E. 001 - 2023 - 2024 NBA Playoff Preview, Regular Season Awards and 2024 WNBA Draft Preview
Final 2023-24 Power Rankings and One Playoff Question
The way I rank the teams is pretty simple. If there was a 30 team playoff starting today, do I think they could beat the team ranked ahead of them in a 7-game series. I consider all current injuries, recent play and ignore projections of what should be. For example, who can the Bucks beat in a 7-game series? They should be able to beat almost anyone with a starting lineup of Giannis, Dame, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Malik Beasley! But, recent play suggests they might want to make a move to Cancun.
Legit Championship Contenders
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A league best 12.4 net rating with Jokic on the floor. The flip side, a -11.5 and bottom 3 with him on the bench. The Nuggets have proven as a whole that they can run through anyone in a 7-game series. With their continuity and previous Championship experience, it is hard to not expect them to do the same thing this year.
Question: Can Jamal Murray and the rest of the squad find a way to keep games close in the non-Jokic minutes?
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The Celtics have been nothing short of dominant all season. The first and only team to 60 wins. Historic offensive efficiency. Clutch defensive stops. Brad Stevens is even better in the front office. Offseason moves that allowed Joe Mazula to maximize their talent.
Question: Can Jrue Holiday’s championship experience help the Celtics overcome their playoff ghosts?
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Chris Finch has turned what everyone thought was going to be historically one of the worst trades in NBA history, into the league’s best defense by a wide margin. While their offense can look clunky and out of sync at times, there is no denying their defense can stop anyone.
Question: Will opponents be able to scheme Gobert off the court like his days in Utah?
If Things Go Right…
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The last time the Thunder had a young core this exciting, they made it to the Finals. SGA has turned into a front-runner for MVP on both ends of the floor and the whole team matches his energy. The only area they could use that energy is on the glass. They rank 28th and 29th is offensive and defensive rebounding, respectively. Holmgren’s spacing on the offensive end, really unlocks SGA’s ability to get to the rim. And on the defensive end, his length really helps keep teams from getting clean looks at the rim.
Question: Can they rebound well enough to stay in games and advance through the Playoffs?
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If there was ever a team that was putting it together at the right time, it would be the Mavs. Since the trade deadline, they are 7th in defense, 2nd in clutch net rating with the best record in clutch games. Not to mention, arguably the two best shot creators in the game. Nico Harrison continues to make bold moves to improve this roster and it’s paying off.
Question: Was the regular season success just a fluke, or is this new look Mavs a Legit Championship Contender?
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The perfect experiment of can a historic offense and impossibly bad defense co-exist on the same team. Granted, their defense has gotten slightly better since the All-Star Break, it is still a long way off from the teams in the middle of the whole NBA! Tyrese Haliburton continues to blossom in the lead guard role. Pascal Siakam seemed to fit in seamlessly with their fast paced offense. If they can find a way to be even remotely competitive on defense, no one is going to want to see them in the playoffs.
Question: Can the Pacers take advantage of an Eastern Conference filled with injuries?
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It’s hard to bet against Eric Spoelstra and the Heat. Especially when every year, it seems like they are limping into the Play-In and then they dominate their way to the Eastern Conference Finals. They’ve got a top 5 defense, but offense continues to be an issue that Terry Rozier has not been able to help solve. And like we have seen in previous playoff runs, depending on Jimmy Butler too much may leave him with nothing in the tank when you need him most.
Question: Can the Heat find enough offensive firepower for another typical Heat postseason? -
Embiid is back just in time for the Playoffs! The reigning MVP showed signs that there is room for improvement in his conditioning coming off knee surgery, but the impact he has on the court cannot be denied. Maxey has risen to a bonafide co-superstar and at times Tobias Harris has shown he can still contribute at a high rate.
Question: Is Embiid’s knee healthy enough to be able to make a legitimate impact on a Playoff series?
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Shortly after the All-Star Break, it looked like the Knicks had a chance to surge to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Due to injuries and some less than stellar defensive showing (shocking to say that about a Tibbs team), they barely won home court advantage in the first round, and Julius Randle is done for the season.
Question: Can the remaining Knicks stay healthy enough to support Jalen Brunson’s offensive explosion?
1, 2, 3 Cancun!
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I have to be really careful what I say, since the Clips are playing my Mavs in the first round. Harden seems to be having fun playing primarily off-ball and as a distributor. Kawhi looks close to 2019 Toronto Kawhi. And Paul George looks efficient at both ends. Add in the fact they can match almost any lineup (big or small) you throw at them, and they have the look of a title favorite. But….
Question: Can everyone stay happy and healthy long enough to make some real noise in the postseason?
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When you look at the Pelicans roster, they have everything you need to be a championship contender. Elite playmaking and scoring (Zion, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum), high level defenders (again Zion, Dyson Daniels, Herb Jones, Jonas Valancunias, Jose Alvarado), solid rebounding. But they are constantly underperforming for what they have. When you watch the Pelicans play, they are almost scary with how quickly they can take over a game.
Question: Can this group maximize it’s potential and make a deep run?
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Is it just me, or does this look like the Nets big three all over again? Bradley Beal looks confused playing off the ball. Booker and Beal get hunted on the defensive end, every single possession. And their best 5-man lineup is with KD at center. But that absolutely will not be able to keep up with the likes of Jokic and Gobert. But just on star power and KD’s history in the playoffs, maybe they can make some noise.
Question: Was Bradley Beal really the right guy to give up the farm for?
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Losing Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter really hurt. All that offensive production needs to be replaced somewhere, but it might be too late in the season to figure that out. Sabonis has been otherworldly in his production this season (19.4 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 8.2 APG). While this group made a splash last year, there has been a significant drop off in their efficiency stats (2nd last year, 13th this year), points per 100 possessions (1st last year, 15th this year) and free throw rate (4th last year, 26th this year).
Question: Was last year this team’s peak?
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As spectacular as DeMar DeRozan has been this season, I think it is safe to say pushing all of the chips in on Nikola Vucevic did not wok. Lavine seems as though he has pretty much checked out. Who knows when/if Lonzo Ball will be back on the court as a Bull. The good news? They own all of their picks after the 2025 draft. It might be a long couple seasons for Bulls fans.
Question: Is there anything here to tear down, or do they just need to wait until all of the current salaries drop off?
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Let’s be honest. The Hawks are only here because we have to have 10 teams for the Play-In. Even with Trae Young coming back from injury, there just is not a lot here to look at and say they can compete at a championship level. They found some nice pieces through trades, the draft and free agency, but I do not see how effective Trae Young can be in a playoff series without being able to compete on defense.
Question: With all the rumors surrounding Trae Young at the trade deadline, should this be the offseason they cash in?
Dreaming of Next Year
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Let’s be honest. If the Spurs had made the Play-In, I probably would have ranked them in the top-15. What we saw from Wembanyama this year somehow exceeded expectations. The fact that he came the most hyped prospect since LeBron, we were not going to let him be anything short of a MVP candidate. Now, MVP might have been a stretch, but he did manage to thrust himself into DPoY talks. The point Sochan experiment was a failure, but they did find a few pieces to keep around Wemby.
Question: How long is it before players are asking tobe traded to San Antonio?
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The Rockets made a good push at the end of the season, just to stumble at the finish line. Some of that may have to do with Şengün missing the last month and a half of the regular season. But after their first year under Ime Udoka, they have a lot to look forward to next year. A strong showing in March (13-2) showed this team has the ability to turn heads.
Question: With no real way to improve the roster in free agency, is there a trade that can be made to help improve the shot-making on this roster?
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If this was next offseason, I would say Brooklyn was sitting in a good spot, but it is not. They have a $40 million paperweight for next year in Ben Simmons (I hate saying that, seeing as I was team “Trade Embiid, Keep Simmons” at the end of the Process era). They have all the right role players you could possibly want for a championship contender and all on team friendly deals. Mikal Bridges has shown he can be Robin to someone’s Batman.
Question: Can the front office turn Ben Simmons into something even closely resembling a star?
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Before Scottie Barnes got hurt, it looked like the RJ Barrett combo could be very strong in Toronto. Immanuel Quickley also looked like he may be able to find a long term home in Toronto. If they can find high level rim protection, the Raptors could make the biggest leap next season. With Scottie and RJ on the floor together, the Raptors would have ranked in the top-10 on defense in the NBA. On the offensive side, they would have barely cracked the top-20. They need to figure out who can create in the half court.
Question: Can Immanuel Quickley be a lead guard for a young team that desperately needs half court shot creation?
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Granted Ja Morant played a whopping nine games, this was still a very disappointing season for the Grizzlies. They had so much inconsistency through the season, their most played 5-man lineup only played 149 possessions with eachother. That is equivalent to a game and a half! It may be a big reason why they ranked last in every offensive efficiency stat except midrange shots. They finished 26th. They should be hoping that the off court antics of Ja Morant are behind him and he will be fresh for next year.
Question: Was this just a fluke season with all the injuries and suspensions, or was this just a sign they need to blow things up and reset around their franchise centerpiece?
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Being known for how egregious your losing streak is, is never a good thing. An after setting an NBA record, the Pistons have left the season with presumably more questions than answers. They still have way too many centers. They already traded away the only pieces of significant value. There is definitely something there with Cade, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. Add literally any two other Pistons players and the defense ranks in the top 12. The problem is the offense ranks in the bottom 3.
Question: Can the Pistons flip any of their remaining assets to fill in around this core and string together three wins? (They never won more than two in a row all season.)
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A middle of the road offense and one of the worst defenses in the league, did not do much to give hope this core can work long term. The Jazz did not have a single five-man lineup that ranked in the top 25 on defense. Walker Kessler seemed to take a huge step backwards on the defensive end after struggling to find the court for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup last summer. John Collins showed an improved 3-point shot and offensive efficiency, but playing mostly at center showed his limitations on the defensive end.
Question: Can they find a way to get their defense into the top 20?
Moving to Cancun
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You cannot give yourself a nickname as strong as “DominAYTON” and be completely taken out of a game but something as trivial as ice (DeAndre Ayton missed a game because there was ice in his driveway). Scoot Henderson showed that he was starting to figure it out, Anfernee Simons can be a leading scorer, Shaedon Sharpe can be a point of attack defender and is showing improvements in his efficiency. The young core in Portland should give the fanbase hope for the future.
Question: If DeAndre Ayton isn’t the answer in the middle, then who is?
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Brandon Miller showed that he may be the perfect running mate with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. And Mark Williams has shown to be a very valuable front line project. There is something here for Charlotte to look forward to, but having a franchise center pice with constant ankle issues is never good.
Question: Are they able to find a coach that can piece everything together and start moving them up the Eastern Conference?
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Is there anything really positive to say about the Wizards at this point? Jordan Poole learned that being Steph Curry is really hard. Kyle Kuzma thinks he is still a viable #1 option. Bilal Coulibaly and Deni Avdija have shown they may be solid role players in the future. Cashing in their valuable pieces now is their best course of action.
Question: Should they become the first NBA team in Mexico and move the franchise closer to Cancun?
When it comes to individual awards, I think how a player’s team is performing plays into a lot of the decision. If you put up big numbers, but your team is in the bottom five, I’m sorry, but I cannot give you All-NBA honors (cough, Trae Young, cough). I also cannot give a team struggling to get out of the Play-in two spots (Lakers) and only give one spot to a team that has dominated the regular season (Celtics). So tough decisions had to be made, such as is AD or LeBron more deserving to rep the Lakers, cause it cannot be both.
2023-2024 NBA Regular Season Awards
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MVP - Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets - 26.5 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 9.0 APG, 2.2 S/BPG
DPOY - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs - 21.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 4.8 S/BPG
ROY - Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs - 21.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 4.8 S/BPG
6MOY - TJ McConnell, Indiana Pacers - 10.1 PP, 2.7 RPG, 5.5 APG, 1.1 S/BPG
MIP - Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers - 13.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.1 APG, 1.0 S/BPG
CPOY - DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls - 23.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.7 S/BPG
COY - Chris Finch, Minnesota Timberwolves - 56-25 (.691) 2nd in West, 3rd in NBA
EOY - Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics - 63-18 (.778) 1st in NBA, #1 offense, top-3 defense
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First Team
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets - 26.5 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 9.0 APG, 2.2 S/BPG
Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks - 33.9 PPG, 9.2 RPG, 9.8 APG, 1.9 S/BPG
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder - 30.3 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.2 APG, 2.9 S/BPG
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks - 30.4 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 6.5 APG, 2.3 S/BPG
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics - 26.9 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.6 S/BPG
Second Team
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves - 26.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.8 S/BPG
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings - 19.4 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 8.2 APG, 1.5 S/BPG
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks - 28.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.7 APG, 1.1 S/BPG
Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers - 22.6PPG, 5.2 RPB, 3.5 APG, 2.0 S/BPG
Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics - 23.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.7 S/BPG
Third Team
Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana Pacers - 20.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 10.9 APG, 1.9 S/BPG
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers - 23.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 2.5 S/BPG
Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns - 27.3 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 5.1 APG, 2.1 S/BPG
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers - 25.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.5 S/BPG
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers - 25.6 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 8.2 APG, 1.7 S/BPG
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First Team
Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Derrick White, Boston Celtics
Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder
Second Team
Josh Hart, New York Knicks
Herbert Jones, New Orleans Pelicans
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
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First Team
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs - 21.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 4.8 S/BPG
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder - 16.6 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.5 APG, 3.0 S/BPG
Jamie Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat - 11.8 PPG, 3.8 RPB, 2.6 APG, 1.2 S/BPG
Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets - 17.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.5 S/BPG
Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors - 9.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 S/BPG
Second Team
Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers - 14.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.0 S/BPG
Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards - 8.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.7 S/BPG
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz - 12.9 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 4.4 APG, 0.6 S/BPG
Dereck Lively, Dallas Mavericks - 8.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.1 APG, 2.1 S/BPG
Casson Wallace, Oklahoma City Thunder - 6.8 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.3 S/BPG
2024 WNBA Draft
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1 - Indiana Fever - Caitlin Clark, University of Iowa
2 - Los Angeles Spark - Cameron Brink, Stanford University
3 - Chicago Sky -Kamilla Cardoso , University of South Carolina
4 - Los Angeles Sparks - Rickea Jackson, University of Tennessee
5 - Dallas Wings - Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State University
6 - Washington Mystcs - Aaliyah Edwards, University of Connecticut
7 - Chicago Sky -
8 - Minnesota Lynx -
9 - Dallas Wings -
10 - Connecticut Sun -
11 - New York Liberty -
12 - Atlanta Dream -
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13 - Chicago Sky -
14 - Seattle Storm -
15 - Indiana Fever -
16 - Las Vegas Aces -
17 - New York Liberty -
18 - Las Vegas Aces -
19 - Connecticut Sun -
20 - Atlanta Dream -
21 - Washington Mystic -
22 - Connecticut Sun -
23 - New York Liberty -
24 - Las Vegas Aces -
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25 - Phoenix Mercury -
26 - Seattle Storm -
27 - Indiana Fever -
28 - Los Angeles Sparks -
29 - Phoenix Mercury -
30 - Washington Mystics -
31 - Minnesota Lynx -
32 - Atlanta Dream -
33 - Dallas Wings -
34 - Connecticut Suns -
35 - New York Liberty -
36 - Las Vegas Aces -