With the NBA season upon us, let’s get an in-depth analysis of the biggest pretenders and contenders for the upcoming season.
Atlanta Hawks: Contenders
While Atlanta is coming off a disappointing 40-42 season, there is a lot to be excited for in 2025. Throughout the Trae Young era, the offense has always held together, boasting a top-six offense since 2021. Defensively, they have always ranked out in the bottom ten. But things should likely change in the upcoming season. With the return of power forward Jalen Johnson, who was playing spectacularly before his shoulder injury, and the steady improvement of second-year player Zaccharie Risacher, the defense should improve dramatically. Shooting guard acquisitions Luke Kennard and Nickeil Alexander-Walker should improve spacing, one of the few offensive weaknesses. The addition of center Kristaps Porzingis should also be a much better fit with Trae Young than former center Clint Capela. All this, with the returning talent of offensive mastermind Trae Young and defense standout Dyson Daniels, combined with the Eastern Conference being softer than previous years, the Atlanta Hawks are poised to make a run.
Orland Magic: Pretenders
While the hawks are all offense, Orlando is on the other side of the spectrum. Offensively, the team has been putrid, especially in the shooting category. The team shot just 31.8% from three, one of the worst three-point shooting teams in recent years. Despite having one of the most promising young stars in the league, power forward Paolo Banchero, as well as a co-star in Franz Wagner, the offense has done next to nothing to create some form of competency. While the team did invest in the offense with the trade of Desmond Bane, he will likely get lost in the mix and will fail to mesh with the rest of the team. The addition of Tyus Jones should help in the passing room, but with how he played defensively in Phoenix, it will likely ruin their defensive identity. It’s not impossible, but with the current state of this team, there isn’t enough to see to believe in this team.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Contenders
Despite going out sad in the playoffs for the third straight season, Cleveland will look to run it back with the same “Core Four” of bigs Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley and guards Donavan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Despite some calling for a change, the team has stuck through thick and thin, while adding small additions around the margins. This roster has shown steady improvement from season to season, and the emergence of Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley will continue to add to their success. While they did lose backup point guard Ty Jerome, the team stayed largely the same. In 2024, the Cavs won sixty-four games to gain the number one seed, successfully fighting off the Celtics to do so. Now, with Jayson Tatum of the Celtics and their nightmare in Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers both out for the year with achilles injuries, the East is theirs to lose.
Philadelphia 76ers: Pretenders
2024 was a huge flop for the 76ers, and 2025 will be no different. The Paul George signing proved to be a massive flop, as he underperformed in almost every category. Center Joel Embiid continued his injury-plagued career, playing less than twenty games before having knee surgery to end the year. With no return date in sight, the unpredictability of his play will continue to affect the team. The team has some young talent in guards Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, but both are coming off injuries, and with their size and defensive abilities, thrive much better around defensive players, something Philly does not have. They had a nice draft choice in VJ Edgecombe, but with how frustrating of a season it will likely be, expect his development to be affected.
