NBA Roundtable: End-of-season talking points
With just one week left in the 2023-24 regular season, theScore’s NBA editors answer some of the biggest questions around the league.
Which playoff-bound team’s end-of-season form is most concerning?
Milwaukee Bucks: The Bucks aren’t alright. Milwaukee has dropped six of its last seven, including four straight against the Washington Wizards, Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, and New York Knicks. The Raptors had lost 15 straight before taking down Doc Rivers’ squad, prompting the Bucks coach to issue a postgame mea culpa and question how to get his team back on track. There are other concerns, too. Milwaukee has played sub-.500 basketball (15-16) since Rivers took over for Adrian Griffin, and its remaining schedule is as tough as they come. With so little room for error in the East, the Bucks could quickly drop out of that No. 2 spot and set themselves up for more trouble early in the postseason. – Jonathan Soveta
New York Knicks: The Knicks have dropped four of their last six games, including an OT defeat to the cellar-dwelling San Antonio Spurs and a loss to the play-in-bound Chicago Bulls. New York is suddenly at risk of losing home-court advantage in the first round and could even fall into the play-in tournament if its slide continues. The Knicks’ normally stout defense has taken a step back, as opponents shot nearly 50% from the field in those last five games. OG Anunoby’s absence is undoubtedly a factor, and his return will certainly provide a boost. However, Julius Randle’s season-ending shoulder injury likely limits how far New York can advance in the playoffs. – Chicco Nacion
Cleveland Cavaliers: After months of swapping turns on the injury report, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley are all finally healthy. But things aren’t going as hoped. The Cavaliers are just 8-13 since the start of March and rank No. 11th in net rating over that span. Worse, out of all the possible three-man combinations on the Cavaliers, Mitchell-Garland-Mobley lineups only boast the 15th-best net rating on the team (minimum 400 minutes together). The struggles are coming at the wrong time for this core, who struggled mightily in a five-game first-round playoff series loss to the New York Knicks last season in which the team topped 100 points just once. The Cavaliers risk suffering a similar fate if they can’t find their midseason winning ways in the near future. – Matthew Winick
Which play-in team is most capable of playing spoiler?
Golden State Warriors: Only one play-in team has legitimate championship experience – the Warriors. It seems foolish to count out Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, even if they are in the twilight of their careers. We are only three seasons removed from this core winning its fourth NBA championship. Golden State is also peaking at the right time; the Warriors have won seven of their last eight contests while playing suffocating defense, and Golden State’s 105.6 defensive rating has been the fourth-best mark in the NBA in that stretch since March 26. The Warriors also have a potential X-factor in Andrew Wiggins. Despite the worst statistical season of his career – 13 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on 45.1% from the field – it was only a few seasons ago that he was the second-best player on a championship-winning squad. – Thomas Tittley
New Orleans Pelicans: Their recent form doesn’t inspire confidence, but, assuming they don’t climb out of the play-in beforehand, none of the Western Conference’s top contenders are hoping to catch the Pelicans. Willie Green’s side has been a top-five team defensively and ranks sixth in net rating this season, and much of the ongoing skid has been without Brandon Ingram in the lineup due to a bone bruise in his left knee. The Pelicans have had awful luck with injuries in recent seasons, and though they’re a little banged up now – Zion Williamson also missed Sunday’s loss with a bruised finger – they should be in good health once the play-in rolls around. Considering this will be Williamson’s first postseason foray, New Orleans can give the West’s top clubs a serious first-round scare. – Soveta
Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers have the potential to create chaos. They’ve got a championship-winning head coach in Nick Nurse, reigning MVP Joel Embiid back in the fold, and a bona fide No. 2 option in Tyrese Maxey. The trade-deadline acquisitions of Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne gave Philadelphia some offensive punch, and Embiid will benefit from the floor spacing they provide. Kyle Lowry may not be the player he once was, but adding another ball-handler alongside Maxey was needed. The 76ers’ favorable schedule down the stretch gives Embiid an opportunity to rebuild his confidence and conditioning. Philadelphia was second in the East when Embiid went down and has since improved the depth around him. The rest of the conference should fear a potential first-round matchup against the 76ers. – Nacion
Which title contender is most flawed?
Phoenix Suns: When the Suns added Bradley Beal to their star core of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, it was clear that the true measure of their success would come in the playoffs. And regardless of whether they begin as a play-in team, Phoenix can make a run with three elite scorers on its roster. But this group has a ton of holes. The Suns barely rank in the top 10 in points scored and are 16th in points allowed, they struggle mightily to force turnovers while giving up their fair share, and they rank second last league-wide in bench scoring. It would take significant efforts from Phoenix’s Big Three to push this roster to a deep playoff run in a loaded Western Conference. – Winick
Oklahoma City Thunder: The Thunder are the NBA’s feel-good story of 2023-24. The second-youngest roster in the league has managed to win 50 games for the first time since 2015-16 and will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. But the squad’s youth and lack of playoff experience means it will be a historic outlier if it wins an NBA title this season. In the last 40 years, the only NBA champions whose top three players had an average age of less than 26 were the 2015 Golden State Warriors (25). That doesn’t bode well for the Thunder, as the average age of their roster is 24. Oklahoma also has a rebounding problem. Although Chet Holmgren has been fantastic in his rookie season, the Thunder rank 27th in rebounds per game. This will be a serious problem in the playoffs. – Tittley
Los Angeles Clippers: In fairness to the Clippers, everything seemed rosy just a week ago as March came to a close; a win over the Charlotte Hornets made it three straight, and Tyronn Lue’s squad was one of the most in-form teams heading into the final stretch. But now, despite another three-game win streak, L.A. is without two-way star Kawhi Leonard, and his status for the near future is hazy at best. If Leonard is ultimately fine, then the Clippers have nothing to fear. However, the alternate scenario is the one that has played out multiple times since Leonard joined the franchise alongside Paul George in 2019, the one in which the two-time Finals MVP misses or simply isn’t at his healthiest during the postseason. Considering it will almost certainly match up with Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks yet again, L.A. needs Leonard on the floor to make a deep run in a loaded Western Conference. – Soveta
Who is this season’s Most Improved Player?
Coby White: The Chicago Bulls’ long-term future remains murky, but it’s clear White should be part of the team’s plans going forward. The fifth-year guard solidified his place in the Bulls’ core with a breakout 2023-24 campaign, nearly doubling his scoring rate (19.1 points per game) and registering career bests in assists (5.1), rebounds (4.6), free-throw attempts (249), and threes made (203). He’s one of five players this season with at least 1,000 points, 300 rebounds, 350 assists, and 200 triples. White is making 40.3% of his pull-up 3-pointers and using the threat of a long-distance jumper to maximize his speed off the bounce. The North Carolina product is tallying 7.1 points per contest off drives, which is nearly a five-point increase from a year ago. With Lonzo Ball and Zach LaVine sidelined, White assumed primary playmaking responsibilities and improved as a decision-maker when attacking the rim or orchestrating the pick-and-roll. – Nacion
Tyrese Maxey: The Philadelphia 76ers needed a big season out of Maxey after last year’s lead ball-handler, James Harden, was shipped off right as the year began. They also needed him to be a superstar when reigning MVP Joel Embiid was sidelined indefinitely. Maxey answered the call both times. The Kentucky product ranks No. 12 in the league at 25.9 points per game and 18th in assists at 6.3, and he has kept his efficiency at a reasonable number despite taking more than 20 shots a night. Maxey was rewarded with his first career All-Star appearance and will likely be handed some more hardware at season’s end. His rise from reserve guard, to complimentary piece, to third wheel, to superstar in four seasons is extremely impressive. – Winick
Jonathan Kuminga: The Golden State Warriors found the centerpiece to their eventual rebuild with the 21-year-old Kuminga. The third-year forward has become an integral part of the Warriors’ championship hopes this season and made an impressive leap as a scorer and shot creator, increasing his average from 9.9 points to 16.4 while also maintaining his career 53.3% field-goal percentage. At 6-foot-8 with broad shoulders and a quick first step, Kuminga has become one of the better rim-pressure forwards in the league in the Warriors’ spread-out offense. He has nearly doubled his drives per game – from 3.7 to 6.2 – and he’s already a great finisher around the basket. Kuminga is also shooting 70.9% at the rim on nearly six attempts per game, putting his rim-finishing ahead of players like Paolo Banchero, Jayson Tatum, and Scottie Barnes. – Tittley
