I feel as if we are far enough into the season to where I am able to say whether my preseason standing predictions were right or wrong, so let’s do that.
West
Clippers
Putting the Clippers as the one seed was a bad idea because their players never play but I was not sure who else to put here and I thought the Clippers were the best team in the conference so here we are.
Timberwolves
This season hasn’t gone the way I thought it would for the Wolves. The Karl-Anthony Towns injury did not help but Minnesota was not the regular season wins machine I thought they would be even with Towns on the court. However, Anthony Edwards had a breakout season so that is a positive.
Nuggets
Denver has been awesome this season. Nikola Jokic is one of the leading candidates for MVP, which would be his third in a row, and with Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. back in the fold and Aaron Gordon having his best season as a pro, Denver looks like real title contenders.
Warriors
The defending champs have had an up and down season with almost all of the ups coming at home and all of the downs coming on the road. The Warriors need to figure out a way to win a road game in the playoffs or else this team will be staring down a first round exit.
Grizzlies
Memphis has had a really good season, navigating well through the injuries to Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke and the whole Ja Morant situation. Yet, I worry about Memphis’ ceiling in the playoffs because there are a lot of good teams that could beat the Grizzlies in the West.
Pelicans
New Orleans was having a really good season making a lot of heads turn… and then Zion Williamson got hurt on January 2nd and the Pels have plummeted down the standings ever since.
Mavericks
We knew losing Jalen Brunson was a big deal but I don’t think anyone, including Dallas, knew how big of a deal it was. It was crystal clear to everyone how big of a deal the Brunson loss was by the deadline so Dallas traded Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and a 2029 first round pick for Kyrie Irving. Yet even after the Irivng trade, Dallas is hovering around the play-in.
Suns
There was a time in December and January that this pick looked like it would be correct, and it still could be. The addition of Kevin Durant makes it look like the Suns are a real title threat, and they might be, but I’d like to see it first before we crown the Suns champions.
Lakers
The Lakers had a huge deadline acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. After looking like this was a lost season, the Lakers have saved their season and given themselves a chance to make the playoffs even with LeBron James being out since February 26th.
Trail Blazers
The Blazers stink and Dame is never leaving even though it is time for a divorce.
Kings
The Kings are the surprise of the NBA. At 43-29, the Kings are 5 games up on the 4th place Suns and are going to be a really tough out come April and May. My hot take, that is not all that hot, is that they can make the Western Conference Finals, not that I’m picking it or that they will but that they can.
Jazz
I told you this is where Utah would end up. A play-in birth is not something a ton of Jazz fans seem thrilled at the idea of but it is very possible with the way Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler have played all season.
Rockets
Houston has been playing better as of late but that does not change the fact that there has been little to no progress this season. A coaching change wouldn’t surprise me.
Thunder
The past 2 seasons I have thought Houston would be better than Oklahoma City and both times I was wrong. The Thunder are competing for a play-in spot and I hope they get it, this OKC team would be fun to watch in that setting.
Spurs
Victor Wembanyama
East
Bucks
I have never been more upset to get a pick right. The Bucks are really good, Giannis is one of the top MVP candidates, and Khris Middleton is back. The Bucks are probably the favorite to win the title right now
Celtics
Robert Williams has to be healthy if the Celtics are going to go to where they think they can. Tatum and Brown are still Tatum and Brown and they probably have the best top 7 in the sport, but they need Rob to be on the court to reach their title hopes.
76ers
Is this the year the Sixers break through and get to the conference finals? Maybe, Embiid looks like he always does, which is awesome, so they need Harden to play the role as robin and not continue his weird elimination game woes.
Raptors
The Raptors stink and I picked them to finish 4th, if it wasn’t for my Wolves as the 2 seed pick, this would be the bad pick I can’t stop thinking about.
Heat
Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are great players but beyond that what does Miami truly have? Kevin Love is their starting 4 in the year of our lord 2023!
Nets
There was a time when it looked like the Nets could win the championship. Then Kyrie demanded a trade, got traded to the Mavs, and Kevin Durant got traded to the Suns which put those dreams to bed. However, Mikal Bridges is really good and will be an All-Star one day so not all hope is lost in Brooklyn.
Cavaliers
I said Cleveland was a year away, and I still believe that due to a lack of wing depth but they are still 4th in the East so if this is a year away, the rest of the conference better watch out.
Hawks
The Hawks have been in eighth almost all season so that’s a point for me. Quin Snyder is a good coach but the Hawks roster is not good enough, the question is: is Trae Young good enough?
Bulls
Was Patrick Beverly the missing piece to the Bulls this whole time?
Knicks
Jalen Brunson has been an awesome addition, proving to be everything the Knicks needed and more. Julius Randle made his second All-Star team this season as well and Mitchell Robinson has been the paint protector and lob threat New York has needed him to be. The question lies with RJ Barrett, is his future in New York?
Wizards
For a while there, it looked like the Wizards would make Play-In Tommy, a.k.a. Wizards lead executive Tommy Shepherd, very happy and make the Play-In Tournament. However, a hot stretch by the Bulls and a rough stretch from Washington means that the Wizards will likely finish 11th and miss the play-in.
Pistons
The Cade Cunningham injury derailed any postseason hopes Detroit had and now they are in prime Victor Wembanyama territory.
Magic
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are awesome and ever since Markelle Flutz and Gary Harris joined Banchero, Wagner, and Wendell Carter Jr. in the starting 5 the Magic have looked like a real basketball team and it is very fun.
Hornets
With LaMelo out it has been the Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward show… the 2019 Boston Celtics are cringing. However, I like their center duo of Mark Williams and Nick Richards.
Pacers
Indiana is fun to watch and no fun to play against. Tyrese Haliburton has a chance to be one of the best point guards in the league and he and Bennedict Mathurin have a chance to be one of the best backcourts in the league. In other news: the Pacers are what I thought the Pistons would be and the Pistons are what I thought the Pacers would be.
I really enjoy this exercise every year because it shows what I was thinking in October and how wrong, sometimes right but usually wrong, I am. The playoffs are coming and the race to make it is heating up so everyone lock in for what should be a wild 3(ish) months of basketball.
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