburton enjoying like a mutated X-Males model of Steve Nash? He was averaging 23.8 factors, 12.5 assists and simply 2.5 turnovers with 49.7/40.3/86.8 capturing splits earlier than his hamstring damage final season. All of that has normalized in a nasty means. The Pacers are sixteenth in offense this season and have misplaced 5 of their final seven, and Haliburton nonetheless doesn’t look recovered from that hamstring damage. He’s averaging 15.8 factors, 8.5 assists and 1.8 turnovers with putrid 37.8/30.7/83.3 capturing splits this season. The place have the Pacers gone?
📈 LA Clippers (11-7): Don’t look now, however the Clippers have turn out to be a defensive juggernaut during the last week. Truly, I don’t know why I’m telling you to not look now. Clearly, that is one thing I deem noteworthy and assume you must take a look at. Hey, look! The Clippers have turn out to be a defensive juggernaut during the last week!
After a tough defensive highway journey, the Clippers have restricted the Jazz to 105 factors, the Warriors to 99, the Magic to 93, the Kings to 88, and what’s left of the Sixers to 99. All wins. The Clippers put up an unbelievable 98.4 defensive ranking throughout that five-game stretch. For a reference level, the Thunder have the perfect defensive ranking on the season, giving up 102.7 factors per 100 possessions. Ty Lue has this crew fifth within the league in defensive ranking for the season.
The Clippers’ protection has been a terror. (Kyle Ross / Imagn Pictures)
📉 New Orleans Pelicans (4-13): The Pelicans have been so dangerous, due to accidents, within the first month of the season that I checked to see if they’ve their first-round choose in 2025. They do, by the best way. The Pelicans are so injured, they signed Elfrid Payton earlier than a recreation final week. He hadn’t performed a recreation since April 2022. He began for the Pelicans after they signed him. They have been 3-3 on Nov. 1. They’ve misplaced 10 of 11. Throughout these 11 video games, their high six in minutes performed are Brandon Boston Jr., Brandon Ingram, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Javonte Inexperienced, Yves Missi and Jaylen Nowell. As if it might probably’t worsen, Zion Williamson’s PR crew can’t let that video exit. The web has not been form to it.
📈 Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic: Not solely are the Magic on an important run, successful eight of their final 9, but additionally Wagner has loved a stage of dominance we haven’t seen him maintain earlier than. Over these 9 video games (all with out Banchero), Wagner is averaging 28.3 factors, seven assists and 6.3 rebounds. Most significantly? He’s capturing 47.7 p.c from the sphere, 36.2 p.c from 3 and 90.2 p.c from the road.
The three-point capturing is the distinction between him being guardable and him being a viable No. 2 on a severe crew as soon as Paolo is again. After capturing about league common his first two seasons, Wagner made simply 28.1 p.c of his 3-pointers final season. It was an enormous and complicated regression. It didn’t deter the Magic from giving him a max contract extension this summer time. Now, he’s displaying that religion in him appears to be like fairly good.
GO DEEPER
Hollinger: Franz Wagner is writing his All-Star origin story
📉 Detroit Pistons (7-11): Keep in mind how we celebrated the Pistons for being on the best way up final week? Welp! That’s not a lot the case anymore. After being on the verge of .500 for the primary time this late into the season since 2018, the Pistons misplaced three straight video games to Chicago, Charlotte and Orlando. So as to add literal insult to damage, the Pistons misplaced Cade Cunningham to a hip damage after he had a tough fall on the finish of the loss to the Hornets. Hopefully, it’s not severe and he’ll be again any recreation now. The Pistons are about league common defensively thus far beneath J.B. Bickerstaff, however their offense has actually come up quick. It’s all relative, because it’s not anyplace near approaching final season’s catastrophe, however the Pistons need to really feel a bit of deflated right here.
📈 San Antonio Spurs (9-8): I used to be a bit of skeptical about placing the Spurs into this going into Saturday evening’s recreation, despite the fact that I actually like what we’ve seen out of them lately. Then, they rallied to beat the Warriors. Their three wins this week are over the Thunder, Jazz and Warriors. That’s an important run for a crew lacking Victor Wembanyama for 2 of these wins. San Antonio is now above .500 on the season and has the league’s eighth-best protection. Rookie Stephon Fortress appears to be like actually good and comfy on the market on each ends of the ground. The Harrison Barnes pickup has been great for them.
Huge Story: The East-West imbalance
One month into the season, there may be a lot to marvel at and have fun. We’re seeing unreal particular person performances, historic begins, dramatic storylines and, sadly, so many accidents. We’ve even had an important begin to the second inaugural NBA Cup (extra beneath). One of many larger tales I maintain seeing different individuals speak about, hear from pals and colleagues about, and may’t take my eyes off of is the imbalance between the Jap and Western conferences. It’s nearly alarming how massive the gulf is.
Any of my pals who’ve allegiances to Western Convention squads will typically lament the powerful begin of their crew or a nasty stretch for his or her beloved franchise, solely to then exclaim what their positioning could be within the East. For pals of mine who root for a crew within the East, nearly any alarming second or sluggish begin will finally get tagged with, “A minimum of it’s the East and we’ve loads of time to recuperate.” It makes me marvel how Pelicans followers really feel simply 17 video games into the season, when their 4-13 begin appears to be like like they need to already start doing a little scouting of Duke and Rutgers video games.
Then, you will have Philadelphia 76ers followers watching an incomprehensibly dangerous begin (3-13), however they might very simply speak themselves into being proper within the combine after they lastly get wholesome. Each the Sixers and the Pelicans have been decimated by accidents all through their rotation. And but, the Sixers know they will recuperate to make the highest six within the East. The Pelicans hope they haven’t misplaced an excessive amount of floor for simply competing for a Play-In Match spot by April.
The West is 44-25 in opposition to the East thus far. Listed here are extra information concerning the two conferences:
Jap Convention
- Groups are 116-135 (46.2 p.c).
- 5 groups are .500 or higher; 10 groups are beneath .500.
- Take away the highest two groups, and the East is 85-131 (39.3 p.c).
- The fourth crew within the East (New York Knicks at 9-7) could be tied for eighth within the West.
- Ten of the 15 worst offenses within the NBA are within the East.
- Ten of the 15 worst defenses within the NBA are within the East.
Western Convention
- Groups are 134-115 (53.8 p.c).
- 11 groups are .500 or higher; 4 groups are beneath .500.
- Take away the highest two groups, and the West is 110-107 (50.7 p.c).
- The thirteenth crew within the West (Portland Path Blazers at 7-10) could be tied for seventh within the East.
- Ten of the 15 greatest offenses within the NBA are within the West.
- Ten of the 15 greatest defenses within the NBA are within the West.
As you’ll be able to see, we’re nearly speaking concerning the distinction between the massive leagues and the minor leagues on the subject of how disparate these crew conferences are. We anticipate groups like Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Miami to get their acts collectively. Possibly the Pacers will, as effectively? What concerning the Hawks? Exterior of reaching with Atlanta, issues within the East are largely set for which groups will likely be good and within the postseason. That’s not the case within the West. Let’s do some thought train right here.
If the season ended at this time, we’d be shocked that the 2024-25 season didn’t even make it to Thanksgiving. As soon as we obtained previous that huge abrupt cease to the season on this hypothetical, we’re introduced with the NBA deciding it’s solely honest to remove conferences and go discover the perfect 12 groups with an eight-team Play-In Match format. That is how that might look:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers | 17-1
2. Boston Celtics | 14-3 | 2.5 video games again
3. Golden State Warriors | 12-4 | 4 video games again
4. Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder | 12-4 | 4 video games again
5. Houston Rockets | 12-6 | 5 video games again
6. Los Angeles Lakers | 10-6 | 6 video games again
7. LA Clippers | 11-7 | 6 video games again
8. Orlando Magic | 11-7| 6 video games again
9. Denver Nuggets | 9-6 | 6.5 video games again
10. Memphis Grizzlies | 10-7 | 6.5 video games again
11. New York Knicks | 9-7 | 7 video games again
12. Phoenix Suns | 9-7 | 7 video games again
———— Play-In Match —————-
13. Dallas Mavericks | 9-8 | 7.5 video games again
14. San Antonio Spurs | 9-8 | 7.5 video games again
15. Minnesota Timberwolves | 8-8 | 8 video games again
16. Miami Heat | 7-7 | 8 video games again
17. Sacramento Kings | 8-8 | 8.5 video games again
18. Milwaukee Bucks | 8-9 | 8.5 video games again
19. Portland Path Blazers | 7-10 | 9.5 video games again
20. Atlanta Hawks | 7-10 | 9.5 video games again
The Pacers and Nets have the identical report because the Hawks and Blazers, however they’d miss out on tiebreakers with the Blazers being 1-0 in opposition to Atlanta, the Nets being 0-1 in opposition to Atlanta, and the Hawks having a greater convention report than the Pacers. We’ll fake these are the tiebreakers on this dystopian, conference-elimination hypothetical. Possibly we’re getting too within the weeds on this now. The purpose is, the Blazers have an opportunity on the postseason on this situation. So many East groups don’t. Possibly issues will begin to even out over the subsequent month or 4. Who is aware of? This simply appears like one of the excessive chasms we’ve seen between the 2 conferences.
Folks have been questioning which Western Convention squad will likely be moved East if the NBA finally provides Seattle and Las Vegas in growth. Ultimately, somebody goes to begin poking round the concept that the NBA must remove conferences for playoff functions. The league has at all times been proof against that due to custom and logistics. The West has to hate that.
The Week Forward: The NBA Cupdate all of us wanted!
We’ve had 4 NBA Cup nights thus far, and we’re utilizing this area to replace what every group within the East and West is trying like. That’s simply in case you’re nonetheless a bit of confused by this comparatively new ordeal. Reminder: Every group consists of 5 groups, and they’re going to all play 4 video games in group play. The winner of every group strikes on to single-elimination for the NBA Cup, together with one wild card from every convention (based mostly on report and level differential as the highest two tiebreakers). Additionally, additional time intervals don’t rely towards the purpose differential. We didn’t have these numbers precisely final week due to it, but it surely has been corrected.
East Group A
Driver’s seat: Orlando Magic (2-0, plus-37), New York Knicks (2-0, plus-14)
Lingering: Brooklyn Nets (1-2, minus-16)
You’re mainly out: Philadelphia 76ers (1-2, minus-9), Charlotte Hornets (0-2, minus-26)
What’s occurring with this group? The Hornets and 76ers are successfully out due to tiebreakers. That is seemingly all going to come back right down to the Knicks and Magic recreation on Dec. 3. Assuming the Knicks beat Charlotte and Orlando beats Brooklyn, they’ll each be 3-0 in group play after they face off on the Knicks’ orange court docket. The Magic have an enormous benefit for getting by because the wild card, in the event that they lose that presumably 3-0 matchup in opposition to New York. That plus-37 level differential is massive proper now. The Knicks must blow out the Hornets.
Video games this week: Knicks at Hornets on Friday | Magic at Nets on Friday
East Group B
Driver’s seat: Milwaukee Bucks (2-0, plus-26), Detroit Pistons (2-0, plus-4)
Lingering: Miami Warmth (1-1, plus-13)
You’re mainly out: Toronto Raptors (0-2, minus-18), Indiana (0-2, minus-25)
What’s occurring with this group? The Pistons have been within the driver’s seat, and now we see the Bucks pull forward of them due to level differential, after double-digit wins over the Raptors and Pacers to begin their group play. If the Bucks beat the Warmth on Tuesday and the Pistons beat the Pacers on Friday, then we’ll have a 3-0 showdown between Milwaukee and Detroit on Dec. 3. If the Warmth beat the Bucks on Tuesday, then they get thrust into the combo for successful the group. Miami would want some assist by way of Detroit dropping its remaining two group video games, because the Pistons beat them already. Indiana won’t be the NBA Cup darlings once more this season.
Video games this week: Bucks at Warmth on Tuesday | Pistons at Pacers on Friday | Raptors at Warmth on Friday
The Celtics and Hawks are battling it out for NBA Cup Group C. (David Butler II / Imagn Pictures)
East Group C
Driver’s seat: Atlanta Hawks (2-1, minus-1), Boston Celtics (2-1, plus-14)
Lingering: Cleveland Cavaliers (1-1, plus-15), Chicago Bulls (1-1, minus-4)
You’re mainly out: Washington Wizards (0-2, minus-24)
What’s occurring with this group? Regardless of having a greater level differential, the Celtics are behind the Hawks as a result of Atlanta beat Boston to tip off group play. Nonetheless, each groups will likely be enjoying to advance of their remaining respective video games on Friday. If the Hawks win, they win the group. If the Celtics win, they both win the group with an Atlanta loss or they might win the wild card if level differential helps them in that means. If the Cavs win over the Hawks, they want the Bulls to beat the Celtics. If the Bulls beat the Wizards and the Celtics, they want the Hawks to win in opposition to Cleveland and so they get the group. The Wizards, as at all times, are already out.
Video games this week: Bulls at Wizards on Tuesday | Cavs at Hawks on Friday | Celtics at Bulls on Friday
West Group A
Driver’s seat: Houston Rockets (2-0, plus-49)
Lingering: LA Clippers (1-1, minus-5), Portland Path Blazers (1-1, minus-14), Minnesota Timberwolves (1-1, minus-14)
You’re mainly out: Sacramento Kings (0-2, minus-16)
What’s occurring with this group? This one is fairly easy. If the Rockets beat Minnesota on Tuesday, they win West Group A outright. Nothing else issues after that. Which means the Clippers and Blazers must up their recreation to attempt to win the wild card. If the Wolves beat the Rockets and the Clippers on Friday, they’ll win the group so long as Portland loses another recreation. The Clippers can win the group in the event that they win out and the Rockets lose each of their remaining video games. Similar for Portland.
Video games this week: Rockets at Wolves on Tuesday | Clippers at Wolves on Friday | Kings at Blazers on Friday
West Group B
Driver’s seat: Los Angeles Lakers (2-0, plus-11)
Lingering: Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder (1-1, plus-10), San Antonio Spurs (1-1, plus-1), Phoenix Suns (1-1, minus-8)
You’re mainly out: Utah Jazz (0-2, minus-14)
What’s occurring with this group? No offense to the Spurs and the Jazz, however the destiny of this group will likely be determined by the Lakers this week after they play their two hardest group play opponents: Phoenix and OKC. The Lakers have by no means misplaced an In-Season Match/NBA Cup recreation. The Suns look very susceptible proper now, however the Thunder nonetheless look very formidable with out Chet Holmgren. If the Thunder beat the Lakers on Friday, they’ll have an opportunity to win the group at dwelling in opposition to Utah on Dec. 3. The Suns can win the group in the event that they win out and OKC loses a second recreation. If the Spurs win out, they want the Lakers to lose two for them to win the group.
Video games this week: Spurs at Jazz on Tuesday | Lakers at Suns on Tuesday | Thunder at Lakers on Friday
West Group C
Driver’s seat: Golden State Warriors (3-0, plus-12)
Lingering: Dallas Mavericks (2-1, plus-41), Denver Nuggets (1-2, plus-2)
You’re mainly out: New Orleans Pelicans (1-1, minus-38), Memphis Grizzlies (0-2, minus-17)
What’s occurring with this group? The Warriors have already received the group! It doesn’t matter what occurs of their recreation in opposition to Denver as a result of they’ve a win over Dallas. Dallas is in nice place to take the wild card due to its level differential. If the Mavs beat Memphis, they’ll in all probability snag the wild card. It is dependent upon the Thunder, Spurs, and Lakers of their remaining video games, as they’ve constructive level differentials. The Pelicans may seize the wild card in the event that they win their remaining two group play video games by about 100 mixed factors.
Video games this week: Pelicans at Grizzlies on Friday
(Prime picture of Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell: Elsa / Getty Pictures)
